William Murdoch Hamilton (16 February 1938 – 22 October 1976) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian and Aston Villa, and gained one cap for Scotland.[2] He became known for his off field lifestyle which overshadowed his playing ability.[3] His one-time manager Jock Stein later described him as comparable to Kenny Dalglish in footballing talent.[4]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Murdoch Hamilton[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 February 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Chapelhall, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 22 October 1976 (aged 38) | ||
| Place of death | Calgary, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1954–1956 | Drumpelier Amateurs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1956–1961 | Sheffield United | 79 | (21) |
| 1961–1962 | Middlesbrough | 10 | (1) |
| 1962–1963 | Heart of Midlothian | 30 | (12) |
| 1963–1965 | Hibernian | 50 | (15) |
| 1965–1967 | Aston Villa | 49 | (9) |
| 1967–1969 | Heart of Midlothian | 22 | (7) |
| 1969 | Durban United | ||
| 1969–1971 | Ross County | 0 | (0) |
| 1971–1972 | Hamilton Academical | 13 | (0) |
| Total | 253 | (65) | |
| International career | |||
| 1962–1965 | Scottish League XI | 2 | (0) |
| 1965 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
Following spells in English football with Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, Hamilton joined Hearts in June 1962 and was then signed for Hibernian by Jock Stein. Despite having handed in a transfer request shortly before Stein's arrival, Stein was able to get some astonishing performances out of Hamilton during his time at Easter Road. Stein would sometimes put up Hamilton in his own house on the eve of a big match to make sure he did not go out drinking.[5] Hibernian's results had dramatically picked up during Stein's reign, partly attributable to the performances of Hamilton. However, Stein left Hibernian after less than a year to become manager of Celtic.[6]
He emigrated to Canada in 1975 where he worked as a bricklayer. He died of a heart attack in 1976.[7]
References
- Sources
- MacPherson, Archie. Jock Stein: The Definitive Biography. Highdown, 2005.
External links
- Willie Hamilton at the Scottish Football Association
- Willie Hamilton at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
