Bill Collins (footballer)

Bill "Buster" Collins
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Hanna Collins
Date of birth15 February 1920
Place of birthBelfast, Ireland
Date of death3 November 2010 (aged 90)
Playing positionWing half
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1942–1945Belfast Celtic
1945–1948Distillery
1948–1949Luton Town7(0)
1949–1951Gillingham51(0)
1951–1956Snowdown Colliery Welfare
Teams managed
1975Gillingham (caretaker)[1]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

William Hanna "Bill" Collins, also popularly known as Buster Collins (15 February 1920 – 3 November 2010)[2] is a Northern Irish former professional footballer. His clubs included Distillery, Belfast Celtic, Luton Town[3] and Gillingham.[4]

He later became reserve team manager at Gillingham, and in 1965 was appointed by manager Freddie Cox as the head of the club's newly organised youth scheme, a post he held for nearly twenty years.[5] He served as first team trainer and kitman for a further ten years, finally retiring in 1993 at the age of 73. He has been cited as a major influence on the careers of future stars Micky Adams and Steve Bruce.[6]

He died in 2010 at the age of 90.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Bradley, Andy (12 October 1985). "10 Years Ago". Gillingham F.C. Official Matchday Magazine.
  2. ↑ Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. p93. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  3. ↑ Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database
  4. ↑ Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database
  5. ↑ Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. p94. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  6. ↑ Patrick Barclay (6 March 2004). "Adams and Bruce were Buster's premier pupils". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
  7. ↑ "Gillingham stalwart Bill Collins dies". BBC. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2010.