William Waddell (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = William Waddell


fullname = William Waddell
dateofbirth = birth date|1921|3|7
cityofbirth = Forth
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1992|1|1|1921|3|7|df=y
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath = Scotland
height =
position = Winger
years = 1939–1955
clubs = Rangers
caps(goals) = 201 (39)
manageryears = 1957–1969
1969–1972
managerclubs = Kilmarnock
Rangers
nationalyears = 1946–1954
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 018 0(6)

William Waddell (7 March, 1921 in Forth – 1992) was a professional football player and manager.

As a player, Waddell only played for boyhood heroes Rangers. He made his debut at the tender age of 17 and went on to win five League titles, four Scottish Cups and 17 caps for Scotland.

After such a fine playing career, on retirement in 1956 he set out to build the same reputation as a manager and took Kilmarnock to their only League Championship win to date in 1964–65. On leaving Kilmarnock in 1965 he traded the football world for journalism, becoming a sportswriter on The Scottish Daily Express. However, in 1969 he returned to football and Rangers, this time as manager following the sacking of David White. Despite not winning any League Championships he won the Scottish League Cup in 1971, ending a six-year hoodoo without a trophy at a time in which Celtic dominated Scottish football.

His greatest achievement, however, was in 1972 when he led Rangers to a Cup Winners' Cup win beating Dynamo Moscow 3–2 in the final in Barcelona. This was all the more impressive because it came just one year after the Ibrox disaster where 66 Rangers fans lost their lives. After the disaster Waddell vowed this would never happen again and spearheaded the building the Ibrox Stadium as it is today.

After the Cup Winners' Cup win in 1972 he handed the reins to assistant Jock Wallace, Jr. and went on to serve the club in Managing director, General manager and Vice chairman roles until his death in 1992.

External links

*SFA Profile|id=113510|name=William Waddell
* [http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HallOfFame/0,,5~529920,00.html Waddell's profile at Rangers' Hall of Fame]