Kettle: William Walderham (Billy)

1918-1918 (Leeds City War-time Guest Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: South Shields: 10-09-1889

Debut: v Bradford Park Avenue (a): 06-04-1918

5 ft. 8 ins, 10 st 9 lbs (1924)

Kettle was born at 26 Thompson Street, South Shields on 10th September 1898. He had initially resided with his mother and brother John and two boarders at 16 Straker Street, Tyne Dock, South Shields. He enlisted as soon as he was eighteen, with the Durham Light Infantry Second Batallion, Private # (73859). He was listed as being 5'8" and about 10st. Kettle joined Leeds City as a Junior and the nineteen-year-old Schoolboy International made his City debut at Outside Left on 6th April 1918 in the Subsidiary Tournament game at Bradford Park Avenue, which City won 2-1. He played outside left, a position that had troubled City all season, and was the ninth man to fill the role. City won the game 2-1 but Kettle joined the Army and so never got the chance to follow up. It was to be his only game for City despite all his unfulfilled promise. This saw his return to his hometown club, after he was demobbed and then signed for First Division Newcastle United in September 1919, but left without playing for their first team, joining Ebbw Vale in the 1920 close season. At some stage of his war career he lost a toe and was discharged on 6th March 1919. He married Rebecca (Taylor) (DOB 22-04-1900) in March 1923. He had signed for Third Division (South) club Southend United in July 1921, making his Football League debut at Brentford on 5th September 1921 in a 0-1 defeat, and he was a regular in "The Shrimpers" 1921-22 line up, scoring once in thirty-one appearances as they struggled towards the foot of the division, eventually becoming bottom of a twenty-two club competition. He also netted once in two appearances in the F. A. Cup. He signed for Grimsby Town in June 1922. At Blundell Park he scored three goals in sixteen appearances before being sold to Southport for £200 in June 1923. He lasted less than a single season at Haig Avenue, scoring once in eighteen League appearances. His goal came on 24th November 1923 in a 2-2 home draw with Doncaster Rovers. Southport did well in attaining a seventh place finish. He made his debut on 25th August 1923 in a 1-0 home win over Crewe Alexandra and signed off on 16th February 1924 in a 1-1 home draw with Walsall. He also played four F.A. Cup ties and two Lancashire Senior Cup games without finding the net in either competition. His next move was his final one, joining Wigan Borough in February 1924, and he played his last match for the Springfield Park side on 13th February 1926 as Wigan Borough won a home fixture with former side, Southport, in front of a crowd of 5,630, by three goals to one. He had started forty-two League games, which saw him score twelve goals. He also started seven Manchester/Lancashire Cup games, scoring once, on 14th October 1925 in a 3-1 win at Accrington Stanley in the Lancashire Senior Cup, first round in front of 1,300. In the F.A. Cup he made three appearances without scoring. He was not a regular goalscorer and his goals tended to come in short bursts. He opened his League account in a 3-1 home win over Chesterfield on 12th April 1924. He added two more just over a week later when he netted twice in a 3-3 away draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on 21st April 1924 in front of a 21,426 crowd at Molineux. He was then operating as an inside left and his fourth goal was from that position in a 2-3 defeat at Rochdale on 6th September 1924. He was soon back with two more two days later as Lincoln City were crushed 4-0 at home. His seventh came a month or more later with the second goal in a 2-0 home win over Ashington on 11th October 1924. There was a long period of drought before he scored the second goal in a 2-1 away win at the Shay over Halifax Town to take his tally to eight. He was then operating as an inside right in the latter stages of his career. Two days later he again got the second goal in a 2-0 home win over Barrow to take him to nine. He then scored twice in a 3-2 away win at Tranmere Rovers the following day, 14th April 1925 as he got to eleven. He scored his twelfth goal with Wigan's second goal in a 3-1 home win over Crewe Alexandra on 30th January 1926 as Borough beat Crewe Alexandra 3-1 in front of 3,987 at Springfield Park. He lived the final ten years of his life in the house at Acomb, York where he died on 12th October 1980.