Frederick Stewart (1873 – 11 February 1954) was an English
football manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
. He took up his first managerial role in 1896 with
Lancashire League side
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
and led them to their first title in 1900. Their success saw them elected to the
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
of the
Football League. The club struggled initially and, after being forced to seek
re-election
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...
on several occasions, Stewart was replaced by
Sam Ormerod. However, Ormerod also struggled and Stewart was reinstated a year later.
He remained with Stockport until 1911, achieving a highest place finish of 10th in his second spell. He was appointed manager of
Southern Football League Second Division side
Cardiff City in 1911 and led the side to their first
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
victory in his first season. The side won
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
to the
First Division a year later and were eventually elected into the Second Division of the Football League in 1920. In their first season in the new league, Stewart led the club to promotion to the First Division.
Stewart was in charge of the side during the 1920s when the club enjoyed success by reaching two
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
finals, losing in
1925
Events January
* January 1
** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...
before becoming the only team from outside England to win the competition in
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General.
* January 7
...
. They also finished as runners-up to
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
in the
1923–24 First Division season, missing out on the title after failing to win their final game of the season. The later years of the decade saw a steady decline as the club's finances dropped and by 1931 the club had been relegated to the
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
. Following a 19th place finish in 1933, Stewart resigned from the role after 22 years.
Despite managing for more than 30 years, his only two clubs were Stockport and Cardiff and he remains the longest serving manager of both sides as of December 2020.
Early life
Frederick Stewart was born in
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...
in 1873, but moved to
Stockport at the age of seven where he was raised.
His parents were of Scottish descent with the family having moved from
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
to settle in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
.
Career
Stockport County
Stewart was appointed secretary-manager of
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
in June 1896, a position which had previously been held by his brother and which Stewart initially regarded as a "part-time job".
His first match in charge of the club ended in defeat as they lost 1–0 to
Stalybridge Rovers.
He was in charge of the club when they gained admission to
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
in 1900 having won the
Lancashire League for the first time. However, the club struggled in the
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third t ...
, finishing in the bottom three in four consecutive seasons and were forced to apply for re-election on several occasions.
Stewart left the role at the end of the
1903–04 season after which he was replaced by
Sam Ormerod. However, the club suffered relegation from the Second Division in Ormerod's only season.
More than 70 applications were received by the club to succeed him, but the committee chose to reappoint Stewart to the role.
In his first season following his return, Stockport finished 11th in the
Midland Football League
The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid.
History
T ...
but were able to win re-election back into the Football League Second Division at the end of the campaign. Stewart led the side to their highest placed Football League finish during the
1905–06 season, ending the campaign in 10th place.
He remained in charge of the club until 1911. His two spells in charge of the side make him the longest serving manager in the club's history by date, serving in the role for 15 years, and by the time of his departure he had been associated with the club for 18 years. However, his record of matches in charge was subsequently surpassed by
Jim Gannon
James Paul Gannon (born 7 September 1968) is a professional football manager and former player who most recently was manager of Hyde United. He started and finished his career as a player in Ireland, but made most of his professional appear ...
in his third spell in charge. At the time of his departure, the ''
Athletic News
The ''Athletic News and Cyclists' Journal'' was a Manchester-based newspaper founded by Edward Hulton in 1875. It was published weekly, covering weekend sports fixtures other than horse racing, which was already covered by the ''Sporting Chronicl ...
'' summarised Stewart's time with Stockport, writing "Always at a disadvantage in regard to financial matters, Mr. Stewart has done wonders at Stockport" and adding that the club had benefited financially "largely from Mr. Stewart's ability in the discovery of young players."
His final match in charge of the side was a 1–0 victory over
Leicester Fosse
Leicester City Football Club is an English professional association football, football club based in Leicester in the East Midlands of England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football league system, Eng ...
on 29 April 1911, ending a five match unbeaten streak that left the club in 17th position at the end of the campaign.
Cardiff City
Southern League
Stewart took over as manager of
Southern Football League Second Division side
Cardiff City after responding to an advert placed in the ''Athletic News''.
He initially reneged on his decision when the club approached him but was eventually convinced to take over at Cardiff and tendered his resignation at Stockport during a committee meeting on 10 May 1911, although he remained in charge until the annual league meeting shortly after.
Cardiff had become a fully professional club and joined the English football league system in 1910, finishing fourth in their first campaign under player-manager
Davy McDougall
David McDougall was a Scottish football player who played his club football for Partick Thistle and Rangers in Scotland, Bristol City in England, Distillery and Glentoran in Ireland and Cardiff City and Newport County in Wales. He joined Ca ...
