525:
556:
585:
310:. Like many that he was to score, his goal was eye-catching: chasing a long ball upfield, Houliston beat a defender, then drew the Celtic goalkeeper out and chipped the ball over his outstretched leg and ran around him. With the keeper stranded, putting the ball into the net was a formality. Houliston was offered a contract, and a month later he made his first team debut, on 13 October 1945 away to
275:. He played for Brownhall Primary School in the Dumfries and District Primary School League at centre half, and represented the League in cup matches against other areas. Houliston's secondary school was Dumfries High School where he played only occasionally. On leaving school, he stopped playing completely.
367:; a contract was offered and Houliston signed while still on holiday. He spent only one season at Berwick where fate meant the club were drawn to play against Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup: a last minute goal gave Queens a 3–2 victory. He then had a brief spell with
450:. His robust style of play discomforted the English defenders, attracting boos from the home fans and post-match criticism from the local press. Scotland returned north with a 3–1 win. Houliston's last full cap was at Hampden in the 2–0 win over
480:
without his teammates to have an operation. In all, he collected nine caps at different levels and never played in a losing
Scotland side; he is the only serving Queen of the South player to have been selected for full international duty.
289:
In 1941 Houliston was called up for national service. He joined RAF Coastal
Command as a wireless operator. In his four years' service, Houliston was attached to 16 different stations where he represented each at football. Playing in the
411:, Houliston scored twice in the 3–0 victory. His first goal was a header from a corner kick, the second a brilliant shot from just inside the box. On 24 March he represented the Scottish League again, this time against their
351:. After a serious ankle injury sustained while on tour with Scotland, Houliston was never the same player again. He was released by Queen of the South in July 1952, with a tally of 60 league goals in 120 league games.
416:
321:
in the late 1940s. His all-action style made him a handful for defences everywhere. In early 1948, Celtic offered a big fee to take him to
Parkhead but Houliston was happy to stay with Queens.
434:. The opposition were 2–0 up inside five minutes; 22 minutes later Houliston met the ball on the turn 10 yards from the goal and rifled the ball into the Irish net. A through pass to
824:
458:
294:
area, the local side offered to sign him. On leave back in
Dumfries, Houliston declined the offer when taking the offer of a trial game for Queen of the South reserves.
1021:
991:
347:
when they were promoted straight back to the top flight as B Division champions. The success of that season was enhanced by a run to the semi-final of the
817:
1016:
981:
442:
and kept moving goalwards, then met the winger's cross with a bullet header to complete the comeback. Five months later
Houliston played against
623:
Houliston became a director at Queen of the South in 1957 and was later chairman for several years, winning promotion to
Division One with the
530:
427:
810:
343:
During
Houliston's time as a Queen of the South player they spent only one season out of the top division of Scottish football; that was
1011:
996:
945:
986:
81:
1001:
466:
872:
867:
640:
473:. However a serious ankle injury brought Houlston's involvement in the tour to a premature end; he journeyed home on the
435:
408:
1006:
976:
906:
392:
888:
624:
932:
384:
833:
443:
423:
344:
256:
195:
561:
539:
271:, at Westpark Cottages, where he lived for a short while before his family moved to a house at the Crichton in
791:
590:
451:
711:
213:
893:
796:
802:
771:
325:
927:
759:
747:
279:
244:
138:
447:
616:
on
Dumfries High Street. He continued in this business until the 1980s with the Nith Hotel at
736:
971:
966:
311:
248:
236:
156:
8:
379:
On 14 January 1948 Houliston gained his first international recognition, playing for the
348:
412:
380:
286:
team that he moved from defence to attack, playing at either inside or centre forward.
368:
252:
172:
787:
400:
317:
Nicknamed "Basher" from his 'afraid of no one' attitude, Houliston was the idol of
799:
at Post War
English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
364:
318:
898:
636:
599:
474:
439:
960:
922:
470:
465:
in a 6–0 win against the All Stars XI, and another goal followed against the
404:
329:
283:
240:
95:
438:
brought the equaliser. For the next goal
Houliston passed the ball wide to
431:
337:
333:
303:
854:
632:
628:
388:
307:
268:
58:
937:
849:
324:
Houliston played a major part in Queens' run to the semi-final of the
617:
422:
On 17 November 1948, Houliston made his full international debut for
396:
360:
832:
698:"The Queens" by Iain McCartney, page 102, Creedon Publications, 2004
612:
Houliston first went into the licensing trade in 1949 when opening
462:
291:
272:
772:
Scotland Football Records | Clubs played for | Queen of the South
715:
457:
Scotland toured the USA in the summer of 1949, with the matches
282:, Houliston started playing again. It was while playing for the
686:
774:, London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 21 February 2022
762:, London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 21 February 2022
750:, London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 21 February 2022
737:
League History - Queen of the South FC - Doonhamers MAD
835:
Queen of the South F.C. – Hall of Fame inductees
332:
were overcome in a replay, before a narrow defeat to
760:
Mon 30 May 1949 American Soccer League 1 Scotland 4
354:
682:
680:
678:
676:
235:(4 April 1921 – 10 February 1999) was a Scottish
958:
706:
704:
674:
672:
670:
668:
666:
664:
662:
660:
658:
656:
1022:Scottish Football League representative players
818:
701:
653:
459:not being considered official internationals
687:Billy Houliston profile on "Queens Legends"
226:*Club domestic league appearances and goals
825:
811:
415:, and was selected twice more against the
363:, Houliston was pursued by dignitaries of
116:
306:, Houliston scored in a 4–1 victory over
992:Scotland men's international footballers
689:, official Queen of the South FC website
1017:People educated at Dumfries High School
374:
959:
806:
692:
484:
297:
302:After an unremarkable debut against
124:
982:Men's association football forwards
278:Aged 17, working as a nurse at the
13:
712:"Official Queen of the South Site"
14:
1033:
781:
1012:Scottish Football League players
607:
583:
554:
523:
355:Berwick Rangers and Third Lanark
997:Queen of the South F.C. players
570:1949 British Home Championship
765:
753:
748:(SFL player) William Houliston
741:
730:
540:1949 British Home Championship
262:
1:
792:Scottish Football Association
646:
490:Scotland's score listed first
1002:Berwick Rangers F.C. players
461:. Houliston netted twice in
7:
214:Scottish Football League XI
10:
1038:
987:Scottish men's footballers
454:at the end of April 1949.
