Willie Young (footballer, born 1951)
Updated: 12/10/2025, 10:52:12 AM Wikipedia source
William David Young (25 November 1951 – 31 October 2025) was a Scottish footballer. Playing as a centre-back, he featured for Aberdeen, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Darlington.
Infobox
1983
Norwich City
1984
Darlington
Full name
William David Young
Date of birth
(1951-11-25)25 November 1951
Place of birth
Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death
31 October 2025(2025-10-31) (aged 73)
Height
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position
Central defender
Years
Team
1969–1975
Aberdeen
1975–1977
Tottenham Hotspur
1977–1981
Arsenal
1981–1983
Nottingham Forest
1983–1984
Brighton & Hove Albion
1972–1975
Scotland U23
Tables
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[13] · Career statistics › Club
Division
Division
Club
Division
Season
Apps
League
Goals
League
Apps
League
Goals
National cup
Apps
National cup
Goals
League cup
Apps
League cup
Goals
Europe
Apps
Europe
Goals
Other
Apps
Other
Goals
Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Club
Aberdeen
Season
1970–71
League
Scottish Division One
League
9
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
1
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
10
Total
0
1971–72
1971–72
Club
1971–72
Season
26
League
3
League
3
League
1
National cup
1
National cup
0
League cup
4
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
34
Other
4
1972–73
1972–73
Club
1972–73
Season
30
League
2
League
4
League
0
National cup
11
National cup
2
League cup
2
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
47
Other
4
1973–74
1973–74
Club
1973–74
Season
34
League
2
League
1
League
0
National cup
10
National cup
0
League cup
4
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
49
Other
2
1974–75
1974–75
Club
1974–75
Season
31
League
3
League
4
League
0
National cup
4
National cup
1
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
39
Other
4
1975–76
1975–76
Club
1975–76
Season
Scottish Premier Division
League
3
League
0
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
6
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
–
Other
9
Other
0
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
133
League
10
League
12
League
1
National cup
32
National cup
3
League cup
11
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
188
Other
14
"|Tottenham Hotspur
"|Tottenham Hotspur
Club
"|Tottenham Hotspur
Season
1975–76
League
First Division
League
35
League
2
National cup
2
National cup
0
League cup
6
League cup
1
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
43
Total
3
1976–77
1976–77
Club
1976–77
Season
19
League
1
League
0
League
0
National cup
2
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
21
Other
1
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
54
League
3
League
2
League
0
National cup
8
National cup
1
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
64
Other
4
Arsenal
Arsenal
Club
Arsenal
Season
1976–77
League
First Division
League
14
League
1
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
14
Total
1
1977–78
1977–78
Club
1977–78
Season
35
League
3
League
6
League
1
National cup
7
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
48
Other
4
1978–79
1978–79
Club
1978–79
Season
33
League
0
League
10
League
2
National cup
1
National cup
0
League cup
6
League cup
1
Europe
–
Europe
50
Other
3
1979–80
1979–80
Club
1979–80
Season
38
League
3
League
11
League
0
National cup
6
National cup
0
League cup
9
League cup
3
Europe
1
Europe
0
Other
65
Other
6
1980–81
1980–81
Club
1980–81
Season
40
League
4
League
1
League
0
National cup
4
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
45
Other
4
1981–82
1981–82
Club
1981–82
Season
10
League
0
League
0
League
0
National cup
2
National cup
1
League cup
3
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
15
Other
1
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
170
League
11
League
28
League
3
National cup
20
National cup
1
League cup
18
League cup
4
Europe
1
Europe
0
Other
237
Other
19
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest
Club
Nottingham Forest
Season
1981–82
League
First Division
League
25
League
1
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
25
Total
1
1982–83
1982–83
Club
1982–83
Season
34
League
4
League
0
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
–
Europe
34
Other
4
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
59
League
5
League
0
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
59
Other
5
Norwich City
Norwich City
Club
Norwich City
Season
1983–84
League
First Division
League
6
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
6
Total
0
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion
Club
Brighton & Hove Albion
Season
1983–84
League
Second Division
League
4
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
4
Total
0
Darlington
Darlington
Club
Darlington
Season
1984–85
League
Fourth Division
League
4
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
0
League cup
0
Europe
0
Europe
0
Other
–
Other
4
Total
0
Career total
Career total
Club
Career total
Season
430
League
29
League
42
League
4
National cup
60
National cup
5
League cup
29
League cup
4
Europe
1
Europe
0
Other
562
Other
42
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aberdeen | 1970–71 | Scottish Division One | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | |
| 1971–72 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 34 | 4 | |||
| 1972–73 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 47 | 4 | |||
| 1973–74 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 49 | 2 | |||
| 1974–75 | 31 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 | 4 | |||
| 1975–76 | Scottish Premier Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 133 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 32 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 14 | ||
| "|Tottenham Hotspur | 1975–76 | First Division | 35 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 | 3 | |
| 1976–77 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | |||
| Total | 54 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 4 | ||
| Arsenal | 1976–77 | First Division | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 | 1 | |
| 1977–78 | 35 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 | 4 | |||
| 1978–79 | 33 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | – | 50 | 3 | |||
| 1979–80 | 38 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 65 | 6 | ||
| 1980–81 | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 | 4 | |||
| 1981–82 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 170 | 11 | 28 | 3 | 20 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 237 | 19 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 1981–82 | First Division | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 | 1 | |
| 1982–83 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 | 4 | |||
| Total | 59 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 5 | ||
| Norwich City | 1983–84 | First Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 1983–84 | Second Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | |
| Darlington | 1984–85 | Fourth Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 430 | 29 | 42 | 4 | 60 | 5 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 562 | 42 | ||
References
- Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00roll
- World Football.nethttps://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe166011/willie-young/
- 1975 | All Change in Scottish Football, Aberdeen FC, 19 March 2020https://www.afc.co.uk/2020/03/19/1975-all-change-in-scottish-football/
- "Willie Young"https://web.archive.org/web/20120921012401/http://www.arsenal.com/history/profiles/755/willie-young
- The Daily Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/7955865/Crossing-the-divide-players-who-have-represented-Arsenal-and-Tottenham.html
- 11 v 11.comhttp://www.11v11.com/players/willie-young-28237/
- Arsenal 101: A Pocket Guide in 101 Moments, Facts, Characters and Gameshttps://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8345EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA73-IA1&dq=willie+young+chris+whyte&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNxO6xuNCQAxW0dUEAHX52IPQQ6AF6BAgJEAM#v=onepage&q=willie%2520young%2520chris%2520whyte&f=false
- Sporting Heroes.nethttp://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/nottingham-forest-fc/willie-young-11153/league-appearances_a19229/
- Ex Canaries.co.ukhttp://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/young.htm
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9d666e12l5o
- The Scotsmanhttp://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/english/big-bad-willie-young-recalls-scotland-life-ban-1-3731540
- Arsenal FChttps://www.arsenal.com/news/willie-young-1951-2025
- afcheritage.orghttps://afcheritage.org/Team/CurrentSquad/player_show.cfm?player_id=719