John King

John Allen King (15 April 1938 – 30 March 2016) was an English football player and manager. He is widely regarded as being the most successful manager in the history of Tranmere Rovers and had a stand at Prenton Park named in his honour in 2002. In November 2014, a statue of King was unveiled outside the ground.

He played at wing half and made 411 league appearances in a 14-year career in the Football League. He began his career at Everton, playing for the club in the top flight between 1957 and 1960. He then moved on to Tranmere Rovers via Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. He helped Rovers to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1966–67, before he signed with Port Vale in June 1968. He helped the "Valiants" to promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1969–70 before he joined non-League Wigan Athletic in May 1971.

He found more success as a manager than a player, gaining his first management post at former club Tranmere Rovers in April 1975. He guided Tranmere to promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1975–76 before he was dismissed in September 1980. He then had successful spells in charge at non-League clubs Northwich Victoria (winning the FA Trophy in 1984) and Caernarfon Town, before making his return to Tranmere Rovers in 1987. He immediately steered the club away from losing their Football League status before taking them to promotion in 1988–89. He further took them to the Associate Members' Cup title in 1990, the Football League Trophy final in 1991, as well as promotion out of the Third Division as winners of the play-offs. His team narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League, reaching the play-offs three times between 1993 and 1995, also reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup. He became Tranmere's Director of football in April 1996.

Early life

According to British Library records, John King was born in the Marylebone district of London on 15 April, 1938. His parents, Henry J. King and Maud H. Dryland, were married in Ashford in Kent in 1934.

Playing career King started his career at Everton in 1957. He made 48 First Division appearances at Goodison Park under Ian Buchan and Johnny Carey over the course of the 1957–58, 1958–59, and 1959–60 campaigns. He then moved on to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, playing 21 Third Division games under Don Welsh, before he joined Tranmere Rovers and being signed by Walter Galbraith. He made 46 appearances in 1968–69, helping Gordon Lee's "Valiants" to a 13th-place finish in the Fourth Division.

Managerial career

Tranmere Rovers King was first appointed as Tranmere Rovers manager in April 1975 and led his charges to promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1975–76. He stabilised the club in the Third Division in 1976–77, and another mid-table finish followed in 1977–78. However, Rovers were relegated in 23rd place in 1978–79, finishing 12 points behind 20th place Chesterfield. Rovers then dropped to 15th in the bottom tier in 1979–80. King was dismissed in September 1980,

Return to Tranmere Rovers King was appointed manager of Tranmere for a second time by Peter Johnson towards the end of the 1986–87 season, with the club fighting to avoid relegation out of the Football League. Safety was only guaranteed in the last game of the season with a 1–0 home win over Exeter City. King signed Jim Steel to act as a target man for striker Ian Muir. The move was inspired, and the team enjoyed considerable success in the following seasons. They rose to a mid-table finish in 1987–88, before winning promotion as Fourth Division runners-up in 1988–89. Tranmere then finished fourth in the Third Division in 1989–90, missing out on a second successive promotion after losing 2–0 to Notts County in the play-off final. They played at Wembley four times in two years, winning the Associate Members' Cup in 1990 with a 2–1 victory over Bristol Rovers. He led the "Superwhites" promotion with a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers in the 1991 play-off final, after Tranmere finished fifth in 1990–91. They also reached the Associate Members' Cup final for a second successive year, losing 3–2 to Birmingham City.

They finished a comfortable 14th in 1991–92, before hitting fourth in 1992–93. This qualified them for the play-offs; however, they were beaten 5–4 on aggregate by Swindon Town at the semi-final stage. The club again narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in 1993–94, losing to Leicester City in the play-off semi-finals. They also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, losing to Aston Villa on penalties.

King brought big-name signings such as John Aldridge, Pat Nevin and Gary Stevens to Prenton Park, but their crowds did not increase much. The club had to sell players such as Steve Vickers and Ian Nolan to survive.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1957–58 First Division

1958–59 First Division

1959–60 First Division

48!!1!!1!!0!!0!!0!!49!!1 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 1960–61 Third Division

1960–61 Third Division

1961–62 Fourth Division

1962–63 Fourth Division

1963–64 Fourth Division

1964–65 Fourth Division

1965–66 Fourth Division

1966–67 Fourth Division

1967–68 Third Division

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1968–69 Fourth Division

1969–70 Fourth Division

1970–71 Third Division

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412!!6!!25!!1!!15!!0!!452!!7

Honours

As a player Tranmere Rovers Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1966–67

Port Vale Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1969–70

As a manager Tranmere Rovers Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1975–76 Football League Fourth Division second-place promotion: 1988–89 Associate Members' Cup: 1990; On 1 November 2014, a bronze statue of King, designed by artist Tom Murphy, was unveiled outside the ground by King himself before the club's home match against Stevenage. Ben Harrison of the Tranmere Rovers Supporters Club said that "Johnny King is the club's greatest ever manager and is rightly revered by every Tranmere supporter. A loyal servant as both player and manager, the unparalleled success and style of football played by his teams as we rose from near oblivion to the verge of the Premier League will always be fondly remembered at Prenton Park."