By Will Foster

On the 26th March 1949 Billy Waugh lined up to play West Ham United at Kenilworth Road. He could have been forgiven for being somewhat distracted. He had married his sweetheart Eileen that morning and, with his new bride watching from the stand, the pair would have to rush off at the game’s end for the wedding reception which was to be held above the music shop on Upper George Street.

Billy was born near Edinburgh in 1921 and played for various junior teams in Scotland in the 1930s. He came to the attention of Town’s scouts while in the RAF and stationed at Bicester, initially guesting in wartime football and then joining permanently at the end of hostilities, making his competitive debut in the two-legged FA Cup tie against Derby in January 1946.

They would prove to be the first of his 147 appearances, with no one appearing more often for Town in the 1940s and with the winger becoming the first player to reach 100 games in a Luton shirt post-war. He appeared in one of Kenilworth Road’s most famous games in November 1946, his header starting the comeback in the remarkable 4-3 win against Newcastle after the Hatters had trailed 3-0 at half time.

Anyone who saw him would likely comment on his immense pace. It led to him being nicknamed The Rabbit, Twinkletoes and Wolfie, and while not a regular goalscorer he was a creator of chances, most notably for Town’s prolific forward Hugh Billington.

However a falling out with manager Dally Duncan saw him leave against his will for QPR in 1950, where he would make 76 league appearances over three seasons before moving onto Bournemouth and then a host of non-league sides, including Bedford Town.

He had lived with Eileen in Biscot Road after they’d married and returned to Luton when he retired from the game, buying a house in Humberstone Road and working at Electrolux for 30 years. He passion for sport continued throughout his life, and in his role as Sporting Secretary it was said that any new recruit to the firm with rumoured footballing ability could expect to meet Billy on their first day, along with an offer to appear for the company’s team!

Upon retirement from Electrolux in 1985 golf took over from football as his main passion and he was winning local competitions well into the 1990s. He also had a long association with local non-league side Langford FC, serving in a number of different roles including as manager in the late 1960s.

Billy was a guest at Kenilworth Road for the ground’s centenary in 2005. In later life he moved to Felixstowe to be closer to family, and it was there that Billy passed away in 2009 on his 60th wedding anniversary, with Eileen, who had watched him from the stands all those years ago, by his side.

Luton Appearances

1945/1946: 2
1946/1947: 44
1947/1948: 35
1948/1949: 42
1949/1950: 24

Total: 147

Below: Billy Waugh