Private William (Billy) Watson
Army Service Corps
Burnley Express 7/7/1917 - 19/12/1917 - 24/10/1917 - 19/1/1918

Played for Burnley in the 1914 Cup Final

My Grandfather William (Billy) Watson played for the club from 1908 to 1925. He played for Burnley in FA Cup Final against Liverpool in 1914

He joined the Army in Autumn 1916 in the Motor Transport Department of the Army Service Corps. Before going to France he was sent by the Army to play for Chelsea in December 1916. Bizarre but true! Attached is a photo of him in November 1918 in France when he was a motor cycle despatch rider

"I have also come across the attached which may be of interest. I don't have any details except to say that William (Billy) Watson is sat in the middle of the front row. It certainly looks like a military football match line up but I don't know who any of the other players are or who are the military unit that they are sat with and indeed who are surrounding the goal keeper

It would be great if someone saw this through your web site and could provide some information"

" Billy laying a wreath at the cenotaph in Whitehall in March 1921 when Burnley came to London to play Arsenal. This was to commemorate three Burnley players who died during the war being:

Lorrimer, the outside right who died in Egypt
W Pickering - centre forward killed in Belgium
J Brown - left half in the reserve team

Teddy Hodgson died after the war as a result of an infection caught during it

(Courtesy of his Grandson Jon Green)