Stuart Williams (footballer)

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Stuart Williams
Personal information
Full name Stuart Grenville Williams
Date of birth (1930-07-09)9 July 1930
Place of birth Wrexham, Wales
Date of death 5 November 2013(2013-11-05) (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.

FA Cup Final, but manager Vic Buckingham opted instead for the more experienced Joe Kennedy.[5]

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

Ken Jones and Tommy Hare, before the signing of David Webb in March 1966.[7] Williams's final match for Southampton came on 22 April 1966, shortly before the end of the season which saw the Saints celebrate promotion to the top flight for the first time.[8]

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,

Morton and Southampton and brief spell as manager with Iranian club Paykan in 1970–71, and Norwegian club Viking FK in 1974.[1]

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

Southampton

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ "An Appreciation: Stuart Williams". Southampton FC. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  3. ^ "Former Wales full-back Stuart Williams dies aged 83". BBC Sport. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b Stuart Williams at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  5. ^ .
  6. .
  7. ^ In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. p. 87.
  8. ^ In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. p. 86.
  9. ^ "Austria 2 Wales 0". eu-football.info. 9 May 1954. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  10. ^ a b Neil Fissler (14 February 2010). "Williams, Stuart". Southampton - W. Where Are They Now. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Brazil - Wales". 1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden. FIFA. 19 June 1958. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  12. ^ Quoted in "In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC"

External links