Graham Williams (footballer, born 1938)

Graham Williams
Personal information
Full name Graham Evan Williams
Date of birth (1938-04-02) 2 April 1938
Place of birth Henllan, Denbighshire, Wales
Playing position Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955–1972 West Bromwich Albion 314 (10)
1972–1975 Weymouth
National team
1960–1968 Wales 26 (1)
Teams managed
1972–1975 Weymouth
1981–1982 Cardiff City
1987-1989 RoPS
1991 RoPS
1995 RoPS

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Graham Evan Williams (born 2 April 1938) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a full back. He spent his entire 17-year professional career at West Bromwich Albion.

Biography

Williams was born in Henllan, Denbighshire. He joined West Bromwich Albion as an amateur in September 1954 and turned professional in April 1955. He captained the side to victory in the 1966 Football League Cup Final and 1968 FA Cup Final, scoring in the second leg of the 1966 final against West Ham United. He also won 26 caps for Wales.

After leaving Albion in 1972 he took up the post of player-manager with Weymouth, with whom he remained until 1975. In November 1981, he was appointed chief coach of Cardiff City, taking over from Richie Morgan, who moved to a general manager's role. After a disastrous run of nine losses in fifteen games, both Williams and Morgan were sacked in February 1982, with Len Ashurst taking over at Ninian Park. Williams took several coaching jobs abroad including steering Finnish team RoPS to the quarter finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup.[1] Later on in his career he served as the assistant manager of the Welsh national side under Bobby Gould.

Notable incidents

Williams was probably part of one of the best compliments to George Best, based on fact but with some poetic licence...

"Will you stand still for a minute so I can look at your face?" asked an exhausted Williams of Best.
"Why?" asked Best in return.
"Because all I've ever seen of you," explained Williams, "is your backside disappearing down the touchline."[2]

References

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