Photo: Eskil Malmberg — Public domainSource
Bill Shorthouse
- May 27, 1922
- September 6, 2008
- 86 years
About Bill Shorthouse
Bill Shorthouse, 86, British footballer.
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Full Biography
|William Henry Shorthouse (27 May 1922 – 6 September 2008) was an English professional football player and coach, who spent his playing career with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Career
Born in Bilston, Staffordshire, Shorthouse attended St Martin's School in nearby Bradley. He served in the Royal Engineers in the Second World War, and was wounded in the arm during the Normandy landings. He had joined Wolverhampton Wanderers as an amateur in 1941; his senior debut came on 23 August 1947 in a 4–3 First Division defeat at Manchester City.
He played as a defender, first at centre-half until replaced by Billy Wright, then at full-back. He was part of the club's 1949 FA Cup-winning team and was a near ever-present as the club won their first league championship in the 1953–54 season.
The defender remained a first choice player at Molineux until retiring in late 1956. In total, he played 376 senior games for the club – putting him among the club's top 20 appearance makers – before launching a career in coaching.
Shorthouse went on to coach at Birmingham City, and he and chief scout Don Dorman acted as caretaker managers at the end of the 1969–70 season while the club sought a replacement after Stan Cullis, Shorthouse's former manager at Wolves, retired. He also briefly coached the England youth team during the following season and later worked as a youth team coach at Aston Villa, guiding them to victory in the 1980 FA Youth Cup.
Known as "The Baron" to his teammates, he died in a Wolverhampton nursing home on 6 September 2008 at the age of 86. He had been suffering from dementia.
Honours
Wolverhampton Wanderers
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Shorthouse
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 28, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Bill Shorthouse's archived record and the sources above.
1.When did William Henry Shorthouse make his senior debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers?
- A.1945
- B.1941
- C.23 August 1947correct
- D.12 September 1949
The senior debut for William Henry Shorthouse came on 23 August 1947 in a game against Manchester City.
Source: Career section
2.Who replaced William Henry Shorthouse as centre-half at Wolverhampton Wanderers?
- A.Billy Wrightcorrect
- B.Norman Deeley
- C.Stan Cullis
- D.Don Dorman
William Henry Shorthouse played as a centre-half until he was replaced by Billy Wright.
Source: Career section
3.What trophy did William Henry Shorthouse help Wolverhampton Wanderers win in 1949?
- A.The League Cup
- B.The UEFA Cup
- C.The FA Cupcorrect
- D.The European Cup
William Henry Shorthouse was part of the Wolverhampton Wanderers team that won the 1949 FA Cup.
Source: Career section
4.In which season did William Henry Shorthouse help Wolverhampton Wanderers win their first league championship?
- A.1956–57
- B.1959–60
- C.1947–48
- D.1953–54correct
William Henry Shorthouse was a near ever-present as the club won their first league championship in the 1953–54 season.
Source: Career section
5.How many senior games did William Henry Shorthouse play for Wolverhampton Wanderers?
- A.250
- B.500
- C.412
- D.376correct
William Henry Shorthouse played a total of 376 senior games for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Source: Career section
6.What was the nickname given to William Henry Shorthouse by his teammates?
- A.The Captain
- B.The Baroncorrect
- C.The General
- D.The Wall
William Henry Shorthouse was known as The Baron to his teammates.
Source: Career section
7.At which club did William Henry Shorthouse serve as a caretaker manager at the end of the 1969–70 season?
- A.Wolverhampton Wanderers
- B.Birmingham Citycorrect
- C.Aston Villa
- D.Manchester City
William Henry Shorthouse acted as a caretaker manager at Birmingham City at the end of the 1969–70 season.
Source: Career section
8.Which youth team did William Henry Shorthouse guide to victory in the 1980 FA Youth Cup?
- A.Wolverhampton Wanderers
- B.Aston Villacorrect
- C.Birmingham City
- D.Manchester United
William Henry Shorthouse worked as a youth coach at Aston Villa and guided them to the 1980 FA Youth Cup win.
Source: Career section
9.Where did William Henry Shorthouse die?
- A.At home in Bilston
- B.A nursing home in Wolverhamptoncorrect
- C.A hospital in Birmingham
- D.A care facility in London
William Henry Shorthouse died in a Wolverhampton nursing home on 6 September 2008.
Source: Career section
10.At what age did William Henry Shorthouse pass away?
- A.86correct
- B.82
- C.90
- D.78
William Henry Shorthouse died at the age of 86.
Source: Career section
11.What condition was William Henry Shorthouse suffering from before his death?
- A.Arthritis
- B.Dementiacorrect
- C.Heart disease
- D.Cancer
William Henry Shorthouse had been suffering from dementia before his death.
Source: Career section
12.In what year did William Henry Shorthouse retire as a player for Wolverhampton Wanderers?
- A.1954
- B.1956correct
- C.1960
- D.1949
William Henry Shorthouse remained a first choice player at Molineux until retiring in late 1956.
Source: Career section
13.What was the date of birth for William Henry Shorthouse?
- A.27 May 1922correct
- B.30 September 1922
- C.12 August 1925
- D.15 June 1920
William Henry Shorthouse was born on 27 May 1922.
Source: Introduction
14.Where was William Henry Shorthouse born?
- A.Bilston, Staffordshirecorrect
- B.Birmingham
- C.Wolverhampton
- D.Manchester
William Henry Shorthouse was born in Bilston, Staffordshire.
Source: Career section
15.During which historical event was William Henry Shorthouse wounded in the arm?
- A.The First World War
- B.The Normandy landingscorrect
- C.The Battle of Britain
- D.The Suez Crisis
William Henry Shorthouse served in the Royal Engineers and was wounded in the arm during the Normandy landings.
Source: Career section
16.Which school did William Henry Shorthouse attend as a child?
- A.Wolverhampton Grammar School
- B.Bradley High School
- C.St Jude's Academy
- D.St Martin's Schoolcorrect
William Henry Shorthouse attended St Martin's School in Bradley.
Source: Career section
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