Billy Bridgewater
English footballer (1886-1941)
- Born
- 14 September 1886, Doncaster
- Died
- 21 March 1941, Doncaster
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Sport
- association football
- Occupation
- association football player, boxer
- Team / club
- Doncaster Rovers F.C., Manchester United F.C., Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
William Bridgewater was an English footballer who played as a forward. Born in Parkgate, Rotherham he began his career with a short spell at Doncaster Rovers before moving across the Pennines to play for Newton Heath. Still an amateur whilst in Manchester he also appeared for Oldham Olympic and Gainsborough Trinity as a guest player during this period (as was allowed under FA rules) before returning to Doncaster Rovers.
Bridgewater was signed on professional terms by Rotherham Town in 1889 but was transferred to nearby Sheffield United in September 1890. Scoring a hat-trick in his debut game, he would go on to play in the Midland Counties League and the FA Cup for the Yorkshire club. After one season at Bramall Lane he returned to Doncaster Rovers in the summer of 1891 before finishing his playing career at Hexthorpe, although he retained his links with United, acting as a scout for several years after his departure.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q4912276 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.