Bill Hopper (footballer)

Bill Hopper
Personal information
Full name	William Hopper
Date of birth	20 February 1938 (age 86)
Place of birth	Bishop Auckland, England
Date of death	7th April 2023
Place of death	Wirral
Position(s)	Centre forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
–	Bishop Auckland
1960	Crook Town
1960–1961	West Auckland Town
1961–1963	Halifax Town
1963–1965	Workington
1965–1966	Darlington
1966–1967	South Shields
1967–19??	Stockton
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Hopper (born 20 February 1938) was an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Halifax Town, Workington and Darlington,^[2] and in non-league football for several clubs in the north-east of England.

Life and career

Hopper was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and began his football career with his hometown club. He moved on to Crook Town and then West Auckland Town – scoring five goals on his debut for each club, against Stanley United on each occasion, and in his last match for West Auckland, a Northern League club, scoring the equaliser as they came back from three goals behind to draw with Barnsley of the Football League Third Division in the 1960–61 FA Cup.^[3]

In 1961, he signed as a full-time professional with Halifax Town, two years later moved on to Workington, and finished his Football League career with six league appearances for Darlington as they were promoted from the Fourth Division in 1965–66.^[4] Hopper scored one of the goals as Darlington eliminated First Division club Blackpool, whose team contained four England internationals, from that season's League Cup. Knee cartilage problems meant he then dropped back into non-league football with South Shields and Stockton.

Before turning professional, he had worked as a steam locomotive fireman, and afterwards worked for engineering company GEC.

General

Amos, Mike (6 February 2014). "Lights fantastic". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2015.

Specific

^ ^a ^b ^c Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
^ "Bill Hopper". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
^ "Shildon recall days of tripe and pickled onions". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 4 November 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
^ "Wallowing in nostalgia as Lol's lads return to a field of dreams". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 20 November 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2017.