Warney Cresswell

Infobox Football biography
playername= Warney Cresswell
fullname = Warneford Cresswell


dateofbirth = birth date|1897|11|5|df=y
cityofbirth = South Shields, Tyne and Wear
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1973|10|20|1897|11|5|df=y
height =
position = Full back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years =
1919–1922
1922–1927
1927–1936
clubs = Morton
Heart of Midlothian
Hibernian
South Shields
Sunderland
Everton
caps(goals) =
099 (0)
182 (0)
290 (1)
nationalyears = 1921–1929
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) =007 (0)
manageryears = 1936–1937
1937–1939
managerclubs = Port Vale
Northampton Town
pcupdate =

Warneford Cresswell (5 November, 1897 – 20 October 1973), known as "Warney", was an English professional footballer, who helped Everton win the Football League championship twice and the FA Cup. His ability and talents earned him the sobriquet "The Prince of Full Backs" and win seven caps for England.

Career

Cresswell was born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear "(then in County Durham)". He represented South Shields Schools and England Schools as a youngster, as well as playing junior football locally, although the outbreak of the First World War prevented him playing professional football in England, where football was suspended. This was not the case in Scotland, however, where the Scottish Football League continued throughout the hostilities, so the teenage Cressswell moved north of the border to play for Morton, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian.cite book | author=Graham Betts| title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing | year=2006|pages=p.80| isbn=1-905009-63-1]

He later enlisted in the army, and was captured and held in a prisoner-of-war camp before being repatriated at the end of the war.

In the summer of 1919 he signed for South Shields, then playing in the Football League Second Division.

Cresswell was capped for England seven times. His first match was against Wales on 14 March 1921 and his last was against Ireland on 19 October 1929. His first appearance was whilst still at South Shields, thus making him South Shield's only England international.

He moved to Sunderland in 1922 for a then-world record fee of £5,500. [Sunderland Football Club [http://www.a-love-supreme.com/100%20greatest/50-41.htm "Greatest 100" web page] , A-Love-Supreme Fanzine web site, retrieved on December 17, 2006.] The record was not broken again for three years. He made 190 appearances for the club.

Cresswell played in the right back position. He was a renowned tackler and famed for his cool demeanour, fine tackling and masterful positional play. Warney became hugely popular with fans wherever he played, establishing a reputation as a 'gentleman', both on and off the pitch. One player recounted how his leg was broken following a collision with Cresswell, who appeared later at the hospital with a pouch of smoking tobacco [http://www.mediacave.co.uk/seniors/forum/viewtopic.php?p=83280&sid=c463d6c8672fe945c6a6d59413290f6a] , which at the time was probably considered more manly than flowers or a bag of grapes.

He moved to Everton in 1927 for £7,000, at the age of 30, where he played alongside goal machine Dixie Dean. He left Everton when he was 38 having made 306 appearances for the club.

He then went on to manage Port Vale (1936-37) and Northampton Town (1937-39).

Later, he returned to manage a pub in the Sunderland area.

He was known throughout the game as "The Prince of Full Backs"

Honours

;Sunderland
*Football League runners-up: 1922-23

;Everton
*Football League champions: 1927-28 and 1931-32
*FA Cup winners: 1933

Quotes

*"Good goalkeepers never make great saves." [ [http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/sport/warney_cresswell Warney Cresswell quote page] , "Said What?" web site, retrieved on December 17, 2006.]

Trivia

*In 1947, Cresswell was on a short-list of 10 for the post of manager at Newcastle United.
*His son, Corbett Cresswell was in the Bishop Auckland F.C. team which won the FA Vase three years in succession in the 1950s.
*Warney's brother, Frank, also played for Sunderland as well as clubs including West Bromwich Albion, Chester and Notts County
*His great-granddaughter is Lincoln based Olympic Swimmer Kate Haywood

References

External links

* [http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mplayers/MPG259.asp Complete Sunderland record]
* [http://www.efchistory.co.uk/Player%20Gallery%201920-1939.htm Everton profile]
*Englandstats|id=277|name=Warney Cresswell
* [http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=280 England profile]