William Ponting
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{infobox football biography
| name = William Ponting
| image =
| fullname = William Robert Ponting
| birth_date = 1872
| birth_place = Andover, Hampshire, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1952|3|21|1872|df=y}}
| death_place = Hendon, London, England
| height =
| position = Half-back
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Andover
| years1 = 18??–1897
| clubs1 = Ryde Sports F.C.
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 1897
| clubs2 = Southampton St. Mary's
| caps2 = 5
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1897–????
| clubs3 = Andover
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 = -1900
| clubs4 = Ryde Sports F.C.
| years5 = 1900-1901
| clubs5 = Queens Park Rangers
| caps5 = 1
| years6 = 1901-1902
| clubs6 = Shepherd's Bush
}}
William Robert Ponting (1872 – 21 March 1952) was an English amateur footballer who played as a half-back for Southampton St. Mary's in 1896–97, when they won the Southern League title for the first of six occasions over the next eight years.
Football career
Ponting was born in Andover, Hampshire where he became a schoolmaster. He was a leading amateur player for his local club and had been captain of the Hampshire County Junior XI in 1893.{{cite book | title=The Alphabet of the Saints|last= Holley |first= Duncan |author2=Chalk, Gary | publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing | year=1992| isbn=0-9514862-3-3|pages=273–274}}
In March 1897, John Hodgkinson, the Southampton St. Mary's left-half was injured and the "Saints" called Ponting into the side for the remaining five matches of the season. Ponting made his debut in a 5–1 victory at Reading on 31 March{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|last= Chalk|first= Gary|author2=Holley, Duncan | publisher= Breedon Books| year=1987| isbn= 0-907969-22-4|pages=20–21}} and played his part in the run-in to Southampton's first Southern League title.
Later career
In the summer of 1897, Ponting returned to his teaching career. In the 1930s, he was working in the City of London as an insurance broker.
Honours
Southampton
- Southern League champions: 1896–97
References
{{Reflist}}{{Cite web |title=Seasonal Stats - Files |url=http://www.qprnet.com/seasonal-stats---files.html |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=QPRnet |language=en}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponting, William}}
Category:Sportspeople from Andover, Hampshire
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Southampton F.C. players
Category:Southern Football League players