Trevor Morris (footballer)

Trevor Morris OBE DFM (6 September 1920 – 3 February 2003) was a Welsh professional footballer and manager.

Trevor Morris
OBE DFM
Personal information
Full nameTrevor Morris[1]
Date of birth(1920-09-06)6 September 1920
Place of birthGorslas, Wales
Date of death3 February 2003(2003-02-03) (aged 82)
Place of deathNottingham, England
Position(s)Wing half
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1938–1939Ipswich Town1(0)
Managerial career
1954–1958Cardiff City
1958–1965Swansea Town
1964Wales (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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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 & Boscombe Athletic 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.[2]

Second World War

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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.[2] He flew more than 40 missions over enemy territory and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in May 1945.[3][4]

Managerial career

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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.[5] 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.

Later life

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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 the 1976 New Year Honours, Morris was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to Welsh football.[6][3][7]

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.

Managerial statistics

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TeamCountryFromToRecord
GWDLWin %
Cardiff City April 1954August 195818659408731.72
Swansea Town August 1958May 19653271127713834.25
Total51317111722533.33

References

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  1. ^ "Search 1984 to 2006 – Birth, Marriage and Death indexes". Findmypast.com. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
  3. ^ a b "Ex-Bluebird and war hero dies". South Wales Echo. 4 February 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Supplement to The London Gazette, 22nd May 1945" (PDF). The London Gazette. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ "The post-war recovery". Cardiff City F.C. 17 November 2004. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  6. ^ UK list: "No. 46777". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1975. p. 12.
  7. ^ "Trevor Morris OBE DFC". Football Association of Wales. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
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