. At the end of the season, the club's board decided that a full-time manager was needed to allow further progress, with Stewart the chosen candidate. Appointed on a three-year basis initially, he received £4 a week in wages (around £211 in 2021), equal to the maximum wage for a player at the time, with further bonuses based on success.
Stewart quickly began reshaping the squad and released all but four of the players he inherited from McDougall. His first signing was one of his former Stockport players,
Billy Hardy, who would go on to be a lynchpin of the side during the club's success under Stewart. Due to the financial plight of the club at the time, Stewart paid Hardy's £25 transfer fee with his own money,
although he was later reimbursed when the financial position improved.
Among his early signings were
Arthur Waters from his former club and brothers
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
and
John Burton, while
George Latham was appointed as a player-coach. Latham would remain in the role for 20 years and was instrumental in assisting Stewart during his period with the club.
Stewart's first match in charge of his new side ended in a 3–1 victory over
Kettering
Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) of ...
in the opening game of the
1911–12 season.
In his first season, the club kept pace with the league leaders but lost form during February and finished the campaign in third place, seven points behind promoted sides
Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Tref Merthyr) is a Welsh semi-professional association football, football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, currently playing in the , in the seventh tier of the English football league system.
The ...
and
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
.
He did however lead the club to its first
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
victory by defeating
Pontypridd
() ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Geography
comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...
3–0 in a
replay of the final to become the first team from the south of Wales to win the competition.
In his second year, he began to improve the club's fortunes as they were promoted into the First Division of the Southern Football League. Stewart made several signings before the start of the campaign, reshaping the club's defence with the signings of goalkeeper
Herbert Kneeshaw and defenders
Patrick Cassidy and
Kidder Harvey.
Stewart led the side to the Second Division title, having lost only one of their 24 games with his newly formed defence proving instrumental to their success, conceding only 15 goals during the campaign.
Following their success, the ''Athletic News'' wrote that the club could "trace their success to May 1911, when they appointed Mr. Fred Stewart ... as secretary and team manager."
In the First Division Cardiff initially struggled, losing their opening five matches, but Stewart was able to improve results and spent a club record £1,000 to sign
Charlie Brittain
Richard Charles Brittain (7 June 1887 – 31 July 1949) was an English professional footballer who played for Portsmouth, Northampton Town, Tottenham Hotspur and Cardiff City.
Football career
Brittain began his career at Portsmouth before mo ...
from
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
. They finished the season in 10th place and results improved even more in the
1914–15 season as they achieved third place in the First Division.
The progress under Stewart was put on hold soon after as the First World War broke out. Numerous first team players left the club to serve, but Stewart was instrumental in the founding of a wartime league and was able to organise a team to compete. When the Southern League resumed in 1919, Stewart was able to call upon the majority of his former players and led the club to a fourth-placed finish.
Football League
Cardiff were elected to the Second Division of the Football League in 1920 after a successful voting ballot with Stewart himself giving a speech on behalf of the club ahead of the vote. Stewart made several additions at the start of the campaign including
Jimmy Blair, for a club record fee of £3,500, and
Jimmy Gill
James J. Gill (9 November 1894 – 1964) was an English professional footballer. He was born in Sheffield.
Gill began his career at hometown side Sheffield Wednesday in 1913. With the club suffering financial difficulties he was sold to Cardi ...
from
The Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
.
The club's first match in the Football League was a 5–2 victory over Stewart's previous employers Stockport. Cardiff gained promotion to the First Division in their first season, finishing second on goal difference to
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
. In doing so, they became only the second side to win promotion to the First Division in their first season in the Football League, equalling the feat of Tottenham Hotspur in 1909. They also reached the semi-finals of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
before being eliminated by
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
in a replay.
During the
1923–24 season, Stewart led the side to a second-placed finish in the First Division which remains the club's highest ever league position. They missed out on winning the title on the final day of the season; needing only to win against Birmingham, Cardiff drew 0–0 with top goalscorer
Len Davies
Leonard Stephen Davies (28 April 1899 – 1945) was a Welsh professional footballer. Born in Cardiff, he trained as a marine engineer before becoming a footballer, making his senior debut for his hometown club Cardiff City in 1919 in the Southe ...
missing a penalty in the match. As a result,
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
went on to win the title on
goal average
A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ai ...
, leading Cardiff by 0.024 of a goal which remains the closest First Division title-winning margin in English football history.
In 1924, Stewart summarised his approach to management and the bond he possessed with his players, commenting "We get players of decent ability, and each man does his best, with unity of feeling and purpose... We never make a change in the team without consulting with the players. Their opinion is worth having."
