William Henry Guttridge (4 March 1931 – 6 April 2013) was an English professional football player and manager.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Henry Guttridge | ||
| Date of birth | 4 March 1931 | ||
| Place of birth | Darlaston, England | ||
| Date of death | 6 April 2013 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Walsall, England | ||
| Position(s) | Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Metroshaft Works | |||
| 1947–1951 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1951–1954 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 6 | (0) |
| 1954–1962 | Walsall | 198 | (0) |
| Stourbridge | |||
| 1962–1964 | Macclesfield Town | 72 | (0) |
| Total | 276 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| Darlaston | |||
| Macclesfield Town | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editGuttridge played as a left back for amateur side Metroshaft Works before joining First Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1947.
Nicknamed 'Chopper', mostly played only reserve team games for Wolves, but did make seven first team appearances during his seven-year stay at Molineux, including during their title-winning campaign of 1953–54.[1] His competitive debut came on Christmas Day 1951 in a 3–3 draw at Aston Villa.[2]
Unable to break into Wolves' first team the full-back moved to Midlands neighbours Walsall in November 1954, where he made over 200 appearances - often as captain - during an eight-year spell.[3] A cartilage injury forced his playing retirement in 1962.[4]
After retiring as a player, he worked as a youth coach at Walsall as well as managing Darlaston and Macclesfield Town.[1][5]
He died on 6 April 2013, at the age of 82, at Walsall Manor Hospital after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ a b Matthews, Tony (2001). The Wolves Who's Who. West Midlands: Britespot. ISBN 1-904103-01-4.
- ^ Matthews, Tony (2008). Wolverhampton Wanderers: The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-632-3.
- ^ "Profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database.
- ^ a b "Chopper Guttridge passes away". Bescot Banter. 8 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Ex-Walsall and Wolves player Bill Guttridge dies at age 82". Express and Star. 8 April 2013.