Paul Willis (English footballer)

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{use British English|date=December 2014}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Paul Willis

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Paul Edward Willis

| birth_date = {{birth date|1970|1|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2011|9|7|1970|1|24|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Halifax Town

| years1 = 1988–1989 | clubs1 = Halifax Town | caps1 = 5 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1989–19?? | clubs2 = Darlington | caps2 = 5 | goals2 = 1

| years3 = 1992 | clubs3 = Southport | caps3 = 2 | goals3 = 0

}}

Paul Edward Willis (24 January 1970 – 9 July 2011) was an English footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Halifax Town and Darlington.{{Hugman|21354|accessdate=16 March 2018}} He also played in Darlington's 1989–90 Conference-winning team,{{cite book |editor-first=John |editor-last=Harman |title=Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years |publisher=Tony Williams Publications |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-869833-52-7 |page=195}} and in the Northern Premier League for Southport.{{cite web |url=http://southportfc.net/player-list/ |title=Player list |publisher=Rob Urwin and Southport F.C. |date=21 January 2018 |accessdate=16 March 2018}}
{{cite web |url=http://southportfc.net/199192-2/ |title=1991/92 |publisher=Rob Urwin and Southport F.C. |accessdate=16 March 2018}}

Willis was born in Liverpool in 1970. His older brother Jimmy also became a footballer.{{cite news |url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/features/where-are-they-now/6308/darlington-1989-90-conference-champions/ |title=Where Are They Now? Darlington 1989-90 Conference Champions |first=Steven |last=Coney |newspaper=The Non-League Football Paper |date=7 June 2013 |accessdate=16 March 2018}} Paul Willis and wife Dawn had two children. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2011 at the age of 41.{{cite news |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseyside-schoolgirl-use-global-modelling-8116736 |title=Merseyside schoolgirl to use global modelling crown in cancer crusade |first=Joshua |last=Taylor |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=16 November 2014 |accessdate=16 March 2018}}