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Brian Burke (Australian politician)

Brian Thomas Burke (born 25 February 1947) is an Australian former politician who was the 23rd premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 to his resignation on 25 February 1988. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 30 March 1973 to 25 February 1988, representing the electoral districts of Balga and Balcatta at various points, and was the leader of the Australian Labor Party in Western Australia from 18 September 1981 to 25 February 1988. Burke studied law at the University of Western Australia for one year before dropping out. During the 1960s and early 1970s, he worked as a journalist for The West Australian newspaper, 6PM radio station, and Seven News Perth. He was elected to Parliament at the 1973 Balcatta state by-election, becoming one of the most popular local members over the following years. In 1981, he became the leader of the Labor Party in a leadership spill. He led the Labor Party to its first election victory since 1971 at the 1983 Western Australian state election, defeating the Liberal-National government of Ray O'Connor.

His achievements as Premier include the reopening the Fremantle railway line, abolishing capital punishment, banning nuclear power, and implementing electoral reform. He was also at the centre of the WA Inc scandal, in which his cosy relationships with entrepreneurs led the state to losing hundreds of millions of dollars. This included providing a $150 million guarantee to the Rothwells bank following the October 1987 stock market crash. A year later, Rothwells went into liquidation.

Burke resigned as Premier and as a member of Parliament exactly five years after taking office, while still having a high popularity. He was succeeded by Peter Dowding, who went on to win the 1989 state election. In June 1988, he was appointed a Companion to the Order of Australia. Burke then became the Australian Ambassador to Ireland and the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See. He resigned from those positions in 1991, having to face the WA Inc royal commission. Although not found criminally responsible for anything relating to WA Inc, the royal commission discovered that he had falsely claimed $17,000 from a parliamentary travel account between 1984 and 1986. In July 1994, he was sentenced to two years in prison, but was released on parole after having served seven months. In April 1995, he was stripped of his Order of Australia honour. In March 1997, he was found guilty of stealing $122,585 in campaign donations to the Labor Party. He was sentenced to three years jail, but served six months before the conviction was quashed on appeal.

In the 2000s and early 2010s, Burke continued to maintain his Labor party contacts and parliamentary influence, using them to further his career as a pro-business lobbyist. He worked both sides of politics in partnership with disgraced former ministerial colleague Julian Grill and assisted by former senator Noel Crichton-Browne.

Early life and career
Burke was born on 25 February 1947 at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, in the western suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. His parents were Tom Burke, an Australian Labor Party politician in the House of Representatives from 1943 to 1955, and Madeline Muirson Orr. Tom Burke had Irish ancestry, and was deeply Catholic. Madeline Orr was of Irish and Scottish ancestry. Brian Burke was the third child out of five: the first child was Terence Joseph "Terry" Burke, who also grew up to be a politician. He also had an older sister, a younger brother, and a younger sister. In his early years, Brian was quite independent as his parents focused on his younger brother Frank, who had down syndrome, and his father was often in Canberra. He grew up in the middle-class Perth suburb of Wembley, living in a California bungalow set on a quarter acre block. From 1952 to 1954, he was educated at Brigidine Primary School in Wembley, a Catholic school run by Irish nuns, and from 1955 to 1964, he was educated at St Joseph's Marist Brothers College in Subiaco.

Burke met his future wife Suzanne May Nevill at a school dance class when they were both 16. Several months later, they started going out, and on 11 September 1965, they married each other at St Francis Xavier's Church in East Perth. That year, he was studying law at the University of Western Australia (UWA), but he switched to part-time study when he got a job in September 1965 as a cadet proof-reader at West Australian Newspapers Ltd. with help from his father. For the following two years, he studied economics part-time at UWA, but he dropped out completely after that. In 1967, he became a cadet journalist for The West Australian, in 1969, he worked as a journalist for the 6PM radio station, and from 1970 to 1973, he worked for Seven News Perth. Whilst at The West Australian, Burke was assigned to collect horse race results at Gloucester Park. Seeing that there was no form guide being sold, he decided to start his own, forming the Punters' Guide with a group of university Labor branch members, including John Dawkins and Kim Beazley. Some of the profits raised went to the Labor Party. At the peak of its popularity, the Punters' Guide sold 16,000 copies. Meanwhile, Burke and his wife lived "on the bones of their arses" for several years, moving into a State Housing Commission home in 1970 before eventually being able to put a deposit on a home in Balga, a working-class suburb north of Perth. By the age of 24, Burke had three children.

Political beginnings
Burke's brother Terry was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly in 1968, representing the electoral district of Perth. In 1973, on the same day that Herb Graham, the deputy premier and member for Balcatta, announced his retirement from politics, Burke made his decision to seek Labor preselection for Balcatta. He faced an uphill battle, with state secretary Joe Chamberlain wanting Patricia Giles preselected. With the help of Terry and a particularly good performance by Burke at a preselection meeting, he became Labor's candidate for Balcatta. As the Labor Party only had a one seat majority, the ensuing by-election would determine whether it would remain in office. Having undertaken an opinion poll of the seat, Burke realised he was most likely not going to win, so he asked acting state secretary Kim Beazley for money to fund his campaign. Beazley gave Burke's campaign $6,000, which was all the money in the party's electoral account, angering Chamberlain as the money was meant for the upcoming full state election. At the ensuing by-election on 28 July 1973, Burke defeated the Liberal Party candidate by 30 votes as measured on a two-party-preferred basis. He was sworn into Parliament on 5 August 1973.

At the 1974 state election on 30 March, he was elected to the newly-created seat of Balga after Balcatta was abolished. At that election, the Labor Party led by John Tonkin lost their majority, and Charles Court from the Liberal Party became premier. Burke was one of the few Labor Party politicians to increase their vote at that election. Over the following five to six years, Burke had a low profile within the party, however he built up support in his electorate, with him eventually becoming one of the most popular local members ever. He became known as the "Godfather of Balga", although not in a pejorative way.

Burke would often come up with ideas for raising money for the Labor Party, including that the party start a printing press and open a Chinese restaurant. Other members of his branch would talk the ideas down. Many other people in the party would criticise Burke due to his unprofessional nature and lack of concern for policy development. He once spoke at a press conference whilst wearing a caftan. Another time, Burke suggested to Tonkin "...any business person looking for a government contract—you don’t get a contract unless you kick into (contribute to) the party." He was seen as a larrikin.

Instead of being part of any Labor Party factions, Burke chose to build alliances with others in the party from either faction. He was skilled at networking and attracting people to be loyal to him. In 1977, he was convicted of drink driving, dangerous driving, and failing to stop after an accident. He was fined $390 and had his driver's licence suspended for six months. His political career remained undamaged, and he decided to lose weight and give up alcohol.

Burke joined the shadow ministry in April 1977, being appointed by Labor leader Colin Jamieson as the shadow minister for works, water supplies, and housing. In March 1978, new Labor leader Ron Davies appointed Burke as the shadow minister for housing, and the chief secretary. From 7 March 1980, Burke was the shadow minister for water resources, housing, and consumer affairs.

In the late 1970s, Burke made several speeches opposing the Vietnamese boat people. He told the Daily News on 29 May 1978 that "these Vietnamese coming here in boats were not genuine refugees". On 23 August 1978, he said to Parliament "how many members of this House can say that all the refugees coming here are genuine? Can a refugee be defined as being genuine if they have the ability to commandeer a boat and come to this country?" In 1980, Burke began to prominently campaign against the death penalty. He made headlines by calling for public executions in places such as Forrest Place with the cabinet members responsible for the execution to be there.

Path to premier
Over the 1970s, the Labor Party failed to come close to defeating the Liberal/National Country Coalition led by Charles Court. The Coalition had an advantage due to malapportionment favouring rural areas. After the 1977 election, Burke contested the Labor Party's deputy leadership, but was beaten by Mal Bryce by one vote. Following the 1980 election, Burke, Arthur Tonkin and Bryce began planning to remove Davies as party leader. With Tonkin never in serious leadership contention, Burke had to convince Bryce that he was the best man to lead the party. Bryce eventually came around for Burke, reasoning that Burke had better media and fundraising skills, necessary as the party was short on funds. Bryce told his followers to support Burke, who mostly went through with that. There was some trepidation however, with a few people seeing him as a risk. On 18 September 1981, Burke defeated Davies in a Labor Party leadership spill 20 votes to 11, and so he became the leader of the opposition. Bryce was elected deputy leader of the Labor Party and so he became the deputy leader of the opposition. He then appointed the Burke shadow ministry. Burke himself was appointed shadow treasurer and the shadow minister for immigration, ethnic affairs, economic affairs, federal affairs and aboriginal affairs. At 34 years old, Burke was the fourth-youngest ever opposition leader. Upon becoming leader, Burke said to Bryce, "are we happy and agreed—I’m responsible for image and marketing; you’re responsible for policy and substance".

