The history of Newcastle United is a rich one, with the club having won four League titles, six FA Cups, an FA Charity Shield, and the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup so far. Behind those historic feats were the contribution and teamwork of several magnificent players that played for the club.
This article will be looking at one such player who led the Magpie to two league titles. Let us look back at the career of Bill Appleyard, Newcastle's star centre forward of the 1900's.
Life before Newcastle
Appleyard was born in Caistor, Lincolnshire, beginning his career at amateur club Cleethorpes before signing for Grimsby Town in 1901. He was nicknamed as Cockles at the time, which was a reference to his previous job he had as a Grimsby fisherman. This was a period when Grimsby Town had just been promoted from the second division. The English centre forward managed to score 9 goals in 19 appearances for the club. He scored 10 in the next campaign from 25 appearances. However, Grimsby finished in the table bottom and eventually got relegated. This led to Appleyard’s move to Newcastle in April 1903, playing in two matches for the Magpies before the season ended.
The Newcastle years
In his first season at Newcastle, Appleyard scored 16 goals in 31 games. He also managed to score in his only FA Cup appearance that campaign. The following season was a historic one for Newcastle, as they won the first division league title and finished runners up in the FA Cup. Appleyard was a key figure behind the league success, as he scored 14 goals in 28 appearances to help them become English Champions. This fine form extended in the FA Cup as well, scoring 2 goals in their 5 games till they reached the finals. It was heartbreaking in the FA Cup final though for Newcastle, who lost 2-0 to Aston Villa.
Another FA Cup final heartbreak was suffered by Newcastle in the following season, this time losing 1-0 against Everton. A shocking fact about the final is that Appleyard, despite being United’s top scorer hitting 6 goals in 5 games, was not selected for the final. It was instead his teammate Ronald Orr, who was omitted in last season’s final, that lined up instead.
Coming to the league, Appleyard scored 11 goals in 21 appearances as Newcastle finished fourth, eight points off champions Liverpool. The 1906-07 season saw Newcastle reclaim their position as England's Champions, with Appleyard scoring 17 goals in 23 appearances to help them clinch the title.
Appleyard's final season with Newcastle was the 1907-08 campaign, as his career was cut short due to an injury. Despite this, He still managed to score 13 goals in 23 league games and another 8 goals in 6 FA Cup matches. He went on to make history during this period, as he became the first player to score a hat-trick for Newcastle in an FA Cup tie, ironically against his former club Grimsby Town on 7th March 1908.
Newcastle reached their third FA Cup final in 4 years, with Appleyard playing in his second final. Heartbreak yet again followed Newcastle and Appleyard though, as the Magpies lost to Wolves 3-1.
Departure and retirement
After playing 146 games for Newcastle and scoring a commendable 88 goals, Appleyard had to sadly depart the club at the end of the season. A major injury was the reason behind the sad farewell.
This was followed by spells at second division Oldham Athletic and his old side Grimsby Town. A final move was made to Mansfield Mechanics in 1909, following which he retired shortly afterwards and returned to Tyneside, working in Wallsend at the Vickers Shipbuilding yard.
Appleyard died on Tuesday 14 January 1958 at Newcastle General Hospital, aged 79. Football lost one of its greatest early forwards.
