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Frank Buckley (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Franklin Charles Buckley (more commonly known as Major Frank Buckley) (3 October 1882 – 21 December 1964) was an English
football
player and, later, manager. He is the brother of Chris Buckley
who played for Aston Villa.
, Manchester
. He joined the army and bought himself out in 1902 to join a football club.
to Brighton to Manchester United
and Manchester City
all within six years and found something approaching stability only with Birmingham City
, where he made 56 appearances. Soon after that he was on the move again, this time to Derby County
. It was with the Rams that he gained his sole England cap, in 1914 in a shock 3-0 defeat by Ireland
at Ayresome Park
, before upping sticks, again, to join Bradford City
; his stay in Yorkshire
shortened by the start of World War I
.
(where he commanded the Football Battalion) seeing action and receiving wounds to his lung and shoulder in the Battle of the Somme and rose to the rank of Major
. On his return, he was appointed manager of Norwich City
. The Canaries had been so debt-ridden that the receivers had wound the club up, but following an extraordinary general meeting, the club was resurrected and Buckley was placed in charge in February 1919 and returned the club to Southern League football. Despite retiring from playing during the war, Buckley played one game for Norwich in September 1919, when he was the club's secretary-manager.
Once again Buckley’s stay was short. By July 1920
he was gone, financial disputes precipitating a wholesale change of personnel.
and Derby County of the 1880s and 1890s are good examples of teams that had gathered together players, en masse, from elsewhere; the famous Sunderland
side of the 1890s is another; Middlesbrough
's controversial transfer policy of 1905 another. However, such a policy, of creating success through expenditure, will only be successful if there is success and money is generated as a result. Certain questions are always of importance: How do you best sustain income? How do you generate local interest in the club? How do you create a style of play synonymous with the club?
. Fourth, he kept the press intrigued with rumour and innocent half-truths and, accordingly, kept the paying public interested and expectant in his clubs.
and Wolves
sides of the 1950s, of the Leeds United
'club culture' of the 1960s and 1970s should never be understated. His principles may not have been adopted directly by Busby, Shankly
, Clough
and Ferguson
but they were innovative principles that are quite commonplace now. Buckley's financial acumen may well have come from his stint as a travelling salesman in the early 1920s, but he returned to football management with Blackpool on 6 October 1923, and it was there that Buckley’s ideas started to come to the fore. He was lured to Bloomfield Road
with the promise of an extremely high salary and enough money to strengthen the squad. Buckley is credited with implementing a youth system and scouting scheme to the Seasiders.
Despite a total change of tactics, Buckley did not have much more success with Blackpool than his predecessor, Bill Norman
. During the 1924–25
season, he sold established players such as Herbert Jones
and Harry Bedford
, which proved unpopular amongst the fans. He did, however, sign Jimmy Hampson
, who went on to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer, with 252 goals.
wrote of him: "I soon realised that Major Buckley was one out of the top drawer. He did not suffer fools gladly. His style of management in football was very similar to his attitude in the army. Major Buckley implanted into my mind the direct method of playing which did away with close interpassing and square-ball play. If you didn't like his style you'd very soon be on your bicycle to another club. He didn't like defenders over-elaborating in their defensive positions. Major Buckley also knew how to deal with the press." (Cullis, quoted in Taylor and Ward, 1995, pp. 31–2)
Buckley's stay at Wolves can be taken two ways. On the face of it, he appeared to achieve only modest success with the club; they won the Division Two
title in 1931–32
and finished runners-up in the Division One
in 1937–38
and in both the First Division and the FA Cup
the following season
. An alternative view is that during his stay at Molineux
, Buckley once made the club a £100,000 profit within one year, purely on transfer deals; he toyed, provocatively, with the media (instigating the empty rumour that his players were using a monkey gland treatment to aid performance), he used psychologists to instill confidence in his players and was responsible for bringing through Stan Cullis and offering Billy Wright a start in professional football. After he had left the club, however, the full value of his vision, not least the Wolves youth programme, came to fruition and did so much to shape the Wolves side of the 1950s, when they won three Division One championships, twice won the FA Cup, and were one of few genuine challengers to the Busby Babes
.
Buckley left Wolves, somewhat surprisingly, in 1944 and another non-committal couple of years followed at Notts County
(for a then-unheard-of £4,000 a year) and Hull City
before starting work at Leeds United, where one of his first discoveries was John Charles
just after Christmas 1948
. He was not afraid to try all manner of ideas to induce the Elland Road
club out of mediocrity: dancing songs broadcast through the public address system during training days, so-called 'shooting' boxes (a contraption designed to send the ball out at different speeds and angles to players), increasing admission costs, youth development programmes. John Charles did excel during the 1954–55
season but the team failed to respond in kind.
, who had this to say about him:
Buckley left Leeds in April 1953
, moving to Walsall
, but left them in September 1955
.
