View source for Billy Birrell

{{short description|Scottish footballer and manager}}
{{distinguish|Willie Birrell}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Billy Birrell
| fullname = William Birrell<ref name="Joyce">{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888–1939 |date=16 October 2012 |publisher=Tony Brown |isbn=9781905891610 |edition=3rd Revised |page=28}}</ref>
| birth_date = 13 March 1897
| birth_place = [[Cellardyke]], Scotland
| death_date = {{death date and age|1968|11|29|1897|3|13|df=y}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Billy Birrell {{!}} Chelsea Manager |url=http://stamford-bridge.com/manager.php?id=626&surname=birrell&firstname=billy |access-date=7 October 2019 |website=Stamford-Bridge.com The History of Chelsea FC}}</ref>
| death_place = 
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vulcan |date=22 August 1921 |title=First Division prospects. Middlesbrough |page=5 |work=Athletic News |location=Manchester}}</ref>
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| years1 = 1914–1915
| clubs1 = [[Inverkeithing United F.C.|Inverkeithing United]]
| caps1 = 
| goals1 = 
| years2 = 1915–1921
| clubs2 = [[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]]
| caps2 = 77
| goals2 = 19
| years3 = {{0|0000}}–1920
| clubs3 = → [[Kirkcaldy United F.C.|Kirkcaldy United]] (guest)
| caps3 = 
| goals3 = 
| years4 = 1921–1927
| clubs4 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
| caps4 = 225
| goals4 = 59
| years5 = 1927–1930
| clubs5 = [[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]]
| caps5 = 51
| goals5 = 22
| manageryears1 = 1927–1930
| managerclubs1 = [[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]] (player-manager)
| manageryears2 = 1930–1935
| managerclubs2 = [[Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic F.C.|Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic]]
| manageryears3 = 1935–1939
| managerclubs3 = [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]
| manageryears4 = 1939–1952
| managerclubs4 = [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
}}
'''William Birrell''' (13 March 1897 – 29 November 1968) was a Scottish professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]].

== Career ==
Birrell made over 220 appearances as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]] in the [[Football League]] for [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]].<ref name="Joyce" /> He also made over 120 appearances in the [[Scottish Football League|Scottish League]] for [[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]].<ref name="Litster">{{Cite book |last=Litster |first=John |title=Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players |publisher=PM Publications |location=Norwich}}</ref> He began his career in management [[Player manager|while a player]] at Raith Rovers and after his retirement, he managed Football League clubs [[Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic F.C.|Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic]] and [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]].<ref name="vintagefootballers">{{Cite web |title=Birrell Billy Middlesbrough 1926 |url=http://vintagefootballers.com/product/birrell-billy-image-3-mboro-1926/ |access-date=26 December 2018 |website=Vintage Footballers |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="ChelseaProfile">{{Cite web |title=Billy Birrell |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/billy-birrell |access-date=26 December 2018 |website=Official Site {{!}} Chelsea Football Club}}</ref>

On 19 April 1939, he was appointed the new [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] manager.<ref name="ChelseaProfile" /> The [[World War II|Second World War]] forced the Football League to be abandoned less than half a year following Birrell's appointment.<ref name="ChelseaWW2">{{Cite web |title=Chelsea in the Second World War |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/chelsea-in-the-second-world-war |access-date=9 December 2022 |website=www.chelseafc.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> During wartime, he led Chelsea to two consecutive [[Football League War Cup|Football League War Cup South Final]] at [[Wembley Stadium|Wembley]], winning the cup in [[1945 Football League War Cup South final|1945]].<ref name="ChelseaWW2" />

In wartime, Birrell developed the idea of a youth team for Chelsea, and on 25 May 1940, the Chelsea Junior team, a team which included future [[England national football team|England]] manager [[Ron Greenwood]], played their first match against [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Long Read: Future Blues – a history of the founding of Chelsea Juniors |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/long-read--future-blues---a-history-of-the-founding-of-chelsea-j |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804205842/https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/long-read--future-blues---a-history-of-the-founding-of-chelsea-j |archive-date=4 August 2022 |access-date=8 July 2023 |website=www.chelseafc.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> Birrell's plan was fully implemented after the war, with the sponsorship of The Tudor Rose Boys' Club, allowing them to run four teams in the Harrow and Wembley League.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birrell's Babes – a history of the founding of Chelsea Juniors – part two |url=https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/birrell-s-babes---a-history-of-the-founding-of-chelsea-juniors-- |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715094517/https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/birrell-s-babes---a-history-of-the-founding-of-chelsea-juniors-- |archive-date=15 July 2022 |access-date=8 July 2023 |website=www.chelseafc.com |language=en-gb}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Birrell's brother [[Bob Birrell (footballer)|Bob]] was also a footballer.<ref name="vintagefootballers" />

