William Townley
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" Townley, (14 February 1866 – 30 May 1950 in Blackpool
, England), was an English football (soccer) player and coach.
He scored the first hat-trick in the history of the FA Cup
final, but his lasting legacy is defined as an important pioneer of the game in Germany and as a journeyman coach on the continent.
He joined Blackburn Rovers
in 1886 and won the FA Cup with the club in 1890 and 1891. In the first of these title appearances against The Wednesday
, the outside left made history by contributing three goals in a 6-1 victory, earning the distinction of becoming the first player to score a hat-trick
in an FA Cup final. He scored another goal in the successful defence of the title as the Rovers overcame Notts County 3-1 the following year. Townley's total of four goals in FA Cup finals has to date only been bettered once, by Liverpool's Ian Rush
, who scored five goals in three finals appearances in the 1980s.
Townley was capped twice for England
, in 1889
and 1890
, scoring two goals in the second of those matches, which was a 9-1 victory over Ireland. In 1894 he moved to Darwen
and played there for six years before joining Manchester City
, where his playing career ended after he suffered a serious head injury.
Townley's first coaching job was with DFC Prague who were beaten by VfB Leipzig in Germany's first national championship staged in 1903. He later joined Karlsruher FV
, losing finalists in 1905, and led them to a their only national title in 1910.
The following year he was hired by the northern Bavaria
n club SpVgg Fürth. This club owned the most advanced facilities in Germany and was quickly becoming the largest club in the country with a membership approaching 3,000. Two months after his arrival Fürth lost against English side Newcastle United only 1-2. He guided the club to its first two Bavarian championships (Ostkreismeisterschaft) which heralded the onset of a golden era that would last into the 1930s which saw the club become one of the most dominant football sides in the country.
In December 1913 Townley got the call from Bayern Munich, but on a loan arrangement he re-joined to Fürth in April of the following year to guide the that club through the national championship rounds. In the final Fürth captured its first national title, defeating defending champions VfB Leipzig, holders of a then record three German titles. It is not clear, but he may then have returned to Munich, before the horrors of World War I
overtook the continent, obscuring knowledge of Townley's activities during this period.
He re-emerged with Bayern in 1919 and coached there until 1921, helping the club earn local and regional titles. It appears he was loaned to the Swiss club FC St. Gallen
in August 1920 for what was probably a summer training camp. Townley's two tenures in Munich coincided with the first two terms of legendary Bayern President Kurt Landauer
who oversaw the club's first national title victory in 1932 during his third term with the Austrian Richard Dombi - of later Feyenoord
fame - as coach.
Afterward Townley moved to SV Waldhof
in Mannheim where he spent two months aiding in the club's preparations for the South German Championship. The team's campaign was cut short by eventual national champions 1. FC Nuremberg. It then appears that he may have coached in Sweden before joining SC Victoria Hamburg
and Hamburger SV
where he and his son, playing as a striker, spent a couple of seasons. In 1923 William Townley returned to St. Gallen where he stayed until February 1925.
Townley interrupted his time in Switzerland for a four month stint with the Dutch national team
to guide them through the 1924 Olympics
in Paris. In the semi-finals the Netherlands lost a closely fought match to Uruguay
- the dominant side of that era who counted the legendary Andrade
and Pedro Cea
in their ranks - and had to settle for fourth place.
In May 1926 Townley rejoined SpVgg Fürth for the championship final in which they overcame Hertha Berlin to win their second national title - the third national title to his credit. A year later he was coaching 1925 finalists FSV Frankfurt
and spent some time working with nearby Union Niederrad.
In 1930 Townley returned for a third time to Fürth, with the club winning the South German Championship before being ousted from the national playoffs in the quarterfinals by the defending champions Hertha Berlin.
Now in his mid-60s, Townley took up his last known posting in 1932 with Arminia Hannover
, then a strong regional side. Arminia defeated Dresdner SC
in a quarterfinal match, but lost in the next round at home to eventual champions Fortuna Düsseldorf
, starring the legendary Paul Janes
. This marks the zenith of Arminia's achievement and the last significant role of a great pioneer of the game in Germany.
William Townley died in Blackpool
, England in 1950 at the age of 84.
- Stoke: England - Wales 4-1
15/03/1890 - British Home Championship
- Belfast: Ireland - England 9-1 (2 goals by Townley)
Not verified engagements:
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, England), was an English football (soccer) player and coach.
He scored the first hat-trick in the history 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...
final, but his lasting legacy is defined as an important pioneer of the game in Germany and as a journeyman coach on the continent.
Playing career
Townley's career as a player began with Blackburn Olympic F.C.Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
He joined Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in 1886 and won the FA Cup with the club in 1890 and 1891. In the first of these title appearances against The Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, the outside left made history by contributing three goals in a 6-1 victory, earning the distinction of becoming the first player to score a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in an FA Cup final. He scored another goal in the successful defence of the title as the Rovers overcame Notts County 3-1 the following year. Townley's total of four goals in FA Cup finals has to date only been bettered once, by Liverpool's Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
, who scored five goals in three finals appearances in the 1980s.
Townley was capped twice for 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...
