Date / Year of birth: 7th July 1960

Position: Centre-back

Season of first appearance: 1985/86

Season of last appearance: 1993/94

Also played for: Snowdown Colliery Welfare, Folkestone Town, Folkestone, Dover Athletic, Canterbury City and Ramsgate

Rugged defender born in Aylesham, near Canterbury who was educated at Dover Grammar School and started out as a rugby player but then switched to football and played for Snowdown Colliery in the Kent League.

In the summer of 1981 Folkestone Town signed him and Billy went on to win the club's 'Player of the Year' award for the 1981/82 season. During the 1982/83 campaign he scored as Folkestone beat Thanet United 8-0 on 27.10.82 and Billy stayed with Folkestone until signing for Thanet in June 1985 along with his team-mate Bobby Wilson.

He made his debut as United beat Chichester City 3-1 at Hartsdown in an FA Cup tie on 24.8.85, the opening day of the 1985/86 campaign, and went on to enjoy an outstanding season in the heart of the Thanet defence. Billy made 56 appearances and the only three games he missed were due to suspension. His uncompromising style led to many bookings and on 24.9.85 the Kentish Gazette said that Billy fouled ex-Thanet player Mark Harrop with a "waist-high" challenge in a 0-0 draw at Canterbury City. Shortly after that the Thanet Times said Billy had been a "pillar of consistency so far this term". He was later referred to as being a "stalwart pivot" and "rock-like".

Towards the end of 1985 Billy was in particularly good form and the Thanet Times said that he "gave absolutely nothing away" as United beat Andover 3-0 at Hartsdown on 19.10.85. On 23.11.85 Thanet drew 0-0 at Corinthian and Billy was described as being "towering", the Thanet Times report went on to say that he "covered everything, particularly in the air, and made good use of the ball as well". The same paper said that Billy "reigned supreme" as United won 2-0 at Canterbury on 1.1.86. He scored once during the season, finding the net in a 3-2 defeat at Woodford on 10.4.86.

Billy started the 1986/87 campaign in great form and the Thanet Times said that he was "superb in the heart of the defence" during a 3-0 win over Corinthian on 13.9.86. On 23.9.86 Billy scored with a fine glancing header as United beat Canterbury 3-1 at Hartsdown and the Gazette said that he was "outstanding" during a 1-0 defeat at Dover in an FA Trophy tie on 7.10.86. However things didn't go all Billy's way and when his 30 yard back-pass got stuck in the mud in a game at Woodford on 26.11.86 it led to a goal which gave the home side a 3-2 win. The Thanet Extra said that he had "committed suicide". Billy made amends in the return game at Hartsdown on 6.12.86, he turned in a great performance in a 1-1 draw and the Thanet Times said that he was "at his most commanding in the box".

Billy suffered a hamstring injury at the end of 1986 and after his return to the side he found it difficult to regain his place in the centre of the Thanet defence. He had a run of four games at right-back before being switched to a midfield role for United's game at Canterbury on 14.2.87. The match finished 0-0 and Billy struggled to adapt to his new position. The Thanet Times said that he "lacked the mobility to make the move a success" whilst the Gazette said Billy was "understandably nowhere near as commanding" and "definitely not suited" to midfield. He played once more as a centre-back but after having to play in midfield again as Thanet lost 3-0 at Dorchester on 28.2.87 Billy decided to leave the club. He joined Dover having made a total of 38 appearances, scoring twice.

On 15.11.88 Billy scored for Dover in a 4-0 win over Thanet at Crabble and he stayed at the club until February 1989 when he joined Canterbury.

Billy went on to spend over three years with City and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he "reigned supreme in the heart of the visiting defence" in a 0-0 draw at Margate on 26.3.91. He was Canterbury's 'Player of the Year' for the 1990/91 season and made well over 100 appearances for City before returning to Hartsdown Park to join Margate in the summer of 1992.

The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Billy was a "stalwart" who was "always a popular figure" during his spell with Thanet United whilst the Thanet Times said he was "a tiger in the tackle and one of the most capable central defenders in East Kent". The paper also described Billy as being a "muscular six footer" who was "a welcome addition to the squad" and he made his first appearance on 22.8.92 as Margate beat Wealdstone 4-1 at Watford on the opening day of the 1992/93 campaign. Billy was a fixture in the side at centre-back from then on, missing only a handful of games through injury, and he enjoyed an outstanding season. On 7.11.92 he scored his first goal in a 2-1 home defeat against Wealdstone and Billy then scored in Margate's next match to secure a 1-0 win over Andover at Hartsdown on 14.11.92. He was surprisingly on target for the third consecutive game as Margate won 4-1 at Ashford on 17.11.92 and later added another goal in a 2-0 home win over Havant on 12.12.92. The Thanet Times' report on the match described Billy as being "redoubtable" and said that "no-one was more dominant". His good form continued and the Gazette wrote that he was the "outstanding figure in the home defence" during a 0-0 draw with Sittingbourne at Hartsdown on 28.12.92 and "seldom allowed anything past him" in a 3-1 home defeat against Fisher on 19.1.93. On 6.3.93 Billy scored to cap what the Times said was an "outstanding display" in a 4-0 home win over Burnham and on 10.4.93 his spectacular header from a Phil Handford corner secured a 1-0 win over his old club Canterbury at Hartsdown. Billy finished the 1992/93 campaign having scored six goals in 45 first team appearances and deservedly won the club's 'Players' Player of the Year' award. He also played ten games for the reserves in the Kent Midweek League.

The 1993/94 season started badly for Billy as he picked up pelvic and back injuries in a 0-0 draw with Fareham at Hartsdown on 21.8.93, the opening day of the campaign. The problems kept him out of action for over two months and at the start of November 1993 Billy was loaned to Ramsgate to get some match practice. After scoring for the Rams in a 5-4 home defeat against Dartford Billy returned to Margate and played in a 1-0 win at Fisher in the Kent Senior Cup on 9.11.93. The Isle of Thanet Gazette referred to him as being "evergreen" and said he "seized his chance to turn in an outstanding display in defence". From then on Billy barely missed a match and on 16.11.93 he scored in a 2-0 win at Ashford. The Gazette hailed his "welcome reappearance in the side" and described Billy's goal as "a typical Plews effort...he moved upfield to meet a Malcolm Smith corner and head powerfully into the net". Billy also scored in a 4-1 win over Wealdstone at Hartsdown on 29.1.94 and the Gazette said he was "reliability personified" during a 2-0 home defeat against Gravesend & Northfleet on 22.3.94.

On 2.5.94 Billy was part of the side that took on Dover in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium and he guaranteed himself cult hero status with Margate supporters by opening the scoring with a typically thumping header from a Malcolm Smith corner in the first half. Margate went on to win 2-1 to complete the greatest day in Billy's Margate / Thanet career which was rapidly drawing to a close. He played in the last two matches of the season but the second of them - a 5-0 win over Poole at Hartsdown on 7.5.94 - was Billy's last game for Margate. After scoring three times in 34 appearances during 1993/94 and making over 170 career appearances for Margate and Thanet United Billy retired aged 33.

In 2008 he was running his well-established wholesale business 'East Kent Foods' on the Barton Industrial Estate in Canterbury and playing golf at the Walmer and Kingsdown club near Deal.

In August 2013 Billy turned out for a Folkestone Legends team in a charity match to celebrate former Thanet player John Lineham's 50th birthday and a host of other former Margate / Thanet players were also involved in the game.