James West was the second full-time secretary and ''de facto'' manager of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club Newton Heath, the precursor to

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

(the term "manager" was not in common usage at the club until the arrival of Jack Robson in 1914).

Career

West oversaw Newton Heath's financial collapse and near

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

cy, followed by the club's rebirth as Manchester United on 28 April 1902.

References

Notes Bibliography * English football managers Lincoln City F.C. managers Manchester United F.C. managers Year of birth missing Year of death missing {{England-footy-manager-stub