John Page (24 March 1886 – 1951) was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a defender. He made over 150 appearances in

The Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...

during spells with Everton,

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...

and Merthyr Town.

Early life

Page was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, to Robert William Page and Jane Page (née Galvin). His father worked as a crane driver at the nearby docks. His parents had ten children, although five died. Three of his brothers

Willie Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Allen (basketball) (born 1949), American basketball player and ...

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and

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also went on to become professional footballers.

Career

Page began his career with

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

before joining Everton in 1913. The outbreak of World War I interrupted his spell at the club, making nine appearances in

during two full seasons with the club. In 1920, he signed for

upon the club's election to the

Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

. Manager Fred Stewart had been impressed by Page's versatility, being able to play in any defensive position. Although never a consistent first choice, he remained with Cardiff for six seasons as the club won promotion to the

First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) * 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) * 1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoure ...

and established itself in the top tier. He made 71 appearances in league competition for the club, regularly covering for Charlie Brittain, Jimmy Blair or Jimmy Nelson due to injury or international duty. He left Cardiff in 1926 to join Merthyr Town where he made 100 league appearances, scoring his first league goal, and captained the side.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Page, Willie 1886 births 1951 deaths Footballers from Liverpool English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Rochdale A.F.C. players Everton F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Merthyr Town F.C. players English Football League players