Bill McGarry

William Harry "Bill" McGarry ( born June 10, 1927 in Stoke -on-Trent; † 15 March 2005) was an English football player and coach. As Right Wing runner he was in the 1950s, long-time player of Huddersfield Town. He also earned four caps for the England national team, including two games at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. As a coach, he was best known for his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, which he led at the beginning of the 1970s to the final of the UEFA Cup (1972) and for winning the League Cup (1974).

Sports career

Playing career

McGarry began his active footballers career at unterklassigen Club Northwood Mission, located in the center of his birth city of Stoke -on-Trent in Hanley district. In April 1945, he finally joined Port Vale and after he had first been obliged to amateur basis, followed in June 1945, the first professional contract. Short year ago he made his debut on Boxing Day under coach Billy Frith against Walsall FC ( 0:1) in a competitive match for the first team and Frith's successor, Gordon Hodgson, he played seven league games the following season 1946/47 - the first championship game after the wartime interruption. The sporty breakthrough came in November 1947, two years after his debut in the 5-0 thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion he managed the first goal of his professional career. Henceforth McGarry lacked only rarely in the starting lineup and in the season 1949/50, he played in all 42 league games. Nearly a year later, McGarry was transferred for a transfer fee of £ 12,000 in March 1951, first division Huddersfield Town.

The " Terriers " he should under coach George Stephenson on the side of Laurie Kelly form a rotor row and rapidly McGarry developed a good reputation with a robust and strong in the tackle play. He played at the end of the season 1950/51 ten games and the following year he was a regular player in a team, but had to take the course in 1952 in the second division. Under Stephenson's successor Andy Beattie direct resurgence and McGarry succeeded was part of a very stable defensive formation, which he formed together with Kelly, Don McEvoy, Len Quested, Ron Staniforth and goalkeeper Jack Wheeler - the actors mentioned missed all not a single minute during the season in the field. With its services to McGarry played in the focus of English selection teams and an appearance on the B team followed the nomination in the England squad for the upcoming 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. There, he played as a debutant two bets against Switzerland ( 2-0) and Uruguay ( 2:4 ); in the subsequent year, 1955, he graduated with Denmark ( 5-1 ) and Wales (1:2) two more (and last) caps for the " Three Lions " - 1956 he was part of a selected team of the English Football Association ( FA ) on the occasion of a trip to South Africa.

By 1956, McGarry was active at Huddersfield Town in the English top flight before the formerly solid defense made ​​increasingly porous showed what the descent into the Second Division led in turn in 1956. He had to surrender its direct competitor Aston Villa due to the poorer Torquotienten with his team. In November 1956, Bill Shankly, a new coach at the Leeds Road, which continues McGarry gave confidence. The return to the English top flight for McGarry remained in the three years under Shankly but out of reach and with a twelfth, ninth and fourteenth rank jumped out only midfield positions. Only under Eddie boat, which replaced the Shankly for Liverpool migrated in December 1959 briefly managed a sporting development up to sixth place to the McGarry contributed 38 own applications. The positive trend, however, was not to last and in his last season for Huddersfield based McGarry with his men until rank 20.

After ten years McGarry left Huddersfield Town in the south and in March 1961 he became the first player-manager of Bournemouth & Boscome Athletic. In the new club he played 78 league games still even in two years, before he finished his playing career and completely devoted himself to coaching career.

Coaching career

From player to coach: Bournemouth, Watford and Ipswich (1961-1968)

Already at the beginning of his coaching time McGarry celebrated a moderate success at the third division and in 1962 he failed just wide of the possible rise of three points distance to Grimsby Town. The fifth rank in the following year was roughly at the same level as his team was only six points behind newly promoted Swindon Town. In July 1963 McGarry moved to the third league rivals FC Watford, in which he departed coach succeeds Ron Burgess. Another time he narrowly failed in the rise, now in third place with two points behind Coventry City and Crystal Palace. Nevertheless, he had quite a reputation as a trainer, although he was due to its rigor and discipline fixity of their own players more respected than liked.

Shortly after the start of the following season 1964/65 it was for him then up to the second division when he hired in October 1964 when Erstligaabsteiger Ipswich Town - there had previously been dismissed Jackie Milburn. Under McGarry, benefits were initially unsettled and a fifth place in the first year followed the crash on the 15th place in the season 1965/66 before especially the return of striker Ray Crawford made ​​a decisive contribution that the " Blues" in 1968 First Division ascended. Once there remained McGarry the club only get short, because only a few months later, he resigned from his post in order to become the new coach at Erstligakonkurrenten Wolverhampton Wanderers. The " Wolves " had previously dismissed McGarry's former teammate Ronnie Allen; in Ipswich followed him even later England manager Bobby Robson.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (1968-1976)

Together with his assistant Sammy Chung, who had already worked with McGarry in Ipswich, he formed a powerful team to fast winger Dave Wagstaffe, the central midfielder from Mike Bailey and Kenny Hibbitt and the striking duo Derek Dougan and John Richards. The result was a continuous development from a lower mid-table in the 1968/69 season to a fourth place two years later. First title win was in the same year 1971, the inaugural round of the Texaco Cup.

Although McGarry's team it was a year to ninth place back, but in the UEFA Cup parallel succeeded by reaching the final, another great success. The " Wolves " defeated in the quarter and semi-finals Juventus and Ferencvaros Budapest, before they had to admit defeat in the final of Tottenham Hotspur. Another qualification for the UEFA Cup succeeded McGarry's team over fifth place in the 1972/73 season, the same as the semi-finals was achieved in both domestic cup competitions. The first significant title ( "Major Trophy" ) under his reign was followed a year later, was defeated in 1974 as League Cup final Manchester City 2-1.

Despite the success of the athletic cup medium term trend was down and after two double-digit positions in the standings in 1974 and 1975 McGarry rose with Wolverhampton after completion of the 1975/76 season in the second division from. He promptly was released after eight years as head coach of the " Wolves "; he was succeeded by his former " confidant " Sammy Chung. Responsible for the decline was mainly that he could not compensating for the loss of the short years Mike Bailey, Derek Dougan and Dave Wagstaffe. Obligated as replacement actors were difficult to squeeze in McGarry's concept, which also showed little flexibility in terms of tactics.

Recent career stations (1976-1985)

After the time in Wolverhampton McGarry sought his fortune in the distance and as head coach of the Saudi Arabian national team he replaced Ferenc Puskás. He remained there only briefly and, after his return to England Port Vale tried him committed in October 1977 after the club had previously dismissed Roy Sproson. A month later, he hired on at Newcastle United and drop the player purchases by Kenny Wharton, Peter Withe, Alan Shoulder and Bobby Shinton in its aegis. Nevertheless, the balance in about three years showed mixed, because after relegation in 1978 failed McGarry in the "mission" return to the excellence with two midfield places significantly. A few weeks after the start of the 1980/81 season McGarry was discharged after a League Cup defeat against third division side FC Bury - he was succeeded by Arthur Cox.

Without at one of its forthcoming warden stations to permanently settle down, he was in each case briefly as a scout for Brighton & Hove Albion as well as a trainer in Zambia for Power Dynamos and the national team active. About South Africa where he worked as an assistant, he returned in September 1985 to Wolverhampton. There he fell out, however, after 61 days with the owners, the Bhatti brothers. After a short break, he moved back to South Africa. There he worked in Bophuthatswana further in the coaching profession.

More than two decades McGarry lived in his adopted home before he died in March 2005 after a long illness at the age of 77 years.

Title / Awards

• English League Cup ( 1): 1974
• Texaco Cup ( 1): 1971