, in 1889
1889 British Home Championship
The 1889 British Home Championship was the sixth international football tournament between the British Home Nations and as with all but one of the previous tournaments, Scotland won, beating England by one point to take the championship...
and 1890
1890 British Home Championship
The 1890 British Home Championship was an edition of the annual international football tournament played between the British Home Nations. The seventh such competition held, the 1890 edition was, for the second time, jointly won by England and Scotland, the sixth time that Scotland had won...
, scoring two goals in the second of those matches, which was a 9-1 victory over Ireland. In 1894 he moved to Darwen
Darwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
and played there for six years before joining Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, where his playing career ended after he suffered a serious head injury.
Coaching career
At the end of his playing years Townley took up coaching as a profession, and as the oppoutunities were limited in England he left for the continent where football was beginning to develop a serious following. In Germany, as in the rest of Europe at the time, the game was strictly amateur in character and players often had to contribute to team expenses. For a club to have a coach was not yet a matter of course, but rather a luxury, as it was more common then for a senior player or club functionary to fill the role and carry out the tasks of a coach. Coaches were often hired for special occasions only, or for a brief period to help develop the skills of a team, before they moved on.Townley's first coaching job was with DFC Prague who were beaten by VfB Leipzig in Germany's first national championship staged in 1903. He later joined Karlsruher FV
Karlsruher FV
Karlsruher FV is a German association football club that plays in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. Established on 17 November 1891, KFV was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900. The team went on to capture the national championship in 1910 with a 1–0 victory over Holstein Kiel...
, losing finalists in 1905, and led them to a their only national title in 1910.
The following year he was hired by the northern Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n club SpVgg Fürth. This club owned the most advanced facilities in Germany and was quickly becoming the largest club in the country with a membership approaching 3,000. Two months after his arrival Fürth lost against English side Newcastle United only 1-2. He guided the club to its first two Bavarian championships (Ostkreismeisterschaft) which heralded the onset of a golden era that would last into the 1930s which saw the club become one of the most dominant football sides in the country.
In December 1913 Townley got the call from Bayern Munich, but on a loan arrangement he re-joined to Fürth in April of the following year to guide the that club through the national championship rounds. In the final Fürth captured its first national title, defeating defending champions VfB Leipzig, holders of a then record three German titles. It is not clear, but he may then have returned to Munich, before the horrors of World War I
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...
overtook the continent, obscuring knowledge of Townley's activities during this period.
He re-emerged with Bayern in 1919 and coached there until 1921, helping the club earn local and regional titles. It appears he was loaned to the Swiss club FC St. Gallen
FC St. Gallen
Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:...
in August 1920 for what was probably a summer training camp. Townley's two tenures in Munich coincided with the first two terms of legendary Bayern President Kurt Landauer
Kurt Landauer
Kurt Landauer was a German entrepreneur. His profession is officially listed as "merchant", but his claim to fame are his three tenures as the president of the football club FC Bayern Munich...
who oversaw the club's first national title victory in 1932 during his third term with the Austrian Richard Dombi - of later Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
fame - as coach.
Afterward Townley moved to SV Waldhof
SV Waldhof Mannheim
SV Waldhof Mannheim is a German association football club, located in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. The club today has a membership of over 2,400.-History:...
in Mannheim where he spent two months aiding in the club's preparations for the South German Championship. The team's campaign was cut short by eventual national champions 1. FC Nuremberg. It then appears that he may have coached in Sweden before joining SC Victoria Hamburg
SC Victoria Hamburg
SC Victoria Hamburg is a German association football club from the city of Hamburg. The football team is part of a larger sports club that has departments for badminton, handball, hockey, athletics, tennis, table tennis , gymnastics, baseball , and softball .-History:The club was founded 5 May 1895...
and Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
where he and his son, playing as a striker, spent a couple of seasons. In 1923 William Townley returned to St. Gallen where he stayed until February 1925.
Townley interrupted his time in Switzerland for a four month stint with the Dutch national team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
to guide them through the 1924 Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Paris. In the semi-finals the Netherlands lost a closely fought match to Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
- the dominant side of that era who counted the legendary Andrade
Andrade
Originally, the name Andrade could have come from any of numerous places of the same name in Galicia or northern Portugal and several Andrade are known from documents dating back to the 12th century. Most likely, however, it originated in the small fief of San Martiño de Andrade Originally, the...
and Pedro Cea
Pedro Cea
José Pedro Cea was an Uruguayan football player and coach.-Club career:At club level, he played for Nacional, where he won several Uruguayan Championships.-International career:...
in their ranks - and had to settle for fourth place.
In May 1926 Townley rejoined SpVgg Fürth for the championship final in which they overcame Hertha Berlin to win their second national title - the third national title to his credit. A year later he was coaching 1925 finalists FSV Frankfurt
FSV Frankfurt
FSV Frankfurt is a German association football club based in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse and founded in 1899. The club plays in the shadow of larger and much more successful Eintracht Frankfurt, which has recently returned to 2nd tier football...
and spent some time working with nearby Union Niederrad.
In 1930 Townley returned for a third time to Fürth, with the club winning the South German Championship before being ousted from the national playoffs in the quarterfinals by the defending champions Hertha Berlin.
