Footballers who have played league football for both PNE and Walsall
A-L
754) Gareth Ainsworth
PNE 92 apps; 13 goals
Walsall 5 apps; 1 goal
PNE debut 11/01/1992 v Shrewsbury (A) – Lost 0-2
871) Brett Angell
PNE 15 apps; 8 goals
Walsall 61 apps; 16 goals
PNE debut 26/02/2000 v Gillingham (H) – Lost 0-2
837) Darren Beckford
PNE 2 apps; 0 goals
Walsall 8 apps; 0 goals
PNE debut 18/01/19978 v Watford (H) – Drawn 1-1
538) Alfie Biggs
PNE 485 apps; 22 goals
Walsall 24 apps; 9 goals
PNE debut 19/08/1961 v Luton (A) – Lost 1-4
326) Bill Bradford
PNE 1 app 0 goals
Walsall 318 apps; 21 goals
PNE debut 19/12/1925 v Barnsley (A) – Lost 0-2
899) Craig Burley
PNE 4 apps; 0 goals
Walsall 5 apps; 0 goals
PNE debut 07/02/2004 v West Brom (H) – Won 3-0
853) Darren Byfield
PNE 5 apps; 1 goal
Walsall 135 apps; 26 goals
PNE debut 07/11/1998 v Burnley (H) – Won 4-1
967) Andrew Davies
PNE 5 apps; 0 goals
Walsall 3 apps; 0 goals
PNE debut 14/02/2009 v Norwich (H) – Won 2-1
333) Tom Devlin
PNE 8 apps; 1 goal
Walsall 4 apps; 0 goals
PNE debut 06/02/1926 v Oldham (H) – Won 2-1
305) Alf Duggins
PNE 2 apps 0 goals
Walsall 12 apps; 0 goals
PNE debut 05/04/1924 v Bolton (A) – Drawn 0-0
630) Steve Elliott
PNE 208 apps; 70 goals
Walsall 69 apps; 21 goals
PNE debut 17/03/1979 v West Ham (H) – Drawn 0-0
949) Karl Hawley
PNE 30 apps; 3 goals
Walsall 1 app; 0 goals
PNE debut 11/08/2007 v Norwich (H) – Drawn 0-0
648) John Kelly
PNE 130 apps 27 goals
Walsall 39 apps; 1 goal
PNE debut 10/10/1981 v Bristol City (A) – Drawn 0-0
146) Billy Lyon
PNE 210 apps; 8 goals
Walsall 44 apps; 1 goal
PNE debut 01/04/1904 v Arsenal (H) – Drawn 0-0
Player Profile – Billy Lyon
William John (Billy) Lyon was born in Clachnacuddin in 1877 and played as a left-half.
Lyon joined second division Walsall in 1898/99 and in three seasons he made 44 league appearances, scoring once.
After departing in the 1900/01 season Lyon joined non-league Bristol Rovers. He returned to the Football League during the 1903/04 season when he joined ManchesterCity. His stay at City was a short one making just 6 appearances before moving to Preston late in the 1903/04 season.
His PNE debut came in a 0-0 draw at Woolwich Arsenal on 1 April 1994, He played in the remaining five matches of the season with two wins and three draws as North End won the Second Division Championship. He became a regular in the side, missing just two matches in 1904/05.Lyon scored his first goals for the club in 1905/06; the first of these was in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on 11 November. He scored two goals from 33 appearances as PNE finished runners-up to Liverpool in the First Division.
He again only missed two matches in 1907/08, scoring a goal in the first and last games of the season. His most successful season in front of goal was in 1908/09 with three league and one FA Cup goal, all from the penalty spot.
Controversy followed Lyon in January 1910 when the PNE captain was suspended for one month. During the 1-0 home victory over Aston Villa on 27 November 1909 when it was alleged that Lyon had caught Villa player Harry Hampton above the thigh. It was stated that Hampton had two stud marks eight inches above the knee as well as skin torn below the knee three inches wide and one and a half inches wide. He stated he wasn’t the guilty player as he only had one stud in the front of his boot instead of the two studs Hampton received. But his plea fell on deaf ears and was still suspended. He returned to the side and played in the last eleven matches of the season, including his 200th league appearances for the Lilywhites. This was against the same opposition as his debut but this time it was a 3-1 win at Woolwich Arsenal on 23 April.
The 1910/11 season saw Lyon lose his place to Bill Wareing and decided to retire. His last match was a 2-1 home win over Liverpool on 18 March. He had scored 8 goals from 210 league appearances.