Roy Paul
Encyclopedia
Roy Paul was a footballer
who played as a half-back for Swansea Town
and Manchester City
. He also represented the Welsh national team
over 30 times and is regarded as one of Wales' best ever players.
Raised in the Rhondda Valley
, Paul became a miner after leaving school, but an offer of a professional contract from Swansea gave him the opportunity to leave the colliery, but his football career was then disrupted by Second World War, during which he was a physical training instructor. After the war, Paul made his League debut, and spent four years playing first team football for Swansea, winning the Third Division South
championship in 1948–49. Transfer listed after an abortive move to Colombian club Millonarios, Paul joined Manchester City for £19,500 in June 1950.
In 1941 Paul married his wife Beryl and had two children, Robert and Christine
At Manchester City Paul spent seven years as captain, leading the club to successive FA Cup
finals in 1955 and 1956, losing the first and winning the second. In 1957 he became player-manager of Worcester City
, and subsequently wound down his career in his native South Wales, becoming a lorry driver. He died in 2002 aged 82.
, for whom he signed first as an amateur, and then as a professional. Paul played for the club's junior sides, but just as he was approaching the fringes of the first team the league was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War
.
In 1940 Paul was called up for service in Devon
, where he served as a sergeant physical training instructor. When in Devon he played as a guest for Exeter City
, and when in Wales he played wartime football for Swansea. Once the war was over Paul finally made his League debut for Swansea, having lost six years of his career to the war. He went on to make 159 league appearances for the club in a four year period, winning the Third Division South
championship in 1948–49. An impressive appearance against top-flight Arsenal
in a 1950 FA Cup
match resulting in the London club making an offer for the player, but Swansea turned it down.
Later that year, Paul received an offer of a trial with Colombian club Millonarios. Colombian clubs, who were not required to pay transfer fees as their governing body was not affiliated with FIFA
, made similar offers to several British players, and Paul was one of seven to make the trip to South America. Millonarios offered him a £3,000 signing on fee and £150 per month, far in excess of the maximum wage in British football. Once in Colombia, Paul found himself unimpressed by the conditions and stayed only ten days, without playing a single match. Swansea were angered by Paul's trip, and transfer-listed him upon his return. As a result he transferred to Manchester City
for £19,500, a British record for a half-back.
to the Second Division
, and were thus playing at the same level as Swansea. Paul made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 1950–51 season, a 4–2 victory against a Preston North End
side featuring Tom Finney
. Manchester City went ten matches unbeaten at the start of the season, until a 4–3 defeat at Doncaster Rovers
, where City blew a 3–0 half-time lead. Paul played in all but one match that season, becoming club captain and helping his club win promotion, as runners-up behind champions Preston. Writer HD Davies, under his pen name Old International, attributed much of City's cohesive play over the season to the addition of Paul to the side.
Promotion meant Paul was playing club football at the highest level for the first time. For the next three seasons, his club languished in the lower reaches of the league table. However, in the 1954–55 pre-season a new tactic was introduced which would change the direction of the club. Inspired by the Hungary
team which had beaten England 6–3
the previous year, the club's reserves had used a tactical system in which Johnny Williamson
was used as a deep-lying centre-forward, resulting in a lengthy unbeaten run. Manchester City manager Les McDowall
decided to try the system at first team level, using Don Revie
in the centre-forward role. Henceforth the system became known as The Revie Plan
. The opening match of the season resulted in a 5–0 defeat at the hands of Preston North End
. The following match the system was tweaked with Ken Barnes
picked in place of John McTavish
. City beat Sheffield United
5–2, and the system was retained for the remainder of the season. Paul's tactical role was relatively unchanged compared to that of some of his team-mates, but as captain he was responsible for retaining the cohesion of his players.
