Ivor Powell

Ivor Powell entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2006 as the world’s oldest working football coach at the age of 90 after 55 years of coaching service. He finally retired on 26 May, 2010, aged 93. His Guinness Book of Records entry came two years after he had been added to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Roll of Honour.

A highly competitive, combative and skilful wing-half with Queen’s Park Rangers, Aston Villa, Bradford City and Wales just after WW2, he went into management and coaching after hanging up his boots as a player. A miner before becoming a footballer, he was recruited by QPR of the Third Division (South) from his local club, Bargoed, as an amateur in 1935. He turned professional two years later and made his senior debut in January 1939.

During WW2 he served as an RAF physical training instructor in India and Burma, as well as Blackpool, where he guested for the Seasiders and became a close friend of Stanley Matthews, who acted as best man at his wedding in 1943. He also made four appearances for Wales in unofficial wartime fixtures.

Despite playing in the Third Division at QPR, Powell won the first of his eight Welsh caps in the 3-0 defeat by England at Maine Road, Manchester, in November 1946. He played an important part in QPR’s promotion as champions in he 1947-48 season and was then bought by First Division Aston Villa for £17,500 in 1948. He went on to captain the side in 1949-50 and didn’t miss a match.

A knee injury forced him to step down a level and in August 1951, at the age of 35, he became player-manager at Port Vale. It was a brief sojourn as he left four months later with his side rooted to the bottom of Division 3 (South). He carried on playing at non-league Barry Town before taking over as player-manager at Bradford City in June 1952 in the Third Division (North). He stayed until February 1955.

In 1956, he started a four-year stint as a trainer-coach with Leeds United, working with the likes of Don Revie in his pre-management days, as well as Jack Charlton and Billy Bremner. He managed Carlisle United, taking them from the Fourth to the Third Division, took chare at Southern League side Bath City, had a brief spell coaching the Greek side PAOK and then landed at Bath University in the 1970’s. He remained there as coach for nearly 40 years and became the club President.

He always stressed his five-point mantra for success: aggression, determination, will to win, industry and consistency. He completed 53 years as an FA accredited coach and in 1993 he was awarded an Honorary Degree (MA) by the University of Bath. He was awarded the MBE in 2008 and in 2010 he launched the Ivor Powell Sports Scholarship Fund at the university.

Ivor Verdun Powell (Footballer and coach) Born in Bargoed, on 5 July, 1916; Died in Bath on 5 November, 2012