Billy Sinclair (footballer)

Billy Sinclair
Personal information
Full name Scott William Inglis Sinclair[1]
Date of birth (1947-03-21) 21 March 1947 (age 77)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Wing-half
Youth career
Riverside Juveniles
Greenock Morton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1966 Chelsea 1 (0)
1966–1967 Glentoran
1967 → Detroit Cougars 10 (0)
1968–1969 Kilmarnock 10 (0)
1969–1970 Glentoran
Linfield
Club Marconi
1975–1978 Sligo Rovers
Managerial career
1975–1979 Sligo Rovers (player-manager)
1979–1980 Glenavon
1985–1992 Cliftonville
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Scott William Inglis "Billy" Sinclair (born 21 March 1943) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as an wing-half.

Club career

Sinclair started his career with Greenock Morton before moving to English side Chelsea in 1964.[1] Having only made one appearance for Chelsea, he moved to Northern Ireland to sign for Glentoran.[1] Due to an arrangement between Glentoran and American side Detroit Cougars, Sinclair played ten games in the 1967 United Soccer Association season.[2]

He returned to his native Scotland in 1968, spending one season with Kilmarnock, where he made ten appearances, before a return to Glentoran the following season.[1][3] He had a spell with Linfield before moving to Australia to play for Club Marconi.[1] His last club was Sligo Rovers, before going into management.[1]

Coaching career

While at Sligo Rovers, Sinclair assumed the position of player-manager, before briefly managing Glenavon.[1] He also managed Cliftonville between 1985 and 1992.[4][5]

Personal life

Sinclair was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2020.[6] His son has spoken out about the treatment of ex-footballers, and has called for better welfare support, as well as the disease to be treated as an industrial injury.[7][8]

Honours

Glentoran

Sligo Rovers

Individual

  • Malcolm Brodie Lifetime Achievement Award: 2021[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Billy Sinclair at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ "Billy Sinclair". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Kilmarnock : 1946/47 - 2013/14". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Managing expectations". cliftonvillefc.net. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b Beacom, Steven (25 April 2021). "Billy Sinclair's surprise at lifetime achievement award from Ulster Footballer of the Year organisers". belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Dementia: Footballer's son backs industrial injury call". bbc.co.uk. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Our King Billy in the thoughts of all at Sligo Rovers". sligorovers.com. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  8. ^ McGovern, Eimear (21 March 2021). "'Players from dad's era didn't know about dementia risks', says son of Glentoran legend Billy Sinclair". belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Back to the Oval for the Glentoran Greats". Glentoran FC. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Sligo Rovers win the League in 1977". RTE. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2022.