Hampson: William (Billy)

1935-1947 (Manager Details) (Manager Details)

Born in Radcliffe, Lancashire, 26th August 1882, Hampson progressed to become a fine defender and team manager to several clubs. His playing career began with Woolfold Wesleyans,Ramsbottom and then Rochdale Town in 1906 where, as a trialist, he failed to make any impact. Later that same year, on 1st May, he was taken on by Bury, where he played twice for the first team in League games. A determined tackler quickly made a name for himself and moved to then Non-League Norwich City in 1907. He remained with the East Anglian side until January 1914, when he was involved in what was then a big money move. His new club being the North-East giants Newcastle United, who paid out the princely sum of £1,250 for Hampson's services. It was an astute signing, for the full back, once breaking into the first team after being understudy to the legendary Bill McCracken, and went on to make some one hundred and sixty-three League appearances for the Magpies,either side of World War One, scoring just one goal, from the spot. His career was interrupted with the intervention of wartime activities, during this time he guested for Leeds City, playing ninety-eight times in two and a half seasons. He gained the reputation of being a tough but fair tackler and was, in 1924, the oldest ever footballer to win an FA Cup winners medal, when Newcastle defeated Aston Villa 2-0. He was just forty-one years and eight months old! On 1st September 1927 he made a move to Second Division South Shields but after the club suffered relegation at the end of the season in which he had made twenty-five League appearances, he was forced to retire from the physical playing side of the game in 1928, aged forty-six. Acting as a scout and taking up coaching roles in the North-East it was not too long before he was offered his first managerial role, with Carlisle United, arriving there in March 1930. The club had been elected to the Football League Division Three North the previous season, and Hampson was seen as the man to lead them to greater glories. United finished the 1929/30 campaign in fifteenth position, having conceded one hundred and one goals. It was an abysmal record, one which Hampson openly stated he would improve upon. As good as his word, United did show signs of improvement, for Hampson introduced such stars as Bill Shankly, Arthur Sharp and Bob Batey, who later had a spell at Elland Road, and had an eye for up and coming talent. Carlisle did nothing noteworthy under Hampson's guidance and he left United in May 1932, and eventually took up the managerial role at Ashington in 1934. Less than twelve months later he was at Leeds United after the United's Directors had turned to another Leeds City Old Boy to fill Dick Ray's shoes. Joining United in March 1935 he staved off relegation to finish eighteenth in 1934-35. Buying the aged but vastly experienced English Internationals, goalkeeper Albert McInroy and centre-forward George Brown, and giving the youth of Bert Sproston and Eric Stephenson a chance to blossom, he consolidated United's position as a Division One club with a reputable eleventh spot finish in 1935-36 but only two fine wins in the last two fixtures ensured that it was Manchester United who took the drop to the Second Division as United finished eighteenth. His talent spotting trips to to Ireland unearthed Jim Twomey (Newry Town), David Cochrane (Portadown) and Bobby Browne (Derry City) and certainly paid dividends as all three soon represented their country. After George Brown had started to wane Hampson went out and made another astute purchase of Gordon Hodgson to provide the needed firepower. Two respectable finishes at ninth, in 1937-38, and thirteenth, in 1938-39, showed Hampson had plenty of experienced players at Elland Road but also brought on a fine crop of youngsters who were to win the Central League for the first and only time in 1936-37 and this remained the case until sixty years later. However the war prevented them from reaching full football maturity. Highly respected by the players, as a Manager and a gentleman, Hampson pinned faith in many of his loyal squad when peacetime football returned, but the long break had taken its toll. Age caught up with several key players and United suffered their worst-ever season, finishing bottom of Division One with only six wins and a meagre eighteen points. With just six games remaining in the season, the Board gave charge of the team to Willis Edwards and Hampson was made chief scout, but held the post for only eight months, before going free-lance and later coaching Northumberland Schools. He died in Congleton, Cheshire on 23rd February 1966, aged eighty-four. He had two footballing brothers, Tom who played for Darlington and Walter who played for Charlton Athletic.