Henry Boyd (footballer)

Henry Boyd

Personal information
Date of birth	(1868-05-06)6 May 1868
Place of birth	Pollokshaws, Scotland
Date of death	July 1935 (aged 67)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
?–1892	Sunderland Albion
1892	Burnley
1892–1894	West Bromwich Albion
1894–1897	Woolwich Arsenal
1897–1899	Newton Heath	52	(32)
1899–1900	Falkirk
International career
1894	Scottish League XI	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Henry Boyd (6 May 1868 – July 1935) was a Scottish footballer.

A forward, Boyd was born in Pollokshaws, near Glasgow, but spent most of his career in England. He started out at Sunderland Albion and Burnley before joining West Bromwich Albion in 1892. After two years of sparing appearances for the Baggies he moved south to join Second Division Woolwich Arsenal in 1894. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut against Grimsby Town on 10 September 1894, and scoring another seven goals in the next four matches.

However, a little after a month he broke his leg in a friendly match against Sunderland on 15 October and he was out of action for over a year. On his return, some seven matches into the 1895–96 season, he had recovered well enough to score prolifically, scoring 13 goals in 22 matches, and finishing the season as Arsenal's top scorer. The following season he was even more prolific, scoring 10 times in 12 league matches, which attracted the attention of other clubs. Newton Heath signed him for £45 in January 1897; in all he played 41 matches for Woolwich Arsenal, scoring 31 times.

Boyd spent two and a half years with Newton Heath, scoring three hat-tricks in the 1897–98 season that he spent with the club, as he racked up 22 goals in total. However the following season, 1898–99, he only played five times (but still scored five goals), and in August 1899 he left Newton Heath for Falkirk. In all he scored 35 goals in 62 games for the Bank Street club, which makes him one of their most prolific forwards in terms of goals per game.

He died in Scotland in July 1935.

References

• London Hearts profile