William Townley

Townley's career as a player began with Blackburn Swifts F.C., where he played for one season. He then joined Blackburn Olympic for two seasons. His playing position at Swifts and Olympic was centre-forward. He joined Blackburn Rovers in 1886 and switched to the left winger position. Townley's technique to deter defending full-backs was to throw his arms up in the air, thus startling his opponent; Townley then swept past to make an attack. On 15 September 1888, Townley, playing as a winger, made his league debut at Leamington Road, then home of Blackburn Rovers, against Accrington. The match ended as a 5–5 draw, with Townley scoring the second and fourth goals for Blackburn Rovers, and becoming the team's top scorer temporarily.

At the end of his playing years, Townley took up coaching as a profession; as the opportunities were limited in England, he left for the continent, where football was beginning to develop a serious following. In Germany, as in the rest of Europe at the time, the game was strictly amateur in character, and players often had to contribute to team expenses. For a club to have a coach was not yet a matter of course, but rather a luxury, as it was more common then for a senior player or club functionary to fill the role and carry out the tasks of a coach. Coaches were often hired for special occasions only, or for a brief period to help develop the skills of a team, before they moved on. Townley's first coaching job was with DFC Prague, who were beaten by VfB Leipzig in Germany's first national championship staged in 1903. He later joined Karlsruher FV, losing finalists in 1905, and led them to a their only national title in 1910. The following year, he was hired by the northern Bavarian club SpVgg Fürth. This club owned the most advanced facilities in Germany, and was quickly becoming the largest club in the country with a membership approaching 3,000. Two months after his arrival, Fürth lost against English side Newcastle United 2–1. He guided the club to its first two Bavarian championships (Ostkreismeisterschaft), which heralded the onset of a golden era that would last into the 1930s, and which saw the club become one of the most dominant football sides in the country. In…

Playing career

England national team 23 February 1889 – British Home Championship – Stoke: England – Wales 4–1 15 March 1890 – British Home Championship – Belfast: Ireland – England 1–9 (2 goals by Townley)

Coaching career

Not verified engagements:

Sweden FC Union Niederrad 07 (ca. 1927/1930)