Eric Worthington

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Eric Worthington

| image =

| fullname = Eric Senior Worthington{{Hugman|21700|access-date=24 July 2017}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1925|12|29}}

| birth_place = Sheffield, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|11|16|1925|12|29|df=y}}

| death_place = Sydney, Australia

| height =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1943–1945

| clubs1 = Golders Green

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1945–1947

| clubs2 = Willesden

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 1947–1949

| clubs3 = Queens Park Rangers

| caps3 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1949–1951

| clubs4 = Watford

| caps4 = 24

| goals4 = 4

| years5 = 1951–1953

| clubs5 = Dover

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 1953

| clubs6 = Bradford City

| caps6 = 2

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 1953–1961

| clubs7 = Margate

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 =

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| manageryears1 = 1972

| managerclubs1 = England women

| manageryears2 = 1974

| managerclubs2 = Australia U23

| manageryears3 = 1975

| managerclubs3 = Australia (caretaker)

| manageryears4 = 1976

| managerclubs4 = Papua New Guinea

}}

Eric Senior Worthington (29 December 1925 – 16 November 2006) was an English professional footballer and football coach who played as a forward. After a playing career which included spells in the Football League with Watford and Bradford City, he was appointed the first ever manager of the England women's national team in 1972. He later coached the men's national teams of Australia and Papua New Guinea. He is a member of Australia's Football Hall of Fame.

Playing career

After two years at Queens Park Rangers without appearing in the first team, Worthington made his Football League debut with Watford after joining in August 1949. He combined his duties as a schoolmaster and professional footballer, making 30 appearances for the Hornets over two seasons before dropping into non–league with Dover.Trefor Jones (1996). The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who, p. 249; {{ISBN|0-9527458-0-1}}. A prolific spell with Dover saw a brief return to the league ranks with Bradford City in September 1953, before, weeks later, he was back in Kent with Margate while doing a teacher training course.

Worthington remained with Margate eight years, overcoming injuries to make 243 appearances in both attack and midfield, scoring 36 goals and captaining the team on occasion. He retired in 1961 to take up a position at Loughborough College.

Coaching career

Worthington was the original manager of the England women's national football team, taking charge for their first official match against Scotland in 1972.{{Cite news|url=http://www.margatefchistory.com/ericworthington.shtml|title=Eric Worthington profile|publisher=Margate FC History|access-date=3 October 2015|author=Jeff Trice|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103192401/http://www.margatefchistory.com/ericworthington.shtml|archive-date=3 November 2014}} The following year he was appointed director of coaching by Australian Soccer Federation and was tasked with overhauling the entire structure of football coaching in Australia.{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/obituaries/coachs-game-plan-for-football/2007/01/18/1169095905156.html|title=Coach's game plan for football|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=1 October 2011|date=19 July 2007|author=Jim Shoulder|author-link=Jim Shoulder}} He was later hailed as an "outstanding servant" and "pioneer", though his administration's apparent preference for British coaches led to allegations of "jobs for the boys" and a "pommie mafia".{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19870305&id=tCtWAAAAIBAJ&pg=5288,2597228|title=Soccer's pommie mafia, does it exist, or is it just fiction?|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=1 October 2011|author=Michael Cockerill|date=5 March 1987}} In 1975 Worthington took charge of the Australia national soccer team for four friendlies at B level.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/1975B.html|title=Socceroo B Matches for 1975|publisher=Oz Football|access-date=1 October 2011|author=Thomas Esamie, Andrei Libin and Greg Stock}}

Worthington coached the Papua New Guinea national team during their Olympic qualifiers in 1976. He retired as director of coaching in 1989 and his last official role was taking an Australian student select team to his home city of Sheffield for the 1991 Summer Universiade. He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1999.