Following his ascension to the leadership of the Labor Party, Burke changed his demeanour. In an effort to remove his image as a larrikin, he asked a colleague to prepare a paper on the type of persona to show to the public. He lost weight and wore dark business suits. Burke took inspiration from populist American politician Huey Long, who had positioned himself as a champion of the poor. Beazley had given Burke a copy of Huey Long, a 1969 biography written by T. Harry Williams. Bryce said that "it was simply common practice for Burke to bring the biography into Parliament. It was the most read book I had ever seen him read over a long time working closely with him." Quentin Beresford posited in his biography, The godfather: the life of Brian Burke, that Burke saw similarities between himself and Long. They both came from large families, were skilled at manipulating people, did not have any fundamental political philosophy, and were entrepreneurial.

On 25 January 1982, Court retired from Parliament, and the Liberal Party elected Ray O'Connor as its leader. Leading into the 1983 state election, Western Australia was in a recession and interest rates were rising, affecting middle-class voters who would normally vote Liberal. Burke was a strong performer in the media, and O'Connor lacked leadership on many issues. The government was seen to have lost its way, with little to no policy on social issues such as abortion, divorce, and prostitution. In December 1992, O'Connor called the election for 19 February 1983. To O'Connor's dismay, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser set the federal election two weeks after the state election. This was seen as an advantage to the state Labor Party, as the party's federal leader Bob Hawke, who was raised in Western Australia, was seen as more sympathetic to the state than the Liberal Prime Minister Fraser.

By mid-January, unemployment was up to 9.5%. Combatting unemployment became the main plank of Labor's campaign, with Burke saying that his aim was to "create an economic environment in which all those who sought full-time paid employment could find it". He promised during the campaign to set up a state unemployment taskforce at a cost of $34.5 million which reported to Cabinet. He also promised to reform the Legislative Council, which Labor had long criticised as undemocratic. This would include reducing the number of members from 34 to 22, which would require a referendum. Other commitments were to set up an inquiry into education conducted by former Federal Minister for Education Kim Beazley Sr., build an extra 1,500 state housing units using the funds from the sale of housing commission land, establish a Western Australian Development Bank to increase the amount of risk capital, reduce payroll tax and eventually abolish it, and set up a South East Asian Marketing Corporation to increase exports. To combat price increases, Burke promised to install a price commissioner and set a maximum limit on the price of petrol. In terms of rail transport, Burke reiterated an earlier promise to reopen the Perth to Fremantle passenger rail line, which was closed in 1979 by the Court Government as a result of poor patronage and the increasing cost to run it. The closure had attracted heavy opposition, with a petition calling for the closure to be reconsidered gaining 110,000 signatures. He also promised to electrify the line between Kwinana and Bunbury and improve passenger services between Perth and Bunbury. The main criticism the Liberal Party made of Labor's promises was that funding was not specified in most cases, and when it was, the funding was inadequate.

The election resulted in Labor recording a two-party-preferred vote of 54.4%, winning nine additional seats in the Legislative Assembly, giving them a majority of three. With a swing of 7.48%, the scale of Labor's victory surprised most people. Despite that, Labor won only seven out of the seventeen Legislative Council seats up for election. In his victory speech, he criticised the malapportionment of the Legislative Council.

Premier
Burke and his ministry were sworn in by Governor Sir Richard Trowbridge on 25 February 1983. It was Burke's 36th birthday, making him the third youngest premier of Western Australia. Burke's ministry consisted of 15 men and no women. The size of his cabinet was criticised by O'Connor as hypocritical, who said that the Labor Party had criticised his own cabinet for being too large, creating extra cost. Three of the cabinet members had previously been a minister: Ron Davies and Dave Evans served in the Tonkin Ministry from 1971 to 1974 and Joe Berinson served in the Whitlam Ministry in 1975. The only member of the ministry who was not in Burke's shadow ministry was Peter Dowding, who had only been elected three years prior. Dowding replaced Mike Barnett, who did not nominate himself for the ministry due to family reasons. Burke himself had the roles of Treasurer, Minister Coordinating Economic and Social Development, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, and Minister for Women's Interests. It was standard at the time for the premier to also be the treasurer and the minister coordinating economic and social development. This was the first time that women's interests was a ministry, and started a trend that lasted until 1992 that the premier hold that ministry whilst an assistant minister helps with the portfolio.

A day after the election, Burke visited Fremantle to reassure residents that the line would be reopened. The line reopened on 29 July 1983, with Burke riding in the driver's cab with Works Minister and former train driver Ken McIver driving the first passenger train back on the line. The cost of repairing the line for reopening was $800,000 and the cost of the first year of operations was $800,000.

Two weeks after the election, Burke recalled Parliament to implement the promise to reduce prices.

Just prior to the 1983 election, Burke rang businessman Laurie Connell, and convinced him to donate $25,000 to the Labor Party. The two were introduced to each other by radio presenter Bob Maumill, a colleague of Burke when he worked at Seven News. Maumill had grown quite close to Burke. Maumill, and later Howard Sattler, hosted a weekly morning radio segment on 6PR called Ask the Premier, where Burke would answer listeners' questions.

As Tourism Minister, Burke chaired the Rottnest Island Board, where he met Dallas Dempster, an appointee by the previous Liberal government. When Burke won government, Dempster offered his resignation from the board, but Burke declined the offer. Burke later chose Dempster to become chairman of the board.

Early in his term as premier, Burke was approached by the developers of the Argyle diamond mine. They claimed to have an agreement with the O'Connor Government that their obligation to build a town at the mine would be waived if the coalition had won the 1983 election. Burke decided to allow the waiver to go ahead, provided that the government be compensated by $58 million. The government then spent $42 million to buy a 5% stake in the mine from Northern Mining, a company owned by Alan Bond. Burke later said "that showed me it (revenue raising) could be done. Bryce later said he saw the deal as the introduction of fly-in fly-out in Australia, saying that "the social implications [of the deal] are pretty ugly". Burke then held a meeting with several federal government MPs, including John Dawkins, Kim Beasley and Peter Walsh, where he pitched the idea of becoming a state capitalist to help with the state's financial situation. It was later revealed in the WA Inc royal commission that Connell was a paid advisor to both Burke and Bond during the deal's negotiations. The royal commission found that Burke had known about Connell advising Bond, but "deliberately chose not to tell his Cabinet colleagues. Such conduct is grossly improper".

In June 1983, Burke announced a number of measures to improve Western Australia's finances. Gas and electricity prices were increased on average by 15%, water increased by 7.9%, housing commission rents rose 10%, bus fares increased by 5%, rail and road coach fares rose 10% and hospital bed charges rose between 11.5% and 19%. These cost increases were expected to gain the government $60 million for the upcoming budget. He also announced pay cuts for senior public servants, politicians, and the judiciary, and that 1,000 government jobs would be removed, saving $15 million. The tribunals that usually set salaries were bypassed as these changes were done via an Act of Parliament. Although the public service union described this as "lunacy", the general public approved of the pay cuts, which overshadowed the cost increases. A Morgan Gallup poll taken as Burke announced the charge increases and salary cuts showed Burke to be Australia's most popular premier at the time, with an approval rating of 72%.

He appointed Gordon Reid as governor in 1984, refusing an offer from Trowbridge, who was English, to extend his term.

He started a three-year anti smoking campaign which cost $6 million as well as proposing to raise $32 million a year from a tobacco licence fee. He also considered a ban on the advertising of tobacco products.

As Minister for Women's Interests, Burke announced in August 1983 that he would set up a Women's Advisory Council and introduce anti-sex discrimination legislation to Parliament. The following month, the advisory council was set up, with 20 appointees there advising Cabinet on all policy decisions affecting women.

In September 1983, the Royal Perth Yacht Club won the 1983 America's Cup in the first successful challenge of the New York Yacht Club's 132-year defence of the Cup. He predicted that the 1987 defence of the Cup would necessitate a $500 million investment in Western Australia and an additional 400,000 to 500,000 tourists.

In December 1983, Burke reshuffled his ministry, making Berinson the minister for budget management, taking some workload off Burke's role as treasurer. By the end of 1983, Burke had established the Small Business Development Corporation, the Western Australian Institute of Sport, the Tripartite Labour Consultative Council to recommend legislation and reform for industrial relations, and the Multi-Cultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission.

In February 1984, Bill Hassell became the leader of the opposition, succeeding O'Connor.

In 1987, Cabinet gave approval for the electrification of the Fremantle, Armadale and Midland lines.

Daylight saving
The Burke Government passed legislation for a one year trial of daylight saving over the summer of 1983–4. Following this, the 1984 daylight saving referendum occurred on 7 April 1984, at which the majority voted against making daylight saving permanent.

Capital punishment
As Premier, Burke pushed for the abolition of capital punishment. Western Australia was the second last state in which capital punishment was legal, with the last person executed being Eric Edgar Cooke in 1964. Since then, the death penalty had been commuted 23 times. On 13 June 1983, cabinet approved legislation to abolish capital punishment, and in 1984, Parliament passed the legislation. Burke later called this his "proudest achievement".

