Billy Arnison

Billy Arnison
Personal information
Full name Joseph William Arnison
Date of birth 27 June 1924(1924-06-27)
Place of birth Johannesburg, South Africa
Date of death 1996 (aged 71–72)
Place of death Johannesburg, South Africa
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
Eastern Transvaal
1946–1948 Rangers 7 (1)
1948–1951 Luton Town 44 (19)
– Berea Park
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Joseph William "Billy" Arnison (27 June 1924–1996) was a South African professional footballer, best known as a player for Scottish club Rangers and English club Luton Town.

Playing career

Arnison was signed by Glasgow club Rangers for the first post-war season, 1946–47. He scored four goals in ten games for Rangers, an impressive return, but the next season saw him isolated at Ibrox. 1948 saw him move south, when English Second Division side Luton Town offered Rangers £8,000 for his services. Arnison soon became a crowd favourite at Kenilworth Road, scoring a hat-trick in his fourth game as Luton beat Cardiff City 3–0. He finished the season as top scorer, even though he missed a large part of the season with an injury to his right knee.[1][2]

After three major operations, Arnison decided to call it a day, and at only 27 he retired from the professional game and returned to South Africa, where he became a physiotherapist.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Wash, Roger (2008). Hatters Heroes. Roger Wash. ISBN 978-0-9560832-0-3. 
  2. ^ Neil Brown. "Billy Arnison". http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/billyarnison.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-10.