William Lee Turley (born 15 July 1973) is an English retired football

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...

Career

Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and ...

he was the first-choice goalkeeper under Jim Smith in the 2006–07 football season, ahead of Chris Tardif and continued to be during 2007–2009 under

Darren Patterson Darren James Patterson (born 15 October 1969) is a Northern Irish football manager and former professional association football, footballer. As a player he was a Defender (association football), defender, notably playing in the Premier League ...

and then

Chris Wilder Christopher John Wilder (born 23 September 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a right-back. He was most recently the manager of club Middlesbrough. His extensive professional playing career saw s ...

. He is liked by fans for his character and, despite the occasional error, including missing a penalty in the penalty shoot-out loss to Exeter in the playoff semi-final in 2007, has produced some crucial saves for Oxford United. His banter, with fans and players alike, has made him an iconic figure in the Oxford United goal.Oxford United , Fans , Q and A , BIlly Turley Q and A
In 2002, while playing for

Rushden & Diamonds Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town. The cl ...

, Turley became the first British footballer to test positive for an anabolic steroid. He escaped with only a warning from

the Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world ...

(FA) after claiming that he had ingested the banned substance

nandrolone Nandrolone, also known as 19-nortestosterone, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) which is used in the form of esters such as nandrolone decanoate (brand name Deca-Durabolin) and nandrolone phenylpropionate (brand name Durabolin). Nandrol ...

unwittingly, suggesting that prescribed drugs could have triggered the positive result, and that a suspension would cause him distress due to personal problems.Football: Rushden keeper faces drug ban , Football , The Guardian
/ref> However, in 2004 Turley tested positive for the banned recreational drug

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

, and was this time sacked by Rushden & Diamonds and handed a six-month ban by the FA.

Richard Caborn Richard George Caborn (born 6 October 1943) is a British politician who served as Minister of Sport from 2001 to 2007 and later as the prime minister's ambassador for England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. He previously served as a junior minister ...

, the sports minister at the time, questioned why the ban was not more severe, as in many other sports a second positive test would usually lead to a lifetime ban.Concern grows over FA's drugs policy , Football , The Guardian
/ref> On 29 May 2010 Turley signed for

Southern League Premier Division The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English foot ...

team Brackley Town.

References

External links

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Profile
on official Oxford United F.C. site {{DEFAULTSORT:Turley, Billy 1973 births Living people English men's footballers Men's association football goalkeepers English Football League players National League (English football) players Northampton Town F.C. players Leyton Orient F.C. players Rushden & Diamonds F.C. players Oxford United F.C. players Evesham United F.C. players Brackley Town F.C. players Footballers from Wolverhampton