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Willis Edwards

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Willis Edwards - click for larger image

Position Right half
Born 28 Apr 1903, Newton (England)
Height 172 cm
Weight 74 kg
International Caps England: 16 full

Club From To Apps Goals Sold for
Chesterfield 01 Aug 1919 15 Mar 1925     £1500
Leeds United 15 Mar 1925 01 Jun 1943 444 6  

Leeds Career League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other
Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1924 - 1925 9   0   0   0   0  
1925 - 1926 40   1   0   0   0  
1926 - 1927 37 1 3   0   0   0  
1927 - 1928 32   1   0   0   0  
1928 - 1929 29   3   0   0   0  
1929 - 1930 39   2   0   0   0  
1930 - 1931 40   3   0   0   0  
1931 - 1932 28   1   0   0   0  
1932 - 1933 23   4   0   0   0  
1933 - 1934 15   0   0   0   0  
1934 - 1935 28   2   0   0   0  
1935 - 1936 39 1 4   0   0   0  
1936 - 1937 35 3 1   0   0   0  
1937 - 1938 3   0   0   0   0  
1938 - 1939 20 1 2   0   0   0  
1939 - 1940 2   0   0   0   2  
1940 - 1941 16 1 0   0   0   3 1
1942 - 1943 1   0   0   0   0  
Total 417 6 27   0   0   0  
Total (inc war years) 436 7 27   0   0   5 1

Jabba's Comments

Rejected by a Sheffield United scout as "too small", Willis Edwards went on to have a long and successful for career for Chesterfield, Leeds and England. After 8 successful years at Bramall Lane, Edwards joined Leeds towards the end of the 1924-25 season and soon found his great all-round game was recognised at the highest level, with his first England cap coming against Scotland in 1926.

He was recognised as the best wing-half in the country, and his longevity was equally impressive - playing for 14 years for Leeds in the league and also turning out during the war years. He remained at Leeds after the war, acting as assistant coach and then taking over as manager when Billy Hampson stepped down. He didn't have much success and after a year returned to his coaching position and continued as a scout for the club until the middle of the 1950s. He died in 1988.

Ian Gledhill says: When I left school in the summer of 1968, I worked for a short time at Moorhouses jam factory on Old Lane in Beeston. Willis Edwards was also employed there. He used to do odd jobs, including tidying up the gardens at the front of the factory. He must have been 65 but looked older. I knew who he was but I didn't have the - what is it, nerve? - to stop him and get him talking about his life. Eighteen seemed a lot younger in those days. Now I wish I had.

Carl Short says: I have just found out that Willis Edwards is my great great uncle. My grandfather, Willis Short, who has recently passed away, was named after his famous uncle.


Have your say

Did you see Willis Edwards play? Did you meet him in a pub, go to school with him, decorate his house or buy a motor from him? If you've got any comments or stories about Willis Edwards on or off the pitch, just fill in the form below and (provided they're not blatantly libellous) I'll add them to this page. And just a quick note to the spammers who try to add their links to this page by attempting to get round the client-side validation: don't bother - the server side does similar checks and throws your garbage straight into the bit bucket.

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