William E Barnes

William E Barnes

Born in Stratford (East London) in 1877, Billy made a name for himself with Leyton as a tough, brave winger who, despite his small stature, gave as good as he got in the days when football was a lot rougher than it is now.

Picked up by Sheffield United, he was never a regular at Bramall Lane but did score the winning goal in the FA Cup final replay of 1902 when the Blades beat Southampton. He joined West Ham that summer and from there came to Luton in 1904 as a marquee signing.

Very popular during his three years at the club, due to his close control and accurate crosses, it caused a major upset when he left for QPR in 1907 after a dispute over wages. At Rangers he won a Southern League championship medal and continued to play until the outbreak of war, latterly with Southend.

At the end of hostilities, Billy became a pioneer when he coached Bilbao in Spain. Billy passed away in Letchworth in 1962.