Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "tonbridge-fc"
Local boy makes good
John William (Billy) Wright 1931-2020
Billy Wright was born in Blackpool on 4 March 1931. He played his junior football for Highfield Youth Club and then Oxford Amateurs in the Blackpool & District Amateur Football League. An outside left or outside right (winger) he was good enough to have been chosen for the Amateur League side against Stockport on Easter Saturday 1949. And that was when the directors at Blackpool Football Club noticed him and he was signed by the club as an amateur on 6 August 1949.
He made his debut at outside right for the Blackpool ‘B’ side against Bolton Wanderers ‘B’ on 22 October 1949 at the Co-operative Ground, Marton when Blackpool sealed a 4-0 victory. He scored one of his earliest goals for Blackpool in the Blackpool ‘B’ side’s 2-1 victory over Clitheroe early in the 1949/50 season when he was deemed to be 'more at home foraging rather than finishing'. 'Wright, Rogers and Terry were prominent' when Blackpool ‘A’ defeated Atherton Colliery 2-0 in the 1949/50 season and his form was such that he was selected for an under-18 years of age Lancashire League side to play a Northern Intermediate League XI at Oakwell.
Blackpool liked his progress enough to sign him as a part-time professional on 11 May 1950 with his terms to be £3 10s 0d [£3.50] per week from 11 May 1950 to 31 July 1951 plus an additional £2 10s 0d [£2.50] if and when he played in the Central League side. As a part-time player he retained his job outside football as an apprentice painter and decorator.
He began the 1950/51 season in good form, scoring one of the goals as Blackpool defeated Southport 2-0 in a Lancashire Mid-Week League fixture on 25 October 1950 when 'a right wing of Stanley Hepton and Billy Wright had class in it whenever it could escape the relentless tackling of the Southport defence'. Then, playing at centre forward, he 'led the Blackpool attack well with strong support from Whittaker' and the pair were 'dangerous forwards' as the Lancashire Mid-Week League side lost 2-1 to Preston North End and he 'had a good game' and scored twice as Blackpool 'B' defeated Marine 6-0. Even when the side lost 1-0 to Netherfield he was praised as the match report stated, 'Wright and Levy combined to give Netherfield some anxious moments'.
This success led to his Central League (reserve team) debut at outside right against Derby County reserves on 3 February 1951 when the game was drawn 0-0. And he scored his first senior goal for the club in his second Central League appearance, this time at outside left, in a 3-1 defeat by Manchester City reserves on 17 March 1951. In that 1950/51 season he played in six Central League games, scoring two goals. Then he made his European debut when he played his initial first team game, at outside right when Blackpool defeated Stade Rennais 3-0 at Bloomfield Road in a Festival of Britain Exhibition Game on 14 May 1951.
He then went on the club's close season tour of Switzerland and played in all three games, a 4-3 victory over Grasshoppers, a 4-0 victory over a Geneva-Zurich XI and a 0-2 defeat by a Basel-Zurich XI. This led to him being regarded as a young player to watch in August 1951 when he was spoken of as a product of Fylde school soccer who had 'deputised for Stan Matthews on the close season tour of Switzerland and impressed everyone'.
He was expected to make the Central League team in the 1951/52 season and Blackpool manager Joe Smith said, 'I cannot recall when the standard of junior football was so high' after watching 22 of his young apprentices in a trial game at Ballam Road, Lytham. Then in the Blackpool ‘B’ side’s first home game of the 1951/52 season he, Len Stephenson and Cyril Robinson had 'excellent games' as Rossendale United were beaten 3-1.
Injuries gave him an opportunity in the Central League side at inside left against Wolverhampton Wanderers reserves at Bloomfield Road on 8 September 1951 but Blackpool lost 2-0 to the reigning champions. In the second half he and Rex Adams switched wings and 'for a time the Blackpool forwards looked dangerous but there was still a tendency, particularly on the part of Ken Smith, to try an extra pass instead of a shot'.