1007:Third Lanark A.C. players
977:Footballers from Dumfries
915:
881:
842:
467:American Soccer League XI
371:before retiring in 1953.
225:
207:
189:
184:
166:
150:
132:
106:
101:
94:
92:
87:
80:
77:
68:
65:
57:
54:
42:
39:
34:
31:
26:
340:, again after a replay.
280:Crichton Royal Hospital
267:Houliston was born in
257:Scotland national team
639:and the now veteran
417:League of Ireland XI
413:English counterparts
375:International career
359:While holidaying in
326:1949–50 Scottish Cup
185:International career
27:Personal information
349:Scottish League Cup
23:
16:Scottish footballer
627:of player manager
485:International caps
381:Scottish League XI
298:Queen of the South
245:Queen of the South
139:Queen of the South
21:
954:
953:
605:
604:
391:. Playing beside
233:William Houliston
230:
229:
35:William Houliston
1029:
836:
827:
820:
813:
804:
803:
775:
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739:
734:
728:
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725:
723:
714:. Archived from
708:
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625:early 1960s team
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558:
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518:17 November 1948
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69:10 February 1999
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24:
20:
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957:
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797:Billy Houliston
788:Billy Houliston
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735:
731:
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685:
654:
649:
610:
584:
582:
581:
555:
553:
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524:
522:
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487:
385:Irish League XI
377:
365:Berwick Rangers
357:
319:Palmerston Park
308:Celtic reserves
300:
265:
249:Berwick Rangers
239:who played for
208:
190:
167:
157:Berwick Rangers
151:
133:
70:
45:
43:
22:Billy Houliston
17:
12:
11:
5:
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782:External links
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718:on 10 May 2006
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651:
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637:Ernie Hannigan
609:
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600:Friendly match
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440:Willie Waddell
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102:Senior career*
99:
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90:
89:
85:
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82:Centre forward
79:
75:
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73:(aged 77)
67:
63:
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55:Place of birth
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29:
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15:
9:
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4:
3:
2:
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661:
659:
657:
652:
644:
642:
641:Jim Patterson
638:
634:
630:
626:
621:
619:
615:
608:After playing
601:
598:
595:
592:
580:
578:27 April 1949
577:
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471:New York City
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405:Willie Ormond
402:
401:Torry Gillick
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66:Date of death
64:
60:
53:
40:Date of birth
38:
30:
25:
19:
859:
767:
755:
743:
732:
720:. Retrieved
716:the original
694:
622:
613:
611:
549:9 April 1949
510:Competition
489:
488:
476:
456:
432:Hampden Park
421:
409:Gordon Smith
393:George Young
378:
369:Third Lanark
358:
342:
338:Hampden Park
323:
316:
301:
288:
277:
266:
253:Third Lanark
232:
231:
173:Third Lanark
122:
115:
110:
88:Youth career
71:(1999-02-10)
50:4 April 1921
18:
972:1999 deaths
967:1921 births
633:Neil Martin
629:George Farm
614:Billy's Bar
436:Jimmy Mason
389:Celtic Park
304:Falkirk 'A'
269:Maxwelltown
263:Early years
78:Position(s)
59:Maxwelltown
961:Categories
907:A. Thomson
873:J. Thomson
647:References
477:Queen Mary
237:footballer
61:, Scotland
46:1921-04-04
946:Robertson
899:McChesney
894:Henderson
868:Patterson
864:McCormick
860:Houliston
618:Glencaple
475:RMS
397:Sammy Cox
361:Blackpool
328:in which
209:1948–1949
191:1948–1949
152:1952–1953
134:1945–1952
32:Full name
903:Paterson
504:Opponent
463:St Louis
426:against
424:Scotland
330:Aberdeen
292:Arbroath
284:Crichton
273:Dumfries
255:and the
241:Crichton
196:Scotland
96:Crichton
790:at the
722:18 July
562:England
531:Ireland
448:Wembley
444:England
428:Ireland
345:1950–51
334:Rangers
923:Blount
591:France
588:
559:
528:
507:Result
452:France
383:v the
312:Morton
928:Burns
889:Black
855:Bryce
107:Years
938:Lyle
933:Kerr
916:2015
882:2013
850:Ball
843:2011
724:2008
501:Date
407:and
168:1953
146:(60)
117:Apps
111:Team
942:Rae
596:2–0
567:3–1
536:3–2
469:in
446:at
430:at
387:at
336:at
314:.
221:(3)
203:(2)
180:(0)
143:120
125:Gls
963::
703:^
655:^
643:.
635:,
631:,
620:.
492:.
419:.
403:,
399:,
395:,
259:.
251:,
247:,
243:,
826:e
819:t
812:v
726:.
575:3
546:2
515:1
498:#
218:4
200:3
177:1
127:)
123:(
48:)
44:(
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