John Haworth
Encyclopedia
John Haworth was an English football manager. After playing amateur football as a youth, he was appointed manager of Accrington Stanley
in 1897. He was in charge of the team for 13 years, leading them to two Lancashire Combination
titles, before moving to nearby Burnley
in July 1910. His 14 year spell as secretary–manager of Burnley was highly successful and guided the team to an FA Cup
victory and a Football League championship. Howarth is the only Burnley
manager to date to have won the FA Cup.
, Lancashire in 1876 and was the nephew of England
international George Haworth
. He died of pneumonia
on 4 December 1924 aged 48.
and became a member of the Accrington Stanley committee. Later the same year, he was named secretary of the club. At the time, club secretaries were in charge of first-team duties such as coaching and signing players. Under the stewardship of Howarth, Accrington Stanley were transformed into one of the foremost non-league
clubs in Lancashire, winning the Lancashire Combination
in the 1902–03 season. The following campaign, the team finished as runners-up before again claiming the league title in the 1905–06 season. He went on to manage the club for 13 years before leaving in the summer of 1910.
side Burnley
in July 1910, replacing Richard Wadge
, who had taken care of first-team affairs since the death of Spen Whittaker
in April 1910. During his first summer in charge, he signed Burnley's first foreign player, German defender Max Seeburg
. Soon afterwards, he changed the colour of Burnley's strip as he considered the green kit to be unlucky. He opted to change the colours to claret and blue, to match the strip of reigning Football League champions Aston Villa
. Towards the close of the 1910–11 season, Haworth pulled off his first major signing when he persuaded England centre forward Bert Freeman
to join the club from Everton
. The following season, Haworth guided the team to a third-placed finish in the Second Division, narrowly missing out on promotion. In the 1912–13 campaign, Burnley reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup
before losing to Sunderland
after a replay. That year, the team finished second in the league to gain promotion to the First Division
.
In the club's first season in the top-flight of English football since 1900, he led the side to third place in the league, just three points off the title. He also guided the team to an unprecedented FA Cup run, where they conceded only four goals in eight matches. Haworth's team secured a 1–0 victory over Liverpool
, making him the only manager to date to have won the FA Cup with Burnley. The team ended the 1914–15 season in fourth place in the First Division before football in England was interrupted for four years by the First World War. Upon the return to competitive football, Burnley finished runners-up in the league. The 1920–21 season started disappointingly for the side, but he eventually led the team to a 30-match unbeaten run to become Champions of England for the first time in 1921. A third placed finish followed in 1922, but the team's league form fell away thereafter and they could only achieve relatively mediocre finishes in the next two campaigns. On 4 December 1924, he became the second successive Burnley manager to die while in office when he died of pneumonia
.
Accrington Stanley F.C. (1891)
Accrington Stanley was an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. Established in 1891, the club played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962, when the club became only the second ever to resign from the League mid-season. The club went into liquidation in 1966...
in 1897. He was in charge of the team for 13 years, leading them to two Lancashire Combination
Lancashire Combination
The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League...
titles, before moving to nearby Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in July 1910. His 14 year spell as secretary–manager of Burnley was highly successful and guided the team to an 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...
victory and a Football League championship. Howarth is the only Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
manager to date to have won the FA Cup.
Personal life
Haworth was born in AccringtonAccrington
Accrington is a town in Lancashire, within the borough of Hyndburn. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, north of Manchester city centre and is situated on the mostly culverted River Hyndburn...
, Lancashire in 1876 and was the nephew of England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international George Haworth
George Haworth
George Haworth was an English footballer, who helped Blackburn Rovers win the FA Cup in 1885. He also made five appearances for England.-Career:...
. He died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on 4 December 1924 aged 48.
Accrington Stanley
As a teenager, Haworth played amateur football for local club Meadow Bank, where he later became secretary. In 1897, he merged the club with North East Lancashire Combination side Accrington StanleyAccrington Stanley F.C. (1891)
Accrington Stanley was an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. Established in 1891, the club played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962, when the club became only the second ever to resign from the League mid-season. The club went into liquidation in 1966...
and became a member of the Accrington Stanley committee. Later the same year, he was named secretary of the club. At the time, club secretaries were in charge of first-team duties such as coaching and signing players. Under the stewardship of Howarth, Accrington Stanley were transformed into one of the foremost non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
clubs in Lancashire, winning the Lancashire Combination
Lancashire Combination
The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League...
in the 1902–03 season. The following campaign, the team finished as runners-up before again claiming the league title in the 1905–06 season. He went on to manage the club for 13 years before leaving in the summer of 1910.
Burnley
Haworth was appointed secretary–manager of Football League Second DivisionFootball 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...
side Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in July 1910, replacing Richard Wadge
Richard Wadge
Richard Henry Wadge was an English football manager who managed Burnley for a short spell in 1910. Born in Liskeard, Cornwall, he initially joined Burnley as a director before taking charge of the first team for three matches following the death of former manager Spen Whittaker. His first match in...
, who had taken care of first-team affairs since the death of Spen Whittaker
Spen Whittaker
Spen Whittaker known as "Spen", was the manager of Burnley from 1903 to 1910.His reign as Burnley manager was to come to a tragic end in April 1910. Whittaker was on his way to London by train to register the signing of a new player. When the train stopped in Crewe, it was reported that a man had...
in April 1910. During his first summer in charge, he signed Burnley's first foreign player, German defender Max Seeburg
Max Seeburg
Max Seeburg was a German footballer who played in England for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Grimsby Town and Reading between 1907 and 1914. Seeburg became the first European-born foreigner to play in England.-Biography:...
. Soon afterwards, he changed the colour of Burnley's strip as he considered the green kit to be unlucky. He opted to change the colours to claret and blue, to match the strip of reigning Football League champions 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...
. Towards the close of the 1910–11 season, Haworth pulled off his first major signing when he persuaded England centre forward Bert Freeman
Bert Freeman
Bertram Clewley Freeman was an English footballer who was one of the most prolific goal-scorers of his time, playing at centre forward for Woolwich Arsenal, Everton, Burnley and Wigan Borough...
to join the club from Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. The following season, Haworth guided the team to a third-placed finish in the Second Division, narrowly missing out on promotion. In the 1912–13 campaign, Burnley reached the semi-finals of 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...
before losing to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
after a replay. That year, the team finished second in the league to gain promotion to 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....
.
In the club's first season in the top-flight of English football since 1900, he led the side to third place in the league, just three points off the title. He also guided the team to an unprecedented FA Cup run, where they conceded only four goals in eight matches. Haworth's team secured a 1–0 victory over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, making him the only manager to date to have won the FA Cup with Burnley. The team ended the 1914–15 season in fourth place in the First Division before football in England was interrupted for four years by the First World War. Upon the return to competitive football, Burnley finished runners-up in the league. The 1920–21 season started disappointingly for the side, but he eventually led the team to a 30-match unbeaten run to become Champions of England for the first time in 1921. A third placed finish followed in 1922, but the team's league form fell away thereafter and they could only achieve relatively mediocre finishes in the next two campaigns. On 4 December 1924, he became the second successive Burnley manager to die while in office when he died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
Honours
BurnleyBurnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
- Football League champions: 1920–21
- Football League runners-up: 1919–20
- 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...
winners: 19141914 FA Cup FinalThe 1914 FA Cup Final was contested by Burnley and Liverpool at Crystal Palace. Burnley won by a single goal, scored by ex-Evertonian Bert Freeman. The game was the last ever final at Crystal Palace and was played in front of a reigning monarch, George V, for the first time. Neither club had...