William Waddell
Encyclopedia
William Waddell was a professional football
player and manager. He was born in Forth, Lanarkshire
.
As a player, Waddell only played for Rangers
. He made his debut at the age of 17 and went on to win five League titles
, four Scottish Cup
s and 17 caps
for Scotland
.
On retirement in 1956 he became a manager and took Kilmarnock
to their only League Championship win to date in 1964–65
. On leaving Kilmarnock in 1965 he traded the football world for journalism, becoming a sportswriter on The Scottish Daily Express
. However, in 1969 he returned to football and Rangers, this time as manager following the sacking of David White
. The team did not win any League Championships with Waddell as manager, but won the Scottish League Cup
in 1971
, ending six years without a trophy at a time in which Celtic
dominated Scottish football.
In 1972
Waddell led Rangers to a Cup Winners' Cup win beating Dynamo Moscow
3–2 in the final in Barcelona
, just one year after the Ibrox disaster
where 66 Rangers fans lost their lives. After the disaster Waddell vowed this would never happen again and spearheaded the building the Ibrox Stadium
as it is today.
After the Cup Winners' Cup win in 1972 he handed the reins to assistant Jock Wallace, Jr. and went on to serve the club in Managing director, General manager
and Vice chairman roles until his death in 1992.
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. He was born in Forth, Lanarkshire
Forth, Lanarkshire
Forth is a small village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland with a population of around 3,500 people. It is situated near Lanark, and stands 1000 feet above sea level.-History of Forth:...
.
As a player, Waddell only played for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. He made his debut at the age of 17 and went on to win five League titles
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
, four Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
s and 17 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
On retirement in 1956 he became a manager and took Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
to their only League Championship win to date in 1964–65
1964-65 in Scottish football
The 1964–65 season was the 68th season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:In one of the closest finishes ever seen in a league competition in Britain, Hearts faced Kilmarnock on the last day of the season with...
. On leaving Kilmarnock in 1965 he traded the football world for journalism, becoming a sportswriter on The Scottish Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. However, in 1969 he returned to football and Rangers, this time as manager following the sacking of David White
David White (football manager)
David White is a Scottish former football player and manager. He played as a wing half for Clyde for his whole career, before managing Clyde, Rangers and Dundee.-Career:...
. The team did not win any League Championships with Waddell as manager, but won the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
in 1971
1970-71 in Scottish football
The 1970–71 season was the 74th season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:Aberdeen, with a 15 game unbeaten run, led the league from December until the last week of the season...
, ending six years without a trophy at a time in which Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
dominated Scottish football.
In 1972
1971-72 in Scottish football
The 1971–72 season was the 75th season of Scottish league football.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: Celtic Relegated: Clyde, Dunfermline-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: Dumbarton, Arbroath-Cup honours:...
Waddell led Rangers to a Cup Winners' Cup win beating Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
3–2 in the final in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, just one year after the Ibrox disaster
Ibrox disaster
The Ibrox disaster refers to two accidents, in 1902 and 1971, which led to major loss of life at the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.-First Ibrox disaster:...
where 66 Rangers fans lost their lives. After the disaster Waddell vowed this would never happen again and spearheaded the building the Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
as it is today.
After the Cup Winners' Cup win in 1972 he handed the reins to assistant Jock Wallace, Jr. and went on to serve the club in Managing director, General manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
and Vice chairman roles until his death in 1992.