Edward Lawson Birnie (25 August 1878 – 21 December 1935) was an English professional football player and manager. He played for Sunderland Seaburn, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur[1] In his managerial career, he took on the reins at Southend United, staying in charge of the seaside club until his retirement in 1934.[2]

Ted Birnie
Personal information
Full name Edward Lawson Birnie
Date of birth 25 August 1878
Place of birth Sunderland, England
Date of death 21 December 1935(1935-12-21) (aged 57)
Place of death Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England
Position(s) Centre half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1898–1903 Newcastle United 19 (0)
1905–1906 Crystal Palace 22 (0)
1906–1909 Chelsea 101 (3)
1910 Tottenham Hotspur 4 (1)
Total 146 (4)
Managerial career
1922–1934 Southend United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Born in Sunderland, Birnie began his career at local club Sunderland Seaburn before joining Newcastle United. The commanding centre half played in 19 matches between 1898 and 1903. Birnie went on to play for Crystal Palace where he featured in 29 matches in all competitions (22 league).[3] In August 1906 he joined Chelsea, making his debut on 8 September 1906 in a 0–0 draw away at Blackpool.[4] Birnie participated in 108 games in all competitions and scored on three occasions for the Stamford Bridge club.[5] After Chelsea decided against renewing his contract, Tottenham Hotspur signed him in 1910, playing in four matches and scoring a single goal at White Hart Lane.[6]

Coaching and managerial career

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After his playing career had ended, Birnie joined German club 1. FC Mülheim as a coach. He then had spells as a trainer at Sunderland and Rochdale. In 1922 he became manager of Southend United and spent 12 seasons in charge of the club, becoming the only manager to preside over a Southend team for more than 500 matches (April 2009). Birnie retired in May 1934, but would be beset with ill-health and died in December 1935 aged 57.[2]

Managerial statistics

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[7]

Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Southend United   1921 1934 571 218 118 235 038.18
Total 571 218 118 235 038.18

References

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  1. ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records. soccerdata. p. 26. ISBN 1-899468-63-3.
  2. ^ a b Southend United managers Archived 19 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 9 April 2009
  3. ^ Ian King (April 2012). Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–2011. The Derby Books Publishing Company. pp. 532–533. ISBN 9781780910468.
  4. ^ "Ted Birnie profile page on Stamford-Bridge.com". stamford-bridge.com. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Players Appearances Be-Bl".
  6. ^ Tottenham Hotspur F.C A-Z of players Retrieved 29 November 2012 Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Managers".