Emery Fred Image 1 Doncaster Rovers 1930

Description

Wing half Fred Emery was born in Lincoln and spent 1921-22 with Lincoln City without appearing for their first eleven, before returning to junior football with Wibsey in 1922. He then had a brief spell with Second Division Bradford City, amounting to five senior games, joining them in 1923 and making his Football League debut against Manchester United on 29th December the same year before moving on in the 1924 close season. He made his debut for new club Doncaster Rovers in early December against Hartlepools United and was to go on and play 438 senior games for them, scoring 31 goals in a 12 season spell that was to last until the end of the 1935-36 season. In 1934-35 he missed only 4 matches as Doncaster won the Third Division (North) Championship, and despite the step up to the Second Division he still missed only 5 League games in what was his final season for Donny, his only one outside the Third Division. He still holds the record for the most Football League appearances made for Doncaster Rovers at 417.

In March 1936 he was appointed manager at Doncaster, a position he held until May 1940 and the advent of the Second World War.

In October 1943, he was appointed manager of Bradford Park Avenue succeeding David Steele. He was fortunate to inherit a talented squad, and his management style went down well with the players. He guided Bradford to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1945-46, and masterminded the club’s greatest cup victory in January 1948, when Champions-elect Arsenal were defeated 1-0 at Highbury. After the War he netted the club around £52,000 in transfer fees when Geoff Walker, Len Shackleton, Johnny Downie and Jimmy Stephen moved to bigger clubs. When Bradford were relegated from the Second Division in 1950, and failed to go straight back, he left Park Avenue in June 1951.

In July 1951, Emery was appointed as Carlisle United manager, replacing future Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who left United  to join Grimsby Town. In a seven-year spell as Carlisle manager Emery never was able inspire the Brunton Park faithful like his predecessor did, but he was able to the keep the club in a stable mid-table position in the Third Division (North) despite being handicapped by limited resources. He left the club in May 1958. He died in Carlisle in 1959 following a short illness, just a year after United had dispensed with his services.

His brother Bob and nephew Tony (Lincoln City and Mansfield Town) were also footballers.