The following season, Stewart's success in the FA Cup continued as, having reached the quarter-finals in two of the previous three years, Cardiff reached their first final in
1925
Events January
* January 1
** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...
. However, they went on to lose 1–0 to
Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
.
It would only take two years before the club returned to a final, this time in
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General.
* January 7
...
. They faced
Arsenal and the match was tied at 0–0 until
Hughie Ferguson
Hugh Ferguson (2 March 1895 – 8 January 1930) was a Scottish professional footballer. Born in Motherwell, he played for Parkhead at junior level as a semi-professional and was one of the most sought after young players in Scotland before sig ...
's shot was fumbled into the net by
Dan Lewis in the 74th minute, giving Stewart the record of being the only manager ever to take the trophy out of England. They went on to complete a cup double by winning the Welsh Cup two weeks later against
Rhyl
Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd'').
To the we ...
and added the
Charity Shield in October by defeating amateur side
Corinthians
The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
.
Despite an increase in revenue from the final victory, the club's directors chose to spend the money on improving the facilities at their home ground
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovations during its lifespan and hosted fixtu ...
. The decision left Stewart with little money to reinvest in the side and, despite a sixth-place finish in
1928–29, proved costly to the side as they were relegated in 1929 after finishing bottom of the First Division.
Cardiff's slide continued and they were relegated again in 1931, this time into the
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
as injuries and financial problems resulted in a high turnover of players.
Stewart led the club to ninth place in their first season in the bottom division. In the
1932–33 season, Cardiff finished 19th of 22 teams in the Third Division South and Stewart chose to step down from the role after 22 years.
As of December 2020, he remains the longest serving manager in Cardiff's history.
Managerial style
Stewart was noted for assuming ultimate responsibility of Cardiff City during his spell there. Upon news of his resignation from Cardiff in 1933, the
Western Mail wrote "He has been Cardiff City, taking on responsibility, many of which he would have been justified in shouldering on to his directors and his subordinates."
The paper also noted that, at the height of his career with Cardiff, he was regarded as "one of the most brilliant and shrewd managers in football."
In his 1999 book chronicling the history of Cardiff City, journalist Grahame Lloyd wrote "He brought together men who knew their limitations to form sides who played to their strengths". Lloyd noted that although Stewart's teams could be "tough (and) uncompromising", they also played with "style on the ground".
Stewart was noted for his ability to find and develop young players. During his years with Stockport, several of his players went on to play at higher levels, the most prominent being
Arthur Goddard who signed his first contract with Stewart.
With Cardiff, the squad which Stewart considered the strongest of his time there, consisted of five players who had never played professionally before and had been signed from non-League sides or through youth teams:
Tom Farquharson
Thomas Gerard Farquharson (4 December 1899 – 24 December 1970) was an Irish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Dublin, he played youth football for local sides. In his teens, he became a member of the Irish Republica ...
,
Jimmy Nelson,
Herbie Evans
Herbie Price Evans (30 August 1894 – 19 November 1982) was a Welsh professional footballer.
Career
Evans was born in Llandaff, Cardiff. He played for Cardiff Corinthians when Cardiff City signed him in 1920 as part of the club's first season ...
,
Fred Keenor
Frederick Charles Keenor (31 July 1894 – 19 October 1972) was a Welsh professional footballer. He began his career at his hometown side Cardiff City after impressing the club's coaching staff in a trial match in 1912 organised by his former s ...
and Len Davies. Another, Hardy, had made his professional debut in England under Stewart with Stockport.
Personal life
Stewart had one child, a son named William. Alongside his managerial career, Stewart also ran corn and seed and coal merchants businesses.
After his resignation from Cardiff, Stewart took little interest in football but remained in Cardiff to concentrate on his businesses.
He died in 1954, aged 81.
Managerial statistics
Honours
Stockport County
*
Lancashire League winners:
1899–1900
*
Lancashire Combination
The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League. In 1982 it ...
Winners:
1904–05
Nineteen or 19 may refer to:
* 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20
* one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019
Films
* ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film
* ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film
Music ...
Cardiff City
*
Division One
The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...
runner-up:
1923–24
*
Division Two runner-up:
1920–21
*
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
winner:
1926–27
*
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
runner-up:
1924–25
*
FA Charity Shield winner:
1927–28
*
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
winner: 1921–22, 1922–23, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30
*
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...
runner-up: 1928–29
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Fred
1954 deaths
Sportspeople from Oldham
English football managers
Stockport County F.C. managers
Cardiff City F.C. managers
1873 births