Warney Cresswell

Cresswell was born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear (then in County Durham). He represented South Shields Schools and England Schools as a youngster, as well as playing junior football locally, although the outbreak of World War I prevented him playing professional football in England, where football was suspended. This was not the case in Scotland, however, where the Scottish Football League continued throughout the hostilities, so the teenage Cresswell moved north of the border to play for Morton, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian.[5] He also guested for Tottenham Hotspur.[6] He later enlisted in the army, and was captured and held in a prisoner-of-war camp[5] before being repatriated at the end of the war.

In the summer of 1919 he signed for South Shields, then playing in the Second Division. He played for the club in 1919–20, their first season in English Football League, when they finished in ninth place. They finished eighth in 1920–21, and sixth in 1921–22, just six points short of promoted Stoke. In all he played 104 league and cup matches for the club.[7]

In 1922, he moved to Sunderland, when manager-secretary Bob Kyle authorised a then-world record fee of £5,500.[8] The record was not broken again until Bob Kelly joined him at Sunderland for £6,500 in December 1925. The "Black Cats" finished as First Division runners-up in 1922–23, six points behind champions Liverpool. They came closer to the title in 1923–24 despite finishing third, as they ended up four points behind champions Huddersfield Town. They then dropped to seventh in 1924–25, before another third-place finish in 1925–26; in the latter campaign they were nine points behind first placed Huddersfield Town. His last full campaign at Roker Park, 1926–27, ended up with Sunderland again in third place, seven points behind rivals Newcastle United. He made a total of 190 appearances for the club in league and cup competitions.[9]

He moved to Everton in 1927 for £7,000, at the age of 30, where he played alongside goal machine Dixie Dean.[10] He won the league title in 1927–28, his first season at Goodison Park. They then won the subsequent Charity Shield in 1928, before finishing a disappointing 18th in 1928–29, just three places above the drop. Everton then finished bottom of the division in 1929–30, though were just one point behind third-from-bottom (and therefore not relegated) Sheffield United. The "Toffees" made an immediate return to the top-flight, marching to the Second Division title in 1930–31, seven points ahead of runners-up West Bromwich Albion; they scored 121 goals in their 42 league games. They continued their success into the First Division, winning the title in 1931–32 after finishing two points ahead of Arsenal. Their success continued in the Charity Shield in 1932, as they beat Newcastle United 5–3 at St James' Park. They dropped to eleventh in 1932–33, but lifted the FA Cup in 1933. The final, held in front of 92,950 spectators at Wembley, finished in a 3–0 victory over Manchester City, and the Manchester Guardian described Cresswell as giving "an almost perfect display".[11] The club's final two seasons under manager-secretary Thomas H. McIntosh ended with a whimper however, with a 14th-place finish in 1933–34 and an eighth-place finish in 1934–35. Theo Kelly led Everton to a 16th-place finish in 1935–36, Cresswell's last as a professional footballer. Retiring at the age of 38 having made 306 appearances for the club,[10] after his death he was inaugurated into the Gwladys Street's Hall of Fame.

After retiring as a player, Cresswell was appointed manager-coach of Port Vale in May 1936.[15] He introduced strict training methods to the club, the emphasis being on fitness, using activities such as running and gymnastics.[15] These were combined with relaxed sessions of snooker and billiards.[15] The "Valiants" were in the Third Division North, and had spent the majority of the 1935–36 season without a manager.[16] He signed winger Gerry Kelly from Chester; right-half Tommy Ward from Grimsby Town; and left-half Spencer Evans from Altrincham.[16] He also traded George Stabb to Bradford Park Avenue for Tom Nolan.[16] Results began poorly, and so Cresswell signed inside-forward Alfred Dickinson from Everton.[16] Vale then became hard to beat, and remained undefeated for thirteen matches between 24 October and 2 January, with central player Fred Obrey proving to be a revelation.[16] The team were in fourth place at the turn of the year, however results then tailed off, and Cresswell left the club after the campaign ended with an eleventh-place finish.[16]

His professional manner seemed to indicate a bright future as manager and in May 1937 he took up the management position at Northampton Town, later being the manager-secretary.[15] He instigated a policy of promoting young players at the County Ground; this came at the expense of established players such as striker Jack Haycox, who was transfer-listed at an asking price of £250.[17] Under his stewardship the "Cobblers" finished ninth in the Third Division South in 1937–38 and seventeenth in 1938–39. In 1947, he was on a short-list of 10 for the post of manager at Newcastle United.[18] Instead he took up the position at Dartford, resigning after a poor run of results.[18]

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