Edwards, Willis - Derbyshire Miner and England Footballer

Willis Edwards in action - he played 16 times for England

An 'old un' holds court - Willis Edwards towards the end of his long football career

WILLIS EDWARDS was one of the select group of men born in Derbyshire who played association football for England.

He was born on 28 April 1903 in the mining village of Newton, in North East Derbyshire not far from Chesterfield and Alfreton. Like many of his type he left school to go down the pit. As a teenager he starred in the village football team, Newton Rangers, and was soon spotted by Chesterfield. He made his debut for them in 1919 at the age of only 16.

He was a calm and precise half-back - said in a pen-picture to have 'rolled his passes through the gaps with all the precision of a billiards player' - and one of the greatest players in Chesterfield's history.

After 70 League games for the 'Spireites' he moved to Leeds United in 1924 and became one of the club's legends. From 1924-38 he played 417 League games for the Elland Road club and scored 6 goals. During his time there he was never booked or sent off.

When he was given his England debut against Wales in 1926 he became the 500th player capped by England and went on to make 16 appearances for his country in all.

On retiring as a player he became the Leeds United trainer, and briefly their manager from May 1947 to April 1948. He then resumed his place in the backroom staff and only ended his asociation with Leeds in 1960, after serving the club for 35 years.

In his later working years Edwards took employment in a jam factory and he died in Leeds on 27 September 1988, aged 85. Willis Edwards was one of a significant number of Derbyshire miners who became professional footballers, and has a reasonable claim to being the most famous Newton resident of all time!

Pages linking here

Three Lions On Their Shirt - England Footballers Born In Derbyshire

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