Buckley died in Walsall
in December 1964, aged 82.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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, later, manager. He is the brother of Chris Buckley
Chris Buckley (footballer)
Christopher Sebastian "Chris" Buckley was a football player in the early years of professional football in England, who played at centre half for a variety of clubs including Aston Villa and Arsenal, before later returning to Villa as director and chairman...
who played for Aston Villa.
Early life
Buckley was born in UrmstonUrmston
Urmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is marked by the River Mersey and the...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He joined the army and bought himself out in 1902 to join a football club.
Playing career
He went from Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
to Brighton to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
all within six years and found something approaching stability only with Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, where he made 56 appearances. Soon after that he was on the move again, this time to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. It was with the Rams that he gained his sole England cap, in 1914 in a shock 3-0 defeat by Ireland
Ireland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
at Ayresome Park
Ayresome Park
-External links:**-References:...
, before upping sticks, again, to join Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
; his stay in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
shortened by the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Introduction to management
Buckley went to war with the 17th Middlesex RegimentMiddlesex Regiment
The Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
(where he commanded the Football Battalion) seeing action and receiving wounds to his lung and shoulder in the Battle of the Somme and rose to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. On his return, he was appointed manager of Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. The Canaries had been so debt-ridden that the receivers had wound the club up, but following an extraordinary general meeting, the club was resurrected and Buckley was placed in charge in February 1919 and returned the club to Southern League football. Despite retiring from playing during the war, Buckley played one game for Norwich in September 1919, when he was the club's secretary-manager.
Once again Buckley’s stay was short. By July 1920
1919-20 in English football
The 1919–1920 season was the 45th season of competitive football in England, and the first following the end of World War I.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition...
he was gone, financial disputes precipitating a wholesale change of personnel.
Managerial ideas
Prior to Buckley it was not unusual for clubs to create sides through purchases. Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
and Derby County of the 1880s and 1890s are good examples of teams that had gathered together players, en masse, from elsewhere; the famous Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
side of the 1890s is another; Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
's controversial transfer policy of 1905 another. However, such a policy, of creating success through expenditure, will only be successful if there is success and money is generated as a result. Certain questions are always of importance: How do you best sustain income? How do you generate local interest in the club? How do you create a style of play synonymous with the club?
Character
Buckley comes across, in retrospect, as a character far removed from the unbending disciplinarian that he wished to portray himself as. The truth is, possibly, closer to him being a wily manipulator of whatever resources were available. Accordingly, his aims, which arose because of simple economics, boiled down to key principles. First he introduced youth programmes at the clubs where he worked and created club sides without bankrupting the directors by combining young 'home-grown' talent with experienced professionals. Second, he went into the transfer market with his eyes wide open. He bought players cheaply and sold others cleverly. Third, he insisted on using a scouting network throughout England and Wales, which is where a scout of Buckley's found John CharlesJohn Charles
William John Charles, CBE , commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back...
. Fourth, he kept the press intrigued with rumour and innocent half-truths and, accordingly, kept the paying public interested and expectant in his clubs.
Influence
As a result Buckley's influence on the rise of the BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
sides of the 1950s, of the Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
'club culture' of the 1960s and 1970s should never be understated. His principles may not have been adopted directly by Busby, Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
, Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
and Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
but they were innovative principles that are quite commonplace now. Buckley's financial acumen may well have come from his stint as a travelling salesman in the early 1920s, but he returned to football management with Blackpool on 6 October 1923, and it was there that Buckley’s ideas started to come to the fore. He was lured to Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
with the promise of an extremely high salary and enough money to strengthen the squad. Buckley is credited with implementing a youth system and scouting scheme to the Seasiders.
Despite a total change of tactics, Buckley did not have much more success with Blackpool than his predecessor, Bill Norman
Bill Norman (football manager)
William "Bill" Norman was an English football manager.Between 1918 and 1923, he was in charge of Blackpool, who became one of a growing number of clubs to appoint a full-time manager. Before that point, the team selection had been the responsibility of a committee comprising directors, the captain,...
. During the 1924–25
Blackpool F.C. season 1924-25
The 1924-25 season was Blackpool F.C.s 24th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing seventeenth....
season, he sold established players such as Herbert Jones
Herbert Jones (footballer)
Herbert "Taffy" Jones was an English professional footballer. He played as a defender.-Early life:Jones trained as a plumber before World War I. He lied to enlist, signing up illegally aged 15. During the war, he was stationed in France. He took part in the famous events of Christmas 1915...
and Harry Bedford
Harry Bedford
Henry "Harry" Bedford was an English professional football player. He scored 326 league goals in 485 games.-Club career:...
, which proved unpopular amongst the fans. He did, however, sign Jimmy Hampson
Jimmy Hampson
James "Jimmy" Hampson was an English professional footballer. He spent eleven seasons at Blackpool, where he remains record goalscorer with 252 goals in 373 games, and is still regarded as one of the best centre forwards to play for the club.-Club career:Born in Little Hulton, Lancashire, Hampson...
