Billy Fanning Player Profile

Biography

Billy Fanning was one of the unsung heroes in the Bankies' rise from the Second Division to the Premier League in successive seasons. A strong uncompromising centre half, he was the perfect foil for his central defensive partner, Jim Fallon. A local lad (from Faifley) come good, his career was cruelly cut short due to injury, though his place in the club’s history is assured due to his involvement in that special Clydebank side.

Billy was training at Kilbowie Park whilst still playing for local amateur side Belhaven Athletic in early 1973. He had a family connection to the club as his father Bill snr was a bandleader whose group were resident at the Bankies Club.

In the final game of the season, Billy - having just turned18 - was given a surprise debut at East End Park against Dunfermline which ended in a 3-3 draw, before the players headed down to Wembley to take in the Scotland – England match and play a friendly against Stevenage Athletic.

In the close season Billy was called up to the squad proper, and was thrown in at the deep end playing regularly from the get go. The Clydebank defence went through several changes though it mainly anchored with Norrie Hall and Jim Fallon playing in the central positions.

This meant that Billy was just as likely to be seen in the number 3 shirt as well as his preferred position in the centre of defence. That first season saw Billy make 29 appearances with 21 being starts.

With Dave Mitchell retiring at the end of the season, and Norrie Hall shifting to left back, it seemed that Billy would be first choice to take the vacant berth in the centre of the defence. However, Bobby Provan was initially preferred until a run of poor results in the autumn saw Billy restored to the starting line-up. Billy went on to make 39 appearances as the Bankies missed promotion to the newly reconstructed first division by one league position.

Clydebank took their place in the brand new second division in 1975, and with financial support from off-licence chain owner, Ricky Agnew, the Bankies went full time. Signings were made including ex-Motherwell, Crystal Palace and Airdrieonians star, Sam Goodwin. This meant that Billy was side-lined, and didn’t make a first team start until January against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup.

As the season wore on, veteran Goodwin was struggling and was not surprisingly rested after a defeat in the Spring Cup against Raith Rovers. Billy was re-introduced into the side, and only missed one game until the end of the season. This meant Billy played in all the vital matches in the business end of the season including the Championship winning match and the Spring Cup final against Airdrie.

Goodwin retired at the end of the season, and as the Bankies embarked on their First Division campaign in 1976, Billy was installed as first choice central defender alongside Jim Fallon. The Bankies were unstoppable swapping leadership at the top of the table with Alex Ferguson’s St Mirren on a regular basis.

So good was Billy’s form that he was persuaded in January1977 to go full-time and quit his job as a mechanic. It was just a month later that fate conspired against Fanning. Having not missed a game all season, including the famous four match epic league Cup quarter final saga against Rangers, he twisted his knee in an innocuous looking incident against Hamilton Accies at Douglas Park.

The extent of the injury soon became clear as it was announced that Billy needed a knee operation and would miss the end of the season and ultimately the Bankies promotion to the Premier League.

In what should have been the greatest moment in Billy’s career, it soon became his worst nightmare. Despite returning to training in pre-season after his operation, Billy would go through a series of breakdowns and was unable to play a single match in the Premier League.

After relegation back to the First Division the club returned to operating on a part-time basis. Billy was not the sort to give up easily and his determination saw him finally return to the first team at the start of the season. It was during this period that he scored his one and only goal for the Bankies – a screamer in a 4-3 defeat against Ayr United at Somerset Park.

Unfortunately, the ligament injury returned as the season neared its end. The Bankies just failed in an immediate return to the Premier League, and in a desperate situation for Billy he had to retire from football at the age of just 24.

Billy continued to live in the Clydebank area and was involved in the local youth football scene and also had a spell as manager of Renfrew Juniors. It was a tragedy for Billy to have to stop playing football at such a young age. He made 165 appearances for the club and could easily have gone onto have been one of the Bankies all-time greats.

His place is secure in the club’s history as part of the great Clydebank side from 1975-78, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with his fellow team-mates in 2019.