Billy Hughes (footballer, born 1948)
{{Short description|Scottish footballer (1948–2019)}}
{{other people||Billy Hughes (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Billy Hughes
|image =
|caption =
|fullname = William Hughes{{Hugman|9640|accessdate=19 May 2017}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1948|12|30}}
|birth_place = Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2019|12|20|1948|12|30}}
|death_place = Derby, England[https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-billy-hughes-fa-cup-winner-sunderland-and-scotland-internationalist-younger-brother-yogi-1398802%3famp Obituary: Billy Hughes, FA Cup winner with Sunderland and Scotland internationalist, younger brother of 'Yogi'], The Scotsman, 28 December 2019
|height =
|position = winger
|years1 = 1966–1977
|clubs1 = Sunderland
|caps1 = 287
|goals1 = 74
|years2 = 1967
|clubs2 = → Vancouver Royal Canadians (loan){{Cite web|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/H/Hughes.William.htm|title = NASL-William Hughes}}
|caps2 = 7
|goals2 = 0
|years3 = 1977
|clubs3 = Derby County
|caps3 = 19
|goals3 = 8
|years4 = 1977–1979
|clubs4 = Leicester City
|caps4 = 37
|goals4 = 5
|years5 = 1979
|clubs5 = → Carlisle United (loan)
|caps5 = 5
|goals5 = 0
|years6 = 1980
|clubs6 = San Jose Earthquakes
|caps6 = 1
|goals6 = 0
| clubs7 = Corby Town
|totalcaps = 356
|totalgoals = 87
|nationalyears1 = 1975
|nationalteam1 = Scotland
|nationalcaps1 = 1
|nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
William Hughes (30 December 1948 – 20 December 2019)[https://www.safc.com/news/club-news/2019/december/billy-hughes-obituary Billy Hughes Obituary], Sunderland AFC was a Scottish professional footballer. During his career he played as a forward for Sunderland, Derby County, Leicester City, Carlisle United and San Jose Earthquakes, making a total of 349 appearances and scoring 87 goals. He also won one cap for the Scotland national football team.
Playing career
Hughes was discovered by Sunderland scout Tom Rutherford while playing for Coatbridge schools at the age of 16.{{cite book|last1=Dykes|first1=Gareth|last2=Lamming|first2=Doug|title=All the Lads: A Complete Who's Who of Sunderland A.F.C.|date=November 2000|publisher=Polar Print Group Ltd|isbn=978-1-899538-14-0|page=217}} His move to England was close to being halted before it began due to his parents' wishing for him to play for Celtic, where his brother John was already playing. He went against his family's wishes and stayed with Sunderland, where he remained for 11 years (and never played professionally in Scotland).Dykes, p. 218. He made his debut for the club at the age of 18 on 4 February 1967 in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Match.aspx?MatchID=1857&LU=S&LUID=88|title=Sunderland 2 Liverpool 2|publisher=The Stat Cat|accessdate=8 January 2012}}
Hughes played a large role in Sunderland's 1972–73 FA Cup run, scoring four goals on the way to the final. He scored one goal against Manchester City in the fifth round tie at Maine Road,{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1589.asp|title=Manchester City 2 Sunderland 2|publisher=The Stat Cat|accessdate=8 January 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010212632/http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1589.asp|archivedate=10 October 2012}} and then another two in the replay at Roker Park.{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1590.asp|title=Sunderland 3 Manchester City 1|publisher=The Stat Cat|accessdate=8 January 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010213857/http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Imatchdets/IMD1590.asp|archivedate=10 October 2012}} He also scored in the semi-final against Arsenal, and took the corner that led to Ian Porterfield scoring the winner against Leeds United in the final on 5 May 1973.
His Sunderland career ended in September 1977 when Derby County paid £30,000 for his signature. In his time at Sunderland Hughes amassed 332 appearances, scoring 82 times.Dykes, p. 219. Leeds United manager Don Revie had tried to prise Hughes away from Sunderland at one point, and spoke positively about the Scotsman saying he "is one of the most exciting players I've seen. He loves to go forward. He runs straight at opponents forcing them to commit themselves and can shoot with either foot."
His stay at Derby County was brief, he lasted just two months before being allowed to join Leicester City for £45,000 in December 1977. He had made just 19 league appearances for Derby County, scoring eight goals.{{cite web|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/billyhughes.html|title=Billy Hughes|publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database|accessdate=8 January 2012}} Hughes remained at Leicester until 1979, scoring five goals in 37 league appearances. His spell with Leicester also included a loan stay at Carlisle United where he made five appearances. North American Soccer League team San Jose Earthquakes was Hughes' last professional team, but he only made a solitary appearance. He had a short stay at non-league Corby Town before retiring from playing.
International career
Hughes earned his solitary cap for Scotland on 16 April 1975 against Sweden in a 1–1 draw.{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international_fixture_details.cfm?page=823&matchID=57579|title=Sweden v Scotland|publisher=Scottish FA|accessdate=31 December 2011}}
Personal life
His older brother John was also a footballer, and played together with Billy at Sunderland in 1973. Another brother Pat was also a player.
Following his retirement from football, Hughes worked as a licensee in Derby, and later returned to the North East England as clubhouse manager of Stressholme Golf Club in Darlington.
Hughes died on 20 December 2019, aged 70, after a long illness.{{cite news |date= 20 December 2019 |title= Billy Hughes: Sunderland FA Cup winner dies at age of 70 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50864788 |publisher= BBC Sport |access-date= 22 December 2019}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{SFA profile}}
{{1974–75 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Billy}}
Category:Footballers from Coatbridge
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Scotland men's international footballers
Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players
Category:Vancouver Royals players
Category:Derby County F.C. players
Category:Leicester City F.C. players
Category:Carlisle United F.C. players
Category:San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988) players
Category:English Football League players
Category:United Soccer Association players
Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Category:Scottish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Canada