Footballers who have played league football for both PNE and Norwich
A-F
306) William Aitken
PNE 56 apps; 11 goals
Norwich 14 apps; 0 goals
PNE debut 30/08/1924 v West Ham (A) – Lost 0-1
836) Darren Beckford
PNE 2 apps; 0 goals
Norwich 38 apps; 8 goals
PNE Debut 18/01/1997 v Watford (H) – Draw 1-1
401) Joe Brain
PNE 7 apps; 2 goals
Norwich 13 apps; 5 goals
PNE Debut 28/10/1933 v Port Vale (H) – Draw 0-0
954) Chris Brown
PNE 94 apps; 17 goals
Norwich 18 apps; 1 goal
PNE debut 12/01/2008 v Watford (H) – Won 1-0
962) Stephen Elliott
PNE 46 apps; 7 goals
Norwich 10 apps; 2 goals
PNE debut 16/09/2008 v Nottm Forest (H) – Won 2-1
882) Dickson Etuhu
PNE 134 apps; 17 goals
Norwich 62 apps; 6 goals
PNE Debut 29/01/2002 v Bradford (A) – Won 1-0
415) John Frier
PNE 26 apps; 8 goals
Norwich 82 apps; 18 goals
PNE Debut 15/12/1934 v Leeds (A) – Drawn 3-3
Player Profile – William Aitken
William John Aitken was born on 2 February 1894 and played in the outside-right and inside-right positions.
Aitken played for Kirkintilloch, Queens Park, and Rangers before moving to England to play for Port Vale in the summer of 1919. He scored on his debut at inside-right in a 2-0 win at Aston Villa Reserves in a Central League match on 20 August 1919. After Vale were elected to the Football League in October 1919 following the expulsion of Leeds City. Port Vale was forced to pay £500 to Rangers for his and Peter Pursell services. He was in the Staffordshire Senior Cup winning side of 1920 and scored 4 goals from 30 appearances during the 1919/20.
Aitken was sold to Newcastle for £2,500 in May 1920, here he began playing as an inside forward and although he only scored ten league goals in four seasons at the club, making a total of 104 league appearances.
For the start of the 1924/25 season, Aitken signed for Preston for £11,500. He made his debut in a 1-0 defeat at West Ham on 30 August 1924, whit his first goal coming on 15 November in a 3-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest. Aitkin scored 6 goals in 41 appearances as the Lilywhites suffered relegation from Division One.
The 1925/26 season saw Aitkin score 5 goals from 15 appearances, including a brace in the 2-0 home win over Nottingham Forest on 17 April. He scored on his final appearance in a 4-2 home victory against Barnsley on 1 May 1926. Aitkin had scored 11 goals from 56 appearances.
After a short spell with Chorley Aitkin joined Norwich in the 1926/27 season making 14 appearances as Norwich finished in 16th position in Division Three South.
After a spell with Bideford Town he spent the 1929/30 season with Juventus, before eventually ended up playing football in France for AS Cannes, Stade Reims and FC Antibes. At Cannes he was part of the team that reached the Coupe de France final on 24 April 1932, which they won 1-0 over RC Roubaix.
After he hung up his boots Aitkin became a representative at a wine and sprit merchant in the North East and passed away in 1973.