Henry Boyd

Who was Henry Boyd?

Henry Boyd was a Scottish footballer.

A striker, Boyd was born in Pollokshaws, near Glasgow, but spent most of his career in England. He started out at Sunderland Albion and Burnley before joining West Bromwich Albion in 1892. After two years of sparing appearances for the Baggies he moved south to join Second Division Woolwich Arsenal in 1894. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut against Grimsby Town on 10 September 1894, and scoring another seven goals in the next four matches.

However, a little after a month he broke his leg in a friendly match against Sunderland on 15 October and he was out of action for over a year. On his return, some seven matches into the 1895–96 season, he had recovered well enough to score prolifically, scoring 13 goals in 22 matches, and finishing the season as Arsenal's top scorer. The following season he was even more prolific, scoring 10 times in 12 league matches, which attracted the attention of other clubs. Newton Heath signed him for £45 in January 1897; in all he played 41 matches for Woolwich Arsenal, scoring 31 times.