William Alfred Sheppard was born in London and was in Adelaide by 1910, when he was playing for the Port Adelaide soccer club and working as an “electrical wireman”. Port were league champions in 1911, but in 1912 Bill Sheppard led a group of breakaway players away from the Port to form a new club, Cheltenham. He played twice for the SA state team against Broken Hill in 1912 and 1914.
Sheppard had been in the Territorial Army in England and he enlisted in the AIF almost before a shot had been fired, on 19 August 1914. He was 26 years old. As a private in the 10th Battalion he landed on the Anzac Cove beach at dawn on 25 April 1915. Only a few days later his war was over – shot through the wrist he was sent home in August 1915 and discharged.
As soon as organized football returned Sheppard continued his involvement with the Cheltenham club. This was a very successful era for the Blue and Whites, as they won the league in 1920, 1921 and 1923; and the Cup in 1920 and 1922. He stopped playing himself in 1924 but continued in the game as an administrator. Cheltenham amalgamated with Hindmarsh and Holdens in 1925 to form West Torrens.
In 1929 Bill Sheppard once more led a group of breakaway players to re-establish Cheltenham, but the club enjoyed no further success. Cheltenham folded up for good in 1940 when the entire first team squad joined the Second AIF. Bill Sheppard died in Adelaide in 1963.