Willie Fagan
Encyclopedia
William 'Willie' Fagan was a footballer who played for Liverpool
.
where he would link up with future Anfield managerial great Bill Shankly
who was playing for the club at the time. They reached the FA Cup
final of 1937 but lost the game 3-1 to Sunderland.
Liverpool manager George Kay
then took Willie to Anfield
where he made his debut, along with John Shafto, on the 23 October 1937 in a 1-1 league draw with Leicester
at Anfield. Willie scored his first Liverpool goal a week later on 30 October in a 3-2 league win over Sunderland at Roker Park
.
While playing at Liverpool, Fagan went straight into the line-up in his favoured inside-left position, although he did appear as a centre-forward for the club, he end his initial season at the club with nine goals in 36 matches. He followed this up by scoring 15 times, one behind top scorer Berry Nieuwenhuys
and missing only just three matches of the 1938–39 campaign.
The Second World War interrupted Fagan's career for six years and it took away the majority of his best years. Willie played as a wartime guest for Aldershot
, Leicester
, Northampton
, Newcastle
, Chelsea
, Millwall
and Reading
.
Fagan returned to Merseyside
upon the conclusion of the war and played 22 (18 league) matches scoring seven goals (all league) as Liverpool won the first post-war 1st Division
championship by the end of the 1946–47 season.
He also gained his only international recognition during World War Two when he appeared for Scotland
, unfortunately these appearances are regarded as 'unofficial' internationals.
Injury made his appearances during the 1947–48 and 1948–49 seasons very irregular but he bounced back in the 1949–50 season as he helped the Reds to their very first Wembley
cup final on the 29 April 1950. Fagan made 42 appearances, seven in the FA Cup, scoring 11 goals which 4 of them in the cup run. Arsenal
won the final 2-0 in front of the 100,000 crowd, the second time Willie had been on the losing side in a cup final.
Willie made just four appearances during the following campaign and three during the first half of the 1951–52 season. Fagan was allowed to leave Liverpool in January 1952 and he joined Northern Irish
club Belfast Distillery where he played for a short time. Willie then headed back to England
where in took on a player/manager role at Weymouth
. After hanging up his boots, Willie became a Borstal
officer, an occupation he held until his retirement in 1982.
Willie died in February 1992 in Wellingborough
. He was 75 years old.
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...
.
Football career
Fagan started his career as a teenager at Celtic and moved on to PrestonPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
where he would link up with future Anfield managerial great Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
who was playing for the club at the time. They reached 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 of 1937 but lost the game 3-1 to Sunderland.
Liverpool manager George Kay
George Kay
George Kay was an English football player and manager of Luton Town, Southampton and Liverpool.The highlight of his playing career was when he captained West Ham United in the first FA Cup final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final.He was manager of Liverpool for 15 years and...
then took Willie to Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
where he made his debut, along with John Shafto, on the 23 October 1937 in a 1-1 league draw with Leicester
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
at Anfield. Willie scored his first Liverpool goal a week later on 30 October in a 3-2 league win over Sunderland at Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
.
While playing at Liverpool, Fagan went straight into the line-up in his favoured inside-left position, although he did appear as a centre-forward for the club, he end his initial season at the club with nine goals in 36 matches. He followed this up by scoring 15 times, one behind top scorer Berry Nieuwenhuys
Berry Nieuwenhuys
Berry Nieuwenhuys, was a South African footballer who played predominantly for Liverpool, which he was contracted to from 1933 to 1947. He retired in 1947, returning to South Africa to be employed at the Transvaal Country Club....
and missing only just three matches of the 1938–39 campaign.
The Second World War interrupted Fagan's career for six years and it took away the majority of his best years. Willie played as a wartime guest for Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
, Leicester
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, Northampton
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, Newcastle
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...
, 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...
, Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
.
Fagan returned to Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
upon the conclusion of the war and played 22 (18 league) matches scoring seven goals (all league) as Liverpool won the first post-war 1st 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....
championship by the end of the 1946–47 season.
He also gained his only international recognition during World War Two when he appeared for 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...
, unfortunately these appearances are regarded as 'unofficial' internationals.
Injury made his appearances during the 1947–48 and 1948–49 seasons very irregular but he bounced back in the 1949–50 season as he helped the Reds to their very first Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
cup final on the 29 April 1950. Fagan made 42 appearances, seven in the FA Cup, scoring 11 goals which 4 of them in the cup run. Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
won the final 2-0 in front of the 100,000 crowd, the second time Willie had been on the losing side in a cup final.
Willie made just four appearances during the following campaign and three during the first half of the 1951–52 season. Fagan was allowed to leave Liverpool in January 1952 and he joined Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
club Belfast Distillery where he played for a short time. Willie then headed back to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where in took on a player/manager role at Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
. After hanging up his boots, Willie became a Borstal
Borstal
A borstal was a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously delinquent young people. The word is sometimes used loosely to apply to other kinds of youth institution or reformatory, such as Approved Schools and Detention Centres. The court...
officer, an occupation he held until his retirement in 1982.
Willie died in February 1992 in Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
. He was 75 years old.