William Birrell (13 March 1897 – 29 November 1968) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward.
Career
Birrell made over 220 appearances as a forward in the Football League for Middlesbrough. He also made over 120 appearances in the Scottish League for Raith Rovers. He began his career in management while a player at Raith Rovers and after his retirement, he managed Football League clubs Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and Queens Park Rangers.
On 19 April 1939, he was appointed the new Chelsea manager. The Second World War forced the Football League to be abandoned less than half a year following Birrell's appointment. During wartime, he led Chelsea to two consecutive Football League War Cup South Final at Wembley, winning the cup in 1945.
In wartime, Birrell developed the idea of a youth team for Chelsea, and on 25 May 1940, the Chelsea Junior team, a team which included future England manager Ron Greenwood, played their first match against Queens Park Rangers. Birrell's plan was fully implemented after the war, with the sponsorship of The Tudor Rose Boys' Club, allowing them to run four teams in the Harrow and Wembley League.
Personal life
Birrell's brother Bob was also a footballer.
Career statistics
Player
Manager
Honours
As a player
Middlesbrough
- Football League Second Division: 1926–27
As a manager
Chelsea
- Football League South War Cup: 1943–44, 1944–45
References
- Matthews, Tony (2005). Who's Who of Chelsea. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84596-010-6.
- Mears, Brian (2004). Chelsea: A 100-year History. Mainstream Sport. ISBN 1-84018-823-5.
External links
- Billy Birrell management career statistics at Soccerbase
- Billy Birrell at chelseafc.com
