Billy Callender
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 January 1903 | ||
| Place of birth | Prudhoe, England | ||
| Date of death | 26 July 1932 (aged 29) | ||
| Place of death | London, England | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ?–1923 | Prudhoe Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1923–1932 | Crystal Palace | 202 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1926 | The Football League XI | ? | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Billy Callender (5 January 1903[1] — 26 July 1932) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made 202 Football League appearances for Crystal Palace between 1923 and 1932.[1]
Callender was born in Prudhoe, Northumberland and was playing in local football with Prudhoe Town[2] when he was signed by Crystal Palace in 1923.[1] Initially, he was understudy to Jack Alderson and made only two appearances in his first two seasons at the club.[1] He became a regular in the 1925–26 season and was ever-present in 1926–27, when he also played for the Football League representative team.[1] Callender continued to be a regular in the Crystal Palace team until the end of the 1931–32 season.[1]
On 26 July 1932,[3] Callender committed suicide at the club ground, following the death of his fiancée[1] from polio.[2] He was found hanged in the team dressing room after training.[1][2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 67. ISBN 0907969542.
- 1 2 3 "Eagles fan writes book in memory of long-serving Crystal Palace goalie". croydonguardian.co.uk. Croydon Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ↑ Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel. Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company. p. 320. ISBN 0907969542.