Billy Wright (footballer, born 1900)

Billy Wright
Personal information
Full name William Bulloch Wright
Date of birth 1900
Place of birth Sheffield, England
Height 5 ft 8+34 in (1.75 m)[1]
Position(s)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1921–1922 Southend United
1922–1933 Bolton Wanderers 154 (21)
1933–1938 Reading
1938–1939 Rouen 0 (0)
Managerial career
1938–1939 Rouen
1946 Leyton Orient (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Bulloch Wright (born 1900) was an English footballer who played as a wing half or inside forward. He played in the Football League for Bolton Wanderers[2] (spending a decade with the club, though only a regular for a few seasons – he did not feature in any of their three FA Cup Final victories in the period)[3] and Reading[4] (five seasons, making 193 appearances in all competitions).[3]

He then moved to France to become manager of Rouen for the 1938–39 season[5] (also registered as a player, he made no competitive appearances)[6] but with the team threatened with relegation, he was replaced by compatriot Sid Kimpton prior to the last round of league fixtures.[6] Wright then returned to England and was a trainer – and briefly caretaker manager in 1946 – of the newly renamed Leyton Orient,[7] later following namesake Billy P. Wright to Chingford Town in 1948.[8]

His father, Scotsman Jocky Wright, was also a footballer who played for several clubs across Britain including Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday, where he was based when Billy was born;[9] his brother Doug Wright (17 years younger and born in Southend-on-Sea where the family settled) played for Newcastle United and Lincoln City and was capped by England in 1938.[10]

  1. ^ Harricus (25 August 1924). "Ready for action: few changes in the First Division of the League. Bolton Wanderers". Athletic News. Manchester. p. 5.
  2. ^ Overall Appearances/Goals Record - W, BWFCstats (archived version, 2012)
  3. ^ a b Wright Billy Image 1 Bolton 1931, Vintage Footballers
  4. ^ RFC 1933(1), The Biscuitmen (archived version, 2019)
  5. ^ Les Entraîneurs du Club Depuis 1930 [The Club's Coaches Since 1930], FC Rouen (in French)
  6. ^ a b Saison 1938-1939 / 14ème Division 1 [Season 1938-1939 / 14th Division 1], Fédération des Culs Rouges (in French)
  7. ^ History & Honours | 1946 – 1950, Leyton Orient
  8. ^ Kaufman, Neilson. "VE Day WW2 players as at May 2020" (PDF). p. 135. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. ^ Wright, John (1902), Hamilton Academical Memory Bank
  10. ^ Wright, John (1943), Hamilton Academical Memory Bank