Then, after scoring one of Blackpool’s goals in a very dramatic 4-3 Lancashire Senior Cup first round victory over Everton on 24 October 1951. This was followed when he earned the press comment 'Billy Wright confirmed in elusive flashes that one day he may be a great footballer' as Blackpool ‘B’ defeated Burnley ‘B’ 5-1.
A change of position followed as, due to a long injury list, he was moved to centre forward for the Central League side's 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday reserves on 1 December 1951. And, when Stan Mortensen failed a fitness test, and the Blackpool injury list contained four centre forwards, he was told by Joe Smith, 'You’re playing for Blackpool against Spurs tomorrow at centre forward.'
He duly made his League debut at centre forward on a quagmire pitch against Tottenham Hotspur on 8 December 1951 when Blackpool won 1-0 and it was classed as 'a baptism by water'. Tottenham’s tough tackling centre half Harry Clarke was a difficult first opponent but the post-match verdict was 'On a day when criticism would be ungracious, Billy Wright disarmed it. He was not a lot in the game with the ball seldom being played down the centre for him to chase, and obviously he has not yet the resource to pit himself against a heavyweight defence. Yet he played football when he could, which was true of both teams, qualifying both of them for compliments.' And one national newspaper reported, 'Young Wright worked tirelessly and with considerable success to make a good impression in his first League game.'
He retained his place for the game against Chelsea on 15 December 1951 when once again he came up against a tough opponent in John Harris. And although 'young Wright wasted several headed chances', he scored Blackpool’s consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat when he forced the ball over the line with 'a mass of men packed and milling beneath the bar'. One of the national newspapers reported the goal thus, 'It was Wright who reduced Chelsea’s lead. He wandered back into the centre, took a pass from Perry, danced round Bathgate and scored on the run' and described him as 'a centre forward of promise'. Although, in fairness, Blackpool switched 'their two Billys, centre forward Wright and outside left Perry, in the second half ' and 'although neither player succeeded in mastering Chelsea’s John Harris, it was their joint effort which enabled Wright to reduce the arrears from a move started by Ernie Taylor'.
After the match, Blackpool chairman Harry Evans said of Wright's first two appearances, 'We’ve no regrets. This boy has football in him and when he’s stronger he’ll justify all our hopes. He has natural talent, is modest and willing to learn.'
But Mortensen was fit for the following game and he returned to the Central League side. However, due to injury to Stan Matthews and the illness of Matthews' understudy Albert Hobson’s wife, he returned to League action at outside right against Fulham on 8 March 1952 when Blackpool won 4-2 and he 'gave Lowe a troublesome time, and pleased by his ability to centre accurately and quickly'. One national newspaper reported, 'Every credit to Blackpool’s young right winger, Billy Wright, who was deputising for Matthews. Although he showed none of the maestro’s trickery, he was effective with his centres.'
His terms were amended by Blackpool on 29 March 1952 due to his beginning his national service. He was to receive £4 per match from 29 March to 3 May 1952 and £3 per week from 4 May to 30 June 1952. These terms were further amended on 4 July 1952 when he was to receive the standard £1 per week for players completing their national service from 5 July 1952 to 30 June 1953 plus an extra £5 per match from 1 August 1952 to 2 May 1953.
He returned to the League side at outside left against Stoke City on 12 April 1952 when 'The three players reintroduced into the side, Crosland, Stephenson and Billy Wright acquitted themselves well' as Blackpool won 3-2. Another critic wrote, 'Blackpool’s three reserves fitted well into the side. Their only fault was that they persisted in waiting for the ball to come to them.' And he retained the outside left spot against Arsenal on 14 April 1952 when Blackpool lost 4-1 in what was to be his final League game of a season in which he proved his versatility with five League appearances, two at centre forward, one at outside right and two at outside left, in which he scored one goal. He also played 18 Central League games in which he scored four goals.
