Fred Westgarth

Infobox Football biography
playername = Fred Westgarth


fullname = Fred Westgarth
dateofbirth = birth date|1887|7|1
cityofbirth = South Shields
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1957|2|4|1887|7|1
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manageryears = 1934–1936
1936–1938
1938–1943
1943–1957
managerclubs = Stockport County
Carlisle United
Bradford City
Hartlepools United

Fred Westgarth (born in July 1887 in South Shields, England, died on February 4 1957) was an English footballer though he is more renowned for his role as a manager.

Career

Westgarth was a successful football coach after a playing career achieved little of note. He was South Shields' assistant trainer before he joined Ebbw Vale, Workington and Luton Town in a training capacity. In 1938 he joined Stockport County as trainer-manager.

In December 1936 he moved to Carlisle United not waiting to see his Stockport side win the Division Three (North) title that season. In March 1938 he resigned at Carlisle to move to Bradford City.

He helped Bradford to lift its first honour for ten years, albeit in only the Third Division North Challenge Cup, in 1938-39. The following season, World War Two interrupted English football. Westgarth stayed at City until 1943 when he joined Hartlepools United.

He had a successful spell at Hartlepools during the mid 1950s. In 1955 the club reached the 4th round of the FA Cup, its best ever performance. In 1956-57 Hartlepools narrowly missed out on winning Division Three (North). But in 1957 he was taken seriously ill and died on February 4 shortly after he saw his side lose 4-3 to Manchester United in the FA Cup Third Round in front of a record 17,264 crowd at Victoria Park.

Honours

* Third Division North Challenge Cup 1938-39 (with Bradford City)

References

*cite book
last = Frost
first = Terry
title = Bradford City A Complete Record 1903-1988
publisher = Breedon Books Sport
year = 1988
pages = p69
isbn = 0907969380

External links