Biography and City Career:

Roy Paul was born in Ton Pentre in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales on the 18th April 1920. He left school at the age of 15 in order to become a coal miner, though he was offered terms by Swansea Town (as it was called then) in 1939. He went on to represent the club during the Second World War years and became a Physical Training Instructor in Devon, where he occasionally ‘guested’ for Exeter City. Following the end of the war, he helped Swansea to win the Third Division (South) in 1946/7 He made 159 league appearances for Swansea, scoring 11 goals. He joined Manchester City in the Summer of 1950 for a reported fee of between £19,500 - £25,000.

Roy made his debut for City against Preston North End on the 19th August 1950 at the age of 30 and immediately became a City regular. He also became City captain that same season when he helped City to gain promotion from the Second Division in 1950/51. Following defeat in the 1955 FA Cup Final against Newcastle United, Roy famously suggested that City would return to Wembley the following year in order to win the Cup – which City duly did by beating Birmingham City 3-1 in May 1956.

Team-mate, Ken Barnes, once described Paul as “a born leader”. A hard-working half back with City, Roy made a total of 270 league appearances for City in his seven seasons at Maine Road, scoring 9 goals . He also played for City in 23 FA Cup matches. Roy won a total of 33 Welsh international caps playing at right half, left half and at centre half. His Welsh debut came in October 1948 against Scotland.

His last game for City was on the 22nd April 1957 at Goodison Park against Everton.

Notable facts/stories:

A blue plaque was unveiled to honour him at one of his former homes in Gelli ( near Ton Pentre) in the Rhondda Valley in 2019 by FA of Wales President, Kieran O’Connor and Roy Paul’s own nephew, former Swansea and Wales legend, Alan Curtis.

Non-City career:

Two months later, he joined Worcester City as Player/Manager where he remained until 1960. He then moved to Brecon Corinthians and Garw Atheltic in South Wales.

Roy sadly passed away in Treorchy on the 21^st May 2002 aged 82.