Kidd: William Edward (Billy)

WW2 Guest: 1941-1942 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

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Born: Pegswood, Northumberland: 31-01-1907

Debut: v Chesterfield (h): 02-05-1942

Height & Weight: Unknown

Kidd played as a Centre Forward with several local Junior clubs, starting with Pegswood Juniors, then Pegswood United, Bedlington United and Pegswood United for a second time. It was from there that he signed for Second Division Chesterfield in March 1932. He had a trial with Chesterfield in January 1932 but had returned home when Chesterfield, who had seen him play at Left Back in an emergency, asked him back as they were under strength at Full Back. He made four appearances for them in the 1931-32 season at Left Back, the position he was to feature in for the rest of his career, and played thirty League games in the 1932-33 season as they were relegated to the Third Division North. He missed just one game in the 1935-36 season as they won their way back into the Second Division as Champions of the Third Division North. He was the Spirites consistent regular Left back and rarely missed many games being ever-present in the final two seasons before the start of the Second World War. He had scored twice in two hundred and seventy-two League appearances and had played seventeen F.A. Cup ties when the Football League was suspended for the duration of the War. He played in one game for Leeds United as he guested for them in the 1941-42 Football League Northern Section (Second Championship) at Left Back in game at Elland Road in a 1-0 win over his own club Chesterfield on 2nd May 1942, more than likely because Leeds were a man short! He also guested for Bradford City and Huddersfield Town and played one hundred and seventy games for Chesterfield during the Second World War. Energetic and reliable, Kidd was a master of positional tactics and after the Second World War he recommenced playing with his only senior team, Chesterfield, and played another forty-four League and four more F.A. Cup games to bring his final tally to three hundred and sixteen League and twenty-one F.A. Cup appearances. On 20th September 1947, at the age of forty years and two hundred and thirty-two days, in his final game in a 3-0 defeat by Southampton at the Dell, Kidd became Chesterfield's oldest player and retired at the end of the season. His record stood until the 1995-96 season when Lawrie Madden extended it. Good with his head and very mobile, Billy's tackles were noted for their tenacity, rather than timing, but he wasn't a dirty player. A former miner, he was appointed trainer to the Chesterfield Third Team upon retirement in 1948, but he resigned in July 1952 to concentrate on his off-licence business on Newbold Moor. He died in 1978.