Aboriginal land rights
It was proposed at Labor's 1984 national conference that Aboriginal land rights be made uniform nationally. This included the right for Aboriginal people to "refuse permission for mining on their land or to impose conditions under which mining may proceed". Burke appointed Paul Seaman QC to conduct an inquiry into the issue. Seaman's report, released in September 1984, backed the concept of refusing permission for mining as well as proposing that an Aboriginal Lands Tribunal have the power to rule on land and compensation claims. Burke opposed these proposals, saying that the government should rule on land and compensation claims. Burke and Prime Minister Hawke eventually came to an agreement in October 1985 such that the federal government's legislation would not allow Aboriginal people to veto mining proposals on their lands. The state government introduced its own legislation on Aboriginal land rights in March 1985, but although Burke lobbied Opposition Leader Hassell to support the legislation, it was defeated in the Legislative Council. Burke told Hassell that if the opposition does not support the legislation, then the federal government would introduce stronger legislation. In August 1985, Federal Cabinet approved stronger legislation. Burke threatened to take the proposed legislation to the High Court, but after the 1986 state election in February that year, the federal government abandoned any plans for uniform national legislation, and accepted Western Australia's proposal for 99-year leases for existing Aboriginal reserves.

Burswood Casino

In 1984, Burke told Dallas Dempster that the government would call for expressions of interest for a casino to be built in Perth. Dempster then worked with Malaysian casino operator Genting to put together an application to build a casino on an old landfill in Burswood. The government chose the Burswood site as a result of Dempster, and competitors had to prepare bids for that site. The Dempster and Genting bid won out, sparking accusations of favouritism from rival bidders.

1986 state election
Labor won the 1986 state election with 53% of the primary vote. The government lost three ministers: Ken McIver, who lost his seat, and Ron Davies and Dave Evans, who both retired. Burke chose to expand his ministry by two, leading to five new ministers. They were Ernie Bridge, who was Australia's first Aboriginal minister, Pam Beggs and Kay Hallahan, who were the WA Labor Party's first female ministers, and Ian Taylor and Gavan Troy.

Electoral reform
By the end of 1983, the Burke Government was yet to get the electoral reform legislation through the Legislative Council. It had spent $50,000 on an advertising campaign in an attempt to get public support for a referendum on the issue.

Burke's government enacted important electoral reforms in 1987, introducing multi-member electorates in the Legislative Council and a method of proportional representation 'weighted' to give extra representation to rural constituents (but ending excessive and unfair rural weighting which had been in effect for many years). Four-year maximum terms were established for the Legislative Assembly, and fixed four-year terms for the Legislative Council.

Rothwells
Rothwells was a merchant bank managed by Connell. He was the chairman and chief executive officer, and owned over a thirty percent stake in the company. Many of the bank's deposits were by community organisations, local councils, charities, and churches in Western Australia. In October 1987, the stock market crashed. Depositors worried about their deposit's safety began withdrawing funds. By 24 October, twenty-seven percent of Rothwell's funds had been withdrawn. Much of the run came from stockbroking firms retrieving funds they had deposited for clients. Unlike many other merchant banks, Rothwells did not have a major financial institution as its parent. It had to draw on lines of credit it had with other banks.

Rothwells would need $300 million in cash if all deposits were withdrawn. Over the weekend of 24 and 25 October, a rescue package was put together to save Rothwells from bankruptcy. A group of businessmen and companies, including Kerry Packer, Alan Bond, Robert Holmes a Court, Ron Brierley, and Dallas Dempster, committed $164 million in equity under the proviso that the Western Australian Government provide a guarantee for $150 million. $70 million of that was provided by Connell alone. Burke agreed to provide the guarantee under the conditions that equity was provided by the aforementioned businessmen and companies, that the government's guarantee rank last to reduce the chance that it be drawn from, that Robert Holmes a Court commit equity, that Connell commit all his wealth, that the government get a director on Rothwells' board, that a high fee be charged for the facility provided, and that the Liberal Party support the proposal. The government expected to have to pay out no money to Rothwells. Opposition Leader Barry MacKinnon said that the Liberal Party would not support the proposal but not oppose it either. The proposal went ahead anyway, with Burke announcing it to the public on 25 October. A year later, Rothwells went into liquidation. It later emerged that the two largest debtors were companies owned by Laurie Connell.

Resignation
Upon becoming premier, Burke promised to resign after five years. Upon his 1986 election victory, he told his ministry "I'll be leaving in two years", although most could not tell if he was serious. In public, he would say that he intended to lead Labor through the next election, but leading up to the end of 1987, speculation that he would resign increased.

In December 1987, Burke announced his intention to resign as premier and from Parliament on 25 February 1988. Dowding was the most likely candidate to replace him, with Burke picking Dowding as his preferred successor. A secret opinion poll conducted by the Labor Party in March 1987 found that Dowding was the most "electorally acceptable" candidate, however certain trade unions and sections of the Labor Party disliked Dowding. Other contenders were David Parker, Bob Pearce, and Julian Grill, however they all pulled out of contention before the 30 December Labor caucus vote due to Burke's influence, the opinion poll, and the need for the party to be united. Dowding was unanimously elected as the leader of the Labor Party, and Parker was unanimously elected as deputy leader, replacing Mal Bryce, who had also announced his intention to resign.

Burke then accepted an appointment as Australia's ambassador to Ireland and the Holy See. In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion to the Order of Australia.

Downfall
In April 1991, Burke appeared before the WA Inc royal commission. The royal commission's report, released on 19 October 1992, was critical of Burke but did not consider his behaviour illegal. The report stated:

"Some ministers elevated personal or party advantage over their constitutional obligation to act in the public interest. The decision to lend Government support to the rescue of Rothwells in October 1987 was principally that of Mr Burke as Premier. Mr Burke's motives in supporting the rescue were not related solely to proper governmental concerns. They derived in part from his well-established relationship with Mr Connell, the chairman and major shareholder of Rothwells, and from his desire to preserve the standing of the Australian Labor Party in the eyes of those sections of the business community from which it had secured much financial support."

However, another report found that he had falsely claimed $17,000 worth of travel expenses. In 1992, Burke was charged with five counts of defrauding the state by making false claims on the parliamentary imprest account. He was accused of claiming money from the account on five separate occasions despite those trips having been already paid for by another account. Burke's defence was that his staff had done so unwittingly and that he had no knowledge of it. One of the charges was later dropped. On 13 July 1994, Burke was found guilty on all four counts of fraud. The maximum sentence he faced was three years jail for each count. He was released on bail for $25,000. Two days later, he was sentenced to two years in prison. He was released on parole after seven months.

In April 1995, he was stripped of his Order of Australia honour.

In March 1997, he was found guilty of stealing $122,585 in campaign donations to the Labor Party to fund his stamp collection. He was sentenced to three years jail, but served six months before the conviction was quashed on appeal.

Lobbying activities
Burke became active as a consultant and lobbyist for Western Australian business interests. His continued involvement in state Labor branch politics was the subject of controversy since before Labor returned to power in 2001. As premier, Geoff Gallop banned cabinet ministers from contact with Burke, but this was lifted by his successor Alan Carpenter when he took office in February 2006.

On 9 November 2006, Burke resigned from the Labor Party after public criticism from Carpenter, in part due to evidence provided to the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC). Norm Marlborough, the Minister for Small Business and the South-West in the Carpenter Ministry, was forced to resign from the ministry and from the Parliament on 10 November 2006 after the Corruption and Crime Commission revealed he had kept a "secret mobile phone" to stay in touch with Burke.

This triggered a by-election for Marlborough's seat of Peel, although Labor retained the seat. Burke subsequently stood trial on five charges of telling lies to the CCC inquiry and on 1 April 2010 was found guilty of deliberately giving false testimony and fined $25,000. An attempted appeal to the High Court against the conviction failed. Soon after, Burke was found not guilty of a separate charge of disclosing official secrets.

On 19 June 2013, Burke was charged with four counts of insider trading relating to the ASX-listed telecommunications company AMCOM, all of which were dropped on 18 February 2014.

Since retiring as a lobbyist in 2006, Burke has worked with his son Peter as a property developer.

Personal life
Burke and his wife have four sons and two daughters.

In 1984, Burke stated "I leave the church going to my wife. I run the country." In 1986, when asked "Are you a practising Catholic?", he replied "no, I am not a practising Catholic... I suppose I am partly a practising Catholic."

Legacy
Burke has had several books written about him. Patrick O'Brien, the senior lecturer in politics at the University of Western Australia, released The Burke Ambush: Corporatism and Society in Western Australia in 1986 and Burke's Shambles: Parliamentary Contempt in the Wild West alongside Anthony McAdam in 1987. In 1988, John Hamilton released Burkie: A biography of Brian Burke with the cooperation of Burke. In 2008, Edith Cowan University Professor Quentin Beresford released The Godfather: The life of Brian Burke, an unauthorised biography. In 2017, Burke released an autobiography titled A tumultuous life. There is also Brian Peachy's The Burkes of Western Australia, which was released in 1992 and is about Burke's father and his family. In 2008, Business News's Joseph Poprzeczny said that Burke was the most written about premier in Western Australian history.

title: Brian Burke (Australian politician)


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International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes

The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (also known as the WHO Code) is an international health policy framework for breastfeeding promotion adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1981. The Code was developed as a global public health strategy and recommends restrictions on the marketing of breast milk substitutes, such as infant formula, to ensure that mothers are not discouraged from breastfeeding and that substitutes are used safely if needed. The Code also covers ethical considerations and regulations for the marketing of feeding bottles and teats. A number of subsequent WHA resolutions have further clarified or extended certain provisions of the Code.

