Full name William Spencer Playing position Date of birth 15 May 1904 Years Team | Place of birth Nelson, England Name Billy Spencer Date of death 1969 (aged 65) | |
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William "Billy" Spencer (15 May 1902 – 1969) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra and Stoke City.
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Career
Spencer was born in Nelson and played amateur for West Riding League side Hebden Bridge whilst working in a mill. He joined Stoke City in December 1924, turning professional in April 1925. Spencer replaced the long-serving Alec Milne midway through the 1925–26 season slotting into a leaky defence and relegation to the Third Division was unavoidable. Stoke won the Third Division North title in 1926–27 with Spencer forming a formidable partnership with Bob McGrory. Spencer's positional play complemented McGrory's tough-tackling, however despite their on-field empathy it was rumoured that the pair did not get along off it with Spencer easily riled by McGrory's stubbornness. Despite any-off the pitch frictions the partnership lasted for ten seasons although they both missed most of the 1931–32 season due to injury, Spencer suffering a broken leg on the opening day of the season against Chesterfield.
After recovering from his injury he helped Stoke to gain promotion to the First Division in 1932–33. When McGrory became manager in 1935–36 he moved Spencer out to right-back to accommodate the emerging Charlie Scrimshaw and Spencer's form suffered as a result. After losing his place midway through the 1935–36 season to Bill Winstanley, Spencer became a player-coach with the reserves where he spent the next two seasons. He then moved to Crewe Alexandra for £750 in June 1938 when he played just three matches before deciding to retire. In total he played 354 games for Stoke City and without managing to score goal.
Outside of football Spencer was a keen bowls player and was a star player in the North Staffordshire Bowls League. During World War II he was stationed in Carlisle and played in the same army team as Stoke team-mate Harry Davies. After the war he ran the Compasses public house in Stoke-on-Trent before returning home to coach Nelson before quitting due to the onset of deafness.