Pools career 1977-1981.
Apps 141
Goals 27
Older Pools fans will remember the song;
'He's here,he's there,he's every fookin where
Billy Ayre,Billy Ayre'.
Sang from The Rink End,as a tribute to the late great Billy Ayre.
Billy had been playing for Scarborough,whilst teaching art & PE at a Durham Comp school before his move to Pools in 1977.
A no nonsense centre half,he was good in the air,fierce in the tackle & weighed in with more than his share of goals.
In his first full season he was ever present & top scorer with 13 goals,and was rewarded with the Supporters Player of the Year Award.
In the next 3 seasons he made a further 95 Apps,scoring 15 goals.
After being released by Pools,he went onto play for Halifax & Mansfield,before returning to The Shaymen as manager.
He was sacked by Halifax after 3 seasons before joing Blackpool as assistant manager,then becoming manager in 1990.
In 4 seasons with The Tangerines,he led them to the play-off finals twice,losing to Torquay,beating Sc*nthorpe the year after,to gain promotion to the new 2nd Division.
Next stop was short managerial stints at Scarborough & Southport,assistant positions at Swansea,Cardiff & Bury.
Unfortunatly,in 1999,Billy developed cancer,and lost his battle against the disease in 2002.
In 2008,he was named 'Pools Player of the 70's',a fitting accolade to my first footballing hero to pull on a blue & white shirt.
R.I.P Billy.
Apps 141
Goals 27
Older Pools fans will remember the song;
'He's here,he's there,he's every fookin where
Billy Ayre,Billy Ayre'.
Sang from The Rink End,as a tribute to the late great Billy Ayre.
Billy had been playing for Scarborough,whilst teaching art & PE at a Durham Comp school before his move to Pools in 1977.
A no nonsense centre half,he was good in the air,fierce in the tackle & weighed in with more than his share of goals.
In his first full season he was ever present & top scorer with 13 goals,and was rewarded with the Supporters Player of the Year Award.
In the next 3 seasons he made a further 95 Apps,scoring 15 goals.
After being released by Pools,he went onto play for Halifax & Mansfield,before returning to The Shaymen as manager.
He was sacked by Halifax after 3 seasons before joing Blackpool as assistant manager,then becoming manager in 1990.
In 4 seasons with The Tangerines,he led them to the play-off finals twice,losing to Torquay,beating Sc*nthorpe the year after,to gain promotion to the new 2nd Division.
Next stop was short managerial stints at Scarborough & Southport,assistant positions at Swansea,Cardiff & Bury.
Unfortunatly,in 1999,Billy developed cancer,and lost his battle against the disease in 2002.
In 2008,he was named 'Pools Player of the 70's',a fitting accolade to my first footballing hero to pull on a blue & white shirt.
R.I.P Billy.
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