Bill Ellaway played for Exeter City between 1954 and 1956. He joined the club from Barnstaple and later played for Bournemouth before becoming involved in football in his home town of Crediton.

Bill, then with Barnstaple Town, played in a trial match for Exeter City in August 1953 having had a trial with Arsenal the previous season. Eventually signing for City in November 1953, he made a goalscoring debut for City when he scored in the 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in February 1954. In all, Bill pkayed eight league games in his first season scoring twice. 

Starting the 1954/55 season in the first team, he netted twice in the opening four games and ended the campaign with six goals from 19 appearances. The following season Bill's first-team chances were restricted to just four games with a single goal against Reading.

Bill signed for Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in June 1956 but only made four league appearances before moving to Poole Town. He later found work with an engineering firm in Crediton and, having been enthusiastically involved in local football, died in the mid-Devon town on 20 April 2022. 

A tribute to Bill Ellaway appeared in the Crediton Courier shortly after he died in 2022 and is also reproduced elsewhere in the archive.