William Llewellyn Dyer (11 September 1883 - 1936) was an English businessman and a professional footballer who played as a striker.[1] An ardent sports fan, he was one of the founders of Athletic Club and Unión Ciclista Bilbaina clubs. Dyer went on to serve the former as a striker, being the joint top scorer in the 1902 Copa de la Coronación with 5 goals, which was the club's first-ever piece of silverware.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Llewellyn Dyer | ||
| Date of birth | (1883-09-11)11 September 1883 | ||
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | ||
| Date of death | 1936 (aged 52) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1902–1904 | Athletic Club | 4 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Dyer was born in Sunderland. At some point of his life he moved to Bilbao for unknown reasons. Dyer was one of the 33 socios (co-founders) of the club on 5 September 1901, when Athletic was officially established in the infamous meeting held in the Café García.[2] He then become one of the first footballers of the newly formed Athletic Club, playing as a striker. Together with Juan Astorquia, Alejandro de la Sota, Armand Cazeaux and fellow Englishman Walter Evans, he was part of the team that won the first-ever (unofficial) Copa del Rey in 1902, in which Dyer contributed with five goals, including a poker in the semi-finals to help Athletic to an 8–1 win over New Foot-Ball Club.[3]
He was also part of the team that reached the 1905 Copa del Rey Final, starting in a 0–1 loss to Madrid FC, courtesy of a goal from Manuel Prast.[4] Between 1902 and 1905, he played four competitive matches, in which he scored five goals (Athletic Bilbao counts the matches played by Bizcaya as its own).[5]
In 1916 he had a son, Pat, who served as a spy during the Second World War.
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