By Gavan Bergin
On May 17th 1937 Bill Fallon played in Ireland’s game against Switzerland in Berne. That was the first time he’d played in consecutive international games, and he played well. His speed and decisiveness on the left made him invaluable to his team’s counter-attacking play, which brought them the only goal of the game, which ended 1-0 to Ireland, giving them their first away win since 1932. That result stood them in good stead for their next fixture, against France in Paris on May 23rd 1937. It was the first game between the two countries, and it was a challenging one for Ireland. France had played at the first two World Cups, in 1930 and 1934, and they were the host nation for the next tournament in 1938. So, they were treating very seriously every game they played in the meantime and that made them formidable opposition for anyone. But the Irish team had Bill and he carried his recent form into the game against France. As soon as the first whistle sounded, he hit his stride, repeatedly stretching the opposition defence with his rapid running and sharp shooting. In the 20th minute came the first chance of the game with a long distance shot that forced a fine save from the goalie and from then on he had the French on the back foot. Early in the second half he helped Ireland score two quick goals, and that was the game in the bag. It finished France 0 Ireland 2.
That was Bill’s second win with Ireland, and he had contributed handsomely to both of them. For the first time he had played three successive international games and he looked like becoming a regular for the Republic at last. But, having made a few consecutive appearances he was stymied again and after France he missed the next four international games. The authorities were still hampering his availability and that cost him, but the fact that he was still playing in the Third Division was probably just as much of an issue. Towards the end of the 1937/38 season, he moved to Second Division Sheffield Wednesday, and that gave his Ireland career a new lease of life. He made his latest international comeback against Switzerland in Dublin on September 19th 1938. He played a super game day, running defenders ragged and setting up goals for Ireland, who won 4-0. And he was better again in Ireland’s next game.
On November 13th 1938 Ireland played Poland at Dalymount Park, and they had a hard task ahead of them. Six months earlier the Poles had given them a 6-0 hiding in Warsaw, which was their biggest ever defeat. This time, the Republic had a crowd of 35,000, cheering them on, and they had Bill who was on top form in what was probably his best game in the green. Poland had given a good account of themselves in the World Cup the previous summer, but he made them look like a second-rate side. He made his first mark on the game when he charged into the box and stabbed the ball into the goal from close range in the 10th minute. Goal to Bill ! 1-0 to Ireland!
His first goal for Ireland had been a spectacular long-range strike from 22 yards out. This time he chased down a rebound and knocked the ball in from point blank range. Having used his scoring instinct to put Ireland ahead he went on to show the other side of his game-the creativity that he used to set up goals without number for his teammates over the years. Two minutes after he scored Ireland’s first goal, he made their second, with a curving corner kick that Johnny Carey headed into the goal. 2-0 to Ireland! Straight after that, Bill lofted another cross from the left into the box that led to Ireland putting the ball in the net, but it was offside. Having almost gone three goals up with that move, a minute later Poland hit back with a goal of their own that made it 2-1. That was the score at half-time. During the second half Poland came back strongly, but Ireland stayed on top. They went 3-1 up in the 68th minute and, even though they conceded again seven minutes later, they held on and they won the game 3-2. That was the first time they had had won two home games in a row, and it was Bill’s fourth straight win with Ireland.
That goalscoring performance against Poland underlined his increasingly impressive form at international level. At last, he was a regular starter for Ireland, and he seemed to be a lucky player for them, too. In his next couple of games for Ireland he played a crucial role in earning them two brilliant away draws, against Hungary and Germany in May 1939. At that stage, he hadn’t lost in six successive international games. He was becoming an indispensable player for Ireland. Then the Second World War came and stopped international football. Bill’s time as an Ireland player had ended-but his career wasn’t over yet.
Although the War stopped the English Football League in 1939, Bill kept playing. He moved from Sheffield Wednesday to Shamrock Rovers, and he made an instant impact with his new team. In his first season with Rovers, he scored some crucial goals for them, especially in the FAI Cup. On March 30th 1940 in the Cup semi-final against Bray Unknowns he struck the goal that clinched Rovers’ 2-0 win. Then on April 21st 1940, in the Cup final against Sligo Rovers, he scored the goal that killed the game when he put Shamrock Rovers 2-0 up in the 75th minute. Fifteen minutes later, the game and the Cup were won by the men in green and white. Seven years after he played on the losing side in the 1933 final, Bill had won the FAI Cup!
That was the first and the last medal he won with Shamrock Rovers but there were more trophies to come over the next few years. He moved to Shelbourne for the 1940/41 season, and he stayed there for the next four years. During that time, he showed remarkable versatility and he thrived in all areas of the field while making Shels a more successful team. In his first season with them, he often played in midfield instead of on the left wing as usual, but that didn’t faze him in the slightest. He adapted to his new role brilliantly and he still ended up as Shelbourne’s top goalscorer that season. Switching between attack and midfield was one thing, though, and there was a bigger challenge to come. In his second season with Shels, he didn’t play in midfield or on the wing. Instead, at the age of 29, after a whole career as a forward player, he started playing in defence. During the 1941/42 season, he played as a central defender for Shelbourne, and he was brilliant at it! Bill was 5’10” tall in his boots and ten stone soaking wet, so he wasn’t the biggest player around, but that had never stopped him when it came to beating defenders in aerial battles. As a forward, he used his leap, his timing and his determination to score headed goals. Now that he was a defender he used his head to stop the opposition forwards from scoring. He was so good at the job, he spent two seasons playing at centre-back, before he returned to the left wing to help Shelbourne win the League of Ireland, and the League of Ireland Shield in 1943/44. He also scored in the FAI Cup Final that season.
In 1944, having scored 23 goals in 139 games for Shelbourne he joined Dundalk, and in two seasons with them he scored 25 goals in 52 games. In 1946 Football League restarted, so Bill went back over to England. He rejoined Notts County for a season then he moved to Exeter City in 1947. By then, he was 35 and he was getting on a bit – but he had a couple more years in him yet. The years may have slowed him down, so that he didn’t have the pace to play on the wing any more, but he still had the same speed of thought and skill that he always had. Now he had the experience of playing all over the pitch, and he finished his career playing as a central midfielder. In his last two seasons he played 64 games for Peterborough, and he was still a first-choice player for them at the ripe old age of 38!
At the end of the 1948/49 season, Bill retired as a player. He had played 550 games and scored 120 goals during his club career-and his time in professional football wasn’t over yet. After he finished playing, he was hired as a scout for Notts County, and he lived the rest of his days in Nottingham.
Read more:
Bill Fallon – Part 1
Bill Fallon – Part 2
Bill Fallon – Part 3
Bill Fallon – Part 4
Bill Fallon – Part 5
Bill Fallon – Part 6
Bill Fallon – Part 7
Bill Fallon – Part 8