At the end of that 1951/52 season, a report in the Lancashire Evening Post stated, 'A brighter side to the club’s [injury] troubles has been the keenness and improvement of several young reserves. Withers, Stephenson, W Wright and Robinson are among those who created good impressions, while the selection of Garrett, another graduate from a junior team, for England against Scotland, emphasises once more that Blackpool’s policy of finding future men from among the youngsters is wise and profitable.'
National service interrupted his career in the 1952/53 season but he made his first League appearance of the season at outside right against Portsmouth on 20 December 1952 when Blackpool won 3-2. He kept his place for the two games against Manchester United on 25 and 26 December 1952 when Blackpool drew 0-0 at Bloomfield Road and lost 2-1 at Old Trafford. And, after a number of reserve games, he was back in League action replacing the injured Bill Perry at outside left against Cardiff City on 25 March 1953 when Blackpool lost 1-0. And a record of sorts was created for it was reported, 'The Durie-Wright left wing is one of the first comprising two players out of Fylde football to be fielded by Blackpool in the First Division.'
He played three Easter games at outside left against Derby County, twice, and West Bromwich Albion on 3, 4 and 6 April 1953 - yes, three games in four days! Blackpool beat Derby County 2-1, defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-0 and drew the return game with Derby County 1-1 and this gave him a total of seven League games and 15 Central League games, in which he scored three goals, in the 1952/53 season. And, along with Dave Durie, Cyril Robinson, Stanley Hepton and Ken Booth, he was regarded as one 'destined to win fame' at the close of the season.
During the 1952/53 season he also played for RAF North Coates in the Lincolnshire Services’ Association Football League Division One and he appeared for them in the Cusworth Senior Football Challenge Cup Final against Spilsby.
As a player on national service in the 1953/54 season he was paid the standard £1 per week in accordance with Football Association Regulation No 31 from 1 July 1953 to 30 June 1954. He was also to receive £5 per match from 1 August 1953 to 1 May 1954.
National service once again restricted his 1953/54 season as he played in only eight Central League games for Blackpool. But an amusing story did come out of the season. Having completed his National Service with the RAF on 19 March 1954, Blackburn Rovers player Bryan Douglas told a story at Jimmy Armfield’s 70th birthday celebration on 23 September 2005 of travelling home with Billy. He laughingly related, 'Billy obviously had money for when we arrived at Manchester, too late to travel to Blackpool and Blackburn, we stayed overnight. He booked in at the Piccadilly Hotel while I had to stay in a dormitory at the YMCA, sharing the room with three strangers! He never invited me to share his room at the Hotel!'
His terms for the 1954/55 season were £8 per week from 6 July to 31 July 1954, £10 per week from 1 August 1954 to 7 May 1955 plus an extra £5 per match when playing in the first team.
He appeared mostly in the Central League side in the 1954/55 season and it was not until 12 February 1955 that he was re-introduced into the League side at outside left in place of the injured Bill Perry for the game against Tottenham Hotspur. And he scored one of Blackpool’s goals in a 3-2 defeat. His consolation goal came in the 89th minute when 'Matthews centred, and when Hepton shot, Reynolds juggled with the ball on the ground, Wright nipped in and pushed the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs into the net.'
He kept his place for two further games until Perry returned, appearing in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 19 February 1955, incredibly Blackpool’s first home victory since 6 November 1954, and a 3-1 defeat by Preston North End on 26 February 1955 before Perry returned from injury. In the game against Sheffield Wednesday 'the left wing was in the game only in a few forays by Wright' and in the second against Preston, which turned out to be his last for Blackpool, he very nearly scored when 'Matthews swung the ball cunningly across the goalmouth, and Wright, racing in, slid forward and got his foot to it near the left-hand post. It seemed a certain goal, but the ball either rebounded clear off the base of the post or was scrambled away by Wilson, who had been challenging Wright.'
