| Billy Dunlop | |
| Fullname: | William Dunlop |
| Birth Date: | 16 August 1869 |
| Birth Place: | Annbank, Scotland |
| Death Date: | [1] |
| Death Place: | Tarbolton, Scotland |
| Position: | Wing half / Centre half |
| Years1: | 1888–1893 |
| Clubs1: | Annbank |
| Years2: | 1893–1899 |
| Caps2: | 134 |
| Goals2: | 6 |
| Years3: | 1899–1900 |
| Clubs3: | Rangers |
| Caps3: | 6 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 1900 |
| Caps4: | 1 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1900–1901 |
William Dunlop (16 August 1869 – 25 May 1960) was a Scottish footballer who played in the English Football League for Sunderland and in the Scottish League for Rangers. He played as a half-back, either at wing half or in the centre.[2] [3]
Dunlop was born in Annbank, South Ayrshire, and played for his hometown club (taking part in a trial for the Scotland national team in 1890)[4] before coming to England to sign for Sunderland at the start of 1893. He was the uncle (though only two years older) of his new club's star forward Jimmy Miller,[5] [6] while another former Annbank player, defender Robert Smellie, was also in the Sunderland side (he and Dunlop were teammates in the team's run to the quarter-finals of the 1891–92 Scottish Cup).[7] [8]
Dunlop made his debut for the Wearside club on 28 January 1893 in a 4–2 home win against The Wednesday, and played a few more games at the end of the 1892–93 season once the League title was secured. From the following season onwards he was a regular in the first team, contributing to their runners-up position in 1894 and third League championship in the 1894–95 season and making 146 appearances in League and FA Cup.[9] He also played on the winning side in a post-season friendly match against Scottish champions Heart of Midlothian, dubbed by some the "1895 World Championship".[10]
Dunlop returned to Scotland in 1899 to join Rangers, and played six Division One games in the 1899–1900 season – in each case covering for one of the regular half-backs, Neilly Gibson, Bobby Neil and Jacky Robertson – plus a few more games in other competitions, in a couple of which Jimmy Miller also played.[3] He moved on to Partick Thistle in the summer of 1900[11] before returning to Annbank a few months later.[2] [12] [13]