Billy Crone
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Crone | ||
| Date of birth | 31 August 1863 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 8 November 1944 (aged 81) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1881–1893 | Distillery | 35 | |
| National team | |||
| 1882–1890 | Ireland | 12 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1896–19xx | Distillery | ||
| 1897 | Ireland | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Billy Crone (31 August 1863 – 8 November 1944) also referred to as William Crone was an Irish footballer who played for Distillery and Ireland during the 1880s and 1890s. After retiring as a player he also coached both Distillery and Ireland. On February 20, 1897 he became the first coach in the history of modern football to take charge of a national team. Crone’s younger brother Bob Crone was also a notable footballer, playing for Glentoran, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion and Notts County, as well as Distillery and Ireland. Crone, an all-round athletic, was also a useful cricketer and distance runner.
Crone spent sixteen seasons at Distillery playing as a defender. His club teammates included fellow Irish internationals Olphert Stanfield, Jack Reynolds and Samuel Johnston. Crone could play anywhere across the back-line, but was most familiar as a left-back or left-half. He made 290 appearances for Distillery and helped the club win the Irish Cup four times. He also played for Distillery during the inaugural Irish League season of 1890-91 and went on to make 35 league appearances for the club before he retired in 1893.
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