36 Facts About Billy Ayre

William Ayre was an English footballer who played for three clubs in a sixteen-year professional career, making over three hundred League appearances in the process.

Billy Ayre guided Blackpool to two successive play-off finals, in 1991 and 1992, during his four years in charge of the club.

Billy Ayre was born in the Gateshead suburb of Crookhill.

Billy Ayre began his professional playing career at Scarborough in 1975 whilst balancing a teaching profession at St Leonard's Catholic School in Durham, where he taught art and physical education.

Billy Ayre won the Scarborough Supporters' Player of the Year award in 1977.

Billy Ayre played in over one hundred league games and score 27 goals for Hartlepool.

In 2008, Billy Ayre was posthumously named United's "Player of the 1970s".

Billy Ayre played against Hartlepool in Halifax's visit to Victoria Park later in the season.

At Halifax, Billy Ayre made 63 league appearances and scored five goals in his first spell at The Shay.

The summer of 1982 saw Billy Ayre move again, this time to Mansfield Town, then managed by Stuart Boam.

Billy Ayre spent two seasons with the Stags, making 67 league appearances and scoring seven goals.

Billy Ayre scored a headed goal on his first-team debut in a Football League Trophy tie at Field Mill.

Ian Greaves was eventually appointed as the new manager, and Billy Ayre was released on a free transfer.

Billy Ayre brought his playing career to a close with the club in 1986.

In October 1984, Billy Ayre took over as caretaker manager of Halifax for less than a month.

In December 1986, Billy Ayre became manager of Halifax again, this time on a full-time basis.

When Carr himself was sacked in November 1990, Billy Ayre was promoted in his place.

Billy Ayre's first game in charge was a draw at Hereford United on 1 December 1990.

Billy Ayre dedicated the victory to his parents, who died the previous year.

At the time of his departure, Billy Ayre was the sixth-longest-serving Blackpool manager in terms of Football League games in charge.

Billy Ayre achieved not only promotion but subsequently survival with very little financial backing from Oyston.

Billy Ayre explained how his access to finances were tied by his chairman.

Billy Ayre would acknowledge the fans, then clench his fists, urging the Seasiders faithful to back his team.

Billy Ayre's next stop was Scarborough, where he arrived in August 1994, some twenty years after playing for the Yorkshiremen.

Billy Ayre had guided the Sandgrounders to a third-placed finishing position.

Billy Ayre stayed on beyond the end of the season despite the Bluebirds falling back into Division Three.

Billy Ayre was demoted to assistant manager when owner Sam Hammam installed Bobby Gould in August 2000.

Billy Ayre's services were disposed of completely two months later when Alan Cork was put in charge of first-team affairs and Gould was appointed general manager.

Billy Ayre joined Division Two side Bury as assistant to Andy Preece, but in the spring of 2001 it was found that the lymph node cancer he initially been diagnosed with in 1995 had returned.

Graham Barrow was given the temporary job of assistant manager while Billy Ayre received treatment for his illness, and he appeared to be recovering; however, he suffered a setback in early 2002 and was admitted to Clatterbridge Hospital in Bebington, Merseyside.

Mark Bonner, who Billy Ayre nurtured through from the Blackpool youth ranks, was in the Cardiff team that day.

Billy Ayre's funeral took place on 21 April at St Cuthbert's Church in Halsall, near Ormskirk, and his final wish was to have the Blackpool team with whom he won promotion in 1992 be present.

On 26 May 2001, Billy Ayre had attended the Football League Two play-off final between Blackpool and Leyton Orient at the Millennium Stadium in his then-home, Cardiff.

Billy Ayre had a funny side to him that not many people saw, and had the ability to turn a serious situation and make light of it.

Billy Ayre was the salt of the earth, a man you could trust with your life.

Billy Ayre was featured on the front cover of the matchday programme.