Davy Walsh

David Joseph Walsh (28 April 1923 – 14 March 2016) was an Irish footballer who played as a centre forward for, among others, Linfield, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. Walsh was a dual international and played for both Ireland teams – the FAI XI and the IFA XI. In 1949, he was a member of the FAI XI that defeated England 2–0 at Goodison Park, becoming the first team to beat England at home.

Walsh was a player with an eye for goal. Nimble and decisive in front of goal, he had the knack for being in the right place at the right time. After retiring as a player Walsh owned a sports shop / general store in Droitwich and later ran holiday homes in Thurlestone and Kingsbridge in Devon. In June 2003, Walsh, together with such other notable Waterford footballers as Paddy Coad, Alfie Hale, Peter Thomas, Jim Beglin and John O'Shea, was honoured by the city council and presented with Waterford Crystal vase. He died in 2016.

Playing career

Irish Leagues Walsh began his career playing youth football in Waterford before joining Limerick United in 1942 making his debut on 4 October scoring twice against St James's Gate F.C. in the League of Ireland Shield. Despite Limerick finishing second from bottom in the competition Walsh scored 6 goals. At the end of a very successful goalscoring 1942–43 League of Ireland season he was loaned to Shelbourne for their Dublin and Belfast Inter-City Cup ties.

In 1943 he moved north of the border and joined Irish League side Linfield. Walsh scored 122 goals in Ireland, including 73 during the 1945–46 season for Linfield. While at Linfield he helped them win the Irish Cup in 1945 and a Northern Regional League / Irish Cup double in 1946. His teammates at Linfield included, among others Tommy Breen, Sammy McCrory and guest player Billy Liddell. On 8 June 1947, together with Jackie Vernon, Walsh returned to Ireland to play as a guest for Shamrock Rovers in a friendly against Everton.

English League In May 1946, Walsh joined West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £3,500 and subsequently made a terrific start to his English League career by scoring in each of his first six games. He continued to score regularly for WBA and, together with Reg Ryan and Jackie Vernon, he was a key figure when they gained promotion in 1949. He went on to score 100 goals for WBA before moving to Aston Villa for a fee of £25,000 in December 1950. He made 114 appearances and scored 40 goals for Villa, averaging a goal every three games, before moving onto Walsall in July 1955. After one season there he joined Worcester City where he retired as a player in May 1957.

FAI XI Between 1946 and 1953, Walsh made 20 appearances and scored five goals for the FAI XI, making his debut for the team in a 3–1 defeat to Portugal on 16 June 1946. On 2 March 1947, Walsh scored twice against Spain, helping the FAI XI to 3–2 win. Both of his goals that day were set up by a fellow Waterford footballer, Paddy Coad. On 2 June 1949, he scored his third goal in a 3–1 defeat to Sweden, during a qualifier for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Then, on 21 September 1949, together with Con Martin, Johnny Carey and Peter Farrell, he was a member of the FAI XI that defeated England 2–0 at Goodison Park, becoming the first non-UK team to beat England at home. He scored his fourth goal on 26 November 1950 against Norway in a 2–2 draw. He scored his last goal for the FAI XI against France on 4 October 1953 and made his last appearance on 25 November 1953 in a 1–0 defeat against the same team. Both of these games were qualifiers for the 1954 FIFA World Cup.

Honours Linfield Irish Cup Winners 1945, 1946 2 Runners-up 1944: 1 Northern Regional League Winners 1944–45, 1945–46: 2

West Bromwich Albion Second Division Runners-up 1948–49: 1

Ireland British Home Championship Runners-up 1946–47: 1