Club Managers

[scottish]

Another unsurprising one there. At least he has gone out on a high. Lumsden was actually in charge for a couple of games earlier in the season.

[scottish]

Excel file updated to end of 2011-12 can be downloaded HERE

[Sat31March1928]

Some updates on the specific dates for Hearts managers

William Waugh end date of 01 April 1908
James McGhee 11 April 1908 to 07 December 1909

David Pratt 24 June 1935
http://londonhearts.com/scores/images/1 ... 062801.htm

[scottish]

Thanks for these, Davy. Have amended here and also for the new print edition of the book which is up to the end of 2011-12 (last entry Todd Lumsden taking over at Albion Rovers).

The amended entries for the three Hearts managers above now read:

WAUGH, William
Heart of Midlothian Aug 15th 1903-Apr 1st 1908
Honours: Scottish Cup Winner 1905-06, Scottish League Runner-Up 1903-04, 1905-06, Scottish Cup Finalist 1906-07

Waugh succeeded Peter Fairley who had experienced difficulty in dealing with the players. Waugh was more involved in the playing side and he made recommendations on scouting, signings, tactics and selection, though the board retained the final say. Trainers were also more involved day-to-day with the players and it is no surprise that photos of the Hearts teams of the times include trainer James Chapman but not manager Waugh.

His first season was a successful one as Hearts challenged for the title, actually finishing their programme level on points with Third Lanark who then needed to take a point from their two remaining games to avoid a play-off. Thirds won both to win their only title. After a dull season in 1904-05, Hearts made a bold bid to win Scotland’s first league and cup double. They led the league until Christmas but Celtic always had games in hand. In the end the Celts finished six points clear. Hearts gained revenge in the Scottish Cup, winning at Parkhead in the last eight before going on to beat Port Glasgow Athletic in the semis and - in an admittedly poor game - beat Third Lanark 1-0 in the final to take the Scottish Cup for the fourth time and keep up a remarkable five-year sequence of victories - 1891, 1896, 1901, 1906. Few could have suspected at the time that it would be another half century before Hearts triumphed again.

Hearts needed replays against Airdrie, Kilmarnock and Raith Rovers before they reached the semis again in 1907 where they beat Queen’s Park to reach a second successive Scottish Cup Final for the first - and to date, last - time in their history. After an hour’s resistance, Celtic broke them down, going on to win 3-0 and record that first ‘double’ that Hearts had come so close to achieving the previous year.

The remainder of Waugh’s time as Hearts manager saw the team slide down the league table into mediocrity. Waugh himself left in April 1908 to be interviewed by Arsenal as a potential successor to Phil Kelso but was unsuccessful. He then retired from the game to run a bar in Broxburn.

McGHEE, James
Heart of Midlothian Apr 11th 1908-Dec 7th 1909
Honours: None

As a former Hibs player McGhee was none too popular with the fans. As a disciplinarian he didn’t go down too well with the players either. Neither hurdle was insurmountable provided results went the right way. But they didn’t. Hearts were twelfth of eighteen in his only full season in charge.

In 1909-10 his disciplinarian side was to the fore when he suspended one player and fined Hearts legend Bobby Walker for missing a match. Walker was subsequently suspended for the season (as was the other player, Tom Collins) and this provoked a mass outcry from the fans, resulting in the board overruling McGhee’s decision. With his position undermined by the board McGhee had no alternative but to resign. He later emigrated to the USA. His Scots-born son Bart became the first player to score for the USA at the World Cup Finals, in Uruguay in 1930.

PRATT, David 1896-????
Heart of Midlothian Jun 24th 1935-Feb 4th 1937
Honours: None

Fifer Pratt started out in management with non-league Yeovil Town before taking over at Clapton (now Leyton) Orient and despite two nondescript seasons with the London club the supporters were so keen for him to stay that they organised a petition when Notts County sought his services. They were unsuccessful but so too were County. Pratt took the job but was never in charge for a solitary game as he moved to Hearts two months later to replace the long-serving Willie McCartney.

