Willie Duff
Encyclopedia
William "Willie" Duff was a Scottish
professional footballer
who played as a goalkeeper.
Born in Winchburgh
, West Lothian
, Duff grew up in western Edinburgh
, attending Corstorphine Primary School
and Boroughmuir High School
. He originally played as a left-back while with juvenile side Slateford Athletic but deputised in goal on one occasion when the side's regular custodian didn't turn up and retained the role afterwards. He caught the attention of Easthouses Lily
with his performances in his new position and worked as a joiner
while playing for them in the East of Scotland League
.
In 1952, Hearts' manager Tommy Walker paid £200 for Duff's signature and he moved to Tynecastle
as back-up for Jimmy Watters. After two years playing reserve football, Duff earned his chance in the first team in the 1954-55 season
. He made his debut in a League Cup
tie against Dundee
and retained his position in the side as Hearts went on to lift the trophy, their first in 48 years, by defeating Motherwell
4-2 in the final. The following year, he added a Scottish Cup
winners medal to his collection as Hearts beat Celtic
3-1 in the final. Celtic's goal was the only one Duff conceded in the entire cup run, encompassing games against Forfar
, Stirling Albion
, Rangers
and Raith Rovers
(twice), while his display in the final was "brilliant", in the opinion of teammate and Scotland internationalist
Dave Mackay.
During the 1950s, all British men were obliged to fulfil a period of national service
and in the latter part of 1956, Duff received call-up papers to the army
's Royal Horse Artillery
, based in Surrey
. Rather than commute back to Edinburgh from his southern barracks for weekend games, he guested for London side Charlton Athletic
, then in the lower reaches of the English First Division. The Addicks had struggled to replace their legendary goalkeeper Sam Bartram
since his retirement earlier that year but Duff quickly established the Charlton goalkeeper's position as his own with a string of accomplished performances, which led to his selection in the Army's representative side. He signed permanently for Charlton when his national service was over, for a fee of £6,500, and made over 200 appearances in seven years at The Valley.
Duff joined Peterborough United
in 1963 and after several seasons with the Posh returned to Scotland with Dunfermline Athletic
. He enjoyed an Indian Summer to his career with the Pars, helping the side reach the 1968-69
Cup Winners' Cup
semi-final. He retired after leaving Dunfermline but made a number of brief comebacks to cover for injuries, assisting Raith Rovers
, East Stirling
and Albion Rovers
in this manner.
After his final retirement, Duff established a joinery business in Edinburgh. He emigrated to the USA
, where his son Bill is domiciled in Washington DC, in the 1980s but returned to Edinburgh in 2003. He died suddenly on 30 August 2004, whilst playing bowls
with friends.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played as a goalkeeper.
Born in Winchburgh
Winchburgh
Winchburgh is a village situated within the geographical county of West Lothian, Scotland. It is located approximately west of the city-centre of Edinburgh, east of Linlithgow and northeast of Broxburn.-Public transport:...
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, Duff grew up in western Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, attending Corstorphine Primary School
Corstorphine Primary School
Corstorphine Primary School is a state primary school in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh, Scotland.Housed in a traditional older-style building, with later additions, the school caters for children of the ages of 4-12 . It also includes Corstorphine Nursery School...
and Boroughmuir High School
Boroughmuir High School
Boroughmuir High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1904, and moved to its current site near the city centre in 1913. Its catchment area is in the south side of the city...
. He originally played as a left-back while with juvenile side Slateford Athletic but deputised in goal on one occasion when the side's regular custodian didn't turn up and retained the role afterwards. He caught the attention of Easthouses Lily
Easthouses Lily F.C.
Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare F.C. are a senior football club currently playing in the East of Scotland Football League. There has been an Easthouses Lily football club in Easthouses since the establishment of the Easthouses Colliery earlier in the 20th Century.Easthouses Lily FC was originally...
with his performances in his new position and worked as a joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
while playing for them in the East of Scotland League
East of Scotland Football League
The East of Scotland Football League is a league of football teams from south-east Scotland formed in 1923. It is one of Scotland's three "senior" non-leagues which sit below the Scottish Football League , the other two being the Highland Football League and the South of Scotland Football League...
.
In 1952, Hearts' manager Tommy Walker paid £200 for Duff's signature and he moved to Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
as back-up for Jimmy Watters. After two years playing reserve football, Duff earned his chance in the first team in the 1954-55 season
1954-55 in Scottish football
The 1954–55 season was the 58th season of competitive football in Scotland.Aberdeen won their first League Title.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: Aberdeen...
. He made his debut in a League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
tie against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
and retained his position in the side as Hearts went on to lift the trophy, their first in 48 years, by defeating Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
4-2 in the final. The following year, he added a Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
winners medal to his collection as Hearts beat Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
3-1 in the final. Celtic's goal was the only one Duff conceded in the entire cup run, encompassing games against Forfar
Forfar Athletic F.C.
Forfar Athletic Football Club are a Scottish semi-professional football club from the town of Forfar, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Second Division...
, Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion F.C.
Stirling Albion F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. The club are nicknamed The Binos . They play at Doubletree Dunblane Stadium in Stirling, on the outskirts of the city near the River Forth...
, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
(twice), while his display in the final was "brilliant", in the opinion of teammate and Scotland internationalist
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
Dave Mackay.
During the 1950s, all British men were obliged to fulfil a period of national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
and in the latter part of 1956, Duff received call-up papers to the army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
, based in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Rather than commute back to Edinburgh from his southern barracks for weekend games, he guested for London side Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, then in the lower reaches of the English First Division. The Addicks had struggled to replace their legendary goalkeeper Sam Bartram
Sam Bartram
Samuel "Sam" Bartram was an English footballer and manager.-Career:After school, Sam Bartram became a miner and played as either centre forward or wing-half in north east non-league football. As a teenager he had an unsuccessful trial with Reading...
since his retirement earlier that year but Duff quickly established the Charlton goalkeeper's position as his own with a string of accomplished performances, which led to his selection in the Army's representative side. He signed permanently for Charlton when his national service was over, for a fee of £6,500, and made over 200 appearances in seven years at The Valley.
Duff joined Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
in 1963 and after several seasons with the Posh returned to Scotland with Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
. He enjoyed an Indian Summer to his career with the Pars, helping the side reach the 1968-69
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1968-69
The season 1968-69 of the European Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Slovan Bratislava in a final victory against FC Barcelona, the first time a side from the Eastern Bloc won the title...
Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
semi-final. He retired after leaving Dunfermline but made a number of brief comebacks to cover for injuries, assisting Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
, East Stirling
East Stirlingshire F.C.
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk. Founded in 1880, originally as Bainsford Britannia, the club changed to their current name a year later in 1881...
and Albion Rovers
Albion Rovers F.C. (Scotland)
Albion Rovers Football Club are a Scottish football team from the North Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge, who are currently playing in the Scottish Football League Second Division...
in this manner.
After his final retirement, Duff established a joinery business in Edinburgh. He emigrated to the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where his son Bill is domiciled in Washington DC, in the 1980s but returned to Edinburgh in 2003. He died suddenly on 30 August 2004, whilst playing bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
with friends.
External links
- Appearances at londonhearts.com