5'8" 11st.
b. Bradford 27 May 1898
d. Bradford  AMJ 1971
 

Debut  15 November 1919 (21y 172d) Final Game 25 December 1919 (21y 212d)
First Goal 15 November 1919
CAREER: Leeds City Sep’14 (trial);Bradford PA Sep’15;Bradford City Dec’16-Mar’17;Shipley;Blackburn Rovers Nov'19 (am);Leeds United Mar'20;Huddersfield Town Oct'20;Bradford City;Yorkshire Amateurs Dec'19-Oct’23;Harrogate;Castleford Town Oct’23-Jan’24;Nelson Sep’26.
 

FL      5 apps   1 gl

The Fawcetts had been leading sportsmen in Bradford for fifty years, mainly playing rugby. William's father W I Fawcett, who made his money as a licensed victualler, had played for the football team and later became a club director and William followed him to the club but did not get beyond the reserves. Spotted playing for Shipley it took only a month in the reserves before he was promoted and scored on his debut. Although he was an expert crosser of the ball he found the step up too much and never signed professional terms, being keen to retain his amateur status. A top class athlete he finished third three times in the Northern Counties championship (220 yds 1920, 440 yds hurdles 1924 and 1925). In the space of two weeks in the summer of 1922 he gained four first and three second prizes at athletics’ meetings in Maltley, Matlock, Leeds, Nelson and Hellifield. A private in the West Yorkshire Rifles his survival in the war was something of a miracle. He saw action at Vimy Ridge, the Somme, Ancre, Arras, Bullecourt and Ypres and was gassed at Bapaume. Fawcett lived most of his life in Horsforth. He was in business as a wool merchant in Cemetery Road, Bradford, in partnership with John William Whalley to 1955 and then on his own account. An attempt at a come back with Nelson in 1926 proved short lived as he was suffering from ankle problems.