Using the new system, results improved. In September 1954 City beat Arsenal to go top of the league, though not without personal cost for Paul, as an elbow from Arsenal's Tommy Lawton
resulted in the loss of four teeth. Internationally, City could not sustain their title challenge, finishing seventh, but Paul's team enjoyed a successful run in the FA Cup, reaching the final
, where they faced Newcastle United
. An early goal by Jackie Milburn
and an unfortunate injury to Jimmy Meadows
on 18 minutes left City playing with 10 men and gave them an uphill task. Paul took the responsibility of changing tactics: "Like certain generals I believe that in dire emergency it is often better to attack. I clapped my hands and yelled "Let's show these Geordies the stuff that's taken us to Wembley"". The performance in the remainder of the first half was improved, resulting in an equalising goal by Bobby Johnstone
, but in the second half Newcastle scored twice to win 3–1. Publicly, Paul vowed to take his team to Wembley
again, but privately he blamed himself for the defeat, questioning whether he had failed as captain.
The following season the club surpassed the achievements of the previous season, finishing fourth in the league and again reaching the FA Cup final, this time facing Birmingham City
. Conscious that early nerves had affected his team in 1955, in the dressing room he focussed on instilling each member of his team with confidence. This time it was Manchester City who scored an early goal, and with City leading in the second half Paul told his men to keep the ball in play as much as possible in order to tire out the Birmingham players. Then German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann
badly hurt his neck in a collision with Peter Murphy
. Paul instructed Roy Little
to take Trautmann's place, but Trautmann insisted that he would keep playing. Then Manchester City held on for the victory, and Paul collected the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II. X-rays later revealed that Trautmann had played on with a broken neck.
After the cup win Paul played one more season for Manchester City. In the summer of 1957 he was offered a new contract, but instead retired from the professional game aged 37, citing loss of pace due to age as the deciding factor. His final appearance for the club came on 22 April 1957 against Everton
. In total he made 293 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 9 goals.
Paul continued to play at semi-professional level, joining Worcester City
, for whom he made 124 appearances between 1957 and 1960, including a three month spell as player-manager. In 1959 he was part of the Worcester side which knocked Liverpool
out of the FA Cup. As of 2011 Paul remains Worcester City's most famous player. He then moved to Brecon Corinthians, and later Garw Athletic, where he ended his career. After the end of his football career, he returned to his native South Wales
and became a lorry driver. He died in May 2002 aged 82, following a long illness with Alzheimer's disease
. He is buried in Treorchy Cemetery.
switched him to the left, a position which Paul preferred despite being right-footed. Internationally, he represented Wales in all three half-back positions over the course of his career.
Paul had a reputation as a physically tough player and inspirational captain. His approach to captaincy was to ensure that every player gave as much effort as possible, mixing the respect of his colleagues with the occasional attempt to frighten them into action; in the tunnel prior to the 1956 FA Cup Final his last action before leading out his team was to hold up his fist and shout "If we don't fucking win, you'll get some of this".
At Manchester City he was occasional penalty taker, but his success rate was not high and he was relieved when Don Revie joined the club and took the responsibility for penalties, commenting that "the only reason I took them was because no-one else fancied it".
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...
who played as a half-back for Swansea Town
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
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...
. He also represented the Welsh national team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
over 30 times and is regarded as one of Wales' best ever players.
Raised in the Rhondda Valley
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
, Paul became a miner after leaving school, but an offer of a professional contract from Swansea gave him the opportunity to leave the colliery, but his football career was then disrupted by Second World War, during which he was a physical training instructor. After the war, Paul made his League debut, and spent four years playing first team football for Swansea, winning the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
championship in 1948–49. Transfer listed after an abortive move to Colombian club Millonarios, Paul joined Manchester City for £19,500 in June 1950.
In 1941 Paul married his wife Beryl and had two children, Robert and Christine
At Manchester City Paul spent seven years as captain, leading the club to successive 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...
finals in 1955 and 1956, losing the first and winning the second. In 1957 he became player-manager of Worcester City
Worcester City F.C.
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
, and subsequently wound down his career in his native South Wales, becoming a lorry driver. He died in 2002 aged 82.
Early career
When Paul left school, like many boys from the Rhondda Valley he became a miner. While playing football for Ton Boys Club he was spotted by Swansea TownSwansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, for whom he signed first as an amateur, and then as a professional. Paul played for the club's junior sides, but just as he was approaching the fringes of the first team the league was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War
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...
.