He played in three League games, scoring one goal, and 17 Central League games, scoring four goals, in that final season at Bloomfield Road. His five-year Blackpool career had encompassed 15 League games in which he scored two goals and 64 Central League games in which he scored 13 goals.
Although for the 1955/56 season he was offered terms, which were £8 per week from 1 July to 31 July 1955, £10 per week from 1 August 1955 to 5 May 1956 and £8 per week from 6 May 1956 to 30 June 1956 plus £5 per week extra when playing in the first team, he was transferred to Leicester City on 12 August 1955.
He went on to play 27 League games and score 10 goals for Leicester City before he was transferred to Newcastle United in July 1958 for a fee of £7,500. He was to earn £14 per week from 1 to 31 July 1958, £17 per week from 1 August 1958 to 2 May 1959 and £14 per week from 3 May to 30 June 1959. Ironically he made his League debut for Newcastle United against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on 25 August 1958 when his side lost 3-0 but, although classed as 'a direct winger' while at St James’s Park, unfortunately injury blighted his time there and he was said to be 'too often on the treatment table'. As a consequence he played only five League games, scoring three goals, for the club.
Newcastle transferred him to Plymouth Argyle for a fee of £5,150 in August 1959 and he played 42 League games and scored nine goals for the club. He did contemplate a move to Hull City in August 1961 and he even featured for the club in the 1961/62 pre-season. Ultimately he decided that the move was not for him and he joined his final club, Millwall, in August 1961. He played 15 League games for Millwall in the single season that he was there.
He ended his football career in non-league football, firstly with Southern League Tonbridge, a club that he joined in the close season of 1962, and then with Southern League Bexley United before he retired from the game at the age of 35. He later worked as a games coach, a teacher and a self-employed gardener before he finally retired at the age of 70.
Latterly he lived in Blackheath, London, in retirement but he regularly visited the Fylde to see his sister at Singleton. He was a lovely man who it was always a delight to meet up with when he was on the Fylde Coast and attending games at Bloomfield Road.
He died on 17 April 2020; rest in peace Billy Wright.
Billy Wright was born in Blackpool on 4 March 1931. He played his junior football for Highfield Youth Club and then Oxford Amateurs in the Blackpool & District Amateur Football League. An outside left or outside right (winger) he was good enough to have been chosen for the Amateur League side against Stockport on Easter Saturday 1949. And that was when the directors at Blackpool Football Club noticed him and he was signed by the club as an amateur on 6 August 1949.
He made his debut at outside right for the Blackpool ‘B’ side against Bolton Wanderers ‘B’ on 22 October 1949 at the Co-operative Ground, Marton when Blackpool sealed a 4-0 victory. He scored one of his earliest goals for Blackpool in the Blackpool ‘B’ side’s 2-1 victory over Clitheroe early in the 1949/50 season when he was deemed to be 'more at home foraging rather than finishing'. 'Wright, Rogers and Terry were prominent' when Blackpool ‘A’ defeated Atherton Colliery 2-0 in the 1949/50 season and his form was such that he was selected for an under-18 years of age Lancashire League side to play a Northern Intermediate League XI at Oakwell.
Blackpool liked his progress enough to sign him as a part-time professional on 11 May 1950 with his terms to be £3 10s 0d [£3.50] per week from 11 May 1950 to 31 July 1951 plus an additional £2 10s 0d [£2.50] if and when he played in the Central League side. As a part-time player he retained his job outside football as an apprentice painter and decorator.
He began the 1950/51 season in good form, scoring one of the goals as Blackpool defeated Southport 2-0 in a Lancashire Mid-Week League fixture on 25 October 1950 when 'a right wing of Stanley Hepton and Billy Wright had class in it whenever it could escape the relentless tackling of the Southport defence'. Then, playing at centre forward, he 'led the Blackpool attack well with strong support from Whittaker' and the pair were 'dangerous forwards' as the Lancashire Mid-Week League side lost 2-1 to Preston North End and he 'had a good game' and scored twice as Blackpool 'B' defeated Marine 6-0. Even when the side lost 1-0 to Netherfield he was praised as the match report stated, 'Wright and Levy combined to give Netherfield some anxious moments'.
