Full name William Harold Bidmead Years Team Role Footballer | Place of birth West Bromwich, England Name Bill Bidmead | |
Date of birth December 1882 (1882-12) Date of death 16 March 1961(1961-03-16) (aged 78) Place of death Bethnal Green, London, England Died March 16, 1961, Bethnal Green, United Kingdom | ||
William Harold Bidmead (December 1882 – 16 March 1961), generally known as Bill Bidmead, was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Small Heath (renamed Birmingham during his time with the club) and Grimsby Town.
Bidmead was born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. He played for Elwells, Walsall (though not in the Football League), Stourbridge and Brierley Hill Alliance before joining Small Heath in September 1903 as cover at full back for Jack Glover and Frank Stokes. Matthews describes Glover and Stokes as "generally rated as the best at club level anywhere in the country around the turn of the century". Bidmead played only three first-team games in three seasons, and moved on to Leyton in the 1906 close season. Two years later he returned to the Football League with Grimsby Town, but played only once before returning to Brierley Hill Alliance where he finished his career in 1911.
Bidmead died in Bethnal Green, London in 1961 at the age of 78.