Dave Russell (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Dave Russell was a Scottish
football
player and manager
. He won the Scottish Cup with East Fife
in 1938, and was manager of both Bury
and Tranmere Rovers
for eight years.
before joining East Fife
. Winning the Scottish Cup in 1938, Russell played 92 games for The Fifers before joining Sheffield Wednesday
for the next season, where he was an ever-present as the club finished third in Division Two. As it did with so many players, World War II
hampered Russell's career.
, Russell became a coach for the Danish Football Association
before returning to England in 1950 to take up a coaching role at Bury
. In 1953, Russell became the manager and led the Shakers for eight years. The club played 379 games under him between 1953 and 1961, winning 154, losing 139 and drawing 86 match. However, whilst at Bury, finances were a severe problem for Russell, and in 1957 they suffered relegation from Division Two for the first time in 63 years. Fortunes soon turned around though for the Scotsman, and he guided Bury back to Division Two in the 1960–61 season.
He then took over as manager of Tranmere Rovers
, at the time two divisions lower than Bury, replacing Walter Galbraith
who had been in charge for less than a year. After near misses and disappointments along the way, he finally steered Rovers back to the Third Division at the conclusion of 1966–67 season. In 1969, Russell became the club’s general manager to allow his long time coach, Jackie Wright
, to take over the managerial reins, having guided the team to 167 wins and 130 defeats over a 379 game and eight year stint as manager. In 1978 Russell left the club for the final time. Since then, one of the hospitality suites at Tranmere's ground Prenton Park
has been named after Russell.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
. He won the Scottish Cup with East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
in 1938, and was manager of both Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
and Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
for eight years.
Playing career
Russell played for his hometown club DundeeDundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
before joining East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
. Winning the Scottish Cup in 1938, Russell played 92 games for The Fifers before joining Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
for the next season, where he was an ever-present as the club finished third in Division Two. As it did with so many players, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
hampered Russell's career.
Management career
After a stint in the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Russell became a coach for the Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
before returning to England in 1950 to take up a coaching role at Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
. In 1953, Russell became the manager and led the Shakers for eight years. The club played 379 games under him between 1953 and 1961, winning 154, losing 139 and drawing 86 match. However, whilst at Bury, finances were a severe problem for Russell, and in 1957 they suffered relegation from Division Two for the first time in 63 years. Fortunes soon turned around though for the Scotsman, and he guided Bury back to Division Two in the 1960–61 season.
He then took over as manager of Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
, at the time two divisions lower than Bury, replacing Walter Galbraith
Walter Galbraith
Walter Galbraith was a Scottish association football player and manager. He played as a defender for Queen's Park, Clyde, New Brighton and Grimsby Town...
who had been in charge for less than a year. After near misses and disappointments along the way, he finally steered Rovers back to the Third Division at the conclusion of 1966–67 season. In 1969, Russell became the club’s general manager to allow his long time coach, Jackie Wright
Jackie Wright (footballer)
John "Jackie" Wright was an English professional footballer who played as a defender – specifically, a full back.He spent eleven years with Blackpool in the 1940s and 1950s, making 157 league appearances and scoring one goal...
, to take over the managerial reins, having guided the team to 167 wins and 130 defeats over a 379 game and eight year stint as manager. In 1978 Russell left the club for the final time. Since then, one of the hospitality suites at Tranmere's ground Prenton Park
Prenton Park
Prenton Park is an association football stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C. The club moved to the current Prenton Park in 1912. The ground has had several rebuilds, with the most recent occurring in 1995 in response to the requirement of the Taylor Report...
has been named after Russell.