Name: William Joseph Simpson
Born: 12 December 1929, Belfast
Died: 27 January 2017, Glasgow (Scotland)
Died: 27 January 2017, Glasgow (Scotland)
Height: 5.11 ft
Weight: 11.06 st
Position: Forward
..
Representative Honours: Ireland: 12 Full Caps/5 Goals (1951-1958); Irish League: 4 Caps / 1 Goal (1949-1951).
Club Honours: (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1948/49, 1949/50; Irish Cup Winner 1947/48, 1949/50; Ulster Cup Winner 1948/49; Gold Cup Winner 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51; City Cup Winner 1949/50; County Antrim Shield Runner-Up 1947/48, 1949/50; (with Rangers) Scottish League Champion 1952/53, 1955/56, 1956/57; Scottish Cup Winner 1952/53.
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Club Career:
Clubs
|
Seasons
|
Signed
|
Fee
|
League
|
FA
Cup
|
FL
Cup
|
Europe
|
Other
|
Roosevelt
Street BC
|
-
|
Youth
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Linfield
|
46/47-50/51
|
Mar-46
|
Youth
|
63/ 38
|
7/ 6
|
-
|
-
|
59/31
|
Rangers
|
50/51-58/59
|
Nov-50
|
£11,500
|
172/113
|
23/14
|
38/34
|
6/2
|
26/ 9
|
Stirling
Albion
|
58/59-59/60
|
Mar-59
|
-
|
8/ 1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Partick
Thistle
|
59/60
|
-
|
-
|
6/ 2
|
/ 0
|
/ 0
|
-
|
-
|
Oxford
United
|
60/61
|
c/s-60
|
-
|
9/ 3
|
(Southern League)
|
2/ 0
|
||
TOTALS
|
£11,500
|
268/157
|
30/20
|
38/34
|
6/2
|
87/40
|
||
Biography:
Billy Simpson was above all a goalscorer, adept at picking up chances in the goal area. He would risk everything to reach the ball, capable of diving full length to head another goal.
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The younger brother of Belfast Celtic's Reggie Simpson, Donegall Road-born Billy made his debut for Linfield on 24th March 1947 and signed professional forms a week later. He gained a number of medals with the Blues, scoring many important goals. He claimed four in a 6-0 win over Glentoran in the 1949/50 Gold Cup and hattricks in a 5-0 Gold Cup Final win over Glenavon and in a 3-0 defeat of Ards in the final of the Ulster Cup.
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Simpson joined Rangers from Linfield on 19th October 1950 for the then substantial fee of £11,500, then an Irish League and Rangers club record. On his Rangers debut against East Fife on 23rd December he claimed another hattrick. On two occasions Simpson scored four goals in a match for the Gers - in a 5-1 win over Third lanark in April 1951 and against St Mirren who were defeated 4-0 in December 1952.
.
At Ibrox Simpson scored a total of 163 goals in 239 appearances and collected 12 caps for Northern Ireland. He went to the 1958 World Cup Finals as part of a 16-man panel, but he picked up a muscle injury in training a few days before the opening game. Although the trainer, Gerry Morgan, felt Simpson had later reached fitness, he was over-ruled by the team medical advisor, Dr. Scarlett and Simpson missed the whole tournament. The Northern Ireland team could have used Simpson, particularly in the latter stages of the tournament as a ramshackle and injury-ridden side crashed out against France in the quarter-finals.
At Ibrox Simpson scored a total of 163 goals in 239 appearances and collected 12 caps for Northern Ireland. He went to the 1958 World Cup Finals as part of a 16-man panel, but he picked up a muscle injury in training a few days before the opening game. Although the trainer, Gerry Morgan, felt Simpson had later reached fitness, he was over-ruled by the team medical advisor, Dr. Scarlett and Simpson missed the whole tournament. The Northern Ireland team could have used Simpson, particularly in the latter stages of the tournament as a ramshackle and injury-ridden side crashed out against France in the quarter-finals.
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Simpson played his final match for Rangers on 29th November 1958 and in March 1959 he was transferred to Stirling Albion. A cruciate ligament injury finished his career and he returned to Glasgow where he worked for the Remington Rand factory.
Simpson continued to reside near Ibrox until his death at the age of 87. A month earlier Rangers had hosted a tribute evening for Simpson, though he had been too frail to attend. Shortly before he died, Simpson looked back on the great Northern Ireland team of the 1950s: "we were more than a football team, we were all mates."
Rage Online
Rangers Interview
Linfield Career
Simpson continued to reside near Ibrox until his death at the age of 87. A month earlier Rangers had hosted a tribute evening for Simpson, though he had been too frail to attend. Shortly before he died, Simpson looked back on the great Northern Ireland team of the 1950s: "we were more than a football team, we were all mates."
Rage Online Rangers Interview
Linfield Career
Northern Ireland Cap Details:
07-03-1951 Wales... H L 1-2 BC. 1 Goal
12-05-1951 France.. H D 2-2 FR. 1 Goal
03-10-1953 Scotland H L 1-3 WCQ
11-11-1953 England. A L 1-3 WCQ
02-10-1954 England. H L 0-2 BC
25-04-1957 Italy... A L 0-1 WCQ
01-05-1957 Portugal H W 3-0 WCQ 1 Goal
05-10-1957 Scotland H D 1-1 BC
06-11-1957 England. A W 3-2 BC. 1 Goal
15-01-1958 Italy... H W 2-1 WCQ
16-04-1958 Wales... A D 1-1 BC. 1 Goal
05-11-1958 Scotland A D 2-2 BC
..
Summary: 12/5. Won 3, Drew 4, Lost 5.
Ireland Representative Appearance Details:
11-08-1948 USA Olympic XI H W 5-0
Ireland Representative Appearance Details:
11-08-1948 USA Olympic XI H W 5-0
Irish League Representative Appearance Details:
18-04-1949 League of Ireland H W 4-1 1 Goal
26-04-1950 Football League.. H L 1-3
27-09-1950 Scottish League.. H L 0-4
18-10-1950 Football League.. A L 3-6
Summary: 4. Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 3.
26-04-1950 Football League.. H L 1-3
27-09-1950 Scottish League.. H L 0-4
18-10-1950 Football League.. A L 3-6
Summary: 4. Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 3.
Additional information by George Glass.
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