Bill Kennedy (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Bill Kennedy


fullname = William Kennedy
dateofbirth = birth date|1912|2|2|df=y
cityofbirth = Saltcoats, North Ayrshire
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1989|12|12|1912|2|2|df=y
cityofdeath = Southampton
countryofdeath = England
height = height|ft=5|in=10
position = Half back
currentclub =
youthyears =
youthclubs = Royal Albert
years = 1932–1933
1933–1935
1935–1936
1936–1938
1938–????
clubs = Portsmouth
Carlisle United
Crewe Alexandra
Southampton
Hamilton Academical
caps(goals) = 01 0(0)
08 0(0)
06 0(0)
43 0(0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears =
managerclubs =

William Kennedy (2 February 1912 – 12 December 1989) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half back with various clubs in the 1930s.

Playing career

Kennedy was born in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, Scotland but by 1932 he was a junior player on the south coast of England at Portsmouth. He made a solitary appearance for Portsmouth in their 1931-32 First Division campaign before moving north to Carlisle United in July 1933. He made a handful of appearances for Carlisle before moving in September 1935 to join fellow Third Division North side Crewe Alexandra.

In August 1936 he was one of several players signed by Southampton manager George Goss as he attempted to rebuild the team that had struggled for several years in the Second Division. Kennedy formed a useful partnership with fellow half-backs Cyril King and Billy Kingdon, but once again the Saints struggled to avoid relegation, finishing 19th in the table. Described by Saints historians Holley & Chalk as "a reliable centre-half" [cite book | author=Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk | title=The Alphabet of the Saints| publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing | year=1992|pages=p.196| id=ISBN 0-9514862-3-3] he retained his place at the start of the following season before being replaced by David Affleck at the end of September, as new manager Tom Parker re-organised the side following a run of seven games at the start of the season in which Saints lost four and drew three. He spent most of the rest of the season in the reserves, although he was drafted in as an inside forward for the final two games of the season, replacing Ted Bates. In May 1938 he refused a new contract and moved back to Scotland.

After a period with Hamilton Academical, he returned to Southampton and joined the merchant navy serving on RMS Queen Mary. In 1962 he left the service and settled in Southampton working at Mullard in Millbrook. He died in Southampton in 1989, aged 77.

References