Bill Asprey

Who is Bill Asprey?

William "Bill" Asprey is an English former football player and manager. A defender, he made 418 league appearances in a 15-year career in the Football League. He then had a 25-year career as a coach.

He spent 1953 to 1965 at Stoke City, making 341 appearances in all competitions. He helped the "Potters" to the Second Division title in 1962–63, and also played in the 1964 League Cup final. He spent 1965 to December 1967 at Oldham Athletic, before he was sold to Port Vale for a £2,000 fee. He left the "Valiants" in December 1968 to become a full-time coach.

He coached at various clubs across the world, but was given his first chance as a manager at Oxford United in July 1979. He was not overly successful, and was sacked in December 1980. He returned to Stoke City as manager in December 1983, but was sacked in April 1985 after leading the club to the bottom of the First Division.