Bill Paterson (5 March 1898 – 1980) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a center forward. He began his career in Scotland before moving to England in 1925. In 1926, he joined the American Soccer League where he led the league in scoring in the fall 1929 season.
Paterson spent time with Cowdenbeath F.C. before moving to Derby County of The Football League in 1921. He spent two seasons with Derby before rejoining Cowdenbeath. He also spent time with Armadale. He then played with Coventry City during the 1925-1926 season. In the fall of 1926, he moved to the United States where he signed with the Springfield Babes of the American Soccer League. Paterson played only thirteen games of the 1925-1926 season with Springfield before jumping to the Fall River Marksmen for twenty games. He did not finish the season with Fall River, but moved to the New Bedford Whalers for seven games. He spent the full 1927-1928 season in New Bedford, but was transferred to the Providence Gold Bugs seven games into the 1928-1929 season. He finished the 1929 fall season as the league’s leading scorer with twenty-seven goals in twenty-two games.[1] In 1930, Patterson began the season with the New Bedford Whalers only to jump to the Brooklyn Wanderers. He then played the fall 1931 season with Fall River F.C..[2]
