Willie (Bill) Phillips

Willie arrived at Dens Park in July 1935 from Aberamen Athletic F.C., in South Wales. He was one of manager Billy McCandless’s first signings.

Born in Glamorgan, he played his first professional game, at the tender age of sixteen, with Tottenham Hotspur, before moving back to Wales.

He made an impressive start at Dens in a trial “Red v Blue” match, which ended 3-3, and had 12,000 supporters in attendance. Willie was in the Red team, made up of the new arrivals, and trialists. The Blue team had a strong defence of Marsh, Morgan & Gilmour.

Willie made his debut on the 10^th August 1935, in an away match against Hamilton Academicals, which ended 2-2. It was reported that he didn’t make a big impression on the game, but that he was “game, all the same”, and showed signs of being “a fine type of inside worker.”

A spell of injuries saw him out of the team for a spell in October and November. Adamson, the former Dundee Violet player, taking his position.

After getting back into the team, Willie was injured during an Alliance match versus Partick Thistle in March 1936.

Surprise was shown in April, when Phillips name appeared on the transfer list, along with his fellow Welshmen Warren and Richards. All three had been regular members of the first team. Willie, however, was one of the signed players for the start of the 1936-37 season.

Although he played  Inside Left for most of his first season, he swapped to the right side, playing intermittently in that position.

After the manager resigned, Willie must have thought that his days at Dens were numbered. Once again being placed on the transfer list, after a disagreement with the directors. He had hoped for a free transfer, but the club weren’t keen on this, hoping to get some money for his signature.

In December he found himself turning out as a trialist for Hibernian in an Alliance match versus Hamilton. Rumours were circulating in June 1938 that he might sign for Dundee United. But it wasn’t until July that he finally left Dens Park, signing for Hearts for a fee thought to be in the region of £200.

He scored fourteen goals during his career with Dundee.

Whilst out of favour on the football pitch, Willie worked as a clerical assistant in Dundee.

Serving in the Royal Artillery, as a Gunnery Instructor at Woolwich Barracks during World War II, he was de-mobbed in January 1946, and returned to Tynecastle. By February he had been transferred to St Johnstone, but trained at Dens Park.

After retiring from professional football, due to a back injury, he became player/manager with Huntly in the Highland League. Later moving back to Dundee, where he took up a coaching role with Dundee junior team North End.

A keen golfer he was a member of Downfield Golf Club, and served on its committee.

Willie died, in Dundee, on the 1^st September 1992, aged 81.