David Pratt (footballer) explained

David Pratt
Fullname:David Pratt
Birth Date:1896 3, df=y
Birth Place:Lochore, Fife, Scotland
Death Place:Edinburgh, Scotland
Height:[1]
Youthclubs1:Lochore Welfare
Years3:1919–1921
Clubs3:Celtic
Caps3:21
Goals3:0
Years4:1921–1923
Clubs4:Bradford City
Caps4:50
Goals4:5
Years5:1923–1927
Clubs5:Liverpool
Caps5:76
Goals5:1
Years6:1927–1929
Clubs6:Bury
Caps6:51
Goals6:0
Clubs7:Yeovil Town
Totalcaps:198+
Totalgoals:6+
Manageryears1:1929–1933
Managerclubs1:Yeovil Town
Manageryears2:1933–1934
Managerclubs2:Clapton Orient
Manageryears3:1935
Managerclubs3:Notts County
Manageryears4:1935–1937
Managerclubs4:Heart of Midlothian
Manageryears5:1937
Managerclubs5:Bangor City
Manageryears6:1944–1945
Managerclubs6:Port Vale

David Pratt (5 March 1896 – 28 July 1967) was a Scottish football player and manager. His career encompassed time spent in both England and Scotland, as well as a spell in Wales.

As a player, he was used both as a defender and as a midfielder on the outside left. He started his career at Celtic in 1919 before moving to England two years later to play for Bradford City. In 1923 he moved on to Liverpool, where he would remain for the next four years. He then ended his playing career after spells with Bury and Yeovil Town.

He got his break in management with Yeovil Town in 1929 before being installed as Clapton Orient manager in 1933. His reign was to only last one year, and he spent a spell in 1935 as Notts County manager before he returned to Scotland later in the year to manage Heart of Midlothian. He left Hearts in 1937 and was appointed manager at Bangor City, though he lost his position before the end of the year. His final role was as Port Vale between 1944 and 1945, though he never actually took charge of a game for the "Valiants".

Playing career

Pratt began his playing career during the last years of World War I with a series of local Fife sides, namely Lochore Welfare, Lochgelly United and Hearts of Beath. He joined Celtic from the latter in June 1919[2] and made his debut several months later, in a home game with Falkirk. His versatility counted against him, though, and he never developed into a first-team regular at Celtic Park. Indeed, although later primarily considered a defender, the position he appeared in most frequently for Celtic was outside left.

In 1921, Pratt moved south, joining Bradford City, where his consistent performances earned him a move to Liverpool two years later. He spent four seasons on Merseyside, but as with his time at Celtic, he could not attain a regular first-team berth. His most consistent run in the first-team occurred in 1924–25, while his only goal for the club was recorded during a 6–3 defeat of Newcastle United the following season.[3] He joined Bury in 1927 before moving further south to Yeovil Town.

Managerial career

Pratt eventually became manager of Yeovil before assuming control of Yeovil & Petters United in 1929. This was to be his longest period in charge of one club, the rest of his coaching career characterised by short tenures in managerial positions. Between May and December 1933, he managed Clapton Orient, then he had two months in charge of Notts County in the spring of 1935. He then returned to Scotland, where he replaced Willie McCartney as Heart of Midlothian manager. He lasted two seasons in Edinburgh before moving to Wales with Bangor City, where he stayed until the outbreak of World War II. He served in the RAF during the conflict before taking his final managerial role with Port Vale in December 1944, a position he vacated six months later. He failed to gain a release from the Air Force and so never managed to be a manager to the Vale other than in name only.[4]

Career statistics

Playing statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bradford City1921–22First Division27150321
1922–23Second Division23400234
Total50550555
Liverpool1922–23First Division700070
1923–24First Division15000150
1924–25First Division26040300
1925–26First Division15100151
1926–27First Division14040180
Total77180851
Bury1927–28First Division26030290
1928–29First Division25030280
Total51060570
Career total17861901976

Managerial statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamFromToRecord
Clapton Orient31 May 193330 December 1934
Notts County29 April 193528 June 1935
Total

Notes and References

  1. News: Prospects of the clubs in the First Division of the League. Liverpool . Junius . Athletic News . Manchester . 20 August 1923 . 5.
  2. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.
  3. Web site: David Pratt. lfchistory.net. 19 May 2009.
  4. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 239. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.