King Billy

[Arsenal Of The North]

So his wife may have just announced his plans at the end of the season.

My wife has just informed me that his wife jade has posted on instagram advising that his intentions are to retire at the end of the season and looking to move into management

I think it would be brilliant to now give Billy the best send off we could give him as a club and as fans

[GazLaz]

Strange thing for his wife to announce.

[Arsenal Of The North]

She’s not announced it formally, she’s mentioned it in a reply to a comment and done it inadvertently it seems

[karldew]

“Oh I stand with you. We've moved to the MLS with a weeks notice. I had no friends, no car, had to home school both kids and they leave for 5 days at a time for matches. It was a great life experience for us all but the loneliest time in my life. But hey, how dare we complain because of they pay right?!
Like money can adjust your feelings!! It brings materialistic comfort which has no value in life. My husband is retiring this year, l'd say thankfully but he's hoping to be manger. Lord help me”

[Reg of the Rovers]

Hoping to be manger? Hopefully he can crib some ideas from McCann.

[Pancho Regan]

Strange thing for his wife to announce.

Grow up.

[Bentley Bullet]

The away (North Stand) should be named after him, because, after all, he wound up just about everyone in that stand, and his memory would continue to do so.

Legends never die.

[GazLaz]

Strange thing for his wife to announce.

Grow up.

What are you on about?

[Donnywolf]

The away (North Stand) should be named after him, because, after all, he wound up just about everyone in that stand, and his memory would continue to do so.

Legends never die.

.... and provided one of his (and the Grounds) iconic moments imo with THAT goal

[Barmby Rover]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmsrE-V7ng

[Ian Nimmo]

After supporting the rovers for approximately 65 years, it’s really easy to forget many of the goals I have witnessed over these years.
However there are some I will never forget, and this is one of them, given the quality of the goal but also the circumstances at the time. It really does show the full qualities of the guy that he took to the field on that night alone.

[Rupee92ONLY]

We’ve had many a more prolific striker but we have never had one of his quality. I’m talking my life time watching so 1999. There is good and then there is him. Hated and respected throughout Yorkshire, that is some feat. Unreal.

[Avsuptem]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmsrE-V7ng

Brilliant. You could not make it up.

[Bentley Bullet]

He was married to Sheffield United, but he had three affairs with Rovers. We were his (more attractive) bit on the side!

The away (North Stand) should be named after him, because, after all, he wound up just about everyone in that stand, and his memory would continue to do so.

Legends never die.

[LincsRover]

Always brings a tear to my eye that goal. I have tiddysdad’s print of it on my office wall (along with the same artists’, ‘The Final Whistle’ at Brentford) - I look at them every day and they bring back so many fantastic memories! 

[Pancho Regan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmsrE-V7ng

Brilliant. You could not make it up.

Absolutely, you really couldn’t make that up because nobody would believe you.

And as Ian Nimmo said, that goal will live forever in my memory.
I couldn’t have had a better view of it and I can see it now so vividly.

A true Rovers legend is our Billy.

[GazLaz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmsrE-V7ng

Probably the most incredible goal I’ve ever seen live.

[Bentley Bullet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvmsrE-V7ng

Brilliant. You could not make it up.

Absolutely, you really couldn’t make that up because nobody would believe you.

And as Ian Nimmo said, that goal will live forever in my memory.
I couldn’t have had a better view of it and I can see it now so vividly.

A true Rovers legend is our Billy.

I couldn't have had a better view either. I swear he was looking straight at me when he looked up into the West stand!

[drfchound]

It’s a goal I never get tired of seeing over and over again.

[Spud]

I remember not being able to cheer that, just stood clapping with a big old lump in my throat, eyes welled up.

[Monolith No. 9]

Still gets to me all these years later. And as I recall, it resonated with fans everywhere. The reception he got at away games in the weeks that followed was quite something. I think it was Ipswich away the match after the Middlesbrough game and the Ipswich fans went mental for him and they even cheered his goal against them.

[Move DRFC]

So so good that goal. The immense meaning and emotion behind it possibly makes you overlook just how astonishingly good the goal is. The flick from Diouf then that volley. Jesus, watching it now I'm only just appreciating how good that is. Legend.

[GazLaz]

Still gets to me all these years later. And as I recall, it resonated with fans everywhere. The reception he got at away games in the weeks that followed was quite something. I think it was Ipswich away the match after the Middlesbrough game and the Ipswich fans went mental for him and they even cheered his goal against them.

That Ipswich game was incredible. The standing ovation Billy got from the home fans was something special.

[Ian Nimmo]

I remember not being able to cheer that, just stood clapping with a big old lump in my throat, eyes welled up.

That’s exactly how we were when he scored.
At that time we were seeing quite a lot of Billy at the very regular junior rovers events that were organised by the club, whilst only a few players would attend, Billy seemed to attend almost all. At his times at rovers, he gave up so much of his personal time and loved the interactions with the kids. Unless some young kid beat him at bowling, typical Billy hates losing! Given his love to be with the kids, it’s so remarkable he played that night.

[roversdude]

Still brings tears to my eyes watching that - there were some rumours flying around that Billy had left us or walked out and then the truth came out

[Fal]

It would be nice for Billy or the club to announce this publicly so that we can celebrate his career at the last home game, like a Billy Sharp day, a run down of all his goals for us on the big screen, face masks for the kids etc.

However it obviously depends on how he wants to go out, maybe a pre-season friendly between us and Sheffield United at Bramall Lane to celebrate at worst case.

[turnbull for england]

Still brings tears to my eyes watching that - there were some rumours flying around that Billy had left us or walked out and then the truth came out

 
There absolutely was RD,  as quite rightly  his absence was unexplained the rumour mill had taken over . A bloke near me had to eat some serious humble pie when  the awful story came out

[dknward2]

Remember that when he lifted his shirt up was really hope that the ref was looking the other way as not to book him so i looked across and sure enough he was filling in a hole in the pitch stomping it down with his boot then casually walked back to half way, I was glad to see that common sense had provailed

[Upton Rover]

He would do another season if another year was offered to him

[mushRTID]

I believe he’s retiring and would expect an announcement in the next few weeks, probably when safety is confirmed.