Former Port Vale midfielder Billy Kellock passes away
Former Port Vale midfielder Billy Kellock has sadly passed away at the age of seventy, the media in Peterborough has announced.
Kellock had a brief but memorable spell with the Valiants in the mid-80’s. Signed by John Rudge in December 1984, he scored twice on his debut – a 5-1 thrashing of Exeter City on New Years Day. The midfielder, who was signed from Southend United, was hit by injuries but still managed to find the target twice more as he finished the season with four goals from eleven games. The Valiants won all three of the games that Kellock scored in.
He left Burslem in the summer of 1985, moving on to Halifax Town, before finishing his playing career at Kettering Town.
Always a prolific scorer from midfield, Kellock will also be known for spells at Peterborough United (160 games and 49 goals), Wolves (where he won promotion in 1983) and Southend United (scoring twelve times in 62 games). He totalled 343 appearances, scoring 93 times.
Kellock’s passing was announced in the Peterborough Telegraph newspaper who described the Scotsman as a “superb all-round midfielder.”
Billy Kellock in Port Vale action
(with thanks to Kev Walshaw)
Billy Kellock (right) heads a Port Vale goal against Exeter City
Billy Kellock scores a penalty
RIP Billy Kellock. Forever Valiant.
David Brown
20th March 2024 @ 8:54 pm
Sad news. I well recall the Exeter match and Kellock’s instant impact. In many ways he was a typical Rudge signing, a good well balanced footballer adding quality to the team’s ground play and passing. Interesting to read the match report with photos, and that (in a season immediately after relegation from the 3rd tier) the crowd was only 3,306.
Glenn Burchell
21st March 2024 @ 8:05 pm
Remember that game so well. What a debut! Sad that his time at Vale Park was so short.
Great memories and sad, sad news. Rest in Peace.
Mr Tambourine Man
21st March 2024 @ 9:41 pm
I remember Billy Kellock; he was an instant hit. For me to remember him so well despite the passage of 40 years and the fact that he only played 11 games in one season for the Vale shows what an impact he made.