Bill Asprey

William Asprey (born 11 September 1936) is an English former football player and manager.

A defender, he made 418 league appearances in a 15-year career in the Football League.

He then had a 25-year career as a coach.

He spent 1953 to 1965 at Stoke City, making 341 appearances in all competitions.

Born in Wolverhampton, Asprey joined Stoke City on amateur terms in May 1953.

He made his first team debut in the 1953–54 season under the management of Frank Taylor after turning professional at the age of 17.

He played a further three Second Division games in 1955–56, before making nine appearances in 1956–57, and then breaking into the first team with 28 appearances in 1957–58.

He scored his first senior goal on 9 September 1957, in a 5–3 home defeat to Bristol Rovers.

He made 44 appearances in the 1958–59 campaign, scoring six goals, including one in a 4–3 win over Liverpool at Anfield.

During the campaign he played at five different positions: right-back, right-half, centre-half, inside-right and inside-left.

He played 38 times in 1959–60, before new manager Tony Waddington began to play him in an attacking role in 1960–61.

During the campaign he scored seven goals in 40 games, scoring twice in a 9–0 thrashing of Plymouth Argyle, and hitting a hat-trick past Charlton Athletic in a 5–3 home win on 16 January 1961.

He made 47 appearances in 1961–62, scoring four goals.

He helped the "Potters" to the Second Division title in 1962–63, and also played in the 1964 League Cup final.

The "Potters" were crowned champions of the Second Division in 1962–63, and Asprey was a vital part of the club's success, making 44 appearances in league and cup competitions.

He was limited to 29 First Division appearances in 1963–64, but managed to pick up a League Cup runners-up medal.

In the first leg of the final, his 30 yd shot was parried by Leicester City goalkeeper Gordon Banks, and Keith Bebbington put the loose ball into the net.

Stoke drew 1–1 at the Victoria Ground, but lost the encounter at Filbert Street 3–2.

Asprey posted 43 appearances in 1964–65, but featured just twice in 1965–66.

In total he played 341 league and cup games for the club.

He spent 1965 to December 1967 at Oldham Athletic, before he was sold to Port Vale for a £2,000 fee.

Oldham finished the 1965–66 season just one place and one point above the Third Division relegation zone.

Asprey moved on to Oldham Athletic, after former Stoke teammate turned newly appointed Oldham manager Jimmy McIlroy purchased him for a £19,000 fee in January 1966.

The "Latics" rose to tenth in 1966–67 in McIlroy's first full season as manager.

In all, Asprey made 83 league appearances during his time at Boundary Park.

Asprey was purchased by Port Vale for a £2,000 fee in December 1967.

He made 22 Fourth Division appearances under "Valiants" manager (and former Stoke teammate) Stanley Matthews in 1967–68, but featured just eleven times in 1968–69 under new boss Gordon Lee.

He left the "Valiants" in December 1968 to become a full-time coach.

He departed Vale Park when he retired as a player in December 1968, at the age of 32.

Asprey was versatile, and appeared in almost every outfield position for Stoke.

He made most of his appearances at full-back, despite his tall and heavy frame (6ft 1in and 12 st).

He was noted for his tough-tackling ability.

After retiring from playing, Asprey joined Sheffield Wednesday's coaching staff in February 1969.

In February 1970 he joined Coventry City as Noel Cantwell's assistant.

In a training session at Highfield Road he came up with the idea of the famous donkey-kick free-kick routine that was executed by Willie Carr and scored by Ernie Hunt in a league game against Everton in October 1970.

This was immediately outlawed due to the fact the ball was touched twice.

In 1972, he joined Don Howe at West Bromwich Albion and later coached at Wolverhampton Wanderers, before taking charge of the Rhodesian National Team from May 1975 to January 1978.

He coached at various clubs across the world, as well as the national teams of Rhodesia and Syria, but was given his first chance as a manager in England at Oxford United in July 1979.

He was not overly successful, and was sacked in December 1980.

He returned to Stoke City as manager in December 1983, but was sacked in April 1985 after leading the club to the bottom of the First Division.