Roy Paul

Football player infobox2
playername = Roy Paul


fullname = Roy Paul
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1920|04|18
cityofbirth = Ton Pentre
countryofbirth = Wales
dateofdeath = death date and age|2002|05|21|1920|04|18|df=y
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath = Wales
currentclub = retired
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs = Ton Boys
years = 1946–1950
1950–1957
1957–1960
1960
1960–1961
clubs = Swansea Town
Manchester City
Worcester City
Brecon Corinthians
Garw Athletic
caps(goals) = 159 (11)
270 0(9)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Wales
nationalcaps(goals) = 33 (1)
manageryears =
managerclubs = Worcester City
Brecon Corinthians
Garw Athletic

Roy Paul (born 18 April 1920 in Ton Pentre, Wales, died 21 May 2002) was a footballer who played as a half-back for Swansea Town and Manchester City. He also represented the Welsh national team over 30 times and is regarded as one of Wales' best ever players.

Raised in the Rhondda Valley, Paul became a miner after leaving school, but an offer of a professional contract from Swansea gave him the opportunity to leave the colliery, but his football career was then disrupted by Second World War, during which he was a physical training instructor. After the war, Paul made his League debut, and spent four years playing first team football for Swansea, winning the Third Division (South) championship in 1948–49. Transfer listed after an abortive move to Colombian club Millonarios, Paul joined Manchester City for £19,500 in June 1950.

At Manchester City Paul spent seven years as captain, leading the club to successive FA Cup finals in 1955 and 1956, losing the first and winning the second. In 1957 he became player-manager of Worcester City, and subsequently wound down his career in his native South Wales, becoming a lorry driver. He died in 2002 aged 82.

Early career

When Paul left school, like many boys from the Rhondda Valley he became a miner.cite book |last=Penney |first=Ian |title=The Maine Road Encyclopedia |publisher=Mainstream |location=Edinburgh |year=1995 |id= ISBN 1-85158-710-1] While playing football for Ton Boys Club he was spotted by Swansea Town, for whom he signed first as an amateur, and then as a professional.cite book |last=Whittell |first=Ian |title=Manchester City Greats |publisher=John Donald |location=Edinburgh |date=1994 |id=ISBN 0-85976-352-8|pages=39] Paul played for the club's junior sides, but just as he was approaching the fringes of the first team the league was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

In 1940 Paul was called up for service in Devon, where he served as a sergeant physical training instructor. When in Devon he played as a guest for Exeter City, and when in Wales he played wartime football for Swansea. Once the war was over Paul finally made his League debut for Swansea, having lost six years of his career to the war. He went on to make 159 league appearances for the club in a four year period, winning the Third Division (South) championship in 1948–49. [cite web|url=http://www.swanseacity.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Legends/0,,10354~64273,00.html|title=Swans legends|accessdate=2008-09-04|publisher=Swansea City AFC] An impressive appearance against top-flight Arsenal in a 1950 FA Cup match resulting in the London club making an offer for the player, but Swansea turned it down.cite book |last= James|first= Gary| title= The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame |publisher= Hamlyn |date= 2005 |id= ISBN 0-600-61282-1|pages=117]

Later that year, Paul received an offer of a trial with Colombian club Millonarios. Colombian clubs, who were not required to pay transfer fees as their governing body was not affiliated with FIFA, made similar offers to several British players, and Paul was one of seven to make the trip to South America. [cite book |last=Lanfranchi |first=Pierre |coauthors=Taylor, Matthew |title=Moving with the Ball: The Migration of Professional Footballers |publisher=Berg |location=Oxford |date=2001 |id=ISBN 9781859733073|pages=59] Millonarios offered him a £3,000 signing on fee and £150 per month, far in excess of the maximum wage in British football. Once in Colombia, Paul found himself unimpressed by the conditions and stayed only ten days, without playing a single match. ["Moving with the Ball", p61] Swansea were angered by Paul's trip, and transfer-listed him upon his return."Manchester City Greats", p40] As a result he transferred to Manchester City for £19,500, a British record for a half-back.cite book |last=Brandon |first=Derek |title=A–Z of Manchester Football: 100 Years of Rivalry |publisher=Boondoggle |location=London |year=1978|pages=183]

Manchester City

Paul joined a Manchester City side which had just been relegated to the Second Division, and were thus playing at the same level as Swansea. Paul made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 1950–51 season, a 4–2 victory against a Preston North End side featuring Tom Finney."The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame", p118] Manchester City went ten matches unbeaten at the start of the season, until a 4–3 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, where City blew a 3–0 half-time lead. Paul played in all but one match that season, becoming club captain and helping his club win promotion, as runners-up behind champions Preston. Writer HD Davies, under his pen name "Old International", attributed much of City's cohesive play over the season to the addition of Paul to the side.