In 1940 Paul was called up for service in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, where he served as a sergeant physical training instructor. When in Devon he played as a guest for Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
, and when in Wales he played wartime football for Swansea. Once the war was over Paul finally made his League debut for Swansea, having lost six years of his career to the war. He went on to make 159 league appearances for the club in a four year period, winning the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
championship in 1948–49. An impressive appearance against top-flight Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in a 1950 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...
match resulting in the London club making an offer for the player, but Swansea turned it down.
Later that year, Paul received an offer of a trial with Colombian club Millonarios. Colombian clubs, who were not required to pay transfer fees as their governing body was not affiliated with FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, made similar offers to several British players, and Paul was one of seven to make the trip to South America. Millonarios offered him a £3,000 signing on fee and £150 per month, far in excess of the maximum wage in British football. Once in Colombia, Paul found himself unimpressed by the conditions and stayed only ten days, without playing a single match. Swansea were angered by Paul's trip, and transfer-listed him upon his return. As a result he transferred to 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...
for £19,500, a British record for a half-back.
Manchester City
Paul joined a Manchester City side which had just been relegatedPromotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Second Division
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...
, and were thus playing at the same level as Swansea. Paul made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 1950–51 season, a 4–2 victory against a Preston North End
Preston 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...
side featuring Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
. Manchester City went ten matches unbeaten at the start of the season, until a 4–3 defeat at Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, where City blew a 3–0 half-time lead. Paul played in all but one match that season, becoming club captain and helping his club win promotion, as runners-up behind champions Preston. Writer HD Davies, under his pen name Old International, attributed much of City's cohesive play over the season to the addition of Paul to the side.
Promotion meant Paul was playing club football at the highest level for the first time. For the next three seasons, his club languished in the lower reaches of the league table. However, in the 1954–55 pre-season a new tactic was introduced which would change the direction of the club. Inspired by the Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
team which had beaten England 6–3
England v Hungary (1953)
England v Hungary was an international football game played on November 25, 1953. The game was played between Hungary - then the world's number one ranked team, the Olympic champions and on a run of 24 unbeaten games - and England, then the world's number three ranked team, the inventors of the...
the previous year, the club's reserves had used a tactical system in which Johnny Williamson
Johnny Williamson
Johnny Williamson is a former footballer who played as a striker for Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers in the 1950s.Williamson made his Manchester City debut on 1 April 1950 in a 4–1 defeat against Arsenal...
was used as a deep-lying centre-forward, resulting in a lengthy unbeaten run. Manchester City manager Les McDowall
Les McDowall
Les McDowall was a Scottish football player and manager. He managed Manchester City between 1950 and 1963, and then Oldham Athletic until 1965. McDowall was the longest serving manager in Manchester City's history, his tenure spanning 13 years.Though born in India, McDowall was raised as a Scot...
decided to try the system at first team level, using Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
in the centre-forward role. Henceforth the system became known as The Revie Plan
Revie Plan
The Revie Plan was a tactical system in association football used by Manchester City in the 1950s. The system was named after Manchester City player Don Revie, who had the most important role in it....
. The opening match of the season resulted in a 5–0 defeat at the hands of Preston North End
Preston 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...
. The following match the system was tweaked with Ken Barnes
Ken Barnes (footballer)
Kenneth Herbert Barnes was an English footballer. He played as a half back for Manchester City and Wrexham. On the books of Birmingham City as a youth, Barnes began his football career at amateur level...
picked in place of John McTavish
John McTavish
John Kay McTavish was a Scottish footballer who played for Petershill, Falkirk, Oldham Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Partick Thistle, York City, Goole Town, East Fife, East Stirlingshire, Dumbarton and Scotland at international level.- Playing career :McTavish began his career at...
. City beat Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
5–2, and the system was retained for the remainder of the season. Paul's tactical role was relatively unchanged compared to that of some of his team-mates, but as captain he was responsible for retaining the cohesion of his players.
Using the new system, results improved. In September 1954 City beat Arsenal to go top of the league, though not without personal cost for Paul, as an elbow from Arsenal's Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
resulted in the loss of four teeth. Internationally, City could not sustain their title challenge, finishing seventh, but Paul's team enjoyed a successful run in the FA Cup, reaching the final
1955 FA Cup Final
The 1955 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Manchester City at Wembley. Newcastle won 3–1, with goals from Jackie Milburn in the first minute , Bobby Mitchell and George Hannah. Bobby Johnstone scored City's goal...
