Fred Halliday (footballer) explained

Fred Halliday
Fullname:John Frederick Halliday[1]
Birth Date:1880 4, df=y
Birth Place:Chester, England
Death Date:[2]
Death Place:Willesden, England
Height:5ft 10+1/2in
Position:Full back
Years1:–1898
Clubs1:Chester
Years2:1898–1900
Clubs2:Liverpool
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Years3:1899–1900
Clubs3:Crewe Alexandra
Years4:1900–1901
Clubs4:Everton
Caps4:0
Goals4:0
Years5:1901–1903
Clubs5:Bolton Wanderers
Caps5:27
Goals5:0
Years6:1903–1907
Clubs6:Bradford City
Caps6:72
Goals6:0
Years7:1907–1908
Clubs7:Bradford Park Avenue
Caps7:1
Goals7:0
Totalcaps:100
Totalgoals:0
Manageryears1:1907–1908
Managerclubs1:Bradford Park Avenue
Manageryears2:1908–1912
Managerclubs2:Brentford
Manageryears3:1915–1921
Managerclubs3:Brentford
Manageryears4:1924–1926
Managerclubs4:Brentford

John Frederick Halliday (19 April 1880 – 20 May 1953) was an English professional footballer and manager who played as a full back in the Football League for Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City. He went on to manage Bradford Park Avenue and Brentford. He was posthumously inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in 2015.

Playing career

Halliday began his career as an amateur at local club Chester, playing in The Combination.[3] He transferred to First Division club Liverpool in April 1898, but failed to make a first team appearance.[4] Prior to his release from Liverpool on a free transfer,[5] Halliday played for Lancashire League club Crewe Alexandra. He joined cross-city rivals Everton in 1900, but failed to make an appearance for the Toffees before moving to Bolton Wanderers in 1901.

Halliday left Bolton Wanderers at the end of the 1902–03 season, after the club's relegation to the Second Division was confirmed.[6] He moved to newly founded Second Division club Bradford City prior to the beginning of the 1903–04 season.[7] He made 72 appearances in the Football League and two FA Cup appearances for Bradford and departed Valley Parade in 1907.

Management career

Bradford Park Avenue

Halliday became manager of Southern League First Division club Bradford Park Avenue in May 1907, guiding the club to a mid-table finish in the 1907–08 season. He made one playing appearance for the club as an emergency goalkeeper in a match versus Swindon Town, when regular keeper Tom Baddersley missed his train.[8] He departed Park Avenue after the season.

Brentford

First spell (1908–1912)

Halliday joined Southern League First Division club Brentford as manager in June 1908, taking over from W. G. Brown.[9] Halliday's team had a disastrous 1908–09 campaign in the league, finishing bottom (though avoiding relegation to the Second Division), but he brought silverware to the club, winning the Southern Professional Charity Cup.[10] He led the Bees to a mid-table finishes in the 1909–10, 1910–11 and 1911–12 seasons. He carried on into the 1912–13 season, but with the club still in relegation trouble, Halliday stepped down in November 1912 and became the club's secretary.[11] He was replaced by one of his players, Ephraim Rhodes.

Second spell (1915–1921)

Halliday stepped up to become Brentford manager for the second time in August 1915, replacing Ephraim Rhodes, who was inducted into the army. The break-out of the First World War in August 1914 led the Football League and Southern League to decide to cease operations at the end of the 1914–15 season until the end of hostilities, so Halliday took charge of a Brentford team playing in the unofficial War League and the newly formed London Combination.[12] He managed the club in both leagues during the 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18 and 1918–19 seasons and won the London Combination title in the latter campaign.[13]

Competitive football returned for the 1919–20 season and Halliday's Bees were elected back to the Southern League First Division, finishing in mid-table. Brentford won election to the Football League as founding members of the Third Division for the 1920–21 season. An unsuccessful season saw the Bees finish second-from-bottom and Halliday stepped down at the end of the campaign to return to administrative duties. He was replaced by Archie Mitchell.

Third spell (1924–1926)

After Archie Mitchell's sacking in December 1924, Halliday took over the manager's job for the third time. Another second-from-bottom finish followed in the 1924–25 season. An 18th-place finish followed in the 1925–26 season, after which Halliday left the Bees permanently. He managed the club in 334 matches, winning 108, drawing 70 and losing 156.[14] Halliday was posthumously inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in 2015.[15]

Career statistics

Playing career

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bradford City1903–04Second Division23010240
Career total23010240

Managerial career

Team! rowspan="2"
FromToRecord
Brentford24 June 190813 November 1912
BrentfordAugust 1915August 1921
Brentford3 December 1924May 1926
Total

Honours

As a manager

Brentford

As an individual

Notes and References

  1. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . Tony Brown . 2012 . 978-1905891610 . Nottingham . 123.
  2. Web site: John Frederick Halliday (Fred Halliday) . 16 June 2020 . Play Up, Liverpool . en.
  3. Web site: Halliday Fred Brentford Manager 1911 . 16 June 2020 . Vintage Footballers . en-GB.
  4. Web site: 23 April 1898 . Local talent signs on . 9 July 2014 . Kjellhanssen.com.
  5. Web site: 30 June 1900 . Halliday given a free transfer . 9 July 2014 . Kjellhanssen.com.
  6. Web site: Overall Appearances/Goals Record – H . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131111155209/http://bwfcstats.com/play/overall/page8.html . 11 November 2013 . 8 October 2017.
  7. Book: Frost, Terry . Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988 . Breedon Books Sport . 1988 . 0-907969-38-0 . 397.
  8. Book: TW8: Brentford Official Matchday Programme versus Notts County . 24 February 2001 . Charlton, London . 14.
  9. Web site: Brentford . 9 July 2014 . League Managers Association.
  10. Book: Haynes, Graham . A-Z of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia . 1998 . Yore Publications . 1-874427-57-7 . 119.
  11. Book: Haynes . Graham . Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Coumbe . Frank . Yore Publications . 2006 . 0955294916 . Harefield . 174–175.
  12. Web site: Match Database – all matches for season 1915/16 . 9 July 2014 . Stamford-Bridge.com The History of Chelsea FC.
  13. Web site: London Combination 1918–19 . 9 July 2014 . Westhamstats.info.
  14. Book: 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC . 1989 . 0951526200 . White . Eric . 360–368.
  15. Web site: Wickham . Chris . Kevin O'Connor and Marcus Gayle join others in being added to Brentford FC Hall of Fame . 29 May 2015 . brentfordfc.co.uk.