Bill McPherson (footballer) explained

Bill McPherson
Fullname:William McPherson
Height:5ft 8+1/2in
Position:Inside forward
Birth Date:22 November 1884
Birth Place:Beith, Scotland
Years1:1903–1904
Clubs1:Beith
Years2:1904–1906
Clubs2:St Mirren
Caps2:40
Goals2:5
Years3:1906–1908
Clubs3:Liverpool
Caps3:48
Goals3:16
Years4:1908–1911
Caps4:51
Goals4:24
Years5:1911
Clubs5:Beith (loan)
Years6:1911–1913
Clubs6:Heart of Midlothian
Caps6:34
Goals6:7
Totalcaps:173
Totalgoals:52

William McPherson (22 November 1884 – 1961) was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside forward.

McPherson started his career at St Mirren before joining Liverpool in the English Football League in 1906,[1] scoring 11 goals in 32 appearances in his debut season. He played less frequently the following season in 1907–08 making 22 appearances. The season was to be his last at Liverpool and he would later play for Scottish clubs Rangers[2] and Heart of Midlothian.[3]

He did not win a major trophy with any of his clubs; he joined Liverpool when they were reigning English champions but they did not challenge for honours during his two-year spell. He appeared in the 1909 Scottish Cup Final for Rangers against Celtic, which went to a second replay only for the trophy to be withdrawn after rioting by spectators who believed the two matches had been drawn deliberately to boost revenues.[4] He did claim a winner's medal in the minor Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup a few weeks later.[5] The Gers were Scottish Football League champions in 1910–11 but McPherson did not play for the club at all that season, being loaned to hometown non-league side Beith in February 1911[6] before moving on to Hearts that summer; the Edinburgh club were third in the league and semi-finalists in the cup in both campaigns he played for them. He then decided to emigrate to New Zealand, sailing in October 1913.[7]

During his time at Liverpool, McPherson played in one Home Scots v Anglo-Scots international trial in 1907 and scored for his side,[8] [9] but he never gained a full cap for Scotland.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bill McPherson . LFC History . 20 March 2012 .
  2. https://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1819 (Rangers player) William McPherson
  3. https://londonhearts.com/scores/newplayers/h00734.html (Hearts player) William Macpherson
  4. News: The Old Firm story: When fans joined forces to riot. 24 June 2016. 29 November 2017. The Scotsman.
  5. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bM9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XqYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3746%2C1825424 Glasgow Charity Cup – Final Tie
  6. https://playupliverpool.com/1961/01/01/william-macpherson-willie-macpherson-or-william-mcpherson-playupliverpool-com/ About William Macpherson
  7. https://playupliverpool.com/1913/10/15/william-mcpherson-off-to-new-zealand/ William Macpherson off to New Zealand
  8. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EIFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OjQNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6662%2C2115469 Football. International Trial Match.
  9. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.