Career Record for Featherstone
Appearances			Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Total	Start	Sub
205	205	0	33	236	0	571

Bill Sherwood commenced his senior career with Bradford Northern when he signed as a youngster from Castleford British Legion. At that time he was an aspiring stand-off, but when he was transferred to Featherstone in September 1935 he had moved to loose forward. He would remember his debut for the Rovers. At Huddersfield on 21 September 1935, the home side inflicted upon the Rovers their heaviest defeat in their senior club history - 60-2. It was certainly no picnic as Rovers only won five games in both 1935/36 and 1936/37, and had 625 and 858 points respectively scored against them as they languished at the bottom of the table.

Undeterred, Bill Sherwood's tough, gritty play was suited to this situation and after 33 appearances in his first season, he led the Rovers with conviction and brought some relief with his goal-kicking. He topped both the club goal and points-scoring lists for six successive seasons from 1936 to 1942 and in dismal seasons, his best efforts were five goals and one try which brought a surprise 16-11 home win against Huddersfield in April 1937 and six goals and one try v Rochdale (at home) in October 1937. Yet he stuck at it and when the club was revived by a new policy in 1937, he was there to guide the 'new order' to better days. His deserved reward was a Yorkshire Cup final medal when Rovers beat Wakefield in the 1940 final to gain their first trophy. Significantly, he was to play a full part with a try and three goals in the first round, and three goals in each of the succeeding matches against Bradford, Dewsbury and Wakefield. In the final, he led the forwards in fine style and was involved in the first try. Half-way through the second half, his glorious touch-line penalty kick gave Rovers the lead 10-9 and he then added a drop goal in the closing stages to conclude the scoring.

A hard, uncompromising player with his characteristic skull cap, Sherwood was just the player Rovers needed to surmount those dark days of the 1930s. He played through the war, but then decided to retire after one game in the 1945/46 season at Dewsbury on 22 December 1945. He was then appointed coach until 1947 and returned for a second stint from 1948 to 1951 as Rovers' fortunes began to pick up. He was succeeded by Eric Batten and had a brief spell on the Rovers committee, concluding what was a wholehearted dedication to the Rovers.

For details of his coaching career see here

Biography by Ron Bailey