SAM HOLLIS

'Samuel W. Hollis' (1866 – April 17, 1942) was an English football manager, most notable for being the very first manager of Arsenal.
Born in Nottingham,^[1] Hollis had comparatively little football experience, having previously worked for the Probate Office and the Post Office. He was appointed manager (or secretary-manager, as the post was known then) of Woolwich Arsenal (as they were known at the time) in 1894; before that team affairs had been managed by a committee of players and club members; one club official in particular, Bill Parr, often took a lead role managing the team, but he was not a dedicated manager, like Hollis. In the three years he was at the club, the team were solid but unspectacular, figuring around mid-table in the Second Division; their best position was seventh in 1895-96.
In April 1897 Hollis was tempted away by newly-formed Bristol City; he ended up spending three separate spells with the Robins. His first ended in March 1899 when he left to become secretary-manager of Bedminster. Bedminster merged with Bristol City in 1900 and Hollis lost his job. However, in 1901 he returned to manage Bristol City. During this second and most successive spell, City finished as Southern League runners-up and were promoted to the Football League.
He left in March 1905 and managed a hotel between 1905 and 1911, having previously ran a pub between 1899 and 1909. He took over as Bristol City manager for the third time in January 1911 and oversaw the club's relegation from the First Division back to the Second. He left Ashton Gate in April 1913, and in July that year took over as manager of Southern League Newport County where he remained until 1917. After that he left football management altogether, though he spent a number of years as chairman of Bristol City's shareholders. He died in Bristol in April 1942.

Contents

References

References

1. Arsenal: The Football Facts, Hayes, Dean, , , John Blake, 2007, ISBN 1844544338