Billy Bingham

Glentoran

Bingham attended Elmgrove Elementary School and was captain of the school's football team, also being selected for Northern Ireland schoolboy games. Born in the Bloomfield area of Belfast, he grew up alongside Jackie and Danny Blanchflower. His father worked at the local shipyards. He began his career with Glentoran on £6-a-week. He made his senior debut on 12 March 1949, in a 1–1 draw with Ballymena United. The "Glens" finished second in the Irish League in 1949–50. While with Glentoran, Bingham also made two appearances for the Irish League representative team. He said that playing against experienced full-back Sammy Cox of the Scottish League XI gave him "my first real practical football lesson".

"Not a natural wing talent like a Tommy Lawton, Stanley Matthews or Tom Finney, Billy Bingham had realised shortly after his arrival in English football that he would have to work hard, at both the practical and theoretical side of the game. He developed pace, strength and control to enable him to beat full-backs and deliver incisive balls into the box. He worked on his shooting from range, and his touch within the six-yard box to enable him to effectively poach goals. Above all he was brave enough to take the knocks that were inevitable with his small frame."

Sunderland

Bingham joined Sunderland in October 1950 for £10,000. He was first informed of the move by football writer Charlie Buchan, who shook his hand and said "congratulations, you've been…

Bingham became a Northern Ireland international, winning his first cap against France as a 19-year-old on 12 May 1951. French full-back Roger Marche said at the end of his career that Bingham was the greatest forward he ever played against. Bingham was less effusive in his praise of the national team, however, stating that "we had no team-manager, no set tactics – in fact no team-plan at all". This changed with the appointment of Peter Doherty as manager, and the team went on to defeat England by three goals to two in a British Home Championship match at Wembley on 6 November 1957. On 16 January 1957, Bingham scored his country's first goal in World Cup qualification, as they claimed a 1–1 draw away at Portugal. A subsequent defeat in Italy and home win over Portugal, left Northern Ireland needing to beat the Italians at home to win the group and qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden. The originally scheduled fixture was converted into a friendly after the original referee was unable to make it, and though the friendly game was drawn 2–2, Northern Ireland won the re-arranged fixture by two goals to one. In the tournament itself, Northern Ireland beat Czechoslovakia by one goal to nil in the opening match of Group 1, with Bingham and Wilbur Cush forming "an approximation of a double spearhead". The Swedish press wrote that "[Cush] and Billy Bingham gave an exhibition of fast, clever football never seen before at the ground." The second game was a 3–1 loss to…

Southport

Bingham became a coach at Southport in June 1965 and was appointed manager at the end of the year, at the expense of Willie Cunningham. He led the team to a tenth-place finish in the Fourth Division in 1965–66. In his first full season in charge, 1966–67, he led the "Sandgrounders" to promotion as runners-up – the club's first-ever promotion. He departed Haig Avenue in October 1967, with Southport in safe hands as they finished the 1967–68 Third Division campaign in 13th place under Don McEvoy's stewardship.

Northern Ireland, Plymouth & Linfield

He left Southport to take charge of the Northern Ireland national team in October 1967. The position was not a taxing one, however, and Bingham took charge at Plymouth Argyle in February 1968, replacing Derek Ufton. He was unable to steer the club away from relegation, as the "Pilgrims" finished bottom of the Second Division. He took the club to fifth in the third tier in 1968–69, some 15 points behind second-placed Swindon Town. A battle against relegation followed in 1969–70, and Bingham departed Home Park in March 1970; the club went on to finish 17th under Ellis Stuttard's stewardship. Still Northern Ireland's boss, he took charge of the country's biggest club, Linfield, in August 1970. His one season at Windsor Park was highly successful, as he led the "Blues" to the 1970–71 Irish League title, three points ahead of rivals Glentoran. The club also lifted a treble of trophies, in the form of the Ulster…

Bingham played at outside-right and had excellent tactical and positional skills and good scoring ability.