Bill Patrick – SkyBlueArchive

Position

Defender

Nationality

Place Of Birth

Lochgelly

Date Of Birth

March 12, 1932

Date Of Death

April 18, 2003 (71)

Games Played

Per Game

Games Started

1.0

Per Game

Minutes

4140

90.0

Per Game

Goals

0.1

Per Game

Assists

Per Game

Although Bill was born in the Scottish mining community of Lochgelly his family moved to the Kent coalfield when he was quite young. He was playing for the Kent non-league club Snowdown Colliery in 1954 when he was recommended to City by his manager Harry Barratt, the former City captain. His club colleague Eric Jones also signed for City around the same time and a year later goalkeeper Alf Bentley and a 16-year old centre-half by the name of George Curtis followed them to Highfield Road from Snowdown.

After a season in the reserves Bill got his first team call-up at left-back in September 1955, soon after Jesse Carver became manager. Regular left-back Frank Austin was injured and Bill made his debut in a 2-0 home win over Colchester. Bill was a big strapping man and at 5 ft 11 ins was one of the tallest players in the club. He was a fine tackler who liked to overlap down the wing.

He was injured in his third game at Leyton Orient and when he was recalled a few weeks later it was as an emergency centre-forward, a position he had played in during the war, when Barry Hawkings missed the bus on the way to Southend.
He played nine games that season but was kept out by the form of his great friend, Charlie Timmins. The following season, 1956-57 with Harry Warren now in charge, Bill had to wait until March to get a regular place and played 17 games at right-back.

He started the 1957-58 season as first-choice right back but was dropped after a poor start. Once again he was tried as a forward and in a run of eight games he scored six goals including a hat-trick against Exeter City in a 6-1 victory. By this time Billy Frith had taken over as manager and Bill was deemed surplus to requirements at the end of a season and he was given a free transfer. In total he made 46 appearances for City, scoring six goals. Whilst he was at Highfield Road he was a part-time PE teacher at Woodlands School.

Bill joined Gillingham where Harry Barratt had become manager and played at centre-forward scoring 13 goals in 47 appearances including one in a 2-0 win over City just three months after leaving Highfield Road. This goal caused great controversy because after the game he admitted punching the ball past City keeper Alf Wood. Harry Barratt joked with Billy Frith after the game that he had at least taught Bill to punch the ball! He joined Folkestone Town in 1960 and settled in the area and put his carpentry skills to good use in the family building firm. He was still playing Southern League football for Folkestone in 1968 at the age of 36 and later worked for the local Shepway Council, first as a carpenter and later as a building inspector; he retired from this position in 1997. Bill was diagnosed with cancer in August 2002 and died the following year. He was buried in his Coventry City club tie.

Hat tricks (1)
1957-58
9 November 1957 v Exeter City H

Football League Third Division South (England)

1957-1958

1620′

6 (0)

1956-1957

1530′

1955-1956

810′

3960′

6 (0)

FA Cup (England)

1957-1958

90′

1956-1957

90′

180′

0 (0)

Totals:

4140′

6 (0)