Bill Eckersley facts for kids

William Eckersley (born July 16, 1925 – died October 25, 1982) was a talented English footballer. He played as a defender and spent his whole career playing for Blackburn Rovers.

Becoming a Football Star

William Eckersley was born in Southport, England. After finishing school, he worked as a lorry driver. He loved playing football as an amateur for a team called High Park. In 1947, someone from his team, Johnny Fairhurst, suggested him to Blackburn Rovers.

Even though he kept his driving job, Bill signed with Rovers as an amateur player that same month. He started playing for the Rovers' reserve team. He played so well that the club offered him a professional contract in March 1948. This meant he could play football as his main job!

Making His Debut

Bill played his first game in the Football League at the end of the 1947–48 season. Unfortunately, Blackburn Rovers were already going to be moved down to a lower league. Even though Blackburn spent the next ten seasons in the Second Division, Bill's playing was always excellent. People thought he was one of the best defenders in the country.

Playing for England

Even before he played for England, Bill was chosen for the England team going to the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. He played his first international game against Spain. England needed to win this game to stay in the World Cup, but they lost 1–0.

This game, however, was the start of a great partnership for England. Bill Eckersley and Alf Ramsey played together as defenders many times. They played 15 games side-by-side for their country.

As Blackburn Rovers tried to get back into the top league, Bill kept playing well for both his club and his country. He played a total of 17 games for England. He also played three times for the England "B" team and six times for the Football League team.

His Last England Game

Bill's last game for England was on November 25, 1953, against Hungary. England lost this game 6–3. This was a big shock for English football. After this match, Bill and several other players, including Alf Ramsey, did not play for England again.

Bill's Amazing "Telescopic Leg"

Bill Eckersley was known for a special skill. He could dribble the ball all the way up the field towards the other team's goal. He had amazing control of the ball. He could even let an opponent run past him, then quickly extend his left leg behind them to take the ball away without fouling them! This clever move earned him the nickname "telescopic leg."

End of His Playing Career

Blackburn Rovers finally returned to the First Division in 1958. Bill got to play one full season in the top league, but his best playing days were starting to be behind him.

In 1960, Blackburn Rovers reached the final of the FA Cup. However, Bill was not chosen to play in the final game. The next season, his career ended because of an injury. He had played over 430 games for Blackburn Rovers and scored 21 goals. 18 of those goals were from penalty kicks!

Life After Football

After Bill retired from football, a special game was held in his honor at Ewood Park on April 24, 1961. About 21,000 fans came to watch!

Later, Bill ran a candy business. After that, he worked as a taxi driver. Eventually, he went back to his first job as a lorry driver.

Bill Eckersley passed away in October 1982 when he was 57 years old. His sons scattered his ashes around the pitch at Ewood Park before a game. This was a special way to remember him at the club where he spent his entire football career.

International Appearances

Bill Eckersley played 17 official international matches for England. Here are the details:

Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Goals	Competition
2 July 1950	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro	Spain	0–1	0	1950 World Cup: Group 2
22 November 1950	Arsenal Stadium, London	Yugoslavia	2–2	0	Friendly
14 April 1951	Wembley Stadium, London	Scotland	2–3	0	British Home Championship
9 May 1951	Wembley Stadium, London	Argentina	2–1	0	Friendly
19 May 1951	Goodison Park, Liverpool	Portugal	5–2	0	Friendly
28 November 1951	Wembley Stadium, London	Austria	2–2	0	Friendly
25 May 1952	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna	Austria	3–2	0	Friendly
28 May 1952	Hardturm, Zürich	Switzerland	3–0	0	Friendly
4 October 1952	Windsor Park, Belfast	Northern Ireland	2–2	0	British Home Championship
17 May 1953	El Monumental, Buenos Aires	Argentina	0–0	0	Friendly
24 May 1953	Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago	Chile	2–1	0	Friendly
31 May 1953	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo	Uruguay	1–2	0	Friendly
8 June 1953	Yankee Stadium, New York	United States	6–3	0	Friendly
10 October 1953	Ninian Park, Cardiff	Wales	4–1	0	British Home Championship 1954 World Cup qualifier
21 October 1953	Wembley Stadium, London	Rest of the World	4–4	0	Friendly
11 November 1953	Goodison Park, Liverpool	Northern Ireland	3–1	0	British Home Championship 1954 World Cup qualifier
25 November 1953	Wembley Stadium, London	Hungary	3–6	0	Friendly