Now in his mid-60s, Townley took up his last known posting in 1932 with Arminia Hannover
Arminia Hannover
SV Arminia Hannover is a German association football club based in Hanover, Lower Saxony.- History :The club was founded in 1910 as FC Arminia Hannover and merged with Rugby-Verein Merkur in 1918, becoming SV Arminia-Merkur. Two years later they re-named themselves SV Arminia Hannover and captured...
, then a strong regional side. Arminia defeated Dresdner SC
Dresdner SC
Dresdner SC is a German multisport club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Founded on 30 April 1898, the club was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900...
in a quarterfinal match, but lost in the next round at home to eventual champions Fortuna Düsseldorf
Fortuna Düsseldorf
' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...
, starring the legendary Paul Janes
Paul Janes
Paul Janes was a German football player. He earned 71 caps and scored 7 goals for the Germany national football team from 1932 to 1942, and played in two World Cups: 1934 and 1938...
. This marks the zenith of Arminia's achievement and the last significant role of a great pioneer of the game in Germany.
William Townley died in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, England in 1950 at the age of 84.
Playing career
| Year | Club | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18?? | Blackburn Junior Football | ||
| 18?? | Blackburn Olympic F.C. Blackburn Olympic F.C. Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the... |
||
| 1886 | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
1890 1891 |
Cup Cup |
| 1894 | Darwen F.C. Darwen F.C. A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:... |
||
| 1900 | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
English national team
23/02/1889 - British Home Championship1889 British Home Championship
The 1889 British Home Championship was the sixth international football tournament between the British Home Nations and as with all but one of the previous tournaments, Scotland won, beating England by one point to take the championship...
- Stoke: England - Wales 4-1
15/03/1890 - British Home Championship
1890 British Home Championship
The 1890 British Home Championship was an edition of the annual international football tournament played between the British Home Nations. The seventh such competition held, the 1890 edition was, for the second time, jointly won by England and Scotland, the sixth time that Scotland had won...
- Belfast: Ireland - England 9-1 (2 goals by Townley)
Coaching record
| Years | Club | Details | Year | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19??-1909 | Deutscher FC Prag | |||
| 1909–1911 | Karlsruher FV Karlsruher FV Karlsruher FV is a German association football club that plays in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. Established on 17 November 1891, KFV was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900. The team went on to capture the national championship in 1910 with a 1–0 victory over Holstein Kiel... |
1910 | Championship | |
| 1911–1913 | SpVgg Fürth | 04/1911 - 12/1913 | 1912 1913 |
Bavarian Championship Bavarian Championship |
| 1914 | FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
01/1914 - 04/1914 | ||
| 1914 | SpVgg Fürth | 04/1914 - 05/1914 | 1914 | Championship |
| 1914 | FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
|||
| 1919–1921 | FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups.... |
1920 | Champion Munich, Champion Southern Bavaria |
|
| 1920 | FC St. Gallen FC St. Gallen Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:... (CH) |
08/1920 | ||
| 1921 | SV Waldhof Mannheim SV Waldhof Mannheim SV Waldhof Mannheim is a German association football club, located in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. The club today has a membership of over 2,400.-History:... |
01/1921 - 03/1921 | ||
| 192?-1923 | SC Victoria Hamburg SC Victoria Hamburg SC Victoria Hamburg is a German association football club from the city of Hamburg. The football team is part of a larger sports club that has departments for badminton, handball, hockey, athletics, tennis, table tennis , gymnastics, baseball , and softball .-History:The club was founded 5 May 1895... |
|||
| 1923–1925 | FC St. Gallen FC St. Gallen Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:... (CH) |
1923 - 02/1925 | ||
| 1924 | Netherlands Netherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... (National) |
03/1924-06/1924 | 1924 | Olympics, 4th place |
| 1926–1927 | SpVgg Fürth | 05/1926 - 09/1927 | 1926 1927 |
Championship South German Cup |
| 192?-19?? | FSV Frankfurt FSV Frankfurt FSV Frankfurt is a German association football club based in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt am Main, Hesse and founded in 1899. The club plays in the shadow of larger and much more successful Eintracht Frankfurt, which has recently returned to 2nd tier football... |
|||
| 1930–1932 | SpVgg Fürth | 09/30 - 06/1932 | 1931 | Champion South Germany |
| 1932 (?) | Eintracht Hannover | |||
| 1932-193x | Arminia Hannover Arminia Hannover SV Arminia Hannover is a German association football club based in Hanover, Lower Saxony.- History :The club was founded in 1910 as FC Arminia Hannover and merged with Rugby-Verein Merkur in 1918, becoming SV Arminia-Merkur. Two years later they re-named themselves SV Arminia Hannover and captured... |
1933 | Champion North Germany (Southern District) |
Not verified engagements:
- Sweden ?
- FC Union Niederrad 07 (ca. 1927/1930)
As a player
Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
- 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: 1890 and 1891
External links
- SpVgg Greuther Fürth
- "El Bombin" - Tales of British Football Coaches Around the World
- Billy Townley : Blackburn Rovers at www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk - the facts from the biography.
- England career profile