Maurice Evans

Evans was born in Didcot (now in Oxfordshire, but then in Berkshire) in 1936. He signed for Reading in 1952 as a ground staff junior, aged just 16. He soon won his place at left-half in the first team and held it throughout the adversities of working in the National Service with the RAF. He went on to make the wing-half position his own for the next ten seasons, and was a skilful, thoughtful player. The wing back also appeared to be without an ounce of malice in him, in him playing 459 first-team games without being booked once. He was selected as reserve for the Third Division South side against the North in April and October 1957. In compilation by the Royals' of their best-ever eleven, Evans was voted the best right-winger with 48.4% of the vote. After leaving the club in 1967, he briefly took over as player-manager at Andover before joining Shrewsbury Town as player-coach, eventually becoming their manager in 1972. He returned to Elm Park as Charlie Hurley's assistant manager in 1974, and finally took over as manager in 1977. He managed the 1978–79 championship-winning team, securing the Manager Of The Year Award in the process. He remained Reading manager until 1984, making perceptive signings from non-league football such as Kerry Dixon, Trevor Senior and Paul Stanford. Dixon was later capped several times by England and for almost a decade was Chelsea's top goalscorer. Senior was a highly accomplished goalscorer for Reading, particularly when they won promotion to the…

Evans died of a heart attack on 18 August 2000 at the age of 63. A plaque was placed in the wall of the Madejski Stadium by Reading F.C. in his memory, reading "Maurice Evans, 1936–2000. Player, Manager, Gentleman". A lounge at Oxford's Kassam Stadium is also named in his honour.

Managerial

Reading

Football League Fourth Division: 1978–79 Oxford United

Football League Cup: 1985–86