William Stanley (football manager)

William Stanley was the first ever manager (secretary) of Coventry City

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

, then known as Singers FC, from 1883 to 1885. Although little is known of him he is now credited with being the true founder of the club, organising a team made up of employees from the Singer

Singer (car)

Singer was an automobile company founded in 1905 in Coventry, England. It was acquired by the Rootes Group of the United Kingdom in 1956, who continued the brand until 1970...

 bicycle factory in Coventry. As a player, Stanley was a centre-forward and he also acted as club secretary for two years.

William's son was George E. Stanley.