Biography
Experienced right half Billy Newton joined Hull City in July 1931, a couple of months after his 38th birthday, as new manager Hayden Green began building a squad to escape from Division Three North. He started the first game of the season then was absent for a month, returning to City’s first XI at the start of October and missing only five games in the next six months. A final appearance for the Tigers on the last day of the 1931/32 season drew Newton’s short Hull City career and lengthy senior playing career to a close.
William “Billy” Newton was born in Cramlington, Northumberland and raised by his coal miner father. By the age of 18 Newton himself was working in the local colliery and playing local football. He returned from military service after World War One and played for Hartford Colliery before joining Newcastle United in May 1919. After six months in the Magpies’ reserve team Billy joined North Eastern League side Blyth Spartans in December 1919 and ended the season back at Hartford Colliery. In July 1920 he joined South Wales side Cardiff City and made six starts in two seasons, his senior debut coming in February 1921. In May 1922 joined Second Division side Leicester City where after a season playing exclusively for the Reserves side he established himself as a first team regular from October 1923 onwards. He was still a near ever-present two years later when the Foxes won the Second Division title in May 1925 and kept his starting place in the First Division during the 1925/26 season. Newton made a total of 95 senior appearances for Leicester City before transferring to Second Division side Grimsby Town in May 1926.
After just one season at Blundell Park that yielded 15 appearances, Billy dropped down to the Division Three North and signed for Stockport County. In four seasons at Edgeley Park Newton was first team regular as the Hatters twice finished second in the table and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Second Division. Newton had made 161 senior starts for Stockport and scored two goals in four seasons before he made the switch to Hull City in July 1931.
In May 1932 Newton returned to Stockport County to join the coaching staff, beginning a long association with the Hatters’ backroom that would last until a year before his death Newton also earned his crust as a window cleaner around the housing estates of Stockport. Billy was twice the caretaker manager of County in 1952 and 1960. He stayed in Stockport for rest of his life, dying in April 1973.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 14 May 1893, Cramlington
Hull City First Game: 29 August 1931, Halifax Town H (Division Three North), 38 years, 107 days old
Hull City Final Game: 7 May 1932, Wrexham H (Division Three North), 38 years, 359 days old
Clubs
Hartford Colliery, Newcastle United (1919), Blyth Spartans (1919-1920), Hartford Colliery (1920), Cardiff City (1920-1922), Leicester City (1922-1926), Grimsby Town (1926-1927), Stockport County (1927-1931), Hull City (1931-1932)
Hull City Record
Career: 27 apps, 0 goals
Billy Newton| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931/32 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |