Billy Silto

Who is Billy Silto?

William Silto was a former footballer who played at centre half for Barnsley and Swindon Town.

After injury caused a £1000 transfer to Aston Villa to fall through, Silto joined Swindon during the summer of 1909, after being released by Barnsley, who suspected he was injury-prone. Had the transfer gone through he would have been the first British football player to have been sold for more than £1000. He went on to make well over 200 appearances for Swindon over the following eleven years - and without the interruption of the First World War, it would have been far more.

A strong-tackling, energetic half-back with incredible stamina, Silto was part of one of the most successful sides in the Town's history, winning two Southern League championship medals, the Dubonnet Cup, and also reaching the FA Cup semi-finals twice. In the 1912 semi-final replay against Barnsley, Swindon were awarded a penalty, and, with regular penalty-taker Billy Tout out through injury, Silto stepped up to take the kick, eager to score against his former club. He was stopped in his tracks by captain Peter Chambers, who told Silto, "you don't take penalties, Billy", and handed the responsibility to a reluctant Archie Bown. Bown missed the kick, and Barnsley went on to win the tie 1-0.