{{short description|English footballer and cricketer}} {{Use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Willis Walker | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date|1892|11|24|df=y}} | birth_place = Gosforth, Northumberland, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|12|3|1892|11|24|df=y}} | death_place = Keighley, West Yorkshire, England | position = Goalkeeper | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}} | years1 = 1911–1912 | clubs1 = Sheffield United | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1912–1914 | clubs2 = Doncaster Rovers | caps2 = 36 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1914–1919 | clubs3 = Leeds City | caps3 = 22 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1919–1925 | clubs4 = South Shields | caps4 = 192 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1925–1926 | clubs5 = Bradford Park Avenue | caps5 = 34 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1926–1927 | clubs6 = Stockport County | caps6 = 19 | goals6 = 0 | totalcaps = 303 | totalgoals = 0 }}
'''Willis Walker''' (24 November 1892 − 3 December 1991) was an English footballer and County Cricketer. He played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Leeds City, South Shields, Bradford Park Avenue and Stockport County.<ref name=ozwhite/> As a Nottinghamshire County cricketer, he was predominantly a batsman, scoring over a thousand first-class runs in a season on ten occasions.<ref name=notts/>
==Football career== Walker began his career at Sheffield United in 1911, though never made it into the first team. In 1912 he was bought by Midland League Doncaster Rovers where he started off as understudy to Harry Bromage, and took over as first choice keeper for the 1913–14 season when he appeared in all 36 league fixtures.<ref name=bluff/>
Second Division Leeds City signed him in May 1914, but after 14 appearances the onset of war temporarily ended Football League matches. He played for Leeds during the war when he was able to, on 70 occasions altogether. When competition recommenced after the war, Walker was back in the side until Leeds City were suspended from the league.<ref name=ozwhite/>
In an auction of former Leeds players in 1919, Walker was bought for £800 by newly elected Second Division team South Shields and went on to play 201 league and FA Cup games for them over the nearly six seasons he was there.<ref name=ozwhite/>
Latterly he played for Bradford Park Avenue during the 1925–26 season and finished his career at Stockport County the following season.<ref name=ozwhite/>
==Cricket career== {{Infobox cricketer | name = | image = | country = | fullname = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nickname = | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm medium | role = Batsman | club1 = Nottinghamshire | year1 = 1913–1937 | columns = 1 | column1 = FC | matches1 = 406 | runs1 = 18,259 | bat avg1 = 32.37 | 100s/50s1 = 31/101 | top score1 = 165* | deliveries1 = 126 | wickets1 = 2 | bowl avg1 = 48.50 | fivefor1 = 0 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 2/20 | catches/stumpings1 = 110/– | date = 27 December | year = 2024 | source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/willis-walker-22689 ESPNcricinfo }} Walker's cricket began at Sheffield United Cricket Club whilst he was playing football for Sheffield United.<ref name=bluff/> He later played county cricket for Nottinghamshire, making his debut in 1913, and going on to score 18,259 runs before ending his time with the county club in 1937. On joining the club he cut two years off his age as well as claiming he was born in the county.<ref name=cric/> Despite a successful career he never played for England.<ref name=notts/>
==Personal life== Born in Gosforth, Northumberland, as a boy he moved south to the Wiseton Estate, near Retford, Nottinghamshire when his father found work there.<ref name=notts/> During the First World War, he served in the Royal Navy.<ref name=ozwhite/>
In 1919 Walker began selling football, cricket and tennis equipment from his home in Keighley. This business soon moved to a series of shops in the town where his son and then grandsons later took over, until its closure in 2012.<ref name=ta/>
Willis Walker died in East Morton<ref name=notts/> near Keighley in 1991 aged 99.<ref name=ozwhite/><ref name=cric/>
==References== {{Reflist|list <ref name=bluff>{{cite book|last=Bluff|first=Tony|title=Donny:Doncaster Rovers F.C. The Complete History (1879–2010)|year=2011|publisher=Yore Publications|isbn=978-0-9569848-3-8}}</ref> <ref name=ozwhite>{{cite web|title=Walker: Willis|publisher=Ozwhite|url=http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/leedscityprofiles.php/WalkerW.php|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref> <ref name=ta>{{cite web|title=Keighley sports shop Willis Walker to shut after 100 years|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9618151.Keighley_sports_shop_Willis_Walker_to_shut_after_100_years/|newspaper=Bradford Telegraph & Argos|date=29 March 2012 |accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref> <ref name=cric>{{cite web|title=Willis Walker|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/22689.html|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref> <ref name=notts>{{cite web|title=Willis Walker|url=http://history.trentbridge.co.uk/players/willis-walker.html |publisher=Trent Bridge|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref> }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Willis}} Category:1892 births Category:1991 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Gosforth Category:Cricketers from Tyne and Wear Category:Footballers from Tyne and Wear Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:Sheffield United F.C. players Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players Category:Leeds City F.C. players Category:Gateshead A.F.C. players Category:Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. players Category:Stockport County F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Midland Football League players Category:English cricketers Category:Nottinghamshire cricketers Category:North v South cricketers Category:People from Wiseton Category:Footballers from Nottinghamshire Category:Cricketers from Nottinghamshire Category:Cricketers from Keighley Category:English cricketers of 1890 to 1918 Category:English cricketers of 1919 to 1945 Category:20th-century English sportsmen Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War I Category:Military personnel from Tyne and Wear Category:Royal Navy sailors