Stuart Williams (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Stuart Grenville Williams | ||
Date of birth | 9 July 1930 | ||
Place of birth | Wrexham, Wales | ||
Date of death | 5 November 2013 | (aged 83)||
Place of death | Southampton, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||
Position(s) |
Full back | ||
Youth career | |||
Grove Park Grammar School | |||
Victoria Youth Club | |||
1948–1949 | Wrexham | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1949–1950 | Wrexham | 5 | (0) |
1950–1962 | West Bromwich Albion | 226 | (0) |
1962–1966 | Southampton | 150 | (3) |
Total | 381 | (3) | |
International career | |||
1954–1965 | Wales | 43 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1970 | Paykan | ||
1971–1973 | Southampton (assistant) | ||
1974 | Viking FK | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Stuart Grenville Williams (9 July 1930 – 5 November 2013)[2][3] was a Welsh international footballer who played as a defender. He played his club football for Wrexham, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.[4]
Club career
Wrexham
Williams was born in Wrexham and attended Acton Park School before moving to Grove Park Grammar School, who he represented at football.[1] He also played football for the Victoria Youth Club whilst working for an insurance company.[1] He joined Wrexham (where his father was a director) as an amateur in August 1949, making five league appearances before being signed by West Bromwich Albion in November 1950.[1]
West Bromwich Albion
At West Bromwich, he made his debut as a centre-forward before switching, firstly to wing-half, before settling into the full-back position.
Described as having "a first rate temperament, splendid positional sense and a sure kick", Williams later developed a "notable" full-back partnership with Don Howe.[5] Williams remained at West Bromwich for 12 years, making 226 league appearances, scoring six goals.[6]
Southampton
In September 1962, he joined Southampton for a fee of £15,000; the "Saints" manager Ted Bates needed Williams's experience to help guide the club towards the First Division. Williams made his debut on 19 September 1962, in a 2–1 victory over
International career
Williams made his debut for Wales in a friendly against Austria on 9 May 1954.[9]
He played for Wales on 43 occasions,[4] including all Wales's group stage matches at the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden[10] where Wales met Brazil in the Quarter-finals, going out 1–0 to a goal from Pelé.[11] In his autobiography "My Life and the Beautiful Game", written in 1977, Pelé says of this match:
I remember only too well some of the Welsh players I have faced; it will be hard ever to forget . . . the World Cup [quarter-final] of 1958 in Sweden, and the excellent play of men like Hopkins and Bowen, Stuart Williams and Sullivan, or the truly inspired goalkeeping of Jack Kelsey."[12]
Later career
After his playing career he held various coaching and management jobs including as a trainer with West Bromwich Albion,
Williams settled in Southampton, and after leaving the game he became a tyre salesman, and later a financial controller for a transport company.[1][10]
Honours
West Bromwich Albion
- Football League First Division runners-up: 1953–54
Southampton
- Football League Second Division runners-up: 1965–66
References
- ^ ISBN 0-9534-4743-X.
- ^ "An Appreciation: Stuart Williams". Southampton FC. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Former Wales full-back Stuart Williams dies aged 83". BBC Sport. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ a b Stuart Williams at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
- ^ ISBN 1-8724-2411-2.
- ISBN 0-9075-7408-4.
- ^ In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. p. 87.
- ^ In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. p. 86.
- ^ "Austria 2 Wales 0". eu-football.info. 9 May 1954. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
- ^ a b Neil Fissler (14 February 2010). "Williams, Stuart". Southampton - W. Where Are They Now. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ "Brazil - Wales". 1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden. FIFA. 19 June 1958. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
- ^ Quoted in "In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC"
External links
- Stuart Williams at EU-Football.info