Bill McGarry
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | William Harry McGarry[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 10 June 1927||
Place of birth | Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England[1] | ||
Date of death | 15 March 2005[2] | (aged 77)||
Place of death | Bophuthatswana, South Africa[2] | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Right-half | ||
Youth career | |||
Northwood Mission | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1945–1951 | Port Vale | 148 | (5) |
1951–1961 | Huddersfield Town | 363 | (25) |
1961–1963 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 78 | (2) |
Total | 589 | (32) | |
International career | |||
1954 |
England "B" | 1 | (0) |
1954–1955 | England | 4 | (0) |
Football League | 1 | (0) | |
Managerial career | |||
1961–1963 |
player-manager ) | ||
1963–1964 | Watford | ||
1964–1968 | Ipswich Town | ||
1968–1976 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
1976–1977 | Saudi Arabia | ||
1977–1980 | Newcastle United | ||
198?–198? | Power Dynamos FC | ||
1982–1983 | Zambia | ||
1985 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William Harry McGarry (10 June 1927 – 15 March 2005) was an England international association footballer and manager who spent 40 years in the professional game. He had a reputation for toughness, both as a player and as a manager.
A
He also found success as a manager, moving from Bournemouth to Watford in 1963, he was appointed as Ipswich Town manager the following year. There he led the club to the Second Division championship in 1967–68, before moving on to the vacant position at Wolverhampton Wanderers later in 1968. He spent eight years with "Wolves", leading them to the UEFA Cup final in 1972 and to League Cup glory in 1974. He became an international manager with Saudi Arabia in 1976, only to return to the domestic game with Newcastle United the following year. He failed to find success at Newcastle, and left the club in 1980, before finding work in Zambia with Power Dynamos FC. He spent two months as Wolves manager in 1985, before leaving his management career behind him. After a long battle against illness, he died on 15 March 2005, aged 77.[3] He had one son and one daughter.[4]
Early and personal life
William Harry McGarry was born on 10 June 1927 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire to Ralph and Ethel (née Vernon).[2] He later married Constance Dale in 1950.[2]
Club career
McGarry began his career at local
"Terriers"
After a decade of service at Huddersfield Town, he headed south to become
, scoring twice in 78 league games, before hanging up his boots and devoting himself to management.International career
McGarry's performances at Huddersfield won him first an
Style of play
Former teammate Roy Sproson said that: "he was everything that a manager could want in a player. Magnificently fit, Bill was aggressive, busy, good in the air and a player of tremendous enthusiasm for the game. He gave 100 per cent effort for all of 90 minutes" and that he also used to "underrate himself".[9] Freddie Steele stated that "McGarry is a tough bugger. He wasn't born, you know – he was cast at Shelton Bar!".[10]
Management career
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
His post as
Watford
In July 1963, McGarry took the reins at Watford following the dismissal of Ron Burgess. He took the "Hornets" to third in the Third Division in 1963–64, his only full season in charge at Vicarage Road. They finished just two points behind Coventry City and Crystal Palace, who were both promoted.
Ipswich Town
McGarry left Watford (who appointed
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Just months into the 1968–69 campaign, he walked out on Ipswich (who appointed Bobby Robson in his stead) to take charge at fellow First Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had just sacked his former teammate Ronnie Allen.[6] He appointed Sammy Chung as his assistant, who he had previously taken on at Ipswich.[4] He built a team around speedy winger Dave Wagstaffe, central midfield duo Mike Bailey and Kenny Hibbitt, and strike partners Derek Dougan and John Richards.[11]
After a 16th-place finish in 1968–69, he took Wolves to 13th place in
They again qualified for Europe following a fifth-place finish in
"The older players like Mike Bailey, Derek Dougan and Waggy [Dave Wagstaffe] were leaving and he tried to replace them like for like, but you couldn't do it. He tried to make Steve Kindon into a centre-forward but he wasn't a Dougan type of centre-forward. He brought in John Farley to be a Waggy and he wasn't that, and he never replaced Mike. If there was ever a criticism of McGarry, it was that he could not adapt his tactics to different players."
— Striker John Richards explains his theory as to McGarry's decline at Wolves.[14]
Newcastle United via Saudi Arabia
He headed abroad and replaced Ferenc Puskás as coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, but soon returned to England. Port Vale tried to hire him after sacking Roy Sproson in October 1977, but he rejected their terms.[1] He was appointed as manager of Newcastle United the following month, after Richard Dinnis's brief and unsuccessful reign at St James' Park. He gave Kenny Wharton his first professional contract, who would go on to play for the club for eleven years. He also signed Peter Withe, Alan Shoulder, and Bobby Shinton. He could not stop the "Magpies" suffering relegation out of the First Division in the 1977–78 season.[15] He could only take United to two mid-table finishes in the Second Division in 1978–79 and 1979–80, before he was fired just weeks into the 1980–81 season after his team were knocked out of the League Cup by Third Division club Bury. Arthur Cox was appointed as his successor.
