Look back: Former Bradford City manager Willie Watson

Willie Watson played for England at cricket and football during the 1950s. He played football for Huddersfield Town and Sunderland before hanging up his boots with Halifax Town, going on to manage them twice. He also managed Bradford City. He also had an illustrious cricketing career with Yorkshire, and finished with Leicestershire.

William Watson was born in Bolton-upon-Dearne near Barnsley in 1920. His family moved to Huddersfield when he was 18 months old. His father, also called Willie, played for Huddersfield Town from 1912-1928. He played in two FA Cup finals: in 1920, beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa, and 1922 when they beat Preston North End, 1-0. His brother also played for Huddersfield before World War 2, later moving to Oldham Athletic.

Willie claimed he wasn’t particularly outstanding as a schoolboy, though he did have trials for the Yorkshire Boys football team, and made one appearance for the Yorkshire Boys at cricket against Lancashire, scoring very few runs. But he enjoyed playing sport and was encouraged at Paddock Council School, Huddersfield. He represented the school at football and cricket. He passed the scholarship to go to grammar school, but turned it down. Grammar school boys weren’t allowed to play football for the town team, and he had his heart set on playing for Huddersfield Boys.

Subsequently, he played for them, and turned down the chance of a grammar school education. As a schoolboy, football and cricket meant the world to him. Gable ends of houses would have goal posts chalked on them in winter, and a set of

wickets in summer. Boys would play with a tennis ball, a rubber ball, even a rag ball.

Aged 14 he left school, and went to work for a motor coach building firm. Larking about at work, some oil that was in the yard caught fire and burnt his leg from ankle to knee. He had to attend the Infirmary for 32 weeks to have his dressings changed and fortunately the injury didn’t affect his sporting career. Aged 15 he signed as an amateur for Huddersfield Town and played in the A team. When asked to play in the Mid-Week League side against Leeds United, his firm

wouldn’t give him time off, so he quit his job.

His father was coach of the ‘A’ team, but was just as critical of his performances as he was of the other boys. He felt this did him good. Willie enjoyed watching Huddersfield Town and saw them play in the 1928 Cup Final at Wembley when they were beaten 3-1 by Blackburn Rovers. As a member of the groundstaff, he had to clean up the ground after a match, and help the groundsman replace the divots on the pitch. But he had the advantage of mixing with first team players and learning from training sessions.

In summer, he played cricket for Paddock in the Huddersfield League and was soon in the first team. In a cup match

against Lascelles Hall, he scored well over a century and a Yorkshire Committee member was so impressed he was invited to the nets at Headingley - the first step to a successful cricketing career.

At the age of 17 he signed professionally for Huddersfield Town, playing in the reserves at in side left or on the left wing. He was influenced by the coaching skills of Ted Magner whose motto was ‘Master the ball’. In summer 1938 he was chosen to play cricket for Yorkshire in the Minor Counties League against Cheshire at Barnsley. He was caught behind for a duck, but despite this was selected for the next match against Lancashire at Old Trafford. This time he was

out for a duck twice. He thought this was the end of his career but Yorkshire persevered, and in his next game against Staffordshire he scored over 60 runs. He played in the second team until the end of the season then returned to Huddersfield Town. He was picked for the first team against Portsmouth at Fratton Park at inside right. He admitted he didn’t have a successful game in front of a 30,000 crowd.

Willie Watson had a remarkable football career (Image: Submitted)

He was beginning to make his mark in both sports when war broke out. He continued to play some cricket and football; wartime games brought him to the notice of the football authorities. He was called on to entertain troops in Italy, playing alongside internationals such as Matt Busby, Tommy Lawton, Frank Swift, Tom Finney, Joe Mercer and Jimmy Mullen. Towards the end of the war he played for an England team against Switzerland, then Ireland.

On May 1, 1946, having played 11 games for Huddersfield Town, he was transferred to Sunderland, one of the top teams at the time, for £8,000. He was signed to play inside left but when Len Shackleton (who started his career with Bradford Park Avenue) arrived mid-way through 1947-48 season he converted to right half and became a cultured player. He played 223 games for Sunderland between 1946-1954, scoring 16 goals.

His cricketing career was given a boost when he was stationed in Rhyl at the end of the war. He was invited to take part in the Colwyn Bay Cricket Festival and among the spectators were Yorkshire and England players Herbert Sutcliffe and Abe Waddington.

Willie as a cricketer (Image: Submitted)

They discovered he’d been a Yorkshire Colt and were so impressed with him they notified Headingley. So began Willie’s first class County Cricket career. He made his debut against Derbyshire in 1946. He was to miss the start of every football season due to an arrangement between Sunderland and Yorkshire CCC.

* In his next article, Dave Welbourne looks at Willie Watson’s England cricket career, his time with Bradford City and his international sporting success.