== Career statistics ==

=== Player ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
! rowspan="2" |Club
! rowspan="2" |Season
! colspan="3" |League
! colspan="2" |National Cup
! colspan="2" |Total
|-
!Division
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
!Apps
!Goals
|-
| rowspan="5" |[[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]]
|[[1915–16 Scottish Division One|1915–16]]<ref name="Litster" />
| rowspan="4" |[[Scottish Football League Division One|Scottish Division One]]
|13
|5
| colspan="2" |—
|13
|5
|-
|[[1916–17 Scottish Division One|1916–17]]<ref name="Litster" />
|1
|0
| colspan="2" |—
|1
|0
|-
|[[1919–20 Scottish Division One|1919–20]]<ref name="Litster" />
|35
|7
|6
|2
|41
|9
|-
|[[1920–21 Scottish Division One|1920–21]]<ref name="Litster" />
|28
|7
|1
|0
|29
|7
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!77
!19
!7
!2
!84
!21
|-
| rowspan="9" |[[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
|[[1920-21 Football League First Division|1920–21]]<ref name="11v11">{{Cite web |title=Billy Birrell |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/billy-birrell-43647/ |access-date=26 December 2018 |website=11v11.com}}</ref>
| rowspan="4" |[[Football League First Division|First Division]]
|14
|2
| colspan="2" |—
|14
|2
|-
|[[1921-22 Football League First Division|1921–22]]<ref name="11v11" />
|35
|9
|1
|0
|36
|9
|-
|[[1922-23 Football League First Division|1922–23]]<ref name="11v11" />
|38
|9
|3
|1
|41
|10
|-
|[[1923-24 Football League First Division|1923–24]]<ref name="11v11" />
|21
|2
|0
|0
|21
|2
|-
|[[1924-25 Football League Second Division|1924–25]]<ref name="11v11" />
| rowspan="3" |[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]
|27
|3
|1
|0
|28
|3
|-
|[[1925-26 Football League Second Division|1925–26]]<ref name="11v11" />
|42
|18
|2
|1
|44
|19
|-
|[[1926-27 Football League Second Division|1926–27]]<ref name="11v11" />
|41
|16
|3
|2
|44
|18
|-
|[[1927-28 Football League First Division|1927–28]]<ref name="11v11" />
|First Division
|7
|1
|0
|0
|7
|1
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!225
!59
!10
!4
!235
!63
|-
| rowspan="4" |Raith Rovers
|[[1927–28 Scottish Division One|1926–27]]<ref name="Litster" />
|Scottish Division One
|15
|4
|3
|1
|18
|5
|-
|[[1929–30 Scottish Division Two|1929–30]]<ref name="Litster" />
| rowspan="2" |[[Scottish Football League Division Two|Scottish Division Two]]
|20
|12
|2
|1
|22
|13
|-
|[[1930–31 Scottish Division Two|1930–31]]<ref name="Litster" />
|16
|6
|0
|0
|16
|6
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!128
!41
!12
!14
!140
!55
|-
! colspan="3" |Career total
!353
!100
!22
!18
!375
!118
|}

=== Manager ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
! rowspan="2" |Team
! rowspan="2" |From
! rowspan="2" |To
! colspan="5" |Record
! rowspan="2" |Ref
|-
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
|-
| align="left" |[[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]] (player-manager)
|1927
|1930
{{WDL|123|45|24|54}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Raith Rovers Manager Billy Birrell Details |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/raithrovers/manager.php?id=1243 |access-date=7 October 2019 |website=www.fitbastats.com}}</ref>
|-
| align="left" |[[Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic F.C.|Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic]]
|August 1930
|May 1935
{{WDL|220|67|56|97}}
|<ref name="Soccerbase" />
|-
| align="left" |[[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]
|May 1935
|April 1939
{{WDL|184|85|42|57}}
|<ref name="Soccerbase" />
|-
| align="left" |[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|April 1939
|April 1952
{{WDL|285|96|74|115}}
|<ref name="Soccerbase">{{Soccerbase manager|id=171}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="3" |Total
{{WDLtot|812|293|196|323}}
!—
|}

== Honours ==

=== As a player ===
'''Middlesbrough'''

* [[Football League Second Division]]: [[1926-27 Football League Second Division|1926–27]]<ref name="vintagefootballers" />

=== As a manager ===
'''Chelsea'''

*[[Football League South]] War Cup: 1943–44, 1944–45<ref name="ChelseaWW2" />

==References==
*{{Cite book |last=Matthews, Tony |title=Who's Who of Chelsea |publisher=Mainstream Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=1-84596-010-6}}
*{{Cite book |last=Mears, Brian |title=Chelsea: A 100-year History |publisher=Mainstream Sport |year=2004 |isbn=1-84018-823-5}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Soccerbase manager|id=171}}
*[https://www.chelseafc.com/en/about-chelsea/history/former-managers/billy-birrell Billy Birrell] at chelseafc.com
{{Raith Rovers F.C. managers}}
{{A.F.C. Bournemouth managers}}
{{Chelsea F.C. managers}}
{{Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birrell, Billy}}
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish football managers]]
[[Category:Raith Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players]]
[[Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Chelsea F.C. managers]]
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:Raith Rovers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football inside forwards]]
[[Category:Men's association football outside forwards]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Inverkeithing United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Kirkcaldy United F.C. players]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish sportsmen]]


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