This success led to his Central League (reserve team) debut at outside right against Derby County reserves on 3 February 1951 when the game was drawn 0-0. And he scored his first senior goal for the club in his second Central League appearance, this time at outside left, in a 3-1 defeat by Manchester City reserves on 17 March 1951. In that 1950/51 season he played in six Central League games, scoring two goals. Then he made his European debut when he played his initial first team game, at outside right when Blackpool defeated Stade Rennais 3-0 at Bloomfield Road in a Festival of Britain Exhibition Game on 14 May 1951.
He then went on the club's close season tour of Switzerland and played in all three games, a 4-3 victory over Grasshoppers, a 4-0 victory over a Geneva-Zurich XI and a 0-2 defeat by a Basel-Zurich XI. This led to him being regarded as a young player to watch in August 1951 when he was spoken of as a product of Fylde school soccer who had 'deputised for Stan Matthews on the close season tour of Switzerland and impressed everyone'.
He was expected to make the Central League team in the 1951/52 season and Blackpool manager Joe Smith said, 'I cannot recall when the standard of junior football was so high' after watching 22 of his young apprentices in a trial game at Ballam Road, Lytham. Then in the Blackpool ‘B’ side’s first home game of the 1951/52 season he, Len Stephenson and Cyril Robinson had 'excellent games' as Rossendale United were beaten 3-1.
Injuries gave him an opportunity in the Central League side at inside left against Wolverhampton Wanderers reserves at Bloomfield Road on 8 September 1951 but Blackpool lost 2-0 to the reigning champions. In the second half he and Rex Adams switched wings and 'for a time the Blackpool forwards looked dangerous but there was still a tendency, particularly on the part of Ken Smith, to try an extra pass instead of a shot'.
Then, after scoring one of Blackpool’s goals in a very dramatic 4-3 Lancashire Senior Cup first round victory over Everton on 24 October 1951. This was followed when he earned the press comment 'Billy Wright confirmed in elusive flashes that one day he may be a great footballer' as Blackpool ‘B’ defeated Burnley ‘B’ 5-1.
A change of position followed as, due to a long injury list, he was moved to centre forward for the Central League side's 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday reserves on 1 December 1951. And, when Stan Mortensen failed a fitness test, and the Blackpool injury list contained four centre forwards, he was told by Joe Smith, 'You’re playing for Blackpool against Spurs tomorrow at centre forward.'
He duly made his League debut at centre forward on a quagmire pitch against Tottenham Hotspur on 8 December 1951 when Blackpool won 1-0 and it was classed as 'a baptism by water'. Tottenham’s tough tackling centre half Harry Clarke was a difficult first opponent but the post-match verdict was 'On a day when criticism would be ungracious, Billy Wright disarmed it. He was not a lot in the game with the ball seldom being played down the centre for him to chase, and obviously he has not yet the resource to pit himself against a heavyweight defence. Yet he played football when he could, which was true of both teams, qualifying both of them for compliments.' And one national newspaper reported, 'Young Wright worked tirelessly and with considerable success to make a good impression in his first League game.'
He retained his place for the game against Chelsea on 15 December 1951 when once again he came up against a tough opponent in John Harris. And although 'young Wright wasted several headed chances', he scored Blackpool’s consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat when he forced the ball over the line with 'a mass of men packed and milling beneath the bar'. One of the national newspapers reported the goal thus, 'It was Wright who reduced Chelsea’s lead. He wandered back into the centre, took a pass from Perry, danced round Bathgate and scored on the run' and described him as 'a centre forward of promise'. Although, in fairness, Blackpool switched 'their two Billys, centre forward Wright and outside left Perry, in the second half ' and 'although neither player succeeded in mastering Chelsea’s John Harris, it was their joint effort which enabled Wright to reduce the arrears from a move started by Ernie Taylor'.