, who went on to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer, with 252 goals.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In July 1927, Buckley took up an appointment with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Stan CullisStan Cullis
Stanley Cullis was a professional footballer and manager, most notably for Wolverhampton Wanderers. During his term as manager between 1948 and 1964 Wolves became one of the strongest teams in the British game, winning the league title on three occasions, and playing a series of high-profile...
wrote of him: "I soon realised that Major Buckley was one out of the top drawer. He did not suffer fools gladly. His style of management in football was very similar to his attitude in the army. Major Buckley implanted into my mind the direct method of playing which did away with close interpassing and square-ball play. If you didn't like his style you'd very soon be on your bicycle to another club. He didn't like defenders over-elaborating in their defensive positions. Major Buckley also knew how to deal with the press." (Cullis, quoted in Taylor and Ward, 1995, pp. 31–2)
Buckley's stay at Wolves can be taken two ways. On the face of it, he appeared to achieve only modest success with the club; they won the Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
title in 1931–32
1931-32 in English football
The 1931–32 season was the 57th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
and finished runners-up in the Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1937–38
1937-38 in English football
The 1937–38 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season is notable as the reigning champions Manchester City became the only team to have won the League title one season then been relegated the next.-Honours:...
and in both the First Division and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
the following season
1938-39 in English football
The 1938–39 season was the 64th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
. An alternative view is that during his stay at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, Buckley once made the club a £100,000 profit within one year, purely on transfer deals; he toyed, provocatively, with the media (instigating the empty rumour that his players were using a monkey gland treatment to aid performance), he used psychologists to instill confidence in his players and was responsible for bringing through Stan Cullis and offering Billy Wright a start in professional football. After he had left the club, however, the full value of his vision, not least the Wolves youth programme, came to fruition and did so much to shape the Wolves side of the 1950s, when they won three Division One championships, twice won the FA Cup, and were one of few genuine challengers to the Busby Babes
Busby Babes
The Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
.
Buckley left Wolves, somewhat surprisingly, in 1944 and another non-committal couple of years followed at Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
(for a then-unheard-of £4,000 a year) and Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
before starting work at Leeds United, where one of his first discoveries was John Charles
John Charles
William John Charles, CBE , commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back...
just after Christmas 1948
1947-48 in English football
The 1947–48 season was the 68th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
. He was not afraid to try all manner of ideas to induce the Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
club out of mediocrity: dancing songs broadcast through the public address system during training days, so-called 'shooting' boxes (a contraption designed to send the ball out at different speeds and angles to players), increasing admission costs, youth development programmes. John Charles did excel during the 1954–55
1954-55 in English football
The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup....
season but the team failed to respond in kind.
Managerial stats
- League games only.
| Team | Nation | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... |
 |
1919 | 1920 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
|
6 October 1923 | c. 31 May 1927 | 160 | 66 | 36 | 58 | 41.25 |
| Wolves Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
|
1927 | 1944 | 681 | 281 | 136 | 264 | 41.26 |
| Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system... |
|
1944 | 1946 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
|
1946 | 1948 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
|
1948 | 1953 | 210 | 81 | 60 | 69 | 38.57 |
| Walsall Walsall F.C. Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second... |
|
1953 | 1955 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Legacy
Buckley, a stern disciplinarian throughout his career, earned devotion and affection, not least because he was also a 'tracksuit' manager. He brought in Jack CharltonJack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
, who had this to say about him:
"Unlike the pros, we got just two weeks' holidays in the summer, and while they were away our job was to remove the weeds from the pitch and replace them with grass seed. I remember being sat out there one day with Keith Ripley, another ground staff boy, when Major Buckley came over to us. We must have looked pretty forlorn, the two of us, and to gee us up he said he'd give us five shillings for every bucket we filled with weeds. Now that was an offer we couldn't refuse. By the time we were finished, we had filled six buckets, and, cheeky bugger that I was, I marched straight up to the Major's office. And when he asked what I wanted, I told him I was there to claim my thirty bob for the weeds. He nearly blew a bloody gasket! 'Get out of here!' he bellowed. 'You're already getting paid to do that work - don't ever let me see you up here again with your buckets.'
"Yet beneath the gruff exterior, he was a kind man, as he demonstrated once when I met him. My shoes must have been a sight, for when he looked down at them, he asked me if they were the only pair I had. I nodded. The next morning, he summoned me to his office and handed me a pair of Irish broguesBroguesThe Brogue is a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterized by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations and serration along the pieces' visible edges...
, the strongest, most beautiful shoes I'd ever seen. And I had them for years."
Buckley left Leeds in April 1953
1952-53 in English football
The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
, moving to Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, but left them in September 1955
1955-56 in English football
The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association...
.
Buckley died in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
in December 1964, aged 82.
Honours
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalist: 19391939 FA Cup FinalThe 1939 FA Cup Final was contested by Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Portsmouth won 4–1, with goals from Bert Barlow, John Anderson and two by Cliff Parker...