Trevor Morris (footballer)

Trevor Morris OBE, DFC[2] (6 September 1920 – 3 February 2003) was a Welsh professional footballer and manager.

Trevor Morris
Personal information
Full name Trevor Morris[1]
Date of birth (1920-09-06)6 September 1920
Place of birth Gorslas, Wales
Date of death 3 February 2003(2003-02-03) (aged 82)
Place of death Nottingham, England
Position(s) Wing half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1938–1939 Ipswich Town 1 (0)
Teams managed
1954–1958 Cardiff City
1958–1965 Swansea Town
1964 Wales (caretaker)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

The son of a miner from Carmarthenshire, Morris began his career with Ipswich Town. He made his debut on 6 May 1939 in a 0–0 draw with Bournemouth on the final day of the 1938–39 season. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Morris' playing career came to an end when he suffered a broken leg while playing for Cardiff City as a guest in a wartime cup match against Bristol City.[3]

Second World War

During the Second World War, Morris served in RAF Bomber Command and piloted the lead aircraft in a squadron of 40 Avro Lancaster's on D-Day.[3] He flew more than 40 missions over enemy territory and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[2]

Managerial career

He returned to football in 1946 as Cardiff City's assistant secretary, and was promoted to manager-secretary in 1954 after the resignation of Cyril Spiers.[4] Morris was unable to stop the club's relegation from the First Division and, after struggling the following year in Division Two, he resigned and instead took over at their South Wales rivals Swansea Town.

He was sacked following Swansea's relegation to the Third Division in 1965. He later had a short spell as general manager of Newport County.

Managerial statistics
Team Country From To Record
GWDLWin %
Cardiff City April 1954 August 1958 18659408731.72
Swansea Town August 1958 May 1965 3271127713834.25
Total 51317111722533.33

Later life

In 1971, he was appointed secretary of the Football Association of Wales, where he remained until 1982 when he stepped down due to a heart condition. In 1976, Morris was awarded an OBE for his services to Welsh football.[2][5]

One of Morris's long-term achievements was the acceptance of the principle that footballers could play for a country with which they had blood ties but which was not the country of their birth. He died on 3 February 2003.

References
  1. "Search 1984 to 2006 – Birth, Marriage and Death indexes". Findmypast.com. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  2. "Ex-Bluebird and war hero dies". South Wales Echo. 4 February 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  3. Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
  4. "The post-war recovery". Cardiff City F.C. 17 November 2004. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  5. "Trevor Morris OBE DFC". Football Association of Wales. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
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