Later career
McGarry then served in a variety of posts, with spells as a scout at Brighton & Hove Albion, Zambian Power Dynamos FC as a coach, the Zambia national team as manager, and a period as a coach in South Africa. He returned to former club Wolves in September 1985, but walked out after just 61 days after a fall-out with the Bhatti Brothers.[16] After a spell outside the game, he returned to South Africa and coached in Bophuthatswana.[6]
Style of management
Journalist Pat Murphy described McGarry as a "fearsome character when crossed" who was a "hard taskmaster".[11] Murphy and Alan Oliver both noted that McGarry could often give journalists a hard time.[11][17] Former Wolves player Kenny Hibbitt said that "I didn't necessarily like him, but I respected him."[14] He also instigated rules on players diet, long before the trend became standard practice within the footballing world.[18]
Career statistics
Source:[19]
Club statistics
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Port Vale[20] | 1945–46 | Third Division South | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
1946–47 | Third Division South | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
1947–48 | Third Division South | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
1948–49 | Third Division South | 40 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
1949–50 | Third Division South | 42 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
1950–51 | Third Division South | 31 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
Total | 148 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 158 | 5 | ||
Huddersfield Town | 1950–51 | First Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
1951–52 | First Division | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
1952–53 | Second Division | 42 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
1953–54 | First Division | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
1954–55 | First Division | 32 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 1 | |
1955–56 | First Division | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
1956–57 | Second Division | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
1957–58 | Second Division | 34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 6 | |
1958–59 | Second Division | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 4 | |
1959–60 | Second Division | 35 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 1 | |
1960–61 | Second Division | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
Total | 363 | 25 | 18 | 1 | 381 | 26 | ||
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 1960–61 | Third Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
1961–62 | Third Division | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
1962–63 | Third Division | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
Total | 78 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 80 | 2 | ||
Career total | 589 | 32 | 30 | 1 | 619 | 33 |
International statistics
England national team[21] | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Apps | Goals |
1954 | 2 | 0 |
1955 | 2 | 0 |
Total | 4 | 0 |
Managerial statistics
Team | From | To | Record | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | March 1961 | July 1963 | 112 | 47 | 38 | 27 | 41.96 |
Watford | July 1963 | October 1964 | 68 | 29 | 21 | 18 | 42.65 |
Ipswich Town | October 1964 | November 1968 | 181 | 76 | 58 | 47 | 41.99 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | November 1968 | May 1976 | 358 | 135 | 101 | 122 | 37.71 |
Newcastle United | November 1977 | August 1980 | 118 | 37 | 33 | 48 | 31.36 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | September 1985 | November 1985 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 16.67 |
Total[22] | 849 | 326 | 254 | 269 | 38.40 |
- Notes
- Statistics at Saudi Arabia, Power Dynamos & Zambia not known.
Honours
Player
Huddersfield Town
- Football League Second Division second-place promotion: 1952–53[2]
Manager
Ipswich Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Texaco Cup: 1971[2]
- UEFA Cup runners-up: 1972[2]
- League Cup: 1974[23]
References
- ^ ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "England Players - Bill McGarry". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ "McGarry dies after long illness". BBC Sport. 17 March 2005. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ a b c "Bill McGarry". The Times. London. 23 March 2005. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ Henderson, Jon (7 October 2001). "The 10 greatest comebacks of all time". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d "1968/1976 Bill McGarry". The Wolves Site. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ "Bill McGarry". The Independent. London. 19 March 2005. Retrieved 26 May 2009.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Bill McGarry". theFA.com. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ Harper, Chris (10 February 1975). "Sproson's Eleven". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
- ^ a b c Murphy, Pat (22 March 2005). "McGarry did Wolves proud". The Birmingham Post. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ Murphy, Pat (22 March 2005). "McGarry did Wolves proud. – Free Online Library". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- ^ May, John (26 January 2006). "FA Cup flashback". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ a b "The picture painted of Bill McGarry". Express & Star. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ "Bill McGarry (1977–80)". Newcastle United official site. 3 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ Cooper, Steve (17 March 2005). "Bill McGarry Dies". thefootballnetwork.net. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ Oliver, Alan (19 March 2005). "Raising a glass to hard man McGarry". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ Glanville, Brian (22 March 2005). "Bill McGarry". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
- ^ Bill McGarry at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.
- ^ "Bill McGarry". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ Bill McGarry management career statistics at Soccerbase
- ^ ISBN 978-0-362-00259-1. Retrieved 26 November 2022.