Promotion meant Paul was playing club football at the highest level for the first time. For the next three seasons, his club languished in the lower reaches of the league table. However, in the 1954–55 pre-season a new tactic was introduced which would change the direction of the club. Inspired by the Hungary team which had beaten England 6–3 the previous year, the club's reserves had used a tactical system in which Johnny Williamson was used as a deep-lying centre-forward, resulting in a lengthy unbeaten run. [cite book |last=Rowlands |first=Alan |title=Trautmann: The Biography |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2005 |id=ISBN 1-85983-491-4 p131] Manchester City manager Les McDowall decided to try the system at first team level, using Don Revie in the centre-forward role. Henceforth the system became known as "The Revie Plan". The opening match of the season resulted in a 5–0 defeat at the hands of Preston North End. The following match the system was tweaked with Ken Barnes picked in place of John McTavish. ["Trautmann: The Biography", p. 159] City beat Sheffield United 5–2, and the system was retained for the remainder of the season. Paul's tactical role was relatively unchanged compared to that of some of his team-mates, but as captain he was responsible for retaining the cohesion of his players.

Using the new system, results improved. In September 1954 City beat Arsenal to go top of the league, though not without personal cost for Paul, as an elbow from Arsenal's Tommy Lawton resulted in the loss of four teeth."Manchester City Greats", p45] Internationally, City could not sustain their title challenge, finishing seventh, but Paul's team enjoyed a successful run in the FA Cup, reaching the final, where they faced Newcastle United. An early goal by Jackie Milburn and an unfortunate injury to Jimmy Meadows on 18 minutes left City playing with 10 men and gave them an uphill task. [cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester City - The Complete Record |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2006 |id=ISBN 1-85983-512-0|pages=46] Paul took the responsibility of changing tactics: "Like certain generals I believe that in dire emergency it is often better to attack. I clapped my hands and yelled "Let's show these Geordies the stuff that's taken us to Wembley""."The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame", p121] The performance in the remainder of the first half was improved, resulting in an equalising goal by Bobby Johnstone, but in the second half Newcastle scored twice to win 3–1. [cite book |last=Ward |first=Andrew |title=The Manchester City Story |publisher=Breedon|location=Derby |date=1984 |id=ISBN 0-907969-05-4|pages=47] Publicly, Paul vowed to take his team to Wembley again, but privately he blamed himself for the defeat, questioning whether he had failed as captain.

The following season the club surpassed the achievements of the previous season, finishing fourth in the league and again reaching the FA Cup final, this time facing Birmingham City. Conscious that early nerves had affected his team in 1955, in the dressing room he focussed on instilling each member of his team with confidence."The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame", p120] This time it was Manchester City who scored an early goal, and with City leading in the second half Paul told his men to keep the ball in play as much as possible in order to tire out the Birmingham players. Then German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann badly hurt his neck in a collision with Peter Murphy. Paul instructed Roy Little to take Trautmann's place, but Trautmann insisted that he would keep playing. Then Manchester City held on for the victory, and Paul collected the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II. X-rays later revealed that Trautmann had played on with a broken neck.

After the cup win Paul played one more season for Manchester City. In the summer of 1957 he was offered a new contract, but instead retired from the professional game aged 37, citing loss of pace due to age as the deciding factor."Manchester City Greats", p49] His final appearance for the club came on 22 April 1957 against Everton. ["Manchester City - The Complete Record", p380] In total he made 293 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 9 goals.

Paul continued to play at semi-professional level, joining Worcester City, for whom he made 124 appearances between 1957 and 1960, including a three month spell as player-manager.cite web|url=http://archive.thisisworcestershire.co.uk/2002/5/25/267493.html|title=City hero Paul dies|accessdate=2008-09-05|publisher=This is Worcestershire] In 1959 he was part of the Worcester side which knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup. [cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/lyttle-goes-a-long-way-back-to-his-roots-518105.html|title=Lyttle goes a long way... back to his roots|accessdate=2008-09-05|publisher=Independent] He then moved to Brecon Corinthians, and later Garw Athletic, where he ended his career. After winding down his football career he returned to his native South Wales and became a lorry driver. ["The Manchester City Story", p45] He died in May 2002 aged 82, following a long illness with Alzheimer's disease.

Playing style

Roy Paul played as a half-back, with the exact position varying during his career. At Swansea he was primarily used as a right-half, but when he joined Manchester City manager Les McDowall switched him to the left, a position which Paul preferred despite being right-footed."Manchester City Greats", p41] Internationally, he represented Wales in all three half-back positions over the course of his career.

Paul had a reputation as a physically tough player and inspirational captain. His approach to captaincy was to ensure that every player gave as much effort as possible,"The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame", p124] mixing the respect of his colleagues with the occasional attempt to frighten them into action; in the tunnel prior to the 1956 FA Cup Final his last action before leading out his team was to hold up his fist and shout "If we don't fucking win, you'll get some of this". [cite book |last=Rowlands |first=Alan |title=Trautmann: The Biography |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2005 |id=ISBN 1-85983-491-4|pages=178]

At Manchester City he was occasional penalty taker, but his success rate was not high and he was relieved when Don Revie joined the club and took the responsibility for penalties, commenting that "the only reason I took them was because no-one else fancied it"."Manchester City Greats", p42]

Honours

As a player

Manchester City F.C.

* FA Cup winner 1956

References