Billy 'Artillery' Hartill
Posted on: Wed 17 Nov 2004
William John Hartill was born on the 18th July 1905 in Wolverhampton, a few doors away from the house where his future playing partner Richard (Dickie) Rhodes came into the world. Both Billy and Dickie went on to play for Wolverhampton Town schoolboys side.
As early as the age of ten Billy started banging in the goals and after leaving school he joined the Royal Horse Artillery as a bombardier. Whilst playing for the services he scored over seventy goals in two seasons before he was demobbed. From the army he signed for Wolves in August 1928.
He made an immediate impression in the Central League side and it didn't take long for him to force his way through into the first team, his debut coming on 24th November 1928 at Bradford. Wolves, who were in a mid table position in the second division, went down by 4-1. He played the following week in the 2-2 draw with Grimsby Town but, not having scored in either game, he found himself back in the reserves.
It wasn't until mid March that he got back into the first team in a game at Reading. In the following match, at Chelsea, he scored both of Wolves' goals, without reply, to open an account that was to see him as top Wolves goalscorer of all time until the advent of John Richards and later Steve Bull.
Wolves finished that first season for Billy in a disappointing seventeenth position. In the close season that year he signed for the club on full professional terms. Season 1929/30 saw Billy not only command a regular place in the side but he also rattled in goals at a tremendous rate. In 36 games Billy scored 33 goals.
He got the first of his 16 hat-tricks for the club in the 4-0 victory over Preston on September 28th, and two weeks later he got all five against Notts County at Molineux. In the penultimate game of the season he got yet another hat-trick in a home 4-4 draw with Bradford. But it was another disappointing term for the team because, although it was an improvement on the previous season, Wolves could only finish ninth.
Another year saw Wanderers finish just outside the honours, this time finishing fourth. Billy scored 30 goals in 39 appearances, with another hat-trick coming in the 9-1 thrashing of Wrexham in a third round FA Cup tie.
But 1931/32 saw Wolves finish as champions. Billy scored thirty of the 115 goals amassed in gaining the title, and he got four more hat-tricks against Plymouth, Bristol City, Southampton and Oldham.
The return to the top grade did not prove a happy one for the team, who finished just one place above a relegation spot. But the move up and struggle of his team didn't stop Billy Hartill scoring. In an uninterrupted year he scored 33 more goals, getting four against Huddersfield Town and hat-tricks against Blackburn Rovers and Derby County in consecutive weeks.
The campaign of 1933/34 saw a slight improvement in the team's position, but for Billy it was to prove a poor season by his own high standards. He scored 13 goals in 27 appearances. The next season, his last with the club, saw him back to the form everyone was expecting from him when he got 33 more goals, including all five in a Molineux mauling of Aston Villa, and a further hat-trick against Spurs.
That summer Billy moved to Everton. From there further moves saw him spend short periods with Liverpool and Bristol City before a niggling injury brought about his retirement in 1940. His shooting power, linked with his army past, earned him the nickname 'Artillery'. In those days there were of course wingers to supply their centre-forwards and Billy enjoyed the talent of being able to play accurate passes to the flankers and be ready in position to receive their crosses.
He was an ideal leader of the forward line with the ability to use either foot, as well as having a 'good head'. He scored 170 goals for Wolves and in the seven years he played at the club he finished as leading scorer on five occasions. His goalscoring record was such that it was going to take something special to beat it, that something coming in the form of J.P. Richards when he scored against Leeds at Molineux in April 1980 . Then along came Steve Bull who pushed Billy into third place on the scorers list.
Billy Hartill died in Walsall, at the age of 75, in August 1980.
WOLVES PLAYING CAREER 1928-1935
League Appearances 221 Goals 162
FA Cup Appearances 13 Goals 8
TOTAL APPEARANCES 234 GOALS 170
As early as the age of ten Billy started banging in the goals and after leaving school he joined the Royal Horse Artillery as a bombardier. Whilst playing for the services he scored over seventy goals in two seasons before he was demobbed. From the army he signed for Wolves in August 1928.
He made an immediate impression in the Central League side and it didn't take long for him to force his way through into the first team, his debut coming on 24th November 1928 at Bradford. Wolves, who were in a mid table position in the second division, went down by 4-1. He played the following week in the 2-2 draw with Grimsby Town but, not having scored in either game, he found himself back in the reserves.
It wasn't until mid March that he got back into the first team in a game at Reading. In the following match, at Chelsea, he scored both of Wolves' goals, without reply, to open an account that was to see him as top Wolves goalscorer of all time until the advent of John Richards and later Steve Bull.
Wolves finished that first season for Billy in a disappointing seventeenth position. In the close season that year he signed for the club on full professional terms. Season 1929/30 saw Billy not only command a regular place in the side but he also rattled in goals at a tremendous rate. In 36 games Billy scored 33 goals.
He got the first of his 16 hat-tricks for the club in the 4-0 victory over Preston on September 28th, and two weeks later he got all five against Notts County at Molineux. In the penultimate game of the season he got yet another hat-trick in a home 4-4 draw with Bradford. But it was another disappointing term for the team because, although it was an improvement on the previous season, Wolves could only finish ninth.
Another year saw Wanderers finish just outside the honours, this time finishing fourth. Billy scored 30 goals in 39 appearances, with another hat-trick coming in the 9-1 thrashing of Wrexham in a third round FA Cup tie.
But 1931/32 saw Wolves finish as champions. Billy scored thirty of the 115 goals amassed in gaining the title, and he got four more hat-tricks against Plymouth, Bristol City, Southampton and Oldham.
The return to the top grade did not prove a happy one for the team, who finished just one place above a relegation spot. But the move up and struggle of his team didn't stop Billy Hartill scoring. In an uninterrupted year he scored 33 more goals, getting four against Huddersfield Town and hat-tricks against Blackburn Rovers and Derby County in consecutive weeks.
The campaign of 1933/34 saw a slight improvement in the team's position, but for Billy it was to prove a poor season by his own high standards. He scored 13 goals in 27 appearances. The next season, his last with the club, saw him back to the form everyone was expecting from him when he got 33 more goals, including all five in a Molineux mauling of Aston Villa, and a further hat-trick against Spurs.
That summer Billy moved to Everton. From there further moves saw him spend short periods with Liverpool and Bristol City before a niggling injury brought about his retirement in 1940. His shooting power, linked with his army past, earned him the nickname 'Artillery'. In those days there were of course wingers to supply their centre-forwards and Billy enjoyed the talent of being able to play accurate passes to the flankers and be ready in position to receive their crosses.
He was an ideal leader of the forward line with the ability to use either foot, as well as having a 'good head'. He scored 170 goals for Wolves and in the seven years he played at the club he finished as leading scorer on five occasions. His goalscoring record was such that it was going to take something special to beat it, that something coming in the form of J.P. Richards when he scored against Leeds at Molineux in April 1980 . Then along came Steve Bull who pushed Billy into third place on the scorers list.
Billy Hartill died in Walsall, at the age of 75, in August 1980.
WOLVES PLAYING CAREER 1928-1935
League Appearances 221 Goals 162
FA Cup Appearances 13 Goals 8
TOTAL APPEARANCES 234 GOALS 170
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