Tom Manley (footballer)

English footballer and manager

Tom Manley
Personal information
Manley while a Brentford player
Full name	Thomas Ronald Manley^[1]
Date of birth	7 October 1912
Place of birth	Northwich, England
Date of death	4 July 1988(1988-07-04) (aged 75)^[1]
Place of death	Brentwood, England
Height	6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m)^[2]
Position(s)	Utility player, outside left
Youth career
1927–1928	Brunner Mond
1928–1929	Norley United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1929–1930	Northwich Victoria
1930–1939	Manchester United	188	(40)
1939–1952	Brentford	116	(8)
Managerial career
1954	Northwich Victoria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Ronald Manley (7 October 1912 – 4 July 1988) was an English professional footballer who made over 300 appearances in the Football League for Manchester United and Brentford as a utility player. He later managed hometown club Northwich Victoria in non-League football.

Playing career

Early years

Manley began his career with junior clubs Brunner Mond and Norley United, before joining Cheshire County League club Northwich Victoria in 1929.^[3] He remained at Drill Field until September 1930.^[3]

Manchester United

Manley was brought to First Division club Manchester United by scout Louis Rocca on an amateur basis in September 1930.^[3] At the end of the 1930–31 season, after the club's relegation to the Second Division, he signed a professional contract.^[3] Manley broke into the team over the course of the 1932–33 and 1933–34 seasons and scored 15 goals in United's 1935–36 Second Division title-winning campaign.^[4] After suffering relegation straight back to the Second Division at the end of the 1936–37 season, he helped the team to an immediate return to the top-flight one season later.^[4] 1938–39 was Manley's final season at Old Trafford and he finished his Manchester United career having made 195 appearances and scored 41 goals.^[4] Predominantly an outside left, he also performed the role of a utility player at Old Trafford by also playing in half and full back positions.^[4]

Brentford

Manley joined First Division club Brentford for a "substantial fee" in August 1939 and was immediately named captain.^[5] Just three matches of the 1939–40 season were played before the season was abandoned and competitive football was suspended for the duration of the Second World War.^[5] Manley's duties with the RAF meant that he appeared sparingly for the club during the war, making just 36 appearances and scoring six goals by the end of the 1945–46 season.^[6] He also played as a guest player for Blackpool, Chester, Fulham, Manchester United, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur during the war.^[7] Competitive football resumed for the 1946–47 season and Manley would go on to make 122 appearances and scored 8 goals for the club before making his final appearance in September 1950.^[8]^[5] He remained as Griffin Park as a reserve team player for the 1951–52 season (playing one match as a goalkeeper) before retiring at age 39 in May 1952.^[5] Manley was awarded a joint-testimonial with Ted Gaskell versus a Tommy Lawton XI in April 1954.^[5]

Management career

Manley managed Cheshire County League club Northwich Victoria, with whom he began his career as a player, between March and October 1954.^[5]

Personal life

Manley served in the RAF during the Second World War.^[5] After his retirement from football, he became the licensee of a pub in Northwich.^[5]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester United	1931–32^[4]	Second Division	3	0	0	0	3	0
	1932–33^[4]	Second Division	19	0	0	0	19	0
	1933–34^[4]	Second Division	30	2	2	0	32	2
	1934–35^[4]	Second Division	30	9	1	0	31	9
	1935–36^[4]	Second Division	31	14	3	1	34	15
	1936–37^[4]	First Division	31	5	0	0	31	5
	1937–38^[4]	Second Division	21	7	1	0	22	7
	1938–39^[4]	First Division	23	3	0	0	23	3
	Total		188	40	7	1	195	41
Brentford	1946–47^[8]	First Division	9	0	0	0	9	0
	1947–48^[8]	Second Division	27	0	2	0	29	0
	1948–49^[8]	Second Division	42	3	4	0	46	3
	1949–50^[8]	Second Division	33	2	0	0	33	2
	1950–51^[8]	Second Division	5	2	0	0	5	2
	Total		116	8	6	0	122	8
Career total			304	48	13	1	317	49

Honours

Manchester United

Football League Second Division: 1935–36^[4]
Football League Second Division second-place promotion: 1937–38^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Tom Manley". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ "Manchester United. Weak positions improved". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. v – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Manley Tom Manchester United 1938". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ "Tommy Manley". 11v11.com. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0955294914.
^ White 1989, p. 375-378.
^ Goodwin, Bob (2017). The Spurs Alphabet. Lulu.com. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-9540434-2-1.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 378–381. ISBN 0951526200.