After the match, Blackpool chairman Harry Evans said of Wright's first two appearances, 'We’ve no regrets. This boy has football in him and when he’s stronger he’ll justify all our hopes. He has natural talent, is modest and willing to learn.'
But Mortensen was fit for the following game and he returned to the Central League side. However, due to injury to Stan Matthews and the illness of Matthews' understudy Albert Hobson’s wife, he returned to League action at outside right against Fulham on 8 March 1952 when Blackpool won 4-2 and he 'gave Lowe a troublesome time, and pleased by his ability to centre accurately and quickly'. One national newspaper reported, 'Every credit to Blackpool’s young right winger, Billy Wright, who was deputising for Matthews. Although he showed none of the maestro’s trickery, he was effective with his centres.'
His terms were amended by Blackpool on 29 March 1952 due to his beginning his national service. He was to receive £4 per match from 29 March to 3 May 1952 and £3 per week from 4 May to 30 June 1952. These terms were further amended on 4 July 1952 when he was to receive the standard £1 per week for players completing their national service from 5 July 1952 to 30 June 1953 plus an extra £5 per match from 1 August 1952 to 2 May 1953.
He returned to the League side at outside left against Stoke City on 12 April 1952 when 'The three players reintroduced into the side, Crosland, Stephenson and Billy Wright acquitted themselves well' as Blackpool won 3-2. Another critic wrote, 'Blackpool’s three reserves fitted well into the side. Their only fault was that they persisted in waiting for the ball to come to them.' And he retained the outside left spot against Arsenal on 14 April 1952 when Blackpool lost 4-1 in what was to be his final League game of a season in which he proved his versatility with five League appearances, two at centre forward, one at outside right and two at outside left, in which he scored one goal. He also played 18 Central League games in which he scored four goals.
At the end of that 1951/52 season, a report in the Lancashire Evening Post stated, 'A brighter side to the club’s [injury] troubles has been the keenness and improvement of several young reserves. Withers, Stephenson, W Wright and Robinson are among those who created good impressions, while the selection of Garrett, another graduate from a junior team, for England against Scotland, emphasises once more that Blackpool’s policy of finding future men from among the youngsters is wise and profitable.'
National service interrupted his career in the 1952/53 season but he made his first League appearance of the season at outside right against Portsmouth on 20 December 1952 when Blackpool won 3-2. He kept his place for the two games against Manchester United on 25 and 26 December 1952 when Blackpool drew 0-0 at Bloomfield Road and lost 2-1 at Old Trafford. And, after a number of reserve games, he was back in League action replacing the injured Bill Perry at outside left against Cardiff City on 25 March 1953 when Blackpool lost 1-0. And a record of sorts was created for it was reported, 'The Durie-Wright left wing is one of the first comprising two players out of Fylde football to be fielded by Blackpool in the First Division.'
He played three Easter games at outside left against Derby County, twice, and West Bromwich Albion on 3, 4 and 6 April 1953 - yes, three games in four days! Blackpool beat Derby County 2-1, defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-0 and drew the return game with Derby County 1-1 and this gave him a total of seven League games and 15 Central League games, in which he scored three goals, in the 1952/53 season. And, along with Dave Durie, Cyril Robinson, Stanley Hepton and Ken Booth, he was regarded as one 'destined to win fame' at the close of the season.
During the 1952/53 season he also played for RAF North Coates in the Lincolnshire Services’ Association Football League Division One and he appeared for them in the Cusworth Senior Football Challenge Cup Final against Spilsby.
As a player on national service in the 1953/54 season he was paid the standard £1 per week in accordance with Football Association Regulation No 31 from 1 July 1953 to 30 June 1954. He was also to receive £5 per match from 1 August 1953 to 1 May 1954.
