Eddie May facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edwin Charles May | ||
| Date of birth | 19 May 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Epping, England | ||
| Date of death | 14 April 2012 (aged 68) | ||
| Place of death | Barry, Wales | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| –1965 | Dagenham | ||
| 1965–1968 | Southend United | 105 | (3) |
| 1968–1976 | Wrexham | 334 | (35) |
| 1975 | → Chicago Sting (loan) | 18 | (7) |
| 1976–1978 | Swansea City | 90 | (8) |
| Total | 547 | (53) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1978–1983 | Leicester City (Asst Manager) | ||
| 1983–1986 | Charlton Athletic (Asst Manager) | ||
| 1988 | Newport County | ||
| 1991–1994 | Cardiff City | ||
| 1994–1995 | Barry Town | ||
| 1995 | Cardiff City | ||
| 1995–1996 | Torquay United | ||
| 1997 | Dundalk | ||
| 1997 | Brentford | ||
| 1999–2000 | Drogheda United | ||
| 2001–2003 | Highlanders | ||
| 2008–2010 | Porthcawl Town | ||
|
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Edwin Charles May (born May 19, 1943 – died April 14, 2012) was an English football player and manager. He was born in Epping. Eddie May played for several teams, including Dagenham, Southend United, Wrexham, and Swansea City.
He was a very important person in Welsh football history. During the 1970s, he was a strong defender for Wrexham. He played nearly 400 games for them and scored 35 goals, all with his head! Later, he became a successful manager for Cardiff City. He helped them win the Third Division title and the Welsh Cup in 1992–93. He also played for Swansea City and briefly coached Newport County. This made him one of the few people linked to all four of Wales' most famous football clubs.
Contents
Eddie May's Playing Career
Starting Out: Southend United
Eddie May began his professional career with Southend United in January 1965. He joined them from Dagenham. He first played as a left-back. Soon, he found his best position as a strong centre-half. He was great at heading the ball and always brave. Even though he played well, his team went down to a lower division in 1966. He played 100 league games for Southend, scoring 3 goals.
Time at Wrexham
In June 1968, Eddie May moved to Wrexham for £5,000. He quickly became a key player there. In 1970, Wrexham was promoted to a higher division. He became the team captain. He led them to win the Welsh Cup in 1972.
Eddie May also helped Wrexham have amazing runs in other competitions. In 1973-74, they reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. They beat strong teams like Middlesbrough and Southampton. In 1975-76, Wrexham made it to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They played against the famous Belgian team, Anderlecht.
Later Years: Swansea City and Retirement
In August 1976, at age 33, Eddie May left Wrexham. He had played almost every game for them for eight seasons. He then joined Swansea City. Before that, in the summer of 1975, he played for Chicago Sting in the NASL. For Swansea, he scored 8 goals in 90 games. He was part of the team that won promotion in 1978. Soon after, he retired from playing football.
Eddie May was later added to The Wrexham FC Hall of Fame. This shows how important he was to the club.
Eddie May's Coaching and Managerial Career
Early Coaching Roles
Eddie May loved football too much to leave it. In 1978, he became a coach at Leicester City. He helped them win the Second Division title in 1979-80. He also played a big part in helping young striker Gary Lineker develop his skills.
From 1983 to 1986, he was assistant manager at Charlton Athletic. After that, he coached in places like Qatar, Kenya, and Iceland. He also had a short time as manager of Newport County in 1988. He then coached in Norway before joining Cardiff City in 1991.
Success with Cardiff City
Eddie May's energy was exactly what Cardiff City needed. After one year, he led them to a fantastic season in 1993. They won both the Fourth Division title and the Welsh Cup! He was only the second Cardiff manager to win a league title.
As Welsh Champions, Eddie May led Cardiff City into European competitions twice. They played against Admira Wacker in 1992 and Standard Liege in 1993.
In 1993–94, even with little money, he helped the team avoid relegation. He also led them to a famous FA Cup win against Manchester City. However, the club had money problems. In November 1994, he was let go. But he was so loyal that when the next manager was also dismissed, he returned until the end of the season. The team was relegated, and he left for the second time.
To this day, Eddie May is a legend among Cardiff fans. They affectionately called him "The Ayatollah." His popularity was clear when he was invited to manage one of the teams in the first match at the club's new stadium in 2009. The opposing manager was Lennie Lawrence, who May had worked with at Charlton Athletic. In a recent fan poll, Eddie May was voted the most popular Cardiff City manager of all time.
Later Coaching Adventures
After Cardiff, Eddie May had short spells managing Torquay United, Dundalk in Ireland, and Brentford. He then took on coaching jobs around the world. These included Finland, South Africa, Uganda, and Malawi. In Zimbabwe, he led the Highlanders club to win two league championships.
Death and Legacy
Eddie May passed away on April 14, 2012, at his home in Barry, South Wales. He was 68 years old. His ashes are scattered at the memorial garden at The Cardiff City Stadium. A special plaque hangs on the Ninian Park Gates in his honor, remembering his contributions.
Honours
- List of winners of English Football League Two and predecessors
- Cardiff City – 1992–93
- Welsh Cup: 2
- Cardiff City – 1992, 1993
- Highlanders F.C.
- League Champions: 2001, 2002, 2003
