Bill Slade
{{Short description|English football manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bill Slade
| image =
| caption =
| fullname =
| birth_place = Walsall, England
| height =
| position =
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =
| years1 = | clubs1 = | caps1 = |goals1 =
| manageryears1 = 1931| managerclubs1 = Coventry City (caretaker)
| manageryears2 = 1932–1934| managerclubs2 = Walsall
}}
William Slade (1898 – 1968) was an English football manager who took charge at Coventry City and Walsall.
Biography
Slade played amateur football for a number of minor teams, before he was appointed a director at Coventry City in 1922, aged just 24. In 1931 he was made caretaker manager of the Third Division South club, after the sacking of Jimmy McIntyre.
In February 1932, he became manager of Walsall. He forged a strong link between Coventry and Walsall, and took Bill Coward, Chris Ball, Bill Sheppard and Freddie Lee from Highfield Road to Fellows Park. The club's kit was also changed to a blue and white strip for an historic match against an all-conquering First Division Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 1933; the "Saddlers" achieved a famous 2–0 victory, and Slade's entire front line that day had previously played for Coventry.{{cite web|title=The Magic of the FA Cup|url=http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0,,10428~1880022,00.html|work=saddlers.co.uk|accessdate=13 November 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401152406/http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0%2C%2C10428~1880022%2C00.html|archivedate=1 April 2012|df=dmy-all}} It was reported that the Arsenal paid more for their player's boots than Slade did for his entire team.{{cite web|title=Memory Lane - Defeating of the mighty Arsenal 1933 - Banks's Stadium Walk of Fame entrant|url=http://www.walsall.web-fans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1342|work=walsall.web-fans.com|accessdate=13 November 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404001115/http://www.walsall.web-fans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1342|archivedate=4 April 2012|df=dmy-all}} The match is described by the Walsall F.C. website as "one of the most significant days in our history".{{cite web|title=Did you attend our FA Cup Giantkilling against Arsenal in 1933?|url=http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0,,10428~1162978,00.html|work=saddlers.co.uk|accessdate=13 November 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318081842/http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0%2C%2C10428~1162978%2C00.html|archivedate=18 March 2012|df=dmy-all}} The club finished fifth in the Third Division North in 1932–33, and fourth in 1933–34, however Slade was sacked after a poor start to 1934–35. He died sometime in 1968.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.freewebs.com/captainbeecher/1933walsall.htm Match report] on the famous victory over Arsenal
{{Coventry City F.C. managers}}
{{Walsall F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slade, Bill}}
Category:Sportspeople from Walsall
Category:English football managers
Category:Coventry City F.C. managers