Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Wilfred Francis Billington[1] | ||
Date of birth | 28 January 1930 | ||
Place of birth | Blackburn, England | ||
Date of death | 1 October 2023 | (aged 93)||
Place of death | Australia | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
Youth career | |||
Rochdale | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1948–1954 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | (0) |
1954–1958 | Workington | 53 | (0) |
1958–1959 | Headington United | ||
Balgownie Rangers | |||
South Coast United | |||
Melbourne Hellas | |||
Total | 53+ | (0+) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Wilfred Francis Billington (28 January 1930 – 1 October 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in England and Australia. He began his career with Rochdale, later playing for Blackburn Rovers, Workington Reds, and Headington United.[2][1][3][4] In Australia, Billington was best known as the goalkeeper for South Coast United's championship-winning side led by former England international Jim Kelly.[5][6]
Born in Blackburn, Billington attended St Alban's School.[4] His schoolmates included Jack Walker, who went on to help the Blackburn Rovers win the Premier League in 1995.[4]
After a brief stint at Rochdale, Billington joined Blackburn Rovers, his hometown club.[7] He was with Blackburn for six years, playing regularly for the reserve team in the Central League.[7]
In the summer of 1954, Billington was signed by Workington manager Bill Shankly as the cover goalkeeper for Malcolm Newlands.[8][7][9] After Newlands was injured, Billington played the opening match of the 1954–1955 season at Darlington, which the club won 2–1.[9] He made a total of 19 appearances during his first season, and 24 during his second.[9]
Eighteen months into his transfer to Workington, the Liverpool Echo noted that Billington was regarded as "extremely promising", commending his performance at Prenton Park during his first season.[10] Similarly, the Derby Evening Telegraph called Billington one of Shankly's best signings, noting that he had "developed into an extremely sound and reliable goalkeeper".[11]
Shankly himself had told the press following the hard-fought match against the Tranmere Rovers that he predicted Billington would be selected as England goalkeeper within two years' time.[12] In December 1955, when Shankly was confirmed to be moving to Huddersfield Town, the Lincolnshire Echo called Billington "one of the best [goalkeepers] in the Third North" and suggested that he was a natural choice to follow suit.[13]
Over the course of his five-year Workington Reds career, Billington made a total of 55 League and Cup appearances, and kept 16 clean sheets.[9] He also made 75 appearances for the Workington Reserves playing in the North Eastern League.[9] In his final match for the club in 1958, he conceded 6 goals in a 6–3 defeat at Mansfield Town.[9]
Billington moved south after his release by Workington manager Joe Harvey, transferring to Headington United, which later became Oxford United, for the 1958–59 season.[7] He decided to emigrate to Australia after a two-year offer to move there.[7] Later deciding to live there permanently, he played for Balgownie Rangers, South Coast United and Melbourne Hellas.[9][7]
In 1963, Billington played for South Coast United in the New South Wales grand final, defeating APIA Leichhardt 4–0 for the title in front of a crowd of 30,158 at the Sydney Sports Ground. This broke the Australian attendance record at the time.[6][14] The following week, Billington played in the 1963 Australia Cup against APIA, who enacted revenge against South Coast United. Whilst Billington played well, saving point-blank shots from Leo Baumgartner and John Giacometti, he was unable to prevent a 0–2 loss to APIA.[15]
Billington returned to England in the mid-1960s after leaving South Coast United, but announced his return to Australia in 1966.[5][16] He lived in Wollongong and worked in a steelworks, first as a fitter and then as a salesman.[7]
At age 55, he obtained an honours degree from Wollongong University in Australia, and later worked for a politician.[7] His son also played as a goalkeeper.[17]
At the beginning of October 2023, Billington died at the age of 93.[7]