His predecessor had been an old-fashioned secretary-manager but Pratt insisted on carrying out his own ideas on the training pitch and this led to friction with Hearts’ existing coaches. On the face of it fifth place in his first season didn’t look too bad but a team that had been just five points from the title the previous year were now almost twenty adrift - although much of the fault for the drop in form can be laid at the doors of a board keen to sell their best players south of the border to pay off the club’s debts.

The problems with the training staff came to a head early in 1936-37 when the players threatened to strike. One trainer resigned, another was stripped of his authority and Pratt himself assumed control over preparation and tactics. To ensure he could devote all his time to the team, administrative duties were hived off elsewhere. Yet this may have irked Pratt. For there seemed to be no particular reason for his resigning with the team third in the league and still in the Scottish Cup and it is a mystery unexplained to this day.

Pratt spent a couple of years with Bangor City in Wales before serving in the RAF during World War Two. He was appointed Port Vale manager in December 1944 but the RAF refused to release him so he vacated the post six months later without having taken charge of a game, just as at Notts County.

[prorege]

Martyn Corrigan appointed manager of Stenhousemuir last night, replacing Davie Irons who resigned last week.

[scottish]

Martyn Corrigan appointed manager of Stenhousemuir last night, replacing Davie Irons who resigned last week.

Thanks. Have added and link to file on first page updated and now complete up to and including Corrigan.

[Kjell]

Hello,

A small note in Derby Daily Telegraph, for December, 13 - 1933 informs that "Alex Paterson, manager of Cowdenbeath died to-day."

** Came to Cowdenbeath 20 years ago, and remained with the club until they were promoted
** He then spent two seasons with Dunfermline, when they, too, gained promotion
** Returned to Cowdenbeath to fill the vacancy caused by Scott Duncan going to Manchester United.

Kjell

[scottish]

Paterson (better known as Sandy then Alex) was secretary of Hearts of Beath before moving to Cowdenbeath as secretary-manager shortly after that club joined the league in 1906. Under him Cowden won two successive Division Two titles in 1913-14 & 1914-15 in the days before automatic promotion. He was once a witness in a dispute over whether local land should be used for greyhound racing or for football and was asked by the Sheriff if his club was 'on a par' with Dunfermline Athletic. He replied "higher up."

He led Cowdenbeath to promotion in 1924 but then returned to purely administrative matters when Jimmy Richardson came in as manager. A season later he caused something of a sensation in Fife by joining Dunfermline. They won the 2nd division title in his first season, scoring over 100 goals in the process. Relegated after two seasons the Pars sunk into mid-table obscurity and when the board which had appointed him resigned en masse in 1930, he followed them out of East End Park after five years (note the length of time) as manager.

As you say, he succeeded Scott Duncan and successfully staved off relegation in his first season back but Cowdenbeath were locked into an ultimately unsuccessful battle against the drop when he died.

I don't have a year of birth for Sandy Paterson.

[Skyline Drifter]

Annan Athletic manager Harry Cairney resigned on 20th December. Assistant Euan Brydson is in temporary charge with a further announcement expected today or tomorrow regarding the immediate future.

[scottish]

I'd already altered it but you might have missed it as it was included in the Arbroath section where Cairney was a previous manager.

[scottish]

Quite a lot of info on secretary-managers on John LItster's pre-war disk. However some of it is at odds with the contemporary press so I'm reluctant to add/amend at the moment.

[sureitsza]

John McGlynn has left Heart of Midlothian FC by "mutual consent" on 28 February 2013.

[scottish]

Just seen it and will add along with Gary Locke as caretaker

[scottish]

Two in one day with Gareth Evans at Livvy (and John Collins too)

[scottish]

Elvis has left the building. Or, Elvis has been sent to Coventry.