Billy Jennings

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{About|the English player of the 1970s and 1980s|the Welsh player of the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s|Billy Jennings (Welsh footballer)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Billy Jennings

| image =

| fullname = William John Jennings

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|2|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hackney, London, England{{cite book |last=Hogg |first=Tony |title=Who's Who of West Ham United |year=2005 |publisher=Profile Sports Media| isbn= 1-903135-50-8 |page=110}}

| position = Striker

| years1 = 1970–1974

| clubs1 = Watford

| caps1 = 93

| goals1 = 33

| years2 = 1974–1979

| clubs2 = West Ham United

| caps2 = 99

| goals2 = 34

| years3 = 1977

| clubs3 = → Chicago Sting (loan){{cite web| url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/J/Jennings.Bill.htm| title=Bill Jennings| work=North American Soccer League Players| access-date=3 November 2017}}

| caps3 = 19

| goals3 = 6

| years4 = 1979–1982

| clubs4 = Orient

| caps4 = 67

| goals4 = 21

| years5 = 1982

| clubs5 = Luton Town

| caps5 = 2

| goals5 = 1

| years6 =

| clubs6 = Dagenham

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 =

| clubs7 = Bishop's Stortford

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| years8 =

| clubs8 = Heybridge Swifts

| caps8 =

| goals8 =

| totalcaps = 280

| totalgoals = 95

|nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 = England Youth

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

}}

Billy Jennings (born 20 February 1952) is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League for Watford, West Ham United, Orient and Luton Town. He also played in the North American Soccer League for Chicago Sting.

A former youth player with Watford, Jennings made his professional debut for the Hornets on 10 April 1970, a third place play-off game against Manchester United in the 1969–70 FA Cup campaign at Highbury which the team lost 2–0. He made 10 League appearances that season, 16 in 1971–72, and 19 in 1972–73.{{cite web| url=http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/players/| title=William John JENNINGS| website=www.watfordfcarchive.com| access-date=3 November 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730020639/http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/players/| archive-date=30 July 2018| url-status=dead}}

The 1973–74 season ended with Jennings as Third Division top scorer on 26 goals,{{cite web| url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html| title=Football League Div 3 & 4 Leading Goalscorers 1947-92| publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation| access-date=3 November 2017}} and Watford Player of the Season.{{cite web |url=http://www.watfordfc.com/page/Awards/0,,10400~1034010,00.html |title=Players of the Season |access-date=8 October 2009 |publisher=Watford F.C |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718003322/http://www.watfordfc.com/page/Awards/0%2C%2C10400~1034010%2C00.html |archive-date=18 July 2011 |df=dmy }} After 100 appearances for Watford, and England Youth international honours, Jennings signed for West Ham United for £110,000 in September 1974,{{hugman|10151| access-date=3 November 2017}} an early signing for new manager John Lyall.{{cite book|author=Dr. Phil Stevens|title=John Lyall: A Life in Football|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OJ8mCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT141|year=2015|publisher=Andrews UK Limited|isbn=978-0-9931796-0-0|page=141}} The fee was almost double Watford's previous record for a received transfer fee, and was £5,000 less than West Ham's record spend.{{cite news| url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/11444350.On_this_date_in_Watford_FC_history/| title=Watford sold Billy Jennings to West Ham United for a then club record fee 40 years ago today| date=3 September 2014| newspaper=Watford Observer| access-date=3 November 2017}}

Jennings scored on his Hammers debut on 7 September 1974, against Sheffield United, and was a member of the FA Cup winning team of 1974–75. The following season, West Ham got to the Final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, with Jennings scoring two goals in the away leg of club's quarter-final. The second-leg home game against ADO Den Haag saw the Hammers score three, to bring the aggregate score to 5–5, and go through on away goals.{{cite web| url=http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=361&united=Billy_Jennings| title=Billy Jennings| website=www.westhamstats.info| access-date=11 February 2007}}

In 1977, Jennings spent three months on loan at NASL club Chicago Sting, playing with fellow Englishman Ronnie Moore and Scot Willie Morgan.{{cite web| url=https://www.leytonorient.com/news/2013/july/jennings-i-nutmegged-pele/| title=JENNINGS: 'I Nutmegged Pele!'| date=24 July 2013| publisher=Leyton Orient F.C.| access-date=3 November 2017}} On his return, he suffers an Achilles injury, after which he failed to hold on to a regular place in the West Ham team. After 127 league and cup appearances and 41 goals for West Ham, he moved to Orient in August 1979.{{cite web| url=https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2013/february/20-february/day-20-february| title=On this day - 20 February| publisher=West Ham United F.C.| access-date=3 November 2017}}{{cite web| url=http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/john-lyall/4545965330| title=Billy JENNINGS (1974 - 1979)| last=Marsh| first=Steve| website=theyflysohigh.co.uk| access-date=3 November 2017}}

Jennings scored 26 goals in 78 appearances for Orient before moving to Luton Town. Although he retired after two substitute appearances for the Hatters, he later played for Isthmian League clubs Dagenham, Bishop's Stortford and Heybridge Swifts.

Jennings later worked as a football agent, running the Premier Management agency, whose clients included former West Ham players Hayden Mullins and Kevin Nolan. He left the company in 2005.{{cite web| url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02947860/officers| title=Premier Management Football Limited| publisher=Companies House| access-date=3 November 2017}}{{cite news| url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/premier-agency-draws-a-blank-6770695.html| title=Premier agency draws a blank| date=26 October 2009| newspaper=Evening Standard| access-date=3 November 2017}}