William Bainbridge (9 March 1922 – 1966) was an English footballer who played as a forward for Manchester United, Bury and Tranmere Rovers in the Football League.

Bill Bainbridge
Personal information
Full name William Bainbridge
Date of birth (1922-03-09)9 March 1922
Place of birth Gateshead, County Durham, England
Date of death 1966 (aged 44)
Place of death Chester, Cheshire, England
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1945–1946 Manchester United 0 (0)
1946–1948 Bury 2 (1)
1948–1954 Tranmere Rovers 168 (63)
1954–1956 Stafford Rangers
1956–1957 Macclesfield Town 32 (21)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Born in Gateshead, County Durham, Bainbridge began his career with Ashington, but his career was immediately interrupted by the Second World War. During the war, Bainbridge played for Hartlepools United. His exploits there led to him signing for Manchester United when peace was declared, but, although he scored in a friendly match on his debut, he only made one appearance for the club and signed for Bury in May 1946, losing his place in the United team to Johnny Carey. He spent just over two seasons with Bury and moved to Tranmere Rovers in November 1948 after just two appearances for the Shakers.

It was at Tranmere that Bainbridge made the biggest impact. In six seasons with the Wirral side, Bainbridge played in almost 170 league matches, scoring 63 goals in the process. He died in Chester in 1966[2] at the age of 44.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Bill Bainbridge". manutd.com. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Bill Bainbridge". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  3. ^ Ancestry: William Bainbridge in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
  • Ponting, Ivan (2008) [1989]. Manchester United: Player by Player (8th ed.). Studley: Know the Score Books. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-84818-300-1.
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