The Major: The Life and Times of Frank Buckley

Former manager of Leeds United, great character of the game.

From the publishers: "This is the story of an inspirational man who was the forefather of modern football management as we know it. A player with Aston Villa, Brighton, Manchester United, Manchester City, Birmingham, Derby County and Bradford City, Frank Buckley won an England cap in 1914. When the First World War broke out, he joined the 17th Middlesex Regiment as an officer, reaching the rank of major in 1916. He commanded the 'Footballers Battalion' - made up of soccer professionals - and from then onwards was known as 'Major Buckley'. Returning to football when hostilities had ceased, he managed Norwich City until internal disputes meant that he left for Wolverhampton. He proceeded to transform the Molineux side from Second Division stragglers into one of the most powerful in the game. He later managed Notts County, Hull City, Leeds United and Walsall. Having learnt the skills of man management, tactics and innovation in the battle-torn trenches of the Somme, Buckley's was an extremely tough regime. It was also famously experimental, his radical approach including injecting his players with monkey gland serum and sending them off to a psychologist to revive their flagging confidence."

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