Billy Oswald

William Oswald (3 August 1900 – 24 May 1969), known as Billy or Willie Oswald, was a Scottish footballer who played professionally in Scotland, England and the United States. He played as a forward.

Billy Oswald
Personal information
Full name William Oswald[1]
Date of birth (1900-08-03)3 August 1900[1]
Place of birth Dundee, Scotland
Date of death 24 May 1969(1969-05-24) (aged 68)
Place of death Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1922 Dundee Celtic
1922 Dundee Hibs (trialist) 1 (2)
1922–1923 Gillingham 13 (3)
1923–1924 St Johnstone
1924–1926 Dundee United 49 (15)
1926–1928 Brighton & Hove Albion 14 (2)
1928–1930 Providence 78 (22)
1931 Fall River 11 (1)
1931 New York Yankees 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Oswald was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1900.[1] He played football for Dundee Celtic, and had trials with English club Gillingham[2] and with Dundee Hibs, during which he scored twice in a 4–1 win against Armadale at the end of the 1921–22 Scottish Division Two season.[3] He chose to turn professional with Gillingham,[2] and contributed 3 goals from 13 appearances in the 1922–23 Third Division South before returning to Scotland.[1]

He spent the 1923–24 season with St Johnstone, mainly in the reserves, and then joined Dundee United in August 1924, initially on a month's trial.[4] He top-scored with 12 goals, 10 in the league, as Dundee United won the 1924–25 Division Two title,[5][2] but was less prolific in the First Division,[3] and returned to England at the end of the season with another Third Division South club, Brighton & Hove Albion. He stayed with Albion for two seasons, but was unable to displace either Jack Nightingale or his former Dundee United teammate Tommy Simpson from the starting eleven, and scored twice from just 14 appearances.[2]

In 1928, Oswald joined Providence of the American Soccer League. He briefly played for Fall River and the New York Yankees in 1931.[6] He remained in the United States, settling in Providence, Rhode Island, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1944[7] and died in May 1969.[5]

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  3. "Willie Oswald Player Profile". Arab Archive. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  4. "Miscellaneous". Falkirk Herald. 27 August 1924. p. 4. Dundee United, still desirous of strengthening their side, have taken, on a month's trial, Donald Slade, the old Dundee and Ayr United forward, and Willie Oswald, reserve inside-left with St Johnstone last season.
  5. "Season Overview: Season 1924–25". Arab Archive. Retrieved 3 December 2020. Select season required via dropdown menu.
  6. Jose, Colin (1998). American Soccer League, 1921–1931. The Scarecrow Press. p. 427. ISBN 0-8108-3429-4.
  7. "Roll 12, Petitions for naturalization, O'Keefe, Benjamin Brendan – Plezia, Hilary Thomas". Rhode Island, District Court Naturalization Indexes, 1906–1991 – via FamilySearch.
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