William Kirby

Career

Born in Preston, Lancashire, Kirby started his career at Emmanuel Rovers and joined First Division club Preston North End in November 1900. He would not play competitively for Preston until 1911, but the club kept his registration and he spent much of the next decade on loan to Southern League clubs.

After a season at Oswaldtwistle Rovers, Kirby joined Southern League First Division club Swindon Town as a half-back in August 1902. The following season, he joined West Ham United and played mainly as an outside-right, but also made three appearances as a centre-forward. He scored on his debut, against Millwall, and missed just one game that season, the final game against Swindon Town.

After returning to Swindon Town for another season,

Kirby was re-called by Preston for the 1911–12 season, where he was top scorer and earned a Second Division championship medal. He was killed in action during the offensive in October of that year. He is buried at Bard Cottage Cemetery in West Flanders, Belgium.

Honours Preston North End Football League Second Division: 1912–13 Southern League First Division 28 6 5 5 33 11 West Ham United (loan) 1903–04 Southern League First Division 33 10 3 1 36 11

1904–05 Southern League First Division 19 2 2 2 21 4

47 8 7 7 54 15

1904–05

11 2

11 2 1905–06 28 6 1 1 29 7 1906–07 36 21 3 1 39 22 1907–08 36 11 2 0 38 11 1908–09 38 11 3 2 41 13 1909–10 41 21 2 0 43 21 1910–11 34 9 1 0 35 9

224 81 12 4 236 85 Exeter City 1913–14 Southern League First Division 5 0

5 0 Merthyr Town 1913–14 Southern League First Division 24 4 5 2 29 6

388 125 28 14 416 139