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Bill Berry (footballer, born 1904)

William George Berry (18 August 1904 – 15 September 1972), known in England as Bill Berry and in Francophone nations as George Berry or Georges Berry, was an English professional footballer who made over 130 appearances as an outside left in the Football League for Brentford. He also played league football for Gillingham, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic and after his retirement he had a 30-year management career with clubs in France, Belgium, Tunisia and Luxembourg.

Playing career

Early years

An outside left, Berry began his career with the Royal Naval Depot team in Chatham, before joining Third Division South club Charlton Athletic in 1923. He made 11 league appearances and scored two goals for the club before moving to Gillingham, of the same division, in February 1924. Berry remained at Priestfield for two-and-a-half seasons and made 87 appearances, scoring 11 goals.

Brentford

Together with Gillingham teammates Wally Barnard, Charlie Reddock, Charlie Butler and Joe Craddock, Berry followed former Gillingham manager Harry Curtis to Third Division South club Brentford in May 1926. He failed to fully make the outside left berth his own and was dropped to the reserve team for the 1929–30 season. He returned to the first team in good form during the 1930–31 season, scoring 19 goals in 37 appearances. The signing of Arthur Crompton in February 1932 signalled the beginning of the end of Berry's time at Griffin Park and after making just one appearance during the early months of the 1932–33 season, he left the club in November 1932. He made 148 appearances and scored 44 goals in just over five seasons with the Bees.

Later career

In November 1932, Berry joined Third Division South club Crystal Palace in a part-exchange deal which saw Idris Hopkins move to Brentford. In what remained of the 1932–33 season, Berry scored four goals in 17 appearances, but in an unlucky twist, he lost his place to new signing Arthur Crompton, whose signing had cost him his place at Brentford a year earlier. He closed out his Football League career with a short spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, before moving to France to join National club SC Fives in 1934, where he remained until his retirement as a player in 1937.

Managerial career

Berry had a long and successful management career in France, Belgium, Tunisia and Luxembourg. He won the double with Lille OSC in the 1945–46 season and a Coupe de France with OGC Nice in 1953–54. Berry won the Tunisian National Championship twice, in 1955–56 with CS Hammam-Lif and in 1957–58 with Étoile Sportive du Sahel. He twice won the Luxembourg National Division with Jeunesse Esch (1958–59 and 1959–60) and once with Union Luxembourg (1961–62), in addition to one Luxembourg Cup with the latter club.

Career statistics

Honours

Lille

Nice

CS Hammam-Lif

Étoile Sportive du Sahel

Jeunesse Esch

Union Luxembourg

References