| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Ernest Rawlings | ||
| Date of birth | 3 January 1896 | ||
| Place of birth | Andover, Hampshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 25 September 1972 (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Chandler's Ford, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Andover | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1918–1928 | Southampton | 327 | (175) |
| 1928–1929 | Manchester United | 35 | (19) |
| 1929–1930 | Port Vale | 5 | (2) |
| 1930 | New Milton | ||
| 1930–1933 | Newport (Isle of Wight) | ||
| Total | 367+ | (196+) | |
| National team | |||
| 1922 | England | 2 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
William Ernest "Bill" Rawlings (3 January 1896 – 25 September 1972) was an English footballer.
Rawlings' career started in 1918 with Southampton, he stayed ten years with the club, from 1918 to 1928. His 193 goals places him third on the club's list of all-time goalscorers, behind Mick Channon and Matthew Le Tissier. In 1922, his intelligent play and deadly shooting earned him two England caps.[1] He appeared against Wales and Scotland in the 1922 British Home Championship,[2] achieving the rare distinction of being capped for England while playing for a Third Division club.
In March 1928, he signed for Manchester United, scoring on his Old Trafford debut on 14 March 1928; a 1–0 win over Everton. He scored 19 goals in a further 35 appearances, during his three years with the club.[3] In November 1929, he moved to Port Vale, the Valiants paying United a four figure fee.[1]
Rawlings scored on his Vale debut in a 5–2 win over Accrington Stanley at The Old Recreation Ground on 9 November 1929. He played a further five games (four league and one FA Cup) before suffering a serious ankle injury on Christmas day 1929, during a 2–1 home defeat by Stockport County. Recovering by the spring of 1930, but was unable to return to the first team and left for New Milton during the 1930–31 season.[1] Later in 1930 he moved to Isle of Wight and played for Newport.