Bill Slater

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William John "Bill" Slater (also commonly known as W.J. Slater), OBE, CBE (born 29 April 1927 in Clitheroe, Lancashire) is a former English footballer.

Slater started his career as a 16-year-old amateur at Blackpool in 1944, and played in the 1951 FA Cup Final in which Blackpool lost to Newcastle United, becoming the last amateur to play in an FA Cup Final at Wembley. Another record he holds is Blackpool's fastest-ever goal: eleven seconds into a game against Stoke City on December 10, 1949.

Slater made his Blackpool debut on September 10, 1949, in a goalless draw at Aston Villa. As a nippy inside-forward, he competed with Allan Brown for the number 10 position for the majority of his time at the seaside.

After finishing college, in December 1951 he moved to Brentford briefly, and then, in August 1952, joined Wolves as a part-time professional. He remained at Molineux until 1963, making 339 total appearances and scoring 25 goals. He won three league championships (1953/4, 1957/8, 1958/9) and an FA Cup (1960, the year he was voted Footballer of the Year). He also gained 12 caps for England, including four in the 1958 World Cup.