Billy Poulson

William Edward Poulson (1862 – 23 January 1937) was an English footballer. He was a one-club man for Port Vale, possibly also being one of its founders.

Billy Poulson

Personal information
Full name	William Edward Poulson[1]
Date of birth	1862[1]
Place of birth	Hanley, Staffordshire, England[1]
Date of death	(1937-01-23)23 January 1937 (age 74-75)[1]
Place of death	Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England[1]
Position(s)	Half-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1879–1891	Port Vale	34	(3)
Total		34	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Poulson played left-back in Port Vale's first recorded line-up on 9 December 1882 in a 5–1 defeat at nearby Stoke in a Staffordshire Senior Cup second round replay.^[1] He was most probably a founder-member of the club in the late 1870s.^[1] With Vale he won numerous trophies, including the North Staffordshire Charity Challenge Cup in 1883 and 1885 and was also a scorer in the Burslem Challenge Cup final on 21 March 1885, which was won 12–0 against Ironbridge.^[1] By December 1889 though he began to appear less frequently in the first XI and was most likely released at the end of the 1890–91 season.^[1] He had scored 15 goals in 225 games for the club, playing in some nine positions over his twelve or so years for the Vale.^[1]

Career statistics

Source:^[2]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Burslem Port Vale	1882–83	–	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0
	1883–84		0	0	0	0	9	0	9	0
	1884–85		0	0	0	0	21	4	21	4
	1885–86		0	0	5	0	23	2	28	2
	1886–87		0	0	4	1	39	2	43	3
	1887–88		0	0	1	0	36	1	37	1
	1888–89	Combination	19	3	0	0	20	0	39	3
	1889–90	–	0	0	1	0	21	2	22	2
	1890–91	Midland League	15	0	0	0	9	0	24	0
Total			34	3	11	1	180	11	225	15

Honours

Port Vale

• North Staffordshire Charity Challenge Cup: 1883, 1885 (shared)
• Burslem Challenge Cup: 1885

References

1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 237. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
2. Billy Poulson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)