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Billy Frith

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Billy Frith
Personal information
Full name William Frith[1]
Date of birth (1912-06-09)9 June 1912[2]
Place of birth Sheffield, England[2]
Date of death 1996 (aged 83–84)[2]
Height 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[3]
Position(s) Wing half[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1930 Worksop Town
1931 Mansfield Town
1931–1932 Chesterfield 9 (3)
1932–1939 Coventry City 165 (4)
1945–1946 Port Vale 0 (0)
1946–1947 Coventry City 7 (0)
Managerial career
1945–1946 Port Vale
1947–1948 Coventry City
1948–1950 Stafford Rangers
Rugby Town
1957–1961 Coventry City
1963–1965 Chelmsford City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Frith (9 June 1912 – 1996) was an English football player and manager.

Starting his career with Worksop Town, Mansfield Town, and Chesterfield, he won a move to Coventry City in 1932. He stayed with the club right up until the outbreak of World War II, helping the club to finish 1935–36 as Third Division South champions, and played a total of 165 games for the club in the Football League.

In 1945, he was appointed as manager of Port Vale before returning to Coventry as manager in 1947. His time at both clubs was unsuccessful, and he spent the next decade in non-League football as manager of Stafford Rangers and Rugby Town. He returned to Coventry as manager in 1957 and led the club to promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1958–59, but was sacked in 1961. His last management post was at Chelmsford City between 1963 and 1965; he led the club to second in the Southern League in 1963–64.

Playing career

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Frith played as a wing half for non-League sides Worksop Town and Mansfield Town. He transferred to Second Division side Chesterfield in 1931, and scored on his debut in the Football League on 19 September, in a 3–2 win over Bradford (Park Avenue).[4] He scored a total of three goals in nine league games before he moved on to Coventry City later in the year.[2] He remained in Harry Storer's team up until the outbreak of World War II. During this time, Coventry finished second in the Third Division South in 1933–34, though were not promoted. They did achieve promotion at the end of the 1935–36 campaign after topping the division, one point ahead of chasers Luton Town. Coventry finished in fourth place in the Second Division in the two pre-war seasons, missing out on promotion to the First Division by one point in 1937–38 and four points in 1938–39. Frith made 172 League appearances for Coventry City in two spells.[5]

Managerial career

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Port Vale

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Frith was appointed manager of Port Vale in August 1945. The 1945–46 season was uneventful, and he seemed to settle into management quite well. In preparation for the first season of post-war football, he signed experienced forward Colin Lyman from Tottenham Hotspur for a 'fairly substantial fee', full-back Garth Butler from Derby County, and half-back Norman Hallam from Chelsea. He sold goalkeeper Arthur Jepson to Stoke City for £3,750. However, after a poor start to the season, he resigned in October 1946 over a policy difference with the club's directors. He claimed the board refused to back his suggestions for new players, interfered in team selection and failed to grant him a three-year contract – claims the club denied.[6] The "Valiants" went on to finish the 1946–47 campaign in tenth place in the Third Division South under Gordon Hodgson.

Coventry City

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After leaving Port Vale, Frith returned to Highfield Road as assistant to Dick Bayliss and also played seven league games. Following Bayliss' death, Frith was appointed manager of Coventry City in August 1947, remaining in that position until November 1948.[7] He signed goalkeeper Reg Matthews but was sacked with the club in the bottom two.[8] Coventry finished the 1947–48 Second Division season in tenth place, and went on to end the 1948–49 season just two points above the relegation zone under Harry Storer's stewardship.

Following spells in charge at non-league clubs Stafford Rangers and Rugby Town, he rejoined Coventry City as a coach. He was once again appointed manager in September 1957.[7] His side ended 1957–58 in nineteenth place in the Third Division South, and so were invited to become founder members of the Fourth Division in 1958–59. He then took the club to a second-place finish in 1958–59, four points behind champions Port Vale, his former club; City were therefore promoted into the Third Division.

His side flirted with the prospect of a second successive promotion in 1959–60 but ultimately finished in fifth place. They failed to push for promotion in 1960–61, and ended the campaign in fifteenth place. On what was known as 'Black Saturday', 25 November 1961, Coventry were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league King's Lynn. Frith was sacked by chairman Derrick Robins.[7][9] He was replaced by Jimmy Hill, who took Coventry to a fourteenth-place finish in 1961–62. He later managed Chelmsford City. He led the "Clarets" to second and fifth-place finishes in the Southern League in 1963–64 and 1964–65. He later worked as a teacher until retiring in 1977.[8]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[10]
Club Season League FA Cup Other[A] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chesterfield 1931–32 Second Division 9 3 0 0 0 0 9 3
Coventry City 1932–33 Third Division South 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 1
1933–34 Third Division South 8 0 0 0 1 1 9 1
1934–35 Third Division South 22 0 1 0 4 0 27 0
1935–36 Third Division South 30 2 2 0 2 1 34 3
1936–37 Second Division 28 1 3 0 0 0 31 1
1937–38 Second Division 32 0 0 0 0 0 32 0
1938–39 Second Division 39 0 1 0 0 0 40 0
1939–40 Second Division 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 0
1946–47 Second Division 7 0 1 0 0 0 8 0
Total 169 4 8 0 10 2 187 6
Port Vale 1946–47 Third Division South 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 178 7 8 0 10 2 196 9

Managerial statistics

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Source:[10][11]

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Port Vale 1 August 1945 1 October 1946 13 5 5 3 038.5
Coventry City 1 February 1947 29 November 1948 85 27 23 35 031.8
Coventry City 25 September 1957 29 November 1961 204 84 49 71 041.2
Total 302 116 77 109 038.4

Honours

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Coventry City

References

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  1. ^ "Billy Frith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Billy Frith". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Coventry City. Good halves but a weakness in defence". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Debut scorers". Google Docs. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  5. ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccerdata. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  6. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 107. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  7. ^ a b c "Previous Managers". ccfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Blast From The Past: On This Day 1912 – Billy Frith (CCFC Player & Two Time 'Gaffer') Was Born: Coventry City Former Players Association || CCFPA". www.ccfpa.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Coventry City Football Club". BBC. 8 June 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  10. ^ a b Billy Frith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  11. ^ Billy Frith management career statistics at Soccerbase
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