Billy Rogers (footballer)

Billy Rogers (1905–1936) was a Welsh international footballer. He made nearly 200 appearances in the Football League, primarily for Wrexham, despite playing his last 3 seasons with terminal cancer. He also represented the Wales national team twice.

Billy Rogers
Billy Rogers, Welsh international footballer, before Scotland v Wales in 1930
Personal information
Full name William Rogers
Date of birth 1905
Place of birth Summerhill, Wrexham, Wales
Date of death January 1936
Place of death Penyffordd, Wrexham, Wales
Position(s) Right half
Youth career
1925–26 Flint Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1926–1932 Wrexham 171 (28)
1932–1933 Newport County 21 (3)
1933 Bristol Rovers 0 (0)
1933–1934 Leyton Orient 3 (0)
Total 195 (31)
National team
1930 Wales 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

He played 2 matches for the Wales national football team in the British Home Championship. He played his first match on 25 October 1930 against Scotland at Ibrox Stadium, drawing 1-1, and his second on 22 November 1930 against England at Wrexham's Racecourse Stadium, losing 0-4.[1]

The Wales teams he played for were known as "The Unknowns", as many Welsh players for English higher league clubs had been prevented from playing for Wales on a Saturday during the English league season. leading to previously uncapped players being called up.[2]

He had been previously picked for the FAW's uncapped tour of Canada in 1929.[3]

He started his career as an amateur at Flint Town FC. He signed professional terms with Wrexham in 1926, and played for them from 1926 until 1931. He was a member of the FAW Welsh Cup winning side of 1931.

He subsequently played for Newport County, Bristol Rovers, and Leyton Orient (then known as Clapton Orient). He left Clapton Orient for Bangor City, a non-league team, at the end of the 1933-34 season.[4]

Later life

He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in 1931, a terminal cancer, and died in January 1936 of tuberculosis as a result. During the period from 1931 to 1934 he continued to play professionally without knowing he had Hodgkin's Disease as the diagnosis had only been revealed to his wife.

He left a widow, Gwennith, and a 2 month old son, also known as Billy.

Honours
Wrexham
Welsh Cup winner
1930–31

See also

References
  1. "Wales player database 1872 to 2013". eu-football.info. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  2. Williams, Aled (8 September 2018). "Denmark v Wales: The story of the 1930s 'unknowns' who forced a draw in Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  3. Morrison, Neil (4 January 2018). "The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  4. Kaufman, Neil (2002). The Men Who Made Leyton Orient Football Club. The History Press. ISBN 0752424122.

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