Billy Gerrish

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Billy Gerrish
Personal information
Full name William Webber Walter Gerrish[1]
Date of birth 28 December 1884[2]
Place of birth Bristol, England
Date of death 8 August 1916(1916-08-08) (aged 31)[3]
Place of death Somme, France[3]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[4]
Position(s) Inside forward
Youth career
Eastville Board School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1905 Freemantle
1905–1909 Bristol Rovers 49 (11)
1909–1912 Aston Villa 55 (17)
1912 Preston North End 3 (0)
1912–1913 Chesterfield Town 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Webber Walter Gerrish (28 December 1884 – 8 August 1916), sometimes known as Willie Gerrish, was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Aston Villa and Preston North End.[1][5]

Personal life[edit]

Gerrish's brother Howard was also a footballer.[4] In February 1915, six months into the First World War, Gerrish enlisted in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.[6] He was severely wounded in both legs by a shell blast at Delville Wood on 8 August 1916 and died later that day.[6] Gerrish has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.[3]

Career statistics[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bristol Rovers 1905–06[7] Southern League First Division 1 0 0 0 — 1 0
1906–07[7] Southern League First Division 5 2 0 0 — 5 2
1907–08[7] Southern League First Division 14 1 0 0 — 14 1
1908–09[7] Southern League First Division 29 8 0 0 — 29 8
Total 49 11 0 0 — 49 11
Aston Villa 1909–10[8] First Division 36 14 3 1 — 39 15
1910–11[8] First Division 14 3 0 0 — 14 3
1911–12[8] First Division 5 0 0 0 — 5 0
Total 55 17 3 1 — 58 18
Chesterfield Town 1912–13[9] Midland League 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Career total 63 17 3 1 0 0 66 18

Honours[edit]

Aston Villa

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 109. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. ^ "Southern League Players Index 1899–1920". Bristol Rovers Memorabilia. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b "We Will Remember Them". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Gerrish, William Webber Walter (Billy)". Aston Villa Player Database. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Club Remembers its Somme Casualties". Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d "Rovers results, appearances and goalscorers 1899 to 2022". The Bristol Rovers History Group. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "William Webber Walter Gerrish". 11v11.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Line-ups – 1912–13". Sky is Blue – Chesterfield FC history & statistics. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  10. ^ Riddoch, Andrew; Kemp, David (2010). When the Whistle Blows: The Story of the Footballers' Battalion in the Great War. Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset: Haynes Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-0857330772.


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