Since 1981, 84 countries have enacted legislation implementing all or many of the provisions of the Code and subsequent relevant WHA resolutions.

Provisions
The Code aims to shield breastfeeding from commercial promotion that affects mothers, health workers and health care systems. The Code and resolutions also contain specific provisions and recommendations relating to labelling of infant formula and other breastmilk substitutes.

 * i. Mothers

 * Information and educational materials on infant and young child feeding should be objective and consistent and emphasize the importance of breastfeeding. In no case should such materials refer to a brand name of a product.
 * All forms of product advertising and promotion are prohibited.
 * Mothers should not be given free product samples.
 * Promotional devices such as discounts and special displays at the retail level are prohibited.
 * Company representatives may not initiate direct or indirect contact with mothers.
 * Health risks to infants who are artificially fed or who are not exclusively breastfed should be highlighted through appropriate labeling and warnings.

 * ii. Health workers

 * The Code gives health workers the responsibility to encourage and protect breastfeeding.
 * Materials regarding products given to health professionals by manufacturers and distributors should be limited to ‘scientific and factual’ matters. They should not be tools to promote the use of products.
 * Product samples may be given only when necessary for professional evaluation or research at the institutional level. In no case should these samples be passed on to mothers.
 * In order to prevent conflicts of interest, manufacturers and distributors should not give material or financial inducements to health workers. Three WHA resolutions on infant and young child nutrition subsequent to the adoption of the Code specifically cautioned against conflicts of interest. A 1996 resolution (WHA resolution 49.15) called for caution in accepting financial support for health professionals working in infant and young child health which may create conflicts of interest. The need to avoid conflicts of interest was expanded in 2005 (WHA resolution 58.32) to cover programmes in infant and young child health and reiterated in 2008 (WHA resolution 61.20).

 * iii. Health care systems

 * Promotion of any product is forbidden in a health care facility. This includes the display of products, placards and posters concerning such products and distribution of materials provided by manufacturers and distributors.
 * Formula feeding should be demonstrated only to those mothers or family members who need to use it and the information given should include a clear explanation of the risks of formula feeding and hazards of improper use of products.
 * Donated equipment and materials should not refer to brand names of products.
 * Free Supplies: Two subsequent resolutions (WHA 39.28 [1986] and WHA 47.5 [1994]) effectively call for an end to all free or low-cost supplies to any part of the health care system. Manufacturers and distributors are therefore prohibited from providing products to health care facilities for free or at low cost. (According to guidelines under the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, ‘low cost’ means less than 80% of the retail price.)

 * iv. Labelling

 * Information on labels for infant formula must be in simple and easy to understand terms in an appropriate language.
 * Labels of infant formula must contain a statement on the superiority of breastfeeding and that the product should only be used after consultation with health professionals.
 * Pictures or text which may idealize the use of infant formula and certain wordings, such as 'humanized” or “materialized” or similar terms should not be used.
 * Nutrition and health claims on labels for breastmilk substitutes should not be permitted unless allowed by national legislation (WHA resolution 58.32 [2005]).
 * Labels must contain explicit warnings on labels to inform consumers about the risks of contamination of powdered formula with pathogenic microorganisms (WHA resolution 58.32 [2005]).
 * Labels must conform with WHO/FAO guidelines on safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula (WHA resolution 61.20 [2008]).

In line with the recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding in WHA resolution 54.2 [2001], all complementary foods must be labeled as suitable for use by infants from six months and not earlier.

Implementation
The baby food industry has been the subject of pointed criticism from non-governmental organizations, international agencies and campaign groups for failing to abide by the Code. One of the largest food and beverage manufacturers in the world, the Swiss giant Nestlé, has been the subject of an international boycott campaign since 1977 for its milk-substitute marketing practices prior to and since the development of the Code (see Nestlé boycott).

On its own, the International Code is not legally enforceable. Companies are only subject to legal sanctions for failing to abide by the Code where it has been incorporated into the legislature of a nation state. Many countries have fully or partially adopted the Code as law. Other countries have no legislation on baby food marketing at all.

Code violations by baby food manufacturers are still widespread, especially (but not exclusively) in countries that have not implemented the Code as a national measure or where monitoring and enforcement is weak. The WHO, International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), UNICEF, Save the Children, Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) and other international organizations perform monitoring of implementation of the Code across the world both independently and with governments.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Remote direct memory access

In computing, remote direct memory access (RDMA) is a direct memory access from the memory of one computer into that of another without involving either one's operating system. This permits high-throughput, low-latency networking, which is especially useful in massively parallel computer clusters.

Overview
RDMA supports zero-copy networking by enabling the network adapter to transfer data from the wire directly to application memory or from application memory directly to the wire, eliminating the need to copy data between application memory and the data buffers in the operating system. Such transfers require no work to be done by CPUs, caches, or context switches, and transfers continue in parallel with other system operations. This reduces latency in message transfer.

However, this strategy presents several problems related to the fact that the target node is not notified of the completion of the request (single-sided communications).

Acceptance
As of 2018 RDMA had achieved broader acceptance as a result of implementation enhancements that enable good performance over ordinary networking infrastructure. For example RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) now is able to run over either lossy or lossless infrastructure. In addition iWARP enables an Ethernet RDMA implementation at the physical layer using TCP/IP as the transport, combining the performance and latency advantages of RDMA with a low-cost, standards-based solution. The RDMA Consortium and the DAT Collaborative have played key roles in the development of RDMA protocols and APIs for consideration by standards groups such as the Internet Engineering Task Force and the Interconnect Software Consortium.

Hardware vendors have started working on higher-capacity RDMA-based network adapters, with rates of 100 Gbit/s reported. Software vendors, such as IBM, Red Hat and Oracle Corporation, support these APIs in their latest products, and engineers have started developing network adapters that implement RDMA over Ethernet. Both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat Enterprise MRG have support for RDMA. Microsoft supports RDMA in Windows Server 2012 via SMB Direct. VMware ESXi also supports RDMA as of 2015.

Common RDMA implementations include the Virtual Interface Architecture, RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), InfiniBand, Omni-Path and iWARP.

Using RDMA
Applications access control structures using well-defined APIs originally designed for the InfiniBand Protocol (although the APIs can be used for any of the underlying RDMA implementations). Using send and completion queues, applications perform RDMA operations by submitting work queue entries (WQEs) into the submission queue (SQ) and getting notified of responses from the completion queue (CQ).

Transport types
RDMA can transport data reliably or unreliably over the Reliably Connected (RC) and Unreliable Datagram (UD) transport protocols, respectively. The former has the benefit of preserving requests (no requests are lost), while the latter requires fewer queue pairs when handling multiple connections. This is due to the fact that UD is connection-less, allowing a single host to communicate with any other using a single queue.

title: Remote direct memory access


text:
Hedon

Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 5 mi east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads. It is particularly noted for the parish church of St. Augustine, known as the 'King of Holderness', which is a Grade I listed building.

In 1991, the town had a population of 6,066, which had risen to 6,332 by the time of the 2001 UK census. By the 2011 UK census, Hedon parish had a population of 7,100,

History

Hedon is not mentioned in the Domesday Book which leads to the belief that it was a new town created by the Normans as a port. Hedon was at its most prosperous in the 12th and 13th centuries and at one time was the 11th largest port in England. The decline of the port came with the development of the port of Hull and the building of larger ships which were unable to get up the small river to Hedon.

Hedon was given its first charter by Henry II in 1158 and was granted improved ones by King John in 1200 and Henry III in 1248 and 1272. Edward III granted the most important charter which gave the town the right to elect a mayor.

In 1415 Hedon was granted an important charter, which let the town have burgesses and other ministers and also gave the town a mace. This mace, held in Hedon Town Hall, is now the oldest surviving mace in the country, and is clearly a weapon of war.

The town was a parliamentary borough until it was disenfranchised under the Reform Act 1832. It still enjoyed its borough status granted by its charters until 1974 when it was removed in a reorganisation of local government.

To the west of the town, on the Twyers Estate, was a racecourse. The course staged its first meeting on 24 August 1888, with Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale in attendance on the second day, and racing continued until 1895. The racecourse was re-opened in 1906 but closed permanently after racing on 11 September 1909. After closing it was developed into an aerodrome officially opened in 1929 by Prince George, Duke of Kent. It was the arrival point of Hull-born aviator Amy Johnson on her record-breaking solo flight to Australia in 1930, where she began a triumphant homecoming. After ten years of operation, the aerodrome closed during Second World War, 1939–1945. Afterward, the site was briefly used as a motorcycle speedway track. Attempts were made in the late-1950s to reopen it for flying, which failed, and the land has been used as grazing for cattle. A plaque commemorating the memory of the airfield was installed at the nearby Kingstown Hotel in July 2017.

The Hull and Holderness Railway opened in 1854 which ran from Victoria Dock in Hull to Withernsea, through Hedon. The station was built to the north of the town and it proved a vital part of Hedon's transport system for a century. In 1965 Hedon lost its passenger service when British Railways appointed Lord Beeching to stop losses, and closed branch lines not making a profit. The line from Hull as far as Hedon remained open for goods until 1968.

Hedon became the subject of national media attention in August 2000 when a freak mini-tornado in the Humber Estuary caused flash floods and hailstones to drop on parts of the town. Hedon was also affected by the widespread floods that occurred in the UK in the summer of 2007; areas affected included the Inmans / Westlands Estates and most areas near the Burstwick drain. A nearby village, Burstwick, saw the most homes flooded in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

There have been plans to create a country park around the Hedon Haven, south of the town. There is an open-air concrete skate park in the south of the town between Draper's Lane and the Burstwick Drain.

Controversy
In late 2023, following a growing pattern in East Yorkshire by communication providers intending to provide their own services via their own individual infrastructure, wooden poles to provide internet connections to Hedon were erected on behalf of MS3 Networks. Changes to the law from April 2022 meant planning consent was not needed.

In early 2024, some poles were identified by Historic England to be in violation of the required scheduled monument consent, a criminal offence, as the area was considered to have Scheduled Monument status. MS3 Networks' CEO stated their services could save residents "...more than £1m per year". Previously in late 2023, MS3 poles in the Longhill area of Hull were felled by unknown members of the public, after protests by residents unhappy with the new poles.

Notable people

 * Dorothy Marion Campbell, English potter
 * Sir Alexander Campbell, Canadian statesman and politician, and a father of Canadian Confederation
 * Mezzo-soprano singer Amy Black (1973–2009) was born and educated in Hedon and is now buried in the cemetery

title: Hedon


text:
Aphthona flava

Aphthona flava is a beetle of the genus Aphthona. It is native to Eurasia, and has been introduced into North America as a biocontrol agent for leafy spurge. Adults are brown and difficult to distinguish in the field from A. cyparissiae and A. nigriscutis. A. flava is still the dominant beetle at some Manitoba release sites, but it is relatively scarce in North Dakota and Minnesota. Besides Manitoba, it is widespread in Hungary and Italy.

Larvae
The larvae are active from July to early spring of next year. When they are young, they feed on the hairs of the roots. As soon as they grow up they become bigger and start eating bigger roots. The larvae size is tiny, and are of white colour and are worm-like.

Pupa
Starting from late spring to early summer the pupa stage begins in the soil.

Adult
From June to through early fall, if the temperature is right, the adults will come out. They look like flea beetles, and behave like ones too. Their size is 3.4 mm for males, and 3.6 mm for females.

title: Aphthona flava


text:
File:Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle.jpg

Summary
Cover for the album "Rock Spectacle" by Barenaked Ladies


text:
Talk:Baroness Mary Vetsera

Biography assessment rating comment
WikiProject Biography Assessment

The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- Yamara 09:26, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

The "11 steps" seem not to have much to do with quality, or with the present article. If "B" class, for example, means "has an infobox" and "has no redlinks" then perhaps articles are better off not being B class. - Nunh-huh 17:40, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Discussion
Naming this page: Cases can be made for Mary Vetsera, Marie Vetsera, or Maria Vetsera. If it counts for anything, it really should be at "Mary Vetsera", because that's what she called herself. But it doesn't belong at Mary von Vetsera, Marie von Vetsera, or Maria von Vetsera, because the particle doesn't belong in her surname.

For those who believe in Google results: surname Vetsera  von Vetsera Mary     938     29 Marie    662     41 Maria   1160    391

(Includes English and other languages; the vons would be reduced if restricted to English only.) - Nunh-huh 21:24, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

no she did not call herself Mary Vetsera, you can google all you want. her official name actually was Marie Alexandrine Freiin von Vetsera, also known as Mary Freiin von Vetsera. her tombstone says that

so the article's heading needs to be changed. Antares911 22:17, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

The article belongs under her name IN ENGLISH. She is Mary Vetsera, not Mary von Vetsera. She is catalogued in English card catalogues as "Vetsera, Mary, Baroness" - Nunh-huh 22:28, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

she happens to be

1) Austrian, not english. so her name needs to be in German language, in order for it to be accurate and correct.

2) nobility. so the particle "von" definetly needs to be in. for more information, you can check out our own Wikipedia articles about nobility... cheers. Antares911 22:36, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

If our article states that all nobles carry a "von", it's in error. It's an English encyclopedia, not an Austrian one. For gods sake let someone who knows something about the woman decide what her English name is, instead of coming in and changing things willy-nilly on "knowledge" extrapolated from a wikipedia article. I'll be happy to obtain more citations it you'll stop moving it around for a bit.- Nunh-huh 23:50, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Refs: How is Mary Vetsera indexed and referred to in various books?

Barkeley, Richard, The Road to Mayerling: Vetsera, Mary, Baroness

A Substantial Ghost, Violet Powell:Vetsera, Baroness Mary

My Past, Countess Marie Larisch: Mary Vetsera, also Baroness Mary Vetsera

My Royal Relatives, Marie Louise Countess Larisch von Wallersee-Wittelsbach: Vetsera, Mary

Secrets of a Royal House, Marie Louise Countess Larisch von Wallersee-Wittelsbach: Vetsera; Mary The Lonely Empress: Elizabeth of Austria, Joan Haslip: Vetsera, Mary

Twilight of the Habsburgs, Alan Palmer: Vetsera, Mary

Crime at Mayerling: The Life and Death of Mary Vetsera, Georg Markus: Mary Vetsera

The Reluctant Empress, Brigitte Hamann: Vetsera, Mary

Jene Gräfin Larisch... (in German), Brigitte Sokop: Vetsera. Mary Baronesse

Nor is a "von" used in refering to Mary Vetsera's parents or relatives in any of these books: they are Baron Vetsera or Baroness Vetsera. No "von". This is the standard English version of her name. - Nunh-huh 04:40, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

her name was "von Vetsera"
then the heading needs to be "Baroness Mary Vetsera". but if you take a look at the links I provided, for example her tombstone clearly refers to her as "Mary Freiin (Baroness) von Vetsera", or are you implying that they got her tombstone wrong? and if you read any of the books the titles you have provided, you will see what her real name was. Nobility in Austria carried the particle "von" in her name, and her name was "von Vetsera", why is that so difficult to accept?

http://www.heiligenkreuz.at/Vetsera.htm

http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.v/v387096.htm

you can also check out the german language version of Wikipedia´s article to this

in Wikipedia, all the German and Austrian nobility (as well as some Swedish, etc...) are written with their particle(s), so what´s the problem here? Prince Otto von Bismarck is not kept as Otto Bismarck... Antares911 15:22, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Your implication that I haven't read the books I've cited is offensive, and needlessly so. I have, and she is referred to throughout these books as Mary Vetsera. This is how she is referred to in English. Why is this so hard for you to accept? Yes, sometimes (though not invariably), German writers refer to her as Mary, Freiin von Vetsera. But "Mary von Vetsera" is not used, and in English is so rare as to make someone who uses it consistently appear ill-informed. You ask what the problem is here: the problem is you want to apply one rule to all names, and that is not going to result in the names of people actually used in English. Of course "Otto von Bismarck" is referred to as such: no one (except you) has suggested he was "Otto Bismarck". But one most often refers to Eduard, Count Taaffe, or Eduard Taaffe, not Eduard Count von Taafe. One rule does not fit all. It's the same in English titles: there are both "Earl of X" and "Earl Y" with no "of": one size does not fit all. - Nunh-huh 19:26, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Stuff moved here from Wikipedia:Requested Moves
Her name in English is Baroness Mary Vetsera. That is how she appears in English books written on Mayerling, and it is how she is named in English card system catalogs. - Nunh-huh 22:35, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Well then the article can also be headed as Baroness Mary Vetsera. you can also refer to Wikipedia´s own german language site article about this to see what her name was, and that was "von Vetsera". we don´t keep the article of Prince "Otto von Bismarck" as "Bismarck" or "Otto Bismarck" either... Antares911 15:29, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I have no objections to her being at Baroness Mary Vetsera, as you suggest. - Nunh-huh 00:55, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

(P.S. the German Wikipedia knows nothing of English names, and is not even an infallible guide to German ones: it still falsely claims Cardinal Schönborn's surname is "Schonborn-Wiesentheid", which it is not. - Nunh-huh 00:55, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

(P.P.S. well i´m afraid in that case you don´t know much about german-language names, no offense)

 * I couldn't possibly take offense at a comment so ill-informed. In order for the Cardinal's surname to be "Schönborn-Wiesentheid", he would have to be a descendant of Franz Erwein Damian Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid (1776-1840): the cardinal is actually descended from that man's younger brother, Friedrich Karl Joseph Graf von Schönborn (1781-1849). - Nunh-huh 02:03, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)

A couple of thoughts - 1) the important thing is what she is known as in English sources, not what her "real name" was. 2) it would be best if we could find recent sources in English about Mayerling - older sources are much more likely to anglicize indiscriminately than recent ones. A few good recent sources touching on the matter should be authoritative, if they agree. If they disagree, well, we should take it from there. john k 01:21, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

 * Some of those cited above are reasonably recent: Crime at Mayerling: The Life and Death of Mary Vetsera is 1995, and The Road to Mayerling is 2003. - Nunh-huh 02:31, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

That's good enough for me. john k 04:01, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Has anyone information re: a possibly related topic: Freiin von Pittarn zu Liebenthal und Zottig?

 * well I think I have made my point. German-language literature points out that her name was "von Vetsera", the sources I have already provided. I am in favour of authenticity (see discussion Peking or Beijing for example), but if no majority will be found for "Marie von Vetsera" (even though all the german and austrian nobility in Wikipedia is kept that way with particles), then I grudgingly will be fine with "Baroness Mary Vetsera" as well. her full and real name needs to be reflected in the article though.. Antares911 14:38, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Isn't it already? The article begins "Marie "Mary" Alexandrine Freiin von Vetsera. john k 15:08, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Support Mary Vetsera for article name, with no title preceding it. Gene Nygaard 23:21, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Copyright Violation
Several paragraphs of your article violate copyright of Cruise Scientific (see http://www.visualstatistics.net/East-West/Mayerling%20Tragedy/Mayerling%20tragedy.htm ) and were removed. For further information contact info@visualstatistics.net

Stolen text?
Text sections of considerable length are identical to text at www.xs4all.nl/~androom/index.htm?dead/story004.htm. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.55.91.66 (talk) 20:18, 5 October 2007 (UTC)
 * As far as I could see, there were about two (fairly florid) paragraphs that were taken from there. I believe I've removed all the offending material, and tried to keep the changes made sinse it was added. - Nunh-huh 21:48, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Suggested merges
I merged the "popular culture" items to Mayerling Incident (they were actually all already there), and removed the suggestion about not covering Mayerling here ... we need at least a summary of the incident, which is clearly part of Mary vetsera's biography. - Nunh-huh 10:34, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

dates (cross-posted from Talk:Mayerling Incident
Is the television movie by Anatole Litvak with Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer from 1954 as stated in a now deleted section from Baroness Mary Vetsera or 1957 as stated here [i.e. Mayerling Incident]? Could the discrepancy be due to the theatrical release in Europe vs. TV broadcast in the US? Likewise Kronpriz Rudolf with Max von Thun, Vittoria Puccini and Omar Sharif; is it 2006 as in this article [Mayerling Incident] or 2007 per the deleted Mary Vetsera section? Robert Greer (talk) 17:24, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

Update article and Mayerling / Rudolph articles according to NEW INFORMATION
http://www.onb.ac.at/services/presse_23385.htm — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.62.117.24 (talk) 10:02, 1 August 2015 (UTC)

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An update about 2016?
"They will be made available to scholars and are likely to be exhibited in public in 2016." This should be updated, but is there any information to be found?--Adûnâi (talk) 23:19, 24 January 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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title: Talk:Baroness Mary Vetsera


text:
Talk:Chenonceaux

The name of the "commune" is false : it was always called Chenonceaux, with a final "x", but the castle is really called, since the French Revolution, château de Chenonceau, without "x". See explanation on fr:Chenonceaux. Ma'ame Michu 15:17, 22 Oct 2004 (UTC)

....

it was difficult to get the the "chateau de chenonceau" page unless you typed it exactly the same. since it is obvious the Castle is more interesting and important than the village around it i think it is normal that the word "Chenonceau" redirects to the castle. the word "chenonceauX" goes directly to the village. people can reach the Village of chenonceauX with a link in the first two lines of the article on "chateau de Chenonceau" page. thank you very much

It is hard to get past information about the place. I am searching for information on past ownership of Henri II and i could not locate the right infomation with the provided links. - Thank you -

title: Talk:Chenonceaux


text:
Talk:Fort Worth, Texas

Coordinate error
Sorry for not being specific at first. While making a map, I realized that Fort Worth was due to the Southwest of Dallas, and closer to San Antonio, than it was to Dallas, where as Fort Worth is due West of Dallas. The coordinates are fixed now. Thanks!

—68.43.189.205 (talk) 15:09, 22 January 2021 (UTC)
 * The coordinates in this article appear to have been incorrect for some time. I've emended them. Deor (talk) 17:55, 22 January 2021 (UTC)

Inadequate beginning history section
The history section here only begins in 1843, as do both linked articles. It is standard Wikipedia convention for places this notable to go back to the earliest records of settlement. The opening line doesn't even mention who the treaty was between, just "several Native American tribes". See the history sections/pages of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Little Rock as nearby better examples.

Old climate data
I was looking at the climate data and recognized that it’s from 2009. The data has been updated since then. I don’t have time to update it right now, but if someone else wants to update it, the data is available here: https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=fwd — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1700:32A0:1FA0:DD74:2A76:8BA5:B9EF (talk) 21:36, 17 June 2021 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for speedy deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for speedy deletion: You can see the reason for deletion at the file description page linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 19:54, 9 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Umbrellas on Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.JPG

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 08:54, 11 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Umbrellas on Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.JPG

Enclaved municipalities
Is there any way that someone can edit the map outlined so that it shows all the enclaved cities within Fort Worth? NintendoTTTEfan2005 (talk) 01:31, 14 November 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Fort Worth, Texas


text:
Denis Smith (footballer, born 1947)

Denis Smith (born 19 November 1947) is an English former professional footballer and manager. He made 531 appearances in all competitions in 15 seasons as a player in the Football League, and as a manager, he took charge of 1,195 competitive matches.

Born in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, he joined local club Stoke City as an amateur in 1964, making his first-team debut in September 1968. A hard-tackling defender, he soon established himself in the first team, playing in a centre-back partnership with Alan Bloor for much of his career. Stoke enjoyed one of the most successful periods of their history during his time at the club, as he helped Stoke to win the League Cup in 1972, featuring in successive FA Cup semi-finals in 1971 and 1972 and helping the club to successive fifth-place finishes in the First Division in 1973–74 and 1974–75. His bravery as a player meant that he also entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most injured man in football. However, he was never able to fully recover after breaking his leg for the fifth time in his career in March 1975. He did manage to continue to play competitive football and helped Stoke to win promotion from the Second Division in 1978–79. He missed the entire 1980–81 season due to injury and left the club in May 1982.

He began his management career at York City in May 1982, having played for the club on loan the previous season. He led the club to the Fourth Division title in 1983–84, totalling five seasons. He took charge of Sunderland in May 1987, and took the club to the Third Division title in 1987–88, before getting the club promoted from the Second Division in 1989–90. Dismissed by Sunderland in December 1991, he took charge at Bristol City three months later. He steered the club away from relegation in 1992–93 but was dismissed in January 1993 after falling out with the club's directors. He was appointed manager of Oxford United in September 1993 and, although unable to avoid relegation in 1993–94, led the club to promotion from the Second Division in 1995–96. He switched clubs to West Bromwich Albion in December 1997, remaining in charge for two-and-a-half seasons before being dismissed in July 1999.

He returned to manage Oxford in February 2000 and helped them to avoid relegation in 1999–2000 before resigning in October 2000. In October 2001, he was appointed manager of Wrexham, who were relegated in 2001–02. He won promotion from the Third Division at the first attempt in 2002–03. Wrexham entered administration in December 2004, and the resulting points deduction saw them relegated once more. Despite the financial problems, he managed the club to the Football League Trophy title in 2005, in addition to two successive FAW Premier Cup wins in 2002 and 2003. He was dismissed in January 2007, months after the club exited administration. He married in October 1967 and has three children.

Early life
Denis Smith was born in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, the second youngest of seven siblings. At just three years old, he formed his own gang, stating in his autobiography that "if we wanted to play in the sandpit we played in the sandpit", and continued to lead his gang through junior and senior years at Sandon Road Junior School. Despite being involved with gangs since his early childhood he grew out of the culture by the age of ten, and as a teenager, formed friendships outside of his local council estate. He turned down the chance to sit the eleven plus exam as local grammar school Longton High was a rugby-playing school, and so instead attended Queensbury Road School, with whom he won the Stoke Schools Trophy; he also played for the Stoke-on-Trent Schoolboys (who were coached by former England international Dennis Wilshaw). At the age of 15 he became Staffordshire County boxing champion.

He was only 5ft 2in at 14, but a late growth spurt took him to just under six feet and was, therefore, tall enough to play centre-back as a professional footballer. He was offered an apprenticeship by Portsmouth but turned it down as he wanted to sign for his local club Stoke City, who initially were not willing to take him on as an apprentice. They only allowed him to train with the 'A' team twice a week as an amateur whilst he initially worked as a plumber's mate, and later as a factory worker at Stone Lotus.

Stoke City
Smith signed for Stoke City in September 1966 after telling manager Tony Waddington that he was going to sign a contract at another club; though Waddington was not keen on Smith's hard-tackling style, he did not want to lose the young player. At the age of 18 he faced Leeds United's FWA Footballer of the Year Bobby Collins in a reserve match, and despite Collins going as far as to punch him in the face Smith managed to last the entire match without backing down in an extremely physical contest. However, for a period, Waddington banned Smith from playing against first-team players in training as he feared Smith would injure one of his players. He made his first-team debut in the Football League against Arsenal in September 1968. He was given the task of man-marking Bobby Gould. He gave away a penalty after fouling Jon Sammels, which Terry Neill converted for the only goal of the match, but otherwise made a solid debut. However, in his second appearance, he gave away two penalties in a 3–1 defeat away to Ipswich Town and had to wait five months for another first-team appearance. In March 1969, Alan Bloor picked up a knock and Smith returned to the starting line-up in a 5–1 defeat to Leeds, failing in his task to man-mark Mick Jones, who claimed a hat-trick. Despite the poor start to his senior career, he managed to finish the 1968–69 season with 14 First Division appearances to his name and was occasionally used as an emergency striker.

Smith established himself in the Stoke defence in 1969–70, forming a centre-back partnership with Alan Bloor in between full backs Jackie Marsh and Mike Pejic. Smith was the aggressive and highly physical defender, complemented by Bloor who tended to stay further back and use his intelligence to read the game and clean up any mistakes Smith made. Smith claimed his first goal for the club on 17 September 1969, in a 3–1 win over West Bromwich Albion (West Brom) at the Hawthorns. Stoke reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1970–71, and Smith played in the fourth round victory over Huddersfield Town despite suffering from a fractured ankle. He scored the only goal of the match in the fifth-round replay away to Ipswich. He also scored a "freak goal" from a deflected Peter Storey clearance in the semi-final against Arsenal on 27 March 1971, but Stoke lost the replay four days later.

Stoke reached the FA Cup semi-final for a second successive season in 1971–72, again being knocked out by Arsenal in a replay. He had scored in the quarter-final victory over Manchester United and pressured Arsenal's Peter Simpson into scoring an own goal in the original semi-final match. However, John Radford was the hero of the tie as he played as an emergency goalkeeper in the first match following an injury to Bob Wilson, and then scored the winning goal in the replay. Stoke found greater success in the League Cup, beating Southport, Oxford United (after a replay), Manchester United (after two replays), Bristol Rovers and West Ham United (after three replays) to reach the 1972 League Cup Final against Chelsea. He scored two goals during the run but was knocked out whilst scoring against Bristol Rovers in the quarter-final and missed some weeks with concussion. He returned to play in the final, man-marking Peter Osgood in a match which Stoke won 2–1 to win their first major trophy.

Despite the cup success and arrival of new signing Geoff Hurst, Stoke laboured to a 15th-place finish in 1972–73. Smith blamed the car crash and subsequent injury to Gordon Banks in October 1972 as the cause for the club's mid-season slump, which compounded an already poor start to the season. Any concerns over relegation disappeared though with six victories in the final eight league matches. After a poor start to 1973–74, Waddington signed Alan Hudson in January 1974 to help revive the club's fortunes. The defence also improved, as Smith helped to ensure only two goals were conceded in the last nine matches of the season as Stoke finished fifth. On 23 February 1974, Smith scored the winning goal against Leeds to end their opponent's 29-match unbeaten run. Leeds went on to have a £250,000 bid for Smith turned down by Stoke in the summer.

Stoke made a push for the title in 1974–75. They also competed in the UEFA Cup against Dutch team Ajax, and Smith scored in a 1–1 draw at the Victoria Ground. However, Stoke would lose the tie on away goals. Smith scored the only goal of the match against Leicester City on 30 November 1974 to take Stoke top of the table. However, Smith broke his leg for the fifth time in his career making a red-card challenge on Mick Lambert in a 2–1 defeat to Ipswich on 18 March 1975; he was the fourth Stoke player to break a leg that season. Stoke ended the season again in fifth place, picking up just two points from their final three matches to finish four points behind champions Derby County.

He underwent an operation to remove cartilage in his knee in November 1975, and his recovery was not entirely successful. He later admitted that after returning to match fitness from the injury he was only ever able to play at "half pace". His long-term replacement was young defender Alan Dodd. The club also faced a major decline following a gale which severely damaged the Victoria Ground's Butler Street stand, and a lack of adequate insurance cover left a significant repair bill meaning the club had to sell Alan Hudson, Jimmy Greenhoff, Mike Pejic, Sean Haslegrave and Ian Moores to fund the repair; Eric Skeels and John Ritchie also retired. Waddington filled in the gaps left by these players with youngsters, and it also meant that Smith could continue to be a regular for the club despite his reduced mobility. Waddington was dismissed in March 1976, and new manager George Eastham failed to prevent Stoke from being relegated at the end of 1976–77. Following relegation Smith formed another good partnership, this time with Mike Doyle, which helped Stoke gain promotion in 1978–79 under new manager Alan Durban. Smith claimed his two seasons in the Second Division were "boring", as even with his reduced mobility few attackers in the division posed too much of a threat for him.

A pre-season injury kept him out of the entire 1980–81 season, during which time he coached the reserves. In this time he converted Steve Bould from a striker into a centre-back. Smith returned from injury in 1981–82, and featured regularly early in the season, and by the time another injury forced him out of the team, Stoke were in 18th place. He joined York City, who were struggling in the Fourth Division, on a one-month loan in March 1982. He debuted in a 3–1 home defeat to Hull City on 16 March 1982, and scored once for York, in a 4–2 loss away to Wigan Athletic on 2 April. Smith made seven appearances while on loan at York, and exerted his influence on the team by organising the defence; he commented that "They had been crying out for an older head like me". He was recalled by Stoke manager Richie Barker as the defence struggled in his absence, and Smith re-established himself in the team as they avoided relegation. He was handed a free transfer to York in May 1982. He said that if he had been offered a coaching role at Stoke he would have stayed, but that Barker wanted him gone as he saw him as a threat to his position. In total, Smith made 493 appearances for Stoke, a club record for a centre-back.

Style of play
During Smith's 14 seasons with Stoke, he became known for his fearless mentality, which led to him sustaining many injuries. These included five broken legs, breaking his nose four times, a cracked ankle, a broken collar bone, a chipped spine, breaking most of his fingers and toes and needing more than 200 stitches. The sequence saw him named in the Guinness Book of Records as the most injured man in football. Early into his career, Smith soon developed a reputation as a "hard player" who would launch himself at opponents determined to either block a shot or win the ball, which is how he picked up most of his injuries. He was known as Stoke's "hitman", and relished going toe to toe with the biggest and most feared opposition players.

He would generally man-mark the opposition's playmaker or major goalscoring threat. He was a highly effective tackler, able to either flatten opposition players or quickly take the ball off their toes. After the tackle from behind was outlawed, he adapted to the rule change by making hard challenges from the side. Manager Tony Waddington said, "His qualities were his tackling strength and his courage. On the ball, he just did what he could do, but he also had a tremendous ability to read the game."

York City
He moved into management with York as player-manager ahead of 1982–83, accepting the position on 12 May 1982. He described the set-up at Bootham Crescent on his arrival as a "shambles", as training consisted entirely of running and was devoid of any actual coaching. He signed veteran players Roger Jones (goalkeeper), Alan Hay (defender) and Ricky Sbragia (defender), as well as young Stoke defender Chris Evans, which including Smith himself meant a complete change in the club's back line. He brought in striker Viv Busby as a player-coach. He then made 6ft 1in 26-year-old striker Keith Walwyn his priority and encouraged Walwyn to use his natural physical presence to become a greater threat in front of goal and unlock his potential. Smith retired from playing after steering York to a seventh-place in 1982–83, in which he made 36 appearances and scored 4 goals. He signed Sheffield United's John MacPhail on a free transfer as a replacement for himself.

In his second season as York manager, 1983–84, he signed another former teammate, energetic midfielder Sean Haslegrave. Smith was named as the division's Manager of the Month for March 1984 after York won five and drew one of their six league matches. He guided York to the Fourth Division title and promotion into the Third Division, with Walwyn scoring 25 goals and earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year alongside strike partner John Byrne, who scored 27 goals. York finished with 101 points, 16 points ahead of runners-up Doncaster Rovers.

Early in 1984–85, York were beaten by Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in the League Cup, but Byrne impressed QPR manager Alan Mullery enough to earn a £100,000 move to Loftus Road. Smith spent half of this sum (a club record) on Aldershot forward Dale Banton, who went on to score 49 goals in 138 appearances for the club. He also released winger Brian Pollard, but found that the man he signed in his place, Gary Nicholson, was not able to replicate Pollard's form. York started the season well, and another of his signings, Keith Houchen (£15,000), scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 win over Gillingham in November 1984. On 26 January 1985, he guided York to victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round. In the next round York came from behind to draw 1–1 at home with Liverpool, before losing 7–0 away at Anfield.

York again drew Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round in 1985–86 and took the lead through Gary Ford only to concede a stoppage-time equaliser. Tony Canham scored at Anfield and York had a second goal disallowed before York succumbed to a 3–1 defeat in extra time. York lost only three home league matches all season but missed out on promotion after finishing seventh. In the summer of 1986, he sold MacPhail to Bristol City for £15,000, whilst many of the veteran players he signed when he first came to the club were coming to the end of their careers. The 1986–87 season was disappointing for York as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by non-League team Caernarfon Town and ended the season in 20th-place. They did, though manage to beat Chelsea 1–0 in the League Cup but lost the return fixture at Stamford Bridge 3–0. Smith ended up falling out with the club's directors, who invested money in the club's facilities rather than on players, and released goalkeeper Andy Leaning against his wishes.

Sunderland
In May 1987, Smith was appointed manager at Sunderland, who had just been relegated into the Third Division for the first time in their history. York were unwilling to release him from his contract for less than £20,000 compensation, and Sunderland would only go as far as pay £10,000. Smith agreed to a £40,000-a-year contract that meant if he failed to win promotion with Sunderland in his first season he would pay the extra £10,000 compensation himself. He brought his York coaching staff with him: Viv Busby, Malcolm Crosby, and Roger Jones. He also signed former York player John MacPhail to shore up the defence, who captained the team and scored 16 goals (including 10 penalties) in his maiden season at Roker Park. He signed right-back John Kay, whilst remaining satisfied with existing left-back Reuben Agboola, centre-back Gary Bennett and goalkeeper Iain Hesford. In midfield he played a youthful combination of Gordon Armstrong, Paul Lemon, Gary Owers and Paul Atkinson, alongside the more experienced defensive midfielder Steve Doyle. He sold Mark Proctor to Sheffield Wednesday for £275,000. He signed young and pacey York striker Marco Gabbiadini for £80,000 and played him alongside the experienced Eric Gates; the pair scored 42 goals between them in 1987–88. A 7–0 win over Southend United started a run of 15 league matches unbeaten, though in the second half of the campaign a run of just 2 wins in 10 matches set them back. Smith bought Swansea City winger Colin Pascoe in March 1988, and oversaw a run of seven wins in the final eight matches to secure the Third Division championship and promotion with 93 points.

Injuries to Kay and Lemon hindered Sunderland at the start of 1988–89, and they took until 1 October 1988 to register their first win back in the Second Division. He signed burly striker Billy Whitehurst to act as a "battering-ram", who proved to be an effective player despite being a heavy binge drinker. He spent a club record £500,000 on goalkeeper Tony Norman, though Hesford and Whitehurst were traded as part-exchange on the fee. Sunderland improved and ended the season in 11th-place.

He signed experienced midfielder Paul Bracewell for 1989–90 and spent £130,000 on Portsmouth left-back Paul Hardyman. He introduced the exceptionally talented teenage winger Kieron Brady to the first team. Still, he could not discipline the precocious teenager, and Brady never realised his full potential. Sunderland reached the play-offs, and faced rivals Newcastle United in the semi-final, securing passage into the final with a 2–0 victory at St James' Park. They lost 1–0 to Swindon Town in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium. However, Swindon were found guilty of financial irregularities and remained in the Second Division, whilst Sunderland took their place in the First Division.

Having been promoted weeks after the end of the previous season and not being granted an increased wage budget, Smith felt he had a tough job in keeping Sunderland in the top flight in 1990–91. He allowed Gates and MacPhail to leave on free transfers to free up money to bring in new players. He spent £350,000 on Portsmouth defender Kevin Ball and took forward Peter Davenport from rivals Middlesbrough; Ball would prove to be a success, though Smith admitted in his autobiography that signing Davenport had been a mistake that left him unable to bring in any further players, as his small budget was spent. He was given further funds in February 1991 as Sunderland were engaged in a relegation battle, and Smith spent £225,000 on midfielder Brian Mooney, who had a limited impact due to injuries. On the final day of the season Sunderland had to better Luton Town's result at home to Derby in their match against Manchester City at Maine Road, but they lost 3–2 and were relegated back into the Second Division.

In the summer of 1991, Stoke chairman Peter Coates offered Smith the vacant management position at the club. Smith decided that potentially being dismissed by his hometown club would be too intense an emotional experience, and he chose to stay loyal to Sunderland. This was despite finances being tight at Sunderland as the club saved the money to build a new stadium. However, after just 4 wins in the opening 14 matches of 1991–92, Smith decided to sell star striker Gabbiadini to Crystal Palace for £1.8 million to raise funds to improve the squad. He then spent £350,000 on Celtic left-back Anton Rogan and brought in strikers Don Goodman (£900,000 from West Bromwich Albion) and John Byrne (£225,000 from Brighton & Hove Albion). Smith was dismissed on 30 December 1991, with Sunderland lying 17th in the Second Division. His former assistant Malcolm Crosby took Sunderland to the 1992 FA Cup Final, in which Liverpool beat them.

Bristol City
Smith was only out of work for nine weeks before being appointed manager of Bristol City on 9 March 1992. He succeeded Jimmy Lumsden, who left the club second-from-bottom in the Second Division. Smith felt the team lacked pace, so signed 20-year-old striker Andy Cole on loan from Arsenal. Dariusz Dziekanowski scored both goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) in Smith's second match in charge to provide City with their first win in three months. They then won 3–1 against Smith's former club Sunderland, with Cole scoring the first of his 8 goals in 12 appearances during his loan spell. Smith successfully steered the club out of the relegation zone at the end of 1992–93 with a run of eight matches unbeaten and paid a club record £500,000 to secure Cole's services permanently. He further paid £250,000 for Everton midfielder Raymond Atteveld and signed West Ham United striker Leroy Rosenior.

Smith rebuilt the defence for 1993–94, signing right-back Brian Mitchell and centre-back David Thompson, and oversaw a mixed start to the season. City won four straight home matches but also lost 5–1 to West Ham, 5–0 at Newcastle, and most significantly 4–0 to local rivals Bristol Rovers at Twerton Park. He found it difficult to control the club's talented and popular players, as Dziekanowski regularly got into trouble in his social life and skilled left-winger Junior Bent was unwilling to deliver crosses as regularly as Smith demanded. He tried to sell Bent but was unable to have the deal sanctioned by the club's directors. His relationship with the board was poor and he found himself regularly undermined and sensitive boardroom discussions were leaked. He also tried to sell Cole in order to provide funds to restructure the first team but again the board refused to sanction the deal. He was dismissed on 21 January 1993 following a run of 10 matches without a victory, and his assistant Russell Osman was appointed as his successor.

Oxford United
Smith made a return to management with Oxford on 10 September 1993, and the following day led them to a 4–2 victory over his former club Bristol City. A victory over another former club, Stoke, took Oxford off the bottom of the Second Division, but a sequence of just 2 wins in 17 matches left them in great danger of relegation. He signed goalkeeper Phil Whitehead on loan from Barnsley, signed striker John Byrne (£50,000 from Millwall) for the third time in his career, and then made what he later said was the best signing of his career by bringing in defender Matt Elliott from Scunthorpe United for £170,000. Oxford were boosted by these arrivals and briefly exited the relegation zone, also claiming an FA Cup giant-killing over Leeds at Elland Road after Jim Magilton scored the winning goal in extra time. However, after the match Magilton moved to Southampton for a £600,000 fee. Oxford had struggled in the league during their FA Cup run and were 15 points short of safety with 16 matches to play, but were aided by £60,000 signing Paul Moody, who, despite arriving in February 1994, managed to finish as the club's top-scorer with 12 goals in 15 appearances. His arrival kick-started the club's fightback, and Oxford closed the 15 points gap in just 9 matches. However, a difficult run-in left Oxford needing to beat Notts County on the last day of the season and hope results elsewhere went their way, and though they beat County their relegation rivals also claimed victories and Oxford were relegated.

The sale of star midfielder Joey Beauchamp to West Ham for a club record £1 million allowed Smith money to spend in the transfer market, and he spent £100,000 each on Norwich City midfielder David Smith and Sunderland striker David Rush. Oxford formed a strong promotion push in 1994–95, but were knocked out of the FA Cup in the first round by non-League Marlow. In February 1995, he spent £60,000 on Hartlepool United's Phil Gilchrist, who would form a highly effective centre-back partnership with Elliott. Oxford finished the season in seventh place, six points outside the play-offs. In November 1995, Smith re-signed Beauchamp for £300,000, who continued his excellent form after returning to his native Oxfordshire. The next month he brought in striker Martin Aldridge on a free transfer. The club were 14th in January 1996, but lost only once in their last 17 matches of 1995–96 in a tremendous second half of the season that saw them climb 12 places to win promotion as runners-up. At the end of the season, Smith became a director of the club.

In order to strengthen for 1996–97, Smith signed striker Nigel Jemson and spent £100,000 on Leyton Orient defender Darren Purse. In order to finance these deals he sold Chris Allen to Nottingham Forest for £450,000. Oxford knocked Premier League team Sheffield Wednesday out of the League Cup en route to a fourth-round exit. Oxford were fifth in the table in December 1996, but chairman Robin Herd resigned amidst financial problems at the club, and work on the