National service once again restricted his 1953/54 season as he played in only eight Central League games for Blackpool. But an amusing story did come out of the season. Having completed his National Service with the RAF on 19 March 1954, Blackburn Rovers player Bryan Douglas told a story at Jimmy Armfield’s 70th birthday celebration on 23 September 2005 of travelling home with Billy. He laughingly related, 'Billy obviously had money for when we arrived at Manchester, too late to travel to Blackpool and Blackburn, we stayed overnight. He booked in at the Piccadilly Hotel while I had to stay in a dormitory at the YMCA, sharing the room with three strangers! He never invited me to share his room at the Hotel!'
His terms for the 1954/55 season were £8 per week from 6 July to 31 July 1954, £10 per week from 1 August 1954 to 7 May 1955 plus an extra £5 per match when playing in the first team.
He appeared mostly in the Central League side in the 1954/55 season and it was not until 12 February 1955 that he was re-introduced into the League side at outside left in place of the injured Bill Perry for the game against Tottenham Hotspur. And he scored one of Blackpool’s goals in a 3-2 defeat. His consolation goal came in the 89th minute when 'Matthews centred, and when Hepton shot, Reynolds juggled with the ball on the ground, Wright nipped in and pushed the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs into the net.'
He kept his place for two further games until Perry returned, appearing in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 19 February 1955, incredibly Blackpool’s first home victory since 6 November 1954, and a 3-1 defeat by Preston North End on 26 February 1955 before Perry returned from injury. In the game against Sheffield Wednesday 'the left wing was in the game only in a few forays by Wright' and in the second against Preston, which turned out to be his last for Blackpool, he very nearly scored when 'Matthews swung the ball cunningly across the goalmouth, and Wright, racing in, slid forward and got his foot to it near the left-hand post. It seemed a certain goal, but the ball either rebounded clear off the base of the post or was scrambled away by Wilson, who had been challenging Wright.'
He played in three League games, scoring one goal, and 17 Central League games, scoring four goals, in that final season at Bloomfield Road. His five-year Blackpool career had encompassed 15 League games in which he scored two goals and 64 Central League games in which he scored 13 goals.
Although for the 1955/56 season he was offered terms, which were £8 per week from 1 July to 31 July 1955, £10 per week from 1 August 1955 to 5 May 1956 and £8 per week from 6 May 1956 to 30 June 1956 plus £5 per week extra when playing in the first team, he was transferred to Leicester City on 12 August 1955.
He went on to play 27 League games and score 10 goals for Leicester City before he was transferred to Newcastle United in July 1958 for a fee of £7,500. He was to earn £14 per week from 1 to 31 July 1958, £17 per week from 1 August 1958 to 2 May 1959 and £14 per week from 3 May to 30 June 1959. Ironically he made his League debut for Newcastle United against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on 25 August 1958 when his side lost 3-0 but, although classed as 'a direct winger' while at St James’s Park, unfortunately injury blighted his time there and he was said to be 'too often on the treatment table'. As a consequence he played only five League games, scoring three goals, for the club.
Newcastle transferred him to Plymouth Argyle for a fee of £5,150 in August 1959 and he played 42 League games and scored nine goals for the club. He did contemplate a move to Hull City in August 1961 and he even featured for the club in the 1961/62 pre-season. Ultimately he decided that the move was not for him and he joined his final club, Millwall, in August 1961. He played 15 League games for Millwall in the single season that he was there.
He ended his football career in non-league football, firstly with Southern League Tonbridge, a club that he joined in the close season of 1962, and then with Southern League Bexley United before he retired from the game at the age of 35. He later worked as a games coach, a teacher and a self-employed gardener before he finally retired at the age of 70.
Latterly he lived in Blackheath, London, in retirement but he regularly visited the Fylde to see his sister at Singleton. He was a lovely man who it was always a delight to meet up with when he was on the Fylde Coast and attending games at Bloomfield Road.
He died on 17 April 2020; rest in peace Billy Wright.
