Linfield Football Club is in mourning this week-end over the death of Billy Wilson, a member of the Blues’ iconic seven-trophy team of 1961-62. Portadown man Billy was a stalwart player and, after he retired from Irish League football in the late 1960s, he remained a fervent supporter of the club travelling from his Portadown home to Windsor Park by train every Saturday, until he took ill with dementia several years ago. He remained a highly popular personality around the club and his death at 88 will be received with regret by the wider Linfield supporters’ fraternity.
Billy’s death means there are only three players from the 1961-62 team still alive – wing-helf Isaac Andrews in East Belfast; centre-forward Hubert Barr, in Ballymena and goalkeeper Bobby Irvine in England.
In an eight-year career with the Blues, Billy Wilson, a robust tackling wing-half, won an Irish League Championship medal; an Irish Cup medal against Ards in 1960; and City Cup, Ulster Cup and God Cup medals, as well as three Co Antrim Shield medals. He played in 199 senior Linfield games, 48 during the seven-trophy season and scored four goals. He played in four European games for the Blues against Swedish team Gothenburg and Turkish team Fenerbache.
Billy arrived at Windsor Park in October 1958, signed by then Linfield player coach and 13-capped England international Jackie MIlburn from then English First Division club Burnley. When his LInfield career ended in 1966, Billy moved to Ballymena United where he spent a season. Billy returned to Windsor Park as Linfield Swifts coach in 1969-70. He son David, a useful player, had a short career with Linfield Swifts.
Billy started his football career with Portadown Tech and played for Portadown as a 16-year-old. He was transferred to Burnley by then highly colourful Portadown manager the late Gibby MacKenzie and he spent three years with the Lancashire club, appearing twice in the senior team with his debut against Blackpool, then with the great Sir Stanley Matthews in their team. In 1957, Billy won a Northern Ireland ‘B’ international cap against Romania in 1957 and 15 youth international caps, a then record.
Sadly, in later years, declining health prevented Billy from attending games. He spent his final years at Hamilton Court care home in Armagh city, where he was visited by Linfield director Stephen Shaw who brought the League Cup (formerly the City Cup) to share a special moment with him.
In civilian life Billy was a woodwork teacher at Belfast technical college and his late wife Gretta, also from Portadown, was a primary school teacher. Billy is survived by two sons David and Andrew and daughter Amanda and a sister Priscilla (Clayton).
* The funeral service for Billy will take place in St. Mark’s parish church, Portadown on Tuesday (July 15) at 1pm followed by interment in Seagoe cemetery. Donations can be payable to Dementia UK.
Tributes
Linfield Football Club extends its heartfelt condolences to Billy’s family and friends at this difficult time. “His legacy will forever be part of Linfield’s proud and illustrious history. We always enjoyed meeting Billy at Windsor Park on match days. he relished the unique rapport around the club; memorably, he will always be considered one of our own, A Linfield icon, as are the other members of our fabulous seven-trophy team,” said Linfield chairman Roy McGivern.
Former Linfield vice-chairman and club honorary vice-president Billy Kennedy, who was a close friend over the years as two Armagh men, expressed his deep sadness at Billy’s death. “Billy was a great character, an honest straight-talking man. I fondly recall his performances in a Royal Blue shirt in that epic seven-trophy season. He never shirked a tackle; he was a totally committed player over 90 minutes of every game, in the best LInfield tradition He was up there with the best,” said Billy Kennedy.
“I was saddened to hear that Seven Trophy Legend, Billy Wilson, passed away this morning. As a boy I can remember Billy playing for Linfield in season 1962/63 as a tenacious half back. Before the Covid Pandemic, he was a regular and respected attendee at our home games at Windsor Park. I can remember speaking to him, and him reminiscing about his time at both Burnley and Linfield and I found his accounts very interesting. In recent years during a period of ill health he was a resident at Hamilton Court Care Home in Armagh where I visited him in August 2023. My thoughts and prayers go out to his children, David, Amanda and Andrew and his sister, Priscilla at this sad time. Forever Blue.” Linfield Director Stephen Shaw
