Syd Owen

William Sydney " Syd " Owen ( born September 29, 1922 in Birmingham, † 16 January 1999) was an English football player and coach. As a center-half, he was in the 1950s, long-time player and captain of Luton Town. He also earned three caps for the English national team, including a game at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland.

Sports career

Owen began his footballing career in the home to Birmingham City. There, however, he came immediately after the war-related break rarely used, which was especially true of Ted Duck House, which showed consistently good performance on Owens preferred defensive position. He then moved in June 1947 to the second division rivals Luton Town.

In the " Hatters " debuted Owen in a 3-0 away win against FC Brentford; Hugh Billington thereby scoring a hat -trick. In the following years, Owen was on the position of the center rotor to the key players of coach Dally Duncan, who built a new team around his captain. In the medium term the thus assembled team developed a rise aspirants and in the 1954/55 season succeeded in winning the second division runner-up (behind the former club of Birmingham) and the associated rise in the highest English league. At this time, Owen had played in the focus of the English national team and graduated from there in advanced football age of 31, his first and only three internationals. He was part of the England squad for the World Cup 1954 in Switzerland and at 4-4 in the preliminary round match against Belgium he was in the starting. In addition to appearances for the national team, he was represented in other representative teams of the English Football Association ( FA) and in trips to South Africa, Australia and the West Indies, he led the respective teams as captain.

After climbing 1955 Owen moved on to the coaching staff and followed Tim Kelly as Kotrainer after. In parallel, he went to 1959 on his playing career after. The last season 1958/59 ended with a great success, as Owen Luton with the final of the FA Cup reached, but with the 1:2 was lost against Nottingham Forest. In recognition of his athletic achievements, the English sports journalists also appointed him to England's Footballer of the Year. After a total of 413 official matches missions took Owen in season 1959/60 the Office of the head coach. However, its phase as athletic Main responsibility was ill-fated and often created discord with the club management in terms of player commitments. After descending 1960 Owens ended longstanding collaboration with Luton Town and he left the club in the direction of Leeds United.

In Leeds, he began a successful collaboration with Don Revie. Under Revie to Leeds developed A former second division to a top English club, which won directly after the rise the runner-up (1965) and later two league titles (1969, 1974). In 1978 it undertook Manchester United as the new youth coach. Later, Owen for the " Red Devils " committed as a scout before 1982, he said goodbye to retire.

Title / Awards

• England's Footballer of the Year ( 1): 1959