Bill Garner (footballer)

Bill Garner
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Garner
Date of birth14 December 1947
Place of birthLeicester, England
Playing positionCentre forward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Leicester Victoria
Loughborough United
196x–1966Midland Athletic
1966–1967Notts County2(0)
Loughborough United
196x–1969Dunstable Town
1969Bedford Town
1969–1972Southend United102(41)
1972–1978Chelsea105(31)
1978–1980Cambridge United24(3)
1980–1983Chelmsford City
1983–1984Brentford3(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

William "Bill" Garner (born 14 December 1947) is an English former footballer born in Leicester, who played in the Football League for Notts County, Southend United, Chelsea, Cambridge United and Brentford.[1]

A bustling centre-forward, Garner started his career in local football in the Leicester area before signing professional forms with Notts County. After only two league appearances he returned to Loughborough United, then signed for Southern League club Dunstable Town, for whom he scored 25 goals, and then Bedford Town, who sold him to Southend United in November 1969 for a fee of £12,000. He was to score 47 goals in 111 games for Southend, and was their top scorer and Player of the Season in 1971–72.[2] After impressing during a League Cup match against Chelsea in 1972, he signed for the west Londoners three days later for £100,000.[3]

Garner's time at Chelsea was hindered by the overall decline of the side, culminating in relegation to the Second Division in 1975, as well as his own injury problems and loss of form. He made a total of 119 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 36 goals. He signed for Cambridge United on a free transfer in 1978.[3] He left Cambridge in 1980 and ended his career with stints at Chelmsford City and Brentford.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Bill Garner". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  2. 1972 Southend United F.C. Handbook. "Bill Garner". Southend United FC Database. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Baxter, Kelvin. "Bill Garner Chelsea FC". Football Heroes. Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 7 November 2009.

External links