Willie Hall (English footballer)
Encyclopedia
George William "Willie" Hall (12 March 1912 – 22 May 1967) was an English
football
player who played for Notts County, Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team
during the 1930s.
, Nottinghamshire
and played for Notts County from 1930 before joining Tottenham for a fee of £2,500 in 1932. He was a versatile inside forward
and skillful dribbler. In his later career he played at full-back
.
He made his international debut against France
in December 1933 and went on to appear in a total of ten international games for England. During England's match against Northern Ireland
on 16 November 1938, Hall scored five goals during a 30 minute period either side of half-time
. Three of these were within a four minute spell and Hall still holds the record for the fastest hat-trick
in international matches. During the Second World War Willie continue to play in friendly matches for Spurs whilst also being a member of the London
Police Reserve.
Ill-health brought an end to his playing career in 1945 and he suffered the amputation of both lower parts of his legs. He continued his association with the game as a Vice-president of the Spurs Supporters Club and in coaching roles at Clapton Orient and other clubs. Testimonial games were played at both Tottenham and Notts County grounds in 1946. From 1954 he became a publican. The Willie Hall Memorial Trophy is still played for each year having been inaugurated in 1967, the year he died, by the Newark Football Alliance.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
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...
player who played for Notts County, Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
during the 1930s.
Biography
Hall was born in NewarkNewark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and played for Notts County from 1930 before joining Tottenham for a fee of £2,500 in 1932. He was a versatile inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
and skillful dribbler. In his later career he played at full-back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
He made his international debut against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in December 1933 and went on to appear in a total of ten international games for England. During England's match against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 16 November 1938, Hall scored five goals during a 30 minute period either side of half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
. Three of these were within a four minute spell and Hall still holds the record for the fastest hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in international matches. During the Second World War Willie continue to play in friendly matches for Spurs whilst also being a member of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Police Reserve.
Ill-health brought an end to his playing career in 1945 and he suffered the amputation of both lower parts of his legs. He continued his association with the game as a Vice-president of the Spurs Supporters Club and in coaching roles at Clapton Orient and other clubs. Testimonial games were played at both Tottenham and Notts County grounds in 1946. From 1954 he became a publican. The Willie Hall Memorial Trophy is still played for each year having been inaugurated in 1967, the year he died, by the Newark Football Alliance.