About Willie Lyon
Lived 1912 – 1932 (aged 19). Willie Lyon was a British association football player.
William King Lyon (7 March 1912 – 5 December 1962) was a Scottish professional footballer, who played for Queens Park and Celtic.
Career Lyon began his senior career aged 21 with Queens Park after a spell with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy. He moved to Celtic in 1935. He was a centre-half in the era where that position was changing to an increasingly defensive role, and his attributes in that aspect saw him establish himself in the team ahead of other contenders. and the Empire Exhibition Trophy in 1938, as well as a Glasgow Cup and three Charity Cups.
He was never selected for the full Scotland international team (he was ineligible under rules of the time due to his English birthplace), but was a member of a SFA Touring XI squad which visited Canada and the US in 1939. He had also played twice for the Scottish League XI in 1938.
Lyon served in the Scots Guards during World War II, rising to the rank of major and sustaining a leg injury in 1944 which ended his football career. He was awarded the Military Cross.
His younger brother Tom was also a footballer; the pair were briefly teammates at Celtic when Tom joined as a guest player during the war.
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Important facts
People in Willie Lyon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Willie Lyon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Willie Lyon?
English footballer (1912-1932)
When was Willie Lyon born?
Willie Lyon was born on 7 March 1912 in Birkenhead.
When did Willie Lyon die?
Willie Lyon died on 20 February 1932 in Manchester.
What was Willie Lyon's occupation?
Willie Lyon was an association football player.
What nationality was Willie Lyon?
Willie Lyon was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Willie Lyon. https://biography.guide/willie-lyon/
MLA: "Willie Lyon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/willie-lyon/.
Chicago: "Willie Lyon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/willie-lyon/.
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