Career
He made over 40 appearances in the Football League playing for Bolton Wanderers, Swindon Town and Stockport County. Beards was born in Normanton, Yorkshire and played for Whitewood Juniors as a youth player before he began his professional football career with Bolton and he also played for Swindon Town and Stockport County and moved to Frickley Colliery in the Midland League in 1958, along with David Niven of Sheffield Wednesday.