Bill Lacey (footballer)

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Bill Lacey
Personal information
Full name William Lacey
Date of birth September 24, 1889
Place of birth    Enniscorthy, Wexford, Ireland
Date of death    May 30, 1969 (aged 79)
Playing position Defender / Midfielder / Forward
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1906-1909
1909-1912
1912-191x
191x-191x
191x-1919
19xx-1924
1924-1925
1925-1927
1927-1931		 Shelbourne
Everton
Liverpool
Belfast United
Linfield
Liverpool
New Brighton
Shelbourne
Cork Bohemians		 10 (3)
37 (11)
X (X)
X (X)
X (X)
X (X)
7 (0)
66 (12)
X (X)   
National team
1909-1924
1927-1930
192x-193x		 Ireland
Irish Free State
League of Ireland XI		 23 (3)
3 (1)
3 (X)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Bill Lacey (born September 24, 1889, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland; died May 30, 1969), also referred to as Billy Lacey or William Lacey was an Irish footballer who played for, among others, Shelbourne, Everton, Linfield, and Liverpool. As an international, he also played for both Ireland teams - the IFA XI and the FAI XI.

An extremely versatile and talented player, Lacey played in all eleven positions during his career. He was a prominent member of the Ireland team that won the 1914 British Home Championship and was also a member of the Liverpool team that won two successive English First Division titles in 1922 and 1923. He was the first player to be capped at full international level while playing for both Merseyside clubs. In 1927 at the age of 37, he became the oldest player ever to make his debut for the FAI XI and in 1930 at the age of 41 he became the teams oldest ever player.

Contents

[edit] Club Career

Lacey began his career with Shelbourne in 1906 and helped them reach the final of the Irish Cup in 1908. He moved to Everton in February 1909 and made his club debut, leading the forward line, in April 1909 against Bradford City. During his time at Everton he also played as a half-back. While at the Blues he made 37 English League appearances and scored 11 goals. He also played a further 3 games in the FA Cup.

In February 1912 he joined local rivals Liverpool. He arrived, along with Tom Gracie, as part of swap that saw Harold Uren join Everton. Lacey made his Liverpool debut, as a left-winger, on March 2 1912 in a First Division match against Middlesbrough. The game finished as a 1-1 draw. He scored his first goal for the club on March 16 in a 2-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Lacey would eventually make 230 league appearances and scored 18 league goals for Liverpool. He also made a further 28 appearances and scored another 11 goals in the FA Cup. In 1914 he helped Liverpool reach their first ever FA Cup final. However Liverpool lost the match 1-0 to Burnley.

During the First World War, Lacey returned to Ireland and played as a guest in the Belfast and District League, first for the now defunct team, Belfast United, and then for Linfield. While with Linfield he helped them reach two successive Irish Cup finals in 1918 and 1919, finishing as runners-up and winners respectively. After returning to Liverpool, Lacey helped them win two successive First Division titles in 1922 and 1923. Among his team mates at Liverpool during this era where Ephraim Longworth and Elisha Scott.

Lacey left Liverpool in June 1924 and joined New Brighton for one season. Then in May 1925 he rejoined Shelbourne. In September 1927 he joined Cork Bohemians as a player coach, eventually retiring as a player in April 1931.

[edit] International career

Between 1909 and 1924 Lacey won 23 caps for the IFA XI. He won the first 10 while at Everton, the next 12 at Liverpool and his last with New Brighton. He made his international debut on February 13 1909 in a 4-0 defeat to England and then on March 20 he scored his first international goal in a 3-2 defeat against Wales.

Lacey only scored two more goals for the IFA XI, but they would prove significant. Along with Louis Bookman, Val Harris, Patrick O’Connell and Billy Gillespie, Lacey helped Ireland win the 1914 British Home Championship. On February 14 he scored twice as Ireland beat England 3-0 at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough. In a game which saw Lacey play in three different positions, Ireland then clinched the title following a 1-1 draw with Scotland at Windsor Park in Belfast.

After returning to Shelbourne, Lacey also played three times for the FAI XI and three times for the League of Ireland XI. In 1927, at the age of 37, he became the oldest player to ever make his debut for the FAI XI when he was selected to play against Italy. In 1928 he inspired the FAI XI to their first win. 2-0 down at half-time, Lacey scored the opening goal in a 4-2 away win against Belgium. In 1930, at the age of 41, he became the oldest player ever to play for the FAI XI when he played against Belgium again. In his three appearances for the FAI XI, he played as outside-right, inside-right and right-back.

[edit] Honours

Shelbourne

Ireland

Liverpool

Linfield

  • Irish Cup
    • Winners 1918-19
    • Runners Up 1917-18

[edit] Sources

  • The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
  • Who’s Who Of Everton (2004): Tony Matthews
  • Who’s Who Of Liverpool (2006): Tony Matthews
  • Byrne, Peter (1996). Football Asssociation of Ireland: 75 years. Dublin: Sportsworld, 31 & 211. ISBN 1-900110-06-7. 

[edit] External links

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