| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William John Wheeler[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1919-07-13)13 July 1919[1] | ||
| Place of birth | North Littleton, nearEvesham, England | ||
| Date of death | 10 January 2009(2009-01-10) (aged 89)[1][2] | ||
| Place of death | Nottingham, England[1][2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 193?–1938 | Cheltenham Town | ||
| 1938–1948 | Birmingham City | 12 | (0) |
| 1948–1956 | Huddersfield Town | 166 | (0) |
| 1956–1957 | Kettering Town | 47 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1968–1969 | Notts County (caretaker manager) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
William John Wheeler (13 July 1919 – 10 January 2009) was an English professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper forCheltenham Town,Birmingham City,Huddersfield Town andKettering Town. He helped Huddersfield Town topromotion to theFirst Division, and played more than 150 matches inthe Football League for the club. After his playing career finished, he spent more than 25 years withNotts County, in a variety of roles including coach,trainer,caretaker manager andscout.
Wheeler was born in North Littleton, nearEvesham, Worcestershire.[3][4] He died inQueen's Medical Centre,Nottingham on 10 January 2009 at the age of 89.[2] A minute's applause was observed beforeNotts County'sLeague Two game withExeter City later the same day.[2]
Wheeler started playing in village and mid week football in theEvesham area for teams such as Cleeve Prior Amateurs and Evesham Early Closers, he also played in theEvesham Town reserve team before returning to mid week football.[citation needed] While at Evesham Early Closers he had a trial withCoventry City. He joinedCheltenham Town in the summer of 1937 and played for them in theSouthern League before joining First DivisionBirmingham as a professional in 1938. He was signed as understudy and potential successor toEngland goalkeeperHarry Hibbs, but played only five first-team matches – as the youngest goalkeeper in the First Division[5] – before theSecond World War interrupted his career. During the war he served in the6th Armoured Division in North Africa and Italy,[6] but when he returned to his club, future England internationalGil Merrick had established himself as first-choice goalkeeper.[7] Wheeler played six matches in the renamed Birmingham City'sSecond Division championship-winning1947–48 season when Merrick was injured,[5] but before the next season started he was transferred toHuddersfield Town.
Wheeler had to spend some time in the reserves before becoming a first-team regular at Huddersfield.[8] They wererelegated in 1952, but promoted back to theFirst Division in thefollowing season. Wheeler and the fivedefenders in the side (Ron Staniforth,Laurie Kelly,Bill McGarry,Don McEvoy andLen Quested) shared the distinction of playing every game of the club's 42-match promotion campaign, a league record.[9]
In 1956 he joinedSouthern League clubKettering Town, where the formerEngland internationalTommy Lawton wasplayer-manager. Though the club had struggled the previous season, Wheeler helped them win the Southern League title in 1956–57,[10] playing 47 matches in all competitions.[11] When Lawton took over as manager ofNotts County at the end of that season, he asked Wheeler to come with him as coach andtrainer.[12]
Between joining the club in 1957 and retirement enforced by arthritis in the hip in 1983, during which time he filled numerous roles including trainer, coach,caretaker manager andscout, Wheeler never missed a first-team match – 1,152 consecutive games. In recognition of such service, the club awarded him life membership and a permanent seat in theMeadow Lane directors' box, and had announced plans to rename their clubhouse "Wheeler's" in his honour.[12][13]