, where they faced Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. An early goal by Jackie Milburn
Jackie Milburn
John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
and an unfortunate injury to Jimmy Meadows
Jimmy Meadows
James "Jimmy" Meadows was an England international who started his playing career in 1949 at Third-Division Southport, with whom, later in life, he had his most successful period in management...
on 18 minutes left City playing with 10 men and gave them an uphill task. Paul took the responsibility of changing tactics: "Like certain generals I believe that in dire emergency it is often better to attack. I clapped my hands and yelled "Let's show these Geordies the stuff that's taken us to Wembley"". The performance in the remainder of the first half was improved, resulting in an equalising goal by Bobby Johnstone
Bobby Johnstone
Robert "Bobby" Johnstone was a Scottish association football player, mainly remembered as one of the Famous Five forward line of Hibernian....
, but in the second half Newcastle scored twice to win 3–1. Publicly, Paul vowed to take his team to Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
again, but privately he blamed himself for the defeat, questioning whether he had failed as captain.
The following season the club surpassed the achievements of the previous season, finishing fourth in the league and again reaching the FA Cup final, this time facing 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...
. Conscious that early nerves had affected his team in 1955, in the dressing room he focussed on instilling each member of his team with confidence. This time it was Manchester City who scored an early goal, and with City leading in the second half Paul told his men to keep the ball in play as much as possible in order to tire out the Birmingham players. Then German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann
Bert Trautmann
Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann, OBE is a German former professional footballer who played for Manchester City from 1949 to 1964. Brought up during times of inter-war strife in Germany, Trautmann joined the Luftwaffe early in the Second World War, serving as a paratrooper...
badly hurt his neck in a collision with Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (footballer born 1922)
Peter Murphy , often referred to as "Spud" Murphy, was an English footballer who played as an inside left. He played professionally for three clubs, Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City...
. Paul instructed Roy Little
Roy Little
Roy Little was an English football right back who was born in Manchester. Once he left school at aged 14 he started working in rylands. His first professional club was Manchester City, who he joined from amateur side Greenwood Victoria in August 1949. He did not make his league debut until more...
to take Trautmann's place, but Trautmann insisted that he would keep playing. Then Manchester City held on for the victory, and Paul collected the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II. X-rays later revealed that Trautmann had played on with a broken neck.
After the cup win Paul played one more season for Manchester City. In the summer of 1957 he was offered a new contract, but instead retired from the professional game aged 37, citing loss of pace due to age as the deciding factor. His final appearance for the club came on 22 April 1957 against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. In total he made 293 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 9 goals.
Paul continued to play at semi-professional level, joining Worcester City
Worcester City F.C.
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
, for whom he made 124 appearances between 1957 and 1960, including a three month spell as player-manager. In 1959 he was part of the Worcester side which knocked Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
out of the FA Cup. As of 2011 Paul remains Worcester City's most famous player. He then moved to Brecon Corinthians, and later Garw Athletic, where he ended his career. After the end of his football career, he returned to his native South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and became a lorry driver. He died in May 2002 aged 82, following a long illness with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. He is buried in Treorchy Cemetery.
Playing style
Roy Paul played as a half-back, with the exact position varying during his career. At Swansea he was primarily used as a right-half, but when he joined Manchester City manager Les McDowallLes McDowall
Les McDowall was a Scottish football player and manager. He managed Manchester City between 1950 and 1963, and then Oldham Athletic until 1965. McDowall was the longest serving manager in Manchester City's history, his tenure spanning 13 years.Though born in India, McDowall was raised as a Scot...
switched him to the left, a position which Paul preferred despite being right-footed. Internationally, he represented Wales in all three half-back positions over the course of his career.
Paul had a reputation as a physically tough player and inspirational captain. His approach to captaincy was to ensure that every player gave as much effort as possible, mixing the respect of his colleagues with the occasional attempt to frighten them into action; in the tunnel prior to the 1956 FA Cup Final his last action before leading out his team was to hold up his fist and shout "If we don't fucking win, you'll get some of this".
At Manchester City he was occasional penalty taker, but his success rate was not high and he was relieved when Don Revie joined the club and took the responsibility for penalties, commenting that "the only reason I took them was because no-one else fancied it".