Walter Bartley Wilson

Southern Football League

With the new name in place, Wilson sought to capitalise on the growing popularity of the sport. However, when approached by Harry Bradshaw, the secretary of the Southern Football League, the club were forced to turn down the offer of a place in the league due to the poor facilities of their Sophia Gardens ground.

Wilson and solicitor Norman Robertson officially registered Cardiff City Association Football Club Ltd as an entity on 21 April 1910 with Robertson's office listed as the club's registered address. In 1910, Cardiff City became a professional club, joining the Southern Football League. Following the club's admission, club director Herbert Frew Jones credited Wilson with the club's progress from an amateur side with 12 members to a fully professional club in just over a decade, stating "It was always Bart who was the prime mover. Cardiff City would never have been Cardiff City if it had not been for Bart". McDougall remained in charge for a single season before the club decided a more experienced manager was needed and appointed Fred Stewart in his place. Wilson instead took charge of the club's reserve side.

The Football League

In 1920, Cardiff became the first Welsh club to be elected into The Football League, joining the Second Division. The club entered a period of success, winning promotion to the First Division in its first campaign, finishing as runners-up in the 1923–24 season and reaching two FA Cup finals, winning the second in 1927. However, this was followed by a sharp decline as the club suffered successive relegation to the Third Division South by 1932.

The team's struggles also affected the club financially and Wilson was one of several staff members forced to take a pay cut of 20 percent in April 1932. His most significant signing ahead of the new season was the return of Ernie Curtis, part of the 1927 FA Cup winning side, for £1,250. A Western Mail reporter did however offer support to Wilson, writing that the manager had "been unduly handicapped in his duties because the directors have taken too strong a grip on the managerial side instead of allowing the manager to manage".

To mark his 80th birthday, Wilson was presented with a golden pencil after the club's players, led by Ken Hollyman, pooled money to purchase a gift. Wilson retired in May 1954 having been employed in some capacity by the club he helped found over 50 years previously for 44 years. The board of directors agreed to pay him a wage of £4 a week for the remainder of his life. During his tenure with the club, he had served as first team manager, reserve team manager and secretary in various spells and had also written the club's match reports in the South Wales Echo for a period.

Personal life Wilson married Sarah Ellen in December 1894 and the following year, the couple moved to 6 Green Street, Riverside, Cardiff. Together they had three children, John Bartley, Alma May, and Donald Bartley. John was killed during World War I while serving with the 17th Welsh Regiment in France. In addition to his job at Cardiff City, Wilson managed a local cricket side during the late 1920s. During World War II, Wilson and his wife were forced to move in with their daughter in Fairwater after their home in De Burgh Street in Cardiff was irreparably damaged by a bombing raid. They eventually purchased a new house in Llanfair Road.

Wilson's wife died in August 1951 and was buried in plot 246 of Western Cemetery in Ely, Cardiff, which Wilson had purchased from Cardiff Council. Wilson died on 19 November 1954 at his home in Llanfair Road, Canton and his funeral, attended by numerous Cardiff City players, was held at St John's Church. He was buried in Western Cemetery next to his wife. His funeral had originally been scheduled for 23 November but was postponed until the following day after torrential rain caused flooding at the site. In the confusion, Wilson's headstone had been placed under a nearby tree and was forgotten after the ceremony was rearranged. His unmarked grave was discovered in December 1998,

Managerial statistics

TeamCountryFromToRecordGWDLWin %Cardiff CityMay 19337 March 1934