Danny Williams (footballer born 1924)

Danny Williams (born 20 November 1924 in Thrybergh, South Yorkshire) was an English former footballer and football manager.

He spent his entire playing career with Rotherham United F.C. as either a left-half or inside-forward between 1945 and 1966. He made 461 league appearances and 621 first-team appearances in total for the club.

He managed Rotherham United (1962-1965), Swindon Town (1965-1969) and (1974-1978), Sheffield Wednesday (1969-1971) and Mansfield Town (1971-1974).

He led Swindon to an unexpected 3-1 victory over Arsenal to win the 1969 Football League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. The winger Don Rogers scored twice.

Following two successful spells at Swindon, he spent several years as general and commercial manager.

A one club man as a player, Danny Williams made over 450 appearances for Rotherham, and it was there that he started his managerial career. He was appointed as manager of Swindon Town in July 1965, after the controversial sacking of Bert Head.

Williams' first job was to rebuild the team that had been relegated the previous season. The Town were in debt, and both Mike Summerbee and Ernie Hunt, perhaps the club's two most influential players at this time, were sold to balance the books. Nevertheless, Williams' brought in some cheaper, competent replacements, and the Town finished seventh in their first season back in Division Three.

Over the next couple of seasons, the Town's main achievements came in the cup competitions - and it has been written that at this time, Swindon were so good at beating higher league opposition that it was almost expected of them. In the 1966-67 season, the Town reached the fifth round of the FA Cup, in a run which included a famous victory over West Ham United, who boasted three World Cup winners (Moore, Hurst and Peters) in their side. Though Geoff Hurst repeated his Wembley hat-trick at Upton Park, the Town won a replay, before despatching them 3-1 at the County Ground.

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