Bill McGarry (footballer)

Football manager infobox
playername = Bill McGarry


fullname = William Harry McGarry
dateofbirth = June 10, 1927
cityofbirth = Stoke-on-Trent
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|2005|3|15|1927|6|10
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath = South Africa
height = height|ft=5|in=8
position = Wing-half
years = 1945–1951
1951–1961
1960–1963
clubs = Port Vale
Hudderfield Town
Bournemouth
caps(goals) = 146 00(5)
363 0(25)
078 00(2)
nationalyears = 1954
1954–1955
nationalteam = England B
England
nationalcaps(goals) = 001 00(0)
004 00(0)
manageryears = 1961–1963
1963–1964
1964–1968
1968–1976
1976–1977
1977–1980
1985
managerclubs = Bournemouth (player/manager)
Watford
Ipswich Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Saudi Arabia
Newcastle United
Wolverhampton Wanderers

William Harry "Bill" McGarry (June 10 1927 - March 15 2005) was an English international football player and manager.

Playing career

McGarry began his career at local non-league club Northwood Mission, based in Hanley, before joining Port Vale in 1945. After four full seasons of league action, he moved to Huddersfield Town of the Second Division in March 1951.

His performances at the Yorkshire club won him a place in the England squad for the 1954 World Cup. Despite having never featured for the national team before, he played 2 of England's 3 games in the tournament (against hosts Switzerland and Uruguay). He won his final cap the following year in a Home International defeat in Wales. He also played for the Football League and went on the FA's 1956 South African tour.

After a decade of service at Huddersfield Town, he headed south to become Bournemouth's first player/manager. He spent two years at Dean Court before hanging up his boots and devoting himself to management.

Management career

His post as player/manager at Bournemouth (then Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic) in 1961 was the start of a long career in management for McGarry. In July 1963, he took the reins at Watford, taking them to the verge of promotion to the Second Division in his only full season, before moving to Ipswich Town in September 1964.

He took Ipswich back into the top flight, winning the Second Division in 1967/68. Just months into the new campaign though, he walked out to take charge at fellow First Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 1968.

After a stumbling 1960s, the club were revived under McGarry as he took the team all the way to the UEFA Cup Final in 1972 and success in the 1974 League Cup final, as well two top 6 league finishes. The club suffered relegation though in 1976 and he was promptly fired.

He headed abroad to coach the Saudi Arabian national team but soon returned to England to manage Newcastle United in November 1977. He could not stop the Magpies suffering relegation that season, and he could only take the team to two mid-table finishes in the Second Division before being fired just weeks into the 1980/81 season after being knocked out of the League Cup by Third Division Bury.

McGarry then served in a variety of posts, with spells as a scout at Brighton, Power Dynamo (Zambia) coach, Zambian national team manager and a period as coach in South Africa. He returned to former club Wolves in September 1985, but walked out after just 61 days with the club sinking down the table under the chaotic ownership of the Bhatti Brothers. After a spell outside the game, he moved back to South Africa as coach of Bopnutbuswanana.

After a long battle against illness, he died on March 15, 2005, aged 77.

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4358187.stm BBC report of McGarry's death]
* [http://www.itfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/FormerBlues/0,,10272,00.html Ipswich Town's 'Memories of McGarry']