- Club career Early career Everton Swansea City Later career
- International career
- Personal life
- Statistics
- Honours
- References
{{EngvarB|date=July 2013}}{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}{{Infobox football biography
| name = Graham Williams
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Graham George Williams[1]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|12|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = Wrexham, Wales[2]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|11|25|1936|12|31|df=y}}
| height =
| position = Left-winger
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Wrexham
| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Oswestry Town
| years1 = 1955–1956| clubs1 = Bradford City| caps1 = 8| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 1956–1959| clubs2 = Everton| caps2 = 31| goals2 = 6
| years3 = 1959–1964| clubs3 = Swansea Town| caps3 = 90| goals3 = 18
| years4 = 1965–1966| clubs4 = Wrexham| caps4 = 24| goals4 = 6
| years5 = 1966 | clubs5 = Wellington Town| caps5 = | goals5 =
| years6 = 1966–1968| clubs6 = Tranmere Rovers| caps6 = 74| goals6 = 12
| years7 = 1968–1969| clubs7 = Port Vale| caps7 = 23| goals7 = 1
| years8 = 1969–1970| clubs8 = Runcorn| caps8 = | goals8 =
| years9 = 1970–1975| clubs9 = Oswestry Town| caps9 = | goals9 =
| totalcaps = 250| totalgoals = 45
| nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Wales under-23s| nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 =
| nationalyears2 = 1961| nationalteam2 = Wales| nationalcaps2 = 5| nationalgoals2 = 1
}}Graham George Williams (31 December 1936 – 25 November 2018) was a Welsh former footballer. A left-sided winger, he scored 47 goals in 249 league games in a 14-year career in the English Football League. He also won five senior caps for Wales in 1961. He began his career with Wrexham and Oswestry Town, before moving to Everton via Bradford City in 1956. After three years on Merseyside he returned to Wales to play for Swansea Town. He returned to hometown club Wrexham in 1963, before joining Wellington Town in 1965. The next year he returned to the Football League with Tranmere Rovers. He helped the club to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1966–67, before he signed with Port Vale in July 1968. He joined Northern Premier League side Runcorn in May 1969, and later turned out for Oswestry Town. Club careerEarly careerWilliams began his career in Welsh football with Wrexham and Oswestry Town, before he was signed by Bradford City manager Peter Jackson in August 1955.[3] His two goals in eight Third Division North games in the 1955–56 season were enough to win him a move from Valley Parade to First Division side Everton in March 1956.[3] EvertonHe made his Everton debut in a 2–1 defeat to Sunderland in March 1956.[4] The "Toffees" struggled at the lower end of the table under the stewardship of Ian Buchan in 1956–57 and 1957–58, and showed little sign of improvement in the 1958–59 season under Johnny Carey. In his three years at Goodison Park, Williams scored six goals in 31 top-flight games. Swansea CityIn February 1959, Williams joined Second Division side Swansea Town for a £5,000 fee.[3] Manager Trevor Morris said that "Some of Flicka’s team-mates used to complain that they never knew what he would do with the ball. If they felt like that training with him every day, then what chance does the opposition have!"[3] The "Swans" finished 12th in 1959–60, seventh in 1960–61, 20th in 1961–62, and 15th in 1962–63. He won the Welsh Cup with Swansea in 1961 following a 3–1 win over Bangor City in the final at Ninian Park.[3] In four seasons at Vetch Field, Williams scored 20 goals in 89 league games before breaking his leg.[3] Later careerHe then made a return to Wrexham in July 1964.[3] Ken Barnes's "Dragons" were relegated out of the Third Division in 1963–64, and could only manage a 14th-place finish in the Fourth Division in 1964–65. Williams then left the Racecourse Ground for non-league side Wellington Town, who went on to finish 13th in the Premier Division of the Southern League in 1965–66. He signed with Tranmere Rovers in summer 1966. He helped Dave Russell's side to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1966–67. Williams remained at Prenton Park for the 1967–68 season, as the "Superwhites" finished three points above the relegation zone. Williams joined Fourth Division club Port Vale in July 1968. International careerWilliams earned five Welsh caps in 1961, after playing at the under-23 and schoolboy levels. Personal lifeHe was nicknamed 'Flicka', and a racehorse, Son of Flicka, was named after him.[5] Following his football career, Williams worked as a carpenter.[16] He was also an accomplished amateur golfer. He died suddenly on 25 November 2018, leaving behind wife Maureen.[6] StatisticsSource:[7] | Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total |
|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|
| Bradford City | 1955–56 | Third Division North | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | | Everton | 1955–56 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | 1956–57 | First Division | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | | 1957–58 | First Division | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | | 1958–59 | First Division | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | | Total | 31 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 6 |
|---|
| Swansea Town | 1958–59 | Second Division | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | | 1959–60 | Second Division | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | | 1960–61 | Second Division | 33 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 9 | | 1961–62 | Second Division | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 5 | | Total | 90 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 97 | 18 |
|---|
| Wrexham | 1964–65 | Fourth Division | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 6 | | Tranmere Rovers | 1966–67 | Fourth Division | 39 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 10 | | 1967–68 | Third Division | 35 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 5 | | Total | 74 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 86 | 15 |
|---|
| Port Vale | 1968–69 | Fourth Division | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 | | Career total | 250 | 45 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 273 | 48 |
|---|
Honours- Tranmere Rovers
- Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1966–67
References1. ^{{Hugman|21222|accessdate=9 March 2017}}
2. ^{{cite web |title=Graham Williams {{!}} Everton Football Club |url=http://www.evertonfc.com/players/g/gw/graham-williams |website=www.evertonfc.com |language=en}}
3. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 {{cite web |title=Swans saddened as 'Flicka' dies {{!}} Swansea City FC |url=https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swans-saddened-flicka-dies |website=www.swanseacity.com |accessdate=1 December 2018 |language=en}}
4. ^{{cite web |title=Graham Williams 1936-2018 {{!}} Everton Football Club |url=http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2018/11/27/graham-williams |website=www.evertonfc.com |accessdate=1 December 2018 |language=en}}
5. ^{{cite news |title=Graham Williams: Former Swansea, Everton and Wales player dies, aged 81 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46412089 |accessdate=1 December 2018 |work=BBC Sport |date=1 December 2018}}
6. ^{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Scott |title=Tributes paid to former Wrexham AFC footballer who dies at 81 |url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/17265644.graham-williams-tributes-to-former-wrexham-afc-footballer-who-dies-at-81/ |accessdate=1 December 2018 |work=The Leader |date=29 November 2018 |language=en}}
7. ^{{ENFA}}
8. ^1 {{cite web|url = http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/grahamwilliams.html|title = Graham Williams|accessdate = 26 August 2012|publisher = Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database}}
9. ^1 {{citation | last = Edwards | first = Leigh | title = Back to the Future – Tranmere Rovers FC | journal = Official Shrewsbury Town Matchday Programme | pages = 32–33 | date = 26 August 2012}}
[8][9]
}}{{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Graham}} 20 : 1936 births|2018 deaths|Footballers from Wrexham|Welsh footballers|Wales international footballers|Wales under-23 international footballers|Association football wingers|Wrexham A.F.C. players|Oswestry Town F.C. players|Bradford City A.F.C. players|Everton F.C. players|Swansea City A.F.C. players|Telford United F.C. players|Tranmere Rovers F.C. players|Port Vale F.C. players|Runcorn F.C. Halton players|English Football League players|Southern Football League players|Northern Premier League players|British carpenters |