| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1933-12-21)21 December 1933 | ||
| Place of birth | Reading, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 February 2020(2020-02-20) (aged 86) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1948 | Huntley & Palmers | ||
| 1948–1964 | Reading | 406 | (147) |
| Managerial career | |||
| Reading (assistant manager) | |||
| 1968–1971 | Bradford City | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Wheeler (21 December 1933 – 20 February 2020[1]) was an Englishfootballer. He played asstriker forReading where he played 406 league games, scoring 147 goals. He later became acoach at Reading and then manager ofBradford City.
Wheeler had a prominent career in schoolboy football and two years as an amateur atSpartan League side Huntley & Palmers.[2] He moved to hometown clubReading where he played for 16 years, scoring 147 goals in 406 league games. He was the club's top scorer for three successive seasons from1958–59 to1960–61. He broke his leg atBarnsley in September 1964, which effectively ended his league career.[2] He continued to play and coach Reading reserves and became assistant manager of the club toRoy Bentley.
Wheeler joinedBradford City as manager in June 1968. He was the first full-time manager since the death ofGrenville Hair in training in March 1968, with coach Jim McAnearney and captain Tom Hallett taking over first-time duties in the intermediate period. Wheeler had instant success atValley Parade and secured promotion fromDivision Four in1968–69 which included a record-breaking sequence of 21 games without defeat to come fourth.[2]
The following season started well but results tailed off and the team came 10th inDivision Three. Wheeler had been booked just once during his 16-year playing career, but on 6 December 1969 in anFA Cup tie at home toLincoln City he fell foul of theFA during a touchline outburst. Wheeler was fined £35 and censured and instead had a direct telephone line installed between his seat in the stand and the bench.[2]
In the1970–71 season, City escaped relegation by just a point with Wheeler's former team Reading occupying the final relegation spot. By the start of the following season, results failed to improve and Wheeler resigned after the fans turned against him.[2]