Eric Webber
Encyclopedia
Eric Victor Webber was an English footballer, playing as a centre-half
, and manager.
in West Sussex
, Webber's family moved into Hampshire
when he was a child and he played for Fareham Senior School, before joining Fareham Town
and then Gosport Borough
. In 1938 he joined Southampton
's nursery side, playing in the Hampshire League
.
.
During the war, he served in the R.A.F.
but also managed to play wartime football for Mansfield Town
and Derby County
.
He returned to The Dell
in 1945 and immediately became the regular centre-half, being ever-present in 1948-49 and 1949-50. Promotion was narrowly missed in 1947-48
when Saints finished in third place, a feat repeated the following season
(despite having an 8 point lead with 8 games to play) whilst in 1949-50
Southampton were to be denied promotion by 0.06 of a goal, missing out on second place to Sheffield United
.
In March 1948, Webber came up against George Lowrie
in consecutive matches against different clubs. On 6 March, Saints won 1-0 at Coventry City
; during the week Lowrie moved to Newcastle United
(becoming their most expensive signing in the process), and on 13 March, Saints defeated Newcastle at The Dell 4-2. In both games, Webber marked Lowrie out of the game. Lowrie was to have "revenge" at the end of the season, however, as Newcastle took the second promotion place ahead of The Saints.
According to Holley & Chalk's The Alphabet of the Saints, Webber was "an effective blocker of anything that came his way". He became team captain in 1950, succeeding Bill Rochford
, and his leadership qualities were soon to stand him in good stead, when he moved to Torquay as their player-manager.
He played 182 league games for Southampton, plus 10 in the FA Cup
.
.
He continued as a player until 1955, making 149 league appearances for the Gulls.
in the FA Cup
.
In the 1956-57 season
, he almost took Torquay to promotion from Division Three (South)
. On the final day of the season they needed to take maximum points from their game against Crystal Palace
, but only managed to obtain a draw, so Ipswich Town
took the only promotion place then available (on goal average). He did however lead Torquay to promotion from Division Four in 1960
, Torquay finishing in 3rd place. Torquay were relegated two years later, again on the last day of the season, but Webber remained at the club until he was surprisingly sacked in May 1965, to be replaced by Frank O'Farrell
after Torquay had finished in 12th place at the end of the season. He had spent nearly 14 years as Torquay manager, signing a number of players who would go on to greater things, including Robin Stubbs
who he signed from Birmingham City
for £6,000.
, Webber spent another 5 years as manager at Poole Town
, before retiring from football in 1970.
, where he ran the Manor House pub in Woolston
until retiring in April 1984.
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, and manager.
Early days
Although he was born at ShorehamShoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, Webber's family moved into Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
when he was a child and he played for Fareham Senior School, before joining Fareham Town
Fareham Town F.C.
Fareham Town F.C. is a football club based in Fareham, Hampshire, England. They were formed in 1946 and have reached the 1st round proper of the FA Cup on four occasions in their history. Fareham's most successful exploit in the FA Trophy came in the 1986–87 season when they reached the semi finals...
and then Gosport Borough
Gosport Borough F.C.
Gosport Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Gosport, England currently playing in the Southern League Division One South and West...
. In 1938 he joined Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
's nursery side, playing in the Hampshire League
Hampshire League
Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. There are two leagues; Hampshire Premier Football League named 'Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League' for sponsor purposes and the division below which is the Hampshire League 2004 or...
.
Southampton
He was quickly promoted to the Reserves where his efforts were rewarded by a professional contract in March 1939. He made one appearance in the first team on 15 April 1939 playing at right-half. Before he had the chance to establish himself in the first team, normal football was suspended following the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
During the war, he served in the R.A.F.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
but also managed to play wartime football for Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
.
He returned to The Dell
The Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
in 1945 and immediately became the regular centre-half, being ever-present in 1948-49 and 1949-50. Promotion was narrowly missed in 1947-48
1947-48 in English football
The 1947–48 season was the 68th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
when Saints finished in third place, a feat repeated the following season
1948-49 in English football
The 1948–49 season was the 69th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth won the First Division title for the first time with a team of no recognised stars and very few international players. They won the league by five points from Manchester United and Derby...
(despite having an 8 point lead with 8 games to play) whilst in 1949-50
1949-50 in English football
The 1949–50 season was the 70th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth retained the First Division title by one of the narrowest margins in history ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C....
Southampton were to be denied promotion by 0.06 of a goal, missing out on second place to 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...
.
In March 1948, Webber came up against George Lowrie
George Lowrie
George Lowrie was a Welsh footballer, who played as an inside forward for several clubs including Coventry City and Newcastle United.-Playing career:...
in consecutive matches against different clubs. On 6 March, Saints won 1-0 at Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
; during the week Lowrie moved to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
(becoming their most expensive signing in the process), and on 13 March, Saints defeated Newcastle at The Dell 4-2. In both games, Webber marked Lowrie out of the game. Lowrie was to have "revenge" at the end of the season, however, as Newcastle took the second promotion place ahead of The Saints.
According to Holley & Chalk's The Alphabet of the Saints, Webber was "an effective blocker of anything that came his way". He became team captain in 1950, succeeding Bill Rochford
Bill Rochford
William "Bill" Rochford was a member of the Portsmouth team that won the 1939 FA Cup. He played over 100 matches for Portsmouth and for their south coast rivals, Southampton.-Playing career:...
, and his leadership qualities were soon to stand him in good stead, when he moved to Torquay as their player-manager.
He played 182 league games for Southampton, plus 10 in the 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...
.
Torquay United
In October 1951 he left Southampton to become player-manager at Torquay UnitedTorquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
.
He continued as a player until 1955, making 149 league appearances for the Gulls.
Torquay United
In January 1955 he managed the club to an historic 4-0 win over Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in the 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...
.
In the 1956-57 season
1956-57 in English football
The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
, he almost took Torquay to promotion from Division Three (South)
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
. On the final day of the season they needed to take maximum points from their game against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, but only managed to obtain a draw, so Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
took the only promotion place then available (on goal average). He did however lead Torquay to promotion from Division Four in 1960
1959-60 in English football
The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First...
, Torquay finishing in 3rd place. Torquay were relegated two years later, again on the last day of the season, but Webber remained at the club until he was surprisingly sacked in May 1965, to be replaced by Frank O'Farrell
Frank O'Farrell
Francis 'Frank' O'Farrell is an Irish former football player and manager.-Early:Frank O'Farrell started his playing career with Cork United, but followed his former Cork teammate, Tommy Moroney to West Ham United in January 1948. A quietly spoken, but nonetheless determined and talented wing-half,...
after Torquay had finished in 12th place at the end of the season. He had spent nearly 14 years as Torquay manager, signing a number of players who would go on to greater things, including Robin Stubbs
Robin Stubbs
Robin Gregory Stubbs is an English former professional footballer, born in Quinton, Birmingham, who played as a centre forward...
who he signed from Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
for £6,000.
Poole Town
After spending 14 years as manager at PlainmoorPlainmoor
Plainmoor is a suburb of Torquay, Devon, but is best known as the name of the stadium in which Torquay United Football Club currently play.-History:...
, Webber spent another 5 years as manager at Poole Town
Poole Town F.C.
Poole Town F.C. is a football club based in Poole, England. They were established in 1890 and joined the Western League Division Two in 1930. They won the Western League title in 1957 and reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup four times in their history. They are currently members of the...
, before retiring from football in 1970.
After football
In August 1970, he returned to SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, where he ran the Manor House pub in Woolston
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Hampshire, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.The area is rich in maritime and aviation history...
until retiring in April 1984.