Bill Findlay (Scottish footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Bill Findlay

| fullname = William Findlay

| birth_date = {{birth date|1900|2|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Wishaw, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|1949|6|11|1900|2|17|df=y}}

| death_place = Braunstone, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}{{cite news |title=Ready for action: few changes in the First Division of the League. Liverpool |author=Junius |newspaper=Athletic News |location=Manchester |date=25 August 1924 |page=5}}

| position = Wing half

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1= Preston Grange Athletic

| years1 = 1921–1923 |clubs1 = Musselburgh Bruntonians |caps1 = |goals1 =

| years3 = 1923–1924 |clubs3 = Third Lanark |caps3 = 23 |goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1924–1925 |clubs4 = Liverpool |caps4 = 0 |goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1925–1932 |clubs5 = Leicester City |caps5 = 100 |goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1932–1944 |clubs6 = Watford |caps6 = 128 |goals6 = 6

| manageryears1 = 1937–1947 |managerclubs1 = Watford

| manageryears2 = 1947–1949 |managerclubs2 = Enfield

}}

William Findlay (17 February 1900 – 11 June 1949) was a Scottish professional association football player and manager, most closely associated with Watford.

Career

Born in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Findlay started his career playing for Musselburgh Bruntonians, where he won the Scottish Junior Cup and represented Scotland at junior level,Junior Scotland 1889 to 2019: The Players and Matches, Douglas Gorman, Tom McGouran; Lulu.com, 2019 then moved on to Third Lanark in the Scottish Football League's top division in 1923.[https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/findlay-bill-image-1-third-lanark-1923/ Findlay Bill Image 1 Third Lanark 1922], Vintage Footballers{{cite magazine|title=A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players|author=John Litster|magazine=Scottish Football Historian magazine|date=October 2012}} A year later Third Lanark sold Findlay to English club Liverpool for a fee of £2,500, however he made no first team appearances in his single season at Anfield, and he subsequently played for Leicester City for seven years,[https://www.11v11.com/players/william-findlay-44925/ William Findlay], 11v11.com[https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/history/players/?pid=794 Billy Findlay], Foxes Talk and finally Watford, whom he also managed between 1938 and 1947.{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10400~1410245,00.html|title=Read all about the future|accessdate=18 October 2009|date=2 October 2009|publisher=Watford F.C|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124175053/http://www.watfordfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10400~1410245%2C00.html|archivedate=24 November 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

During his tenure as manager, Watford finished fourth in the Football League Third Division South in consecutive seasons in 1937–38 and 1938–39, before the interruption of competitive football in England due to the Second World War.{{cite web|url=http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/ClubbyClub/ClubHistories/Watford.htm|title=Watford:Record while in the Football League|publisher=footballsite.co.uk|accessdate=18 October 2009}} Although primarily the club's manager, Findlay occasionally made wartime appearances for Watford due to player shortages, playing his final game for the club at the age of 44.Jones p269 He became manager of Enfield in 1947, a post that he held until his death two years later.

His brother Alex was also a footballer who played for Wrexham, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Evesham Town.