Bill Mc Garry

Bill Mc Garry

William Harry "Bill" McGarry (10 June 1927 – 15 March 2005) was an England international football player and manager who spent 40 years in the professional game. He had a reputation for toughness, both as a player and as a manager.

A right-half as a player, he joined Port Vale following the end of World War II, and spent the next six years with the club. He then moved on to Huddersfield Town in 1951, where he would spend the next ten years of his career. He was an ever-present as Town won promotion out of the Second Division in 1952–53. He retired in 1963, after spending two years as Bournemouth's player-manager. In all he scored 33 goals in 617 league and cup games in an eighteen year career in the Football League. After winning one England "B" cap in 1954, he went on to win four senior England caps.

He also found success as a manager, moving from Bournemouth to Watford in 1963, he was appointed as Ipswich Town manager the following year. There he led the club to the Second Division championship in 1967–68, before moving on to the vacant position at Wolverhampton Wanderers later in 1968. He spent eight years with "Wolves", leading them to the UEFA Cup final in 1972 and to League Cup glory in 1974. He became an international manager with Saudi Arabia in 1976, only to return to the domestic game with Newcastle United the following year. He failed to find success at Newcastle, and left the club in 1980, before finding work in Zambia with Power Dynamos FC. He spent two months as Wolves manager in 1985, before leaving his management career behind him. After a long battle against illness, he died on 15 March 2005, aged 77. He had one son and one daughter.