| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Henry Lucas[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1918-01-15)15 January 1918 | ||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 1998 (aged 79–80) | ||
| Place of death | Wales | ||
| Position | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1936–1937 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 1937–1948 | Swindon Town | 141 | (32) |
| 1948–1953 | Swansea Town | 205 | (35) |
| 1953–1958 | Newport County | 93 | (6) |
| International career | |||
| 1948–1950 | Wales | 7 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1953–1961 | Newport County | ||
| 1962–1967 | Newport County | ||
| 1967–1969 | Swansea Town | ||
| 1970–1974 | Newport County | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
William Henry Lucas (15 January 1918 – 1998) was aWelsh international footballer in the late 1940s and 1950s. During his career, Lucas made over 400 appearances inThe Football League during spells withSwindon Town,Swansea Town andNewport County and attained seven caps forWales as well as eight wartime caps. After his retirement from playing, he went on to manage two of his former clubs, Newport County and Swansea Town.
A wing half, he began his career withWolverhampton Wanderers but left the club without making an appearance. Lucas instead joinedSwindon Town where he established himself in the first team. His spell with the club was interrupted by the outbreak ofWorld War II and, after just over one season with club following the return ofThe Football League in 1946,Swansea Town managerBilly McCandless paid a then club record fee of £11,000 to bring him toVetch Field.[2] In his first season, he captained the side to theDivision Three South title and in following years also won twoWelsh Cup's.[3] In December 1953 he joinedNewport County as player-manager and made 93 appearances for Newport scoring 6 goals.[4]
During the war he was a guest-player forLovell's Athletic, theworks team for Lovell's sweet factory inNewport,Monmouthshire, Wales.[5]
Lucas' first participation for Wales came in a wartime international match againstEngland atNinian Park on 9 May 1942, scoring the only goal of the game in a 1–0 victory.[6] He went on to play in a further seven wartime matches for Wales before winning his first full cap on 23 October 1948 in a 3–1 defeat toScotland in the1949 British Home Championship. He gained a total of seven caps for Wales, his final appearance coming on 15 November 1950 in a 4–2 defeat toEngland.[2]
Following his retirement from playing, Lucas became full-time manager ofNewport County until 1961 when he resigned due to a lack of support and what he perceived as a general apathy surrounding the club.[7] He returned to the club a year later following the sacking ofBobby Evans after they finished bottom of the Third Division and spent another five years in charge before taking over atSwansea Town. Lucas later took charge of Newport for a third and final spell in 1970, working without wages for the first six months due to financial problems at the club, which lasted until 1974.[2]
| Team | Country | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Swansea Town | Wales | February 1967 | March 1969 | 96 | 33 | 24 | 39 | 34.38 | |
| Total | 96 | 33 | 24 | 39 | 34.38 | ||||
In 1951, following his move back to South Wales to join Swansea Town, Lucas took over the Black Horse Inn, in Newport, with his wife Edith.[7]
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