Billy Bennett

Football career Bennett joined Second Division club Small Heath in 1896, and made his debut on 26 September away to Burton Swifts, playing at outside right after Bill Edwards was dropped and Jimmy Inglis moved to outside left. The match ended as a 1–1 draw and the Birmingham Daily Gazette described Bennett as "a smart and clever youth, who shoots and centres in capital style, and [whose] debut in the first eleven was decidedly promising." He kept his place for the return fixture, but that was his last first-team appearance for nearly two years. Playing at inside right, he scored twice in a 3–0 win against Luton Town, set up the third goal for Tom Scrivens with an "accurately-placed centre", and he and Jack Leonard were reported to have done "surprisingly well on the right wing". He was a regular in the side to the end of the season, ending up with nine goals from 24 league matches and helping the team finish in third place.

Now fully established in the first team, Bennett missed only four matches over the 1900–01 season as Small Heath went one place better and were promoted to the First Division as runners-up. Halfway through the season, the Birmingham Weekly Post "Half-Back" described Bennett as "on present form ... one of the most dangerous forwards on his side. He is tall, and at the same time well built, is clever, can run fast, and his centreing and shooting are alike excellent. He is still very young, and undoubtedly has a great future before him." They held on to the lead, beat Burnley in the next round, and lost to reigning Football League champions and local rivals Aston Villa in the quarter-final only after a replay.

Bennett had strained the muscles of his right knee during the previous season and the injury was still bothering him ahead of the First Division campaign. He was able to play in the opening fixture, a goalless draw at home to Liverpool, but a kick on the same leg during the game resulted in an ulcer forming on the shin. In October he underwent surgery in Manchester. He played twice more in the First Division, but the leg remained an issue and he retired from the game. Although that match was postponed because the pitch was unplayable, he did retake the field with the reserves the following week, but never returned to League football.