David Calderhead
Encyclopedia
David Calderhead was a Scottish
footballer
who later became a manager, notably of Chelsea
.
team Queen of the South Wanderers. Calderhead won a Scotland
cap, in a 7-0 win against Ireland at Ibrox
in the British Home Championship
in March 1889. This attracted Notts County
. With County he played in 2 FA Cup
finals.
The Blackburn Rovers side of Thomas Mitchell
were 3-1 winners in 1891. Calderhead got his hands on the trophy in 1894 after a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers
.
in 1900. In leading his side to a shock replayed win over Chelsea in the first round of 1906-07
FA Cup, he impressed the west London
club's board enough for them to appoint him manager later that year. Norrie Fairgray
made the same move in the same year to play for Calderhead at both clubs.
Calderhead was Chelsea's first full-time secretary-manager and spent almost 26 years at the club, making him the club's longest-serving manager. In his time there, the team were relegated
twice, in 1909-10
and subsequently re-promoted as Second Division
runners-up.
He took Chelsea to their first FA Cup final, in 1915, but in a match overshadowed by the First World War
they were beaten by Sheffield United
0-3 at Old Trafford. The club later reached two more semi-finals under Calderhead and were on course for a domestic double
in 1919-20
but ultimately finished 3rd in the First Division
and were denied in the FA Cup by Aston Villa
.
A second relegation ensued in 1923-24
before the side of Willie Ferguson
, Tommy Law
and Andy Wilson endured a succession of near misses before securing promotion in 1929-30
.
Calderhead was notoriously shy of the media, earning the nickname "The Sphinx
of Stamford Bridge
". But he was not afraid to spend headline-making transfer fees on star strikers (especially fellow Scots), bringing the likes of Hughie Gallacher
, Alex Jackson
and Alec Cheyne
to Stamford Bridge. Despite the glamour of the squad, trophies remained elusive. 1931-32
brought a further FA Cup semi final. Tommy Lang
inspired Newcastle to a 2 goal lead and despite Gallacher pulling a goal back, Newcastle progressed to the final.
Calderhead holds the record at Chelsea for managing games - 966. He left the job in June 1933 to be replaced by Leslie Knighton
. Calderhead died five years after leaving Chelsea in London
at the age of 73.
His son, also called David
, played for Chelsea while Calderhead was manager and later managed Lincoln City.
(player)
Chelsea
(manager)
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who later became a manager, notably of Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
Playing career
Calderhead was a central defender and played for various clubs, including DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
team Queen of the South Wanderers. Calderhead won a Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
cap, in a 7-0 win against Ireland at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
in the British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
in March 1889. This attracted Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. With County he played in 2 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finals.
The Blackburn Rovers side of Thomas Mitchell
Thomas Mitchell (football manager)
Thomas Brown Mitchell was a multiple FA Cup winning Scottish football manager.-Blackburn Rovers:Mitchell became secretary-manager of Blackburn Rovers in 1884. The club then went on to five FA Cup wins in eight seasons between 1884 and 1891. The final win in 1891 was against the Notts County side...
were 3-1 winners in 1891. Calderhead got his hands on the trophy in 1894 after a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
.
Management career
He then moved into management, taking over at Lincoln CityLincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
in 1900. In leading his side to a shock replayed win over Chelsea in the first round of 1906-07
1906-07 in English football
The 1906–07 season was the 36th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:-First Division:-Second Division:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = PointsReferences...
FA Cup, he impressed the west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
club's board enough for them to appoint him manager later that year. Norrie Fairgray
Norrie Fairgray
Norman 'Norrie' Fairgray was a Scottish professional footballer. Fairgray played for Maxwelltown Volunteers, Kilmarnock F.C., Lincoln City, Chelsea F.C., Motherwell F.C. and home town club Queen of the South...
made the same move in the same year to play for Calderhead at both clubs.
Calderhead was Chelsea's first full-time secretary-manager and spent almost 26 years at the club, making him the club's longest-serving manager. In his time there, the team were relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
twice, in 1909-10
1909-10 in English football
The 1909–10 season was the 39th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Aston Villa won their sixth top division title.Lincoln CIty were re-admitted to the Football League after a season away, at the expense of Chesterfield.-Honours:...
and subsequently re-promoted as Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runners-up.
He took Chelsea to their first FA Cup final, in 1915, but in a match overshadowed by the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
they were beaten by Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
0-3 at Old Trafford. The club later reached two more semi-finals under Calderhead and were on course for a domestic double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
in 1919-20
1919-20 in English football
The 1919–1920 season was the 45th season of competitive football in England, and the first following the end of World War I.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition...
but ultimately finished 3rd in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and were denied in the FA Cup by Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
A second relegation ensued in 1923-24
1923-24 in English football
The 1923–24 season was the 49th season of competitive football in England.-Events:*On 11 November 1923, Aston Villa centre-half Tommy Ball was shot dead by his neighbour, thus becoming the only Football League player to have been murdered.-Honours:...
before the side of Willie Ferguson
Willie Ferguson
William Copeland Ferguson was a Scottish footballer and manager best known for his time at Chelsea and Dumfries side Queen of the South. His position was usually as a left winger.-Early years:...
, Tommy Law
Tommy Law
Thomas "Tommy" Law was a Scottish footballer. Playing at full-back, he spent his entire professional career at Chelsea....
and Andy Wilson endured a succession of near misses before securing promotion in 1929-30
1929-30 in English football
The 1929–30 season was the 55th season of competitive football in England.-Events:The Wednesday officially changed their name to Sheffield Wednesday prior to the start of this season....
.
Calderhead was notoriously shy of the media, earning the nickname "The Sphinx
The Sphinx
The Sphinx is a subglacial mound in the southernmost Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is south-east of Garibaldi Lake. The volcano is part of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt which is a segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, but it is not within the geographic boundary of the Cascade Range...
of Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
". But he was not afraid to spend headline-making transfer fees on star strikers (especially fellow Scots), bringing the likes of Hughie Gallacher
Hughie Gallacher
Hugh Kilpatrick "Hughie" Gallacher was a Scottish football player in the 1920s and 1930s. In 624 senior games, Gallacher scored 463 times....
, Alex Jackson
Alex Jackson
Alexander Skinner Jackson was a Scottish footballer.Alex Jackson was born in Renton in 1905. A highly-talented winger, known as the Gay Cavalier, he was particularly adept at dribbling and free kicks. He initially played for Renton Victoria Football Club but was transferred to Dumbarton F.C. in...
and Alec Cheyne
Alec Cheyne
Alexander George 'Alec' Cheyne was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside-forward. He is reputed to have been responsible for the Hampden Roar following his goal in the 'Cheyne International' of 1929....
to Stamford Bridge. Despite the glamour of the squad, trophies remained elusive. 1931-32
1931-32 in English football
The 1931–32 season was the 57th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
brought a further FA Cup semi final. Tommy Lang
Tommy Lang
Thomas "Tommy" Lang was an footballer, who played for Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town, Manchester United, Swansea City and Queen of the South. He was born in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland....
inspired Newcastle to a 2 goal lead and despite Gallacher pulling a goal back, Newcastle progressed to the final.
Calderhead holds the record at Chelsea for managing games - 966. He left the job in June 1933 to be replaced by Leslie Knighton
Leslie Knighton
Albert Leslie Knighton was an English football manager.Knighton was born in Church Gresley, Derbyshire. His own playing career was cut short by injury, after which he moved into coaching and management...
. Calderhead died five years after leaving Chelsea in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the age of 73.
His son, also called David
David Calderhead, Jr.
David Calderhead, Jr. was a Scottish professional football player and manager.-Career:Calderhead played for Lincoln City, Chelsea and Leicester Fosse.Calderhead later managed Lincoln City from April 1921 to May 1924.-References:...
, played for Chelsea while Calderhead was manager and later managed Lincoln City.
Honours
Notts CountyNotts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
(player)
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- winner 18941894 FA Cup FinalThe 1894 FA Cup Final was contested by Notts County and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. Notts County won 4–1, with goals by James Logan and Arthur Watson. Jim Cassidy scored for Bolton...
, finalist 18911891 FA Cup FinalThe 1891 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Rovers and Notts County at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn won 3–1, their second consecutive FA Cup Final victory, with goals by Geordie Dewar, Jack Southworth and William Townley. James Oswald scored Notts County's goal.-Teams:*Played 21 March...
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
(manager)
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalists: 19151915 FA Cup FinalThe 1915 FA Cup Final took place on 24 April 1915 and was contested by Sheffield United and Chelsea. It was the last FA Cup final to be staged before competitive football was abandoned in Britain because of the First World War...