Walter Rayner

Walter Rayner

Born in Wanstead in 1882, Walter had played for a number of non-League clubs with little success before being invited to come to Luton in the summer of 1909 to become the reserve team captain.

An ‘enthusiastic’ full-back he did the job asked of him as well as playing two games in the first team to cover for injuries without letting the side down.

Leaving at the end of the campaign he eventually moved into player-coach roles at Tottenham and Arsenal before becoming the first professional manager at Charlton in 1920. Overseeing a cash strapped club he did the best he could to keep heads above water but lost his job in 1925 before immediately taking the post at Wigan Borough.

Walter received a suspension after getting involved in a touchline fracas with the referee and opposing players in a game in February 1926 and soon after was banned from the game sine die after financial irregularities were uncovered from his time at Charlton.

Walter retired to his hardware store in Croydon and is believed to have later emigrated to the USA.