William Webber Walter Gerrish (28 December 1884 – 8 August 1916), sometimes known as Willie Gerrish, was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Aston Villa and Preston North End.[1][5]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Webber Walter Gerrish[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 28 December 1884[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Bristol, England | ||
| Date of death | 8 August 1916 (aged 31)[3] | ||
| Place of death | Somme, France[3] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[4] | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Eastville Board School | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1905 | Freemantle | ||
| 1905–1909 | Bristol Rovers | 49 | (11) |
| 1909–1912 | Aston Villa | 55 | (17) |
| 1912 | Preston North End | 3 | (0) |
| 1912–1913 | Chesterfield Town | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Personal life
editGerrish's brother Howard was also a footballer.[4] In February 1915, six months into the First World War, Gerrish enlisted in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.[6] He was severely wounded in both legs by a shell blast at Delville Wood on 8 August 1916 and died later that day.[6] Gerrish has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.[3]
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bristol Rovers | 1905–06[7] | Southern League First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 1906–07[7] | Southern League First Division | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1907–08[7] | Southern League First Division | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| 1908–09[7] | Southern League First Division | 29 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 8 | ||
| Total | 49 | 11 | 0 | 0 | — | 49 | 11 | |||
| Aston Villa | 1909–10[8] | First Division | 36 | 14 | 3 | 1 | — | 39 | 15 | |
| 1910–11[8] | First Division | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| 1911–12[8] | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 55 | 17 | 3 | 1 | — | 58 | 18 | |||
| Chesterfield Town | 1912–13[9] | Midland League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Career total | 63 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 18 | ||
Honours
editAston Villa
References
edit- ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 109. ISBN 978-1905891610.
- ^ "Southern League Players Index 1899–1920". Bristol Rovers Memorabilia. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ a b "We Will Remember Them". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Gerrish, William Webber Walter (Billy)". Aston Villa Player Database. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Club Remembers its Somme Casualties". Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Rovers results, appearances and goalscorers 1899 to 2022". The Bristol Rovers History Group. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "William Webber Walter Gerrish". 11v11.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Line-ups – 1912–13". Sky is Blue – Chesterfield FC history & statistics. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Riddoch, Andrew; Kemp, David (2010). When the Whistle Blows: The Story of the Footballers' Battalion in the Great War. Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset: Haynes Publishing. p. 138. ISBN 978-0857330772.
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