- Willis Edwards
Infobox Football biography
playername = Willis Edwards
fullname = Willis Edwards
nickname =
dateofbirth =April 28 ,1903
cityofbirth = Newton,Derbyshire
countryofbirth =England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1988|9|27|1903|4|28
cityofdeath =Leeds
countryofdeath =England |
position = Right half
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1919–1925
1925–1943
clubs = Chesterfield
Leeds United
caps(goals) = 070 (?) 417 (6)
nationalyears = 1926–1929
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 016 (0)
manageryears = 1947–1948
1958
managerclubs = Leeds United
Leeds United (Caretaker)Willis Edwards (
28 April 1903 –27 September 1988 ) was an English former professional football player and manager.Biography
Willis Edwards was born in the mining village of Newton, North East
Derbyshire , not far fromChesterfield andAlfreton . Like many boys in the area, he left school to go down the pit but he was soon spotted by Chesterfield as a teenager, playing for the village football team Newton Rangers.Chesterfield
Having been rejected by a
Sheffield United scout as “too small”, he joined Chesterfield F.C., where he made his debut in 1919 at the age of just 16. He went on to play 70 league games for the "Spireites" before joining Leeds United towards the end of the 1924–25 season.Leeds United
Edwards played for the
Elland Road club for 14 years, during which time he was never booked or sent off. He went on to make over 400 appearances and he was widely regarded as the bestwing-half in the country, making his England debut in 1926 and going on to receive 16 caps. Edwards continued turning out for Leeds during the war years and remained at the club after the war. On retiring as a player, he became the Leeds United assistant coach and trainer and he took over the managerial reigns whenBilly Hampson stepped down in May 1947. His time as manager was relatively unsuccessful and he resumed his place in the backroom staff in April 1948, where he acted as a scout for the club. He only ended his association with Leeds in 1960, after serving the club for 35 years.Life after football
In his later working years, Edwards worked in Moorhouses jam factory on Old Lane in Beeston and he died in Leeds on
27 September 1988 , aged 85.Managerial stats
External links
*englandstats|id=337|name=Willis Edwards
*soccerbase (manager)|id=1309|name=Willis Edwards
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