I'm not sure if this is still relevant or not, but PNE's Club Historian has just sent me the following on William Swarbrick
SWARBRICK,William Born Blackpool c.1892
5’7” 10st Outside-left
Twenty-one year old Swarbrick, declared by some judges as the best winger in the Lancashire Combination, was signed from Fleetwood Town on 21st February 1913, basically as cover for North End’s England Amateur international left-winger, George Barlow. Swarbrick as a lad learning his trade, had previously had spells with Barrow, Blackpool, Rossendale United, Southport Central and Bacup before Fleetwood. When he was at Blackpool as a 17-year-old they must have thought that he had promise for he was still on their League Retain List when signed from Fleetwood. To say Fleetwood missed him is an understatement as they lost their very next game 12-0, away at Eccles Borough! First reports of Swarbrick, after his Central League debut against Rochdale, were that “small though he is, he was able to hold his own against a stout defence and his centreing of the ball was sound”. Within a couple of months he made his Preston North End league debut, against Leicester Fosse on April 12th. Although not an eye catching game North End actually gained promotion back to Division One after defeating “the Fosse” by 1-0, with two games still to play. “Perseus”, the scribe of the local Lancashire Daily Post, wrote of him “when he thickens out a little and gains power he should make a most acceptable winger”. With Preston going on to win the Second Division Championship, the Club rewarded the players with what was the Club’s first ever continental tour during May 1913. Swarbrick, after just one first-team game, was one of the fourteen man squad to embark on the three-week tour and actually scored North Ends opening goal in a 7-2 win over Ajax of Amsterdam. The following week he was once again on the mark, against Strasborg and in the 11-2 hammering of Basle, in Switzerland, he bagged three goals. However, even with a successful tour behind him he still could not oust Barlow from the league team and only found himself in contention when Barlow was ill, injured or if the game was played mid-week when amateur Barlow could not get away from work. One such mid-week game was at Deepdale against Manchester United (5/3/1914), when Swarbrick scored twice in a 4-2 win, his only league goals of his career. Despite his goals he somehow attracted negative press. Although he was a typical runner and dodger with good pace he apparently had an annoying tendency to double back. The sports reporter claimed that there was “only one road for a winger - the direct road, either on the outside or by cutting in”! Needless to say Swarbrick was dropped for the next game but returned for what turned out to be his last league appearance on 21/3/1914, away at Liverpool. He received an ankle injury early in the game and had to leave the field of play, North End having to soldier on with ten men. They lost. Once recovered from his injury he found himself languishing in the reserves so he re-signed for Fleetwood Town and played for them before and after World War One. He later played in the Welsh League with Bridgend. Whilst with Bridgend he represented The Welsh League versus The Southern League. He married in January 1934 and settled in Marton, near Blackpool.
PNE League Appearances: 4 Goals: 2
Trivia.
Two of William’s four brothers were also “sportsmen”. Brother Jimmy, who had played for Oldham Athletic, Grimsby Town and Swansea Town, once won the Welsh Crown Green Bowling Championship whilst brother Tommy once won the British Crown Green Bowling Championship.
