MAJOR AWARD FOR "MAJOR" FRANK BUCKLEY

Major Frank Buckley was awarded a postumous Football League award along with many other community awards such as League 1 supporter, Family Club and PFA Community club at a huge gala dinner at the Brewery, London last weekend.

Buckley was born in 1882 and he enjoyed his career with six FL clubs winning Division Two medals with Derby County in 1912, winning one England Cap.

In 1914 he joined the “Footballers Battalion”becoming second in command and fighting at the Somme offensive in July 1916. He led his men at Delvile Wood where the Football League's memorial to the Battalion now stands.

Buckley was wounded, which put pay to his playing career, although he continued to manage and revolutionise the English game, discovering talent like Stan Cullis, Billy Wright, John Charles and Jack Charlton.

Known as the “Major” he was a stickler for discipline and physical fitness. He managed Norwich City and Blackpool, joining Wolves in 1927. He stayed there for 17 years and lifted the club from Division 3 to the heights of the old First division.

He laid the foundations of the midland club that later dominated English and European football in the 1950s. The club played European club opposition in 1954 under floodlights, won three First Division Championships (1954, 58 and 59) and the FA Cup in 1960.

At 56 years, he served in the Home Guard during the Second World War, but this did not stop his managerial career, which went on afterwards at Notts County, Hull City, Leeds United and Walsall before retiring at 72 years old.

He died in 1964 at the age of 82.

Among his innovations were playing dancing songs through the public address system to inspire training, a shooting contraption to fire balls out at angles to players, increasing admission costs and youth development programmes. The direct form of play known as POMO (the position of maximum opportunity) was one of his strategies. Have a look at previous blogs especially the one regarding Hull City.