News has reached us of the death of Billy Linacre, on January 8th, 2010, at the age of 85.
First spotted playing for Derbyshire Boys, Brampton-born Billy joined the Spireites as an amateur in 1941. The son of a noted local sprinter, he was set to follow his brother into the RAF but found himself drafted to Bolsover Colliery, as a "Bevin Boy." He turned semi-pro in February 1944 and completed his progression to full professional status as the second world war ended.
He made his first appearance for our first team at the age of sixteen and a half, playing at centre-forward against Rotherham United in December 1941, and finished wartime football with 101 appearances And 40 goals to his credit. His lithe and lanky frame earned the nickname "Legs," which stuck with him throughout his professional career.
Billy talks tactics with manager Bob Brocklebank
Although we signed him as a left-winger he popped up on the right wing just as often. He lacked the robustness of a "battering ram" forward but was unorthodox; he had great skill, speed and quickness of thought. Trainer Ollie Thompson reckoned he could "Do anything with the ball except make it talk," and many respected commentators saw Billy as the natural successor to Stanley Matthews.
Billy broke a leg in November 1945 and broke the same one ten months later, in only the second match of the 1946-7 season. He came back in March '47 to play ten times, adding a further 12 games and three goals to his league tally in 1947-8. By October 1947 Chesterfield could no longer ignore the pile of offers for Billy on the desk and, with the side in need of a shake-up, Billy left for Maine Road, with two influential players (Peter Robinson and Tommy Capel) plus £8,000 in cash, coming the other way.
Billy (stripes) leaves a trail of Manchester United men in his wake and prepares to centre during Chesterfield's 1944-5 War Cup run.
Billy enjoyed a run of two good, injury-free years at City, making 75 appearances and scoring six goals, but broke the leg again, and was sold for £12,000 to Middlesbrough. His injury jinx struck again, in the oddest of circumstances, breaking the same leg while playing for Boro at... Manchester City! This time he suffered serious muscle damage, too, and Billy was and eventually released in the summer of 1952, after only 31 starts for Boro.
A season with the ambitious non-league side Goole Town ended when Hartlepools United brought him back to the Football League; after two years there he had a season at Mansfield before retirement from football.
Billy settled in the Middlesbrough area, working in the construction and onshore oil industries Billy's sons Phil and John played for Hartlepool United.
We offer our condolences to Billy's friends and family.
Billy Linacre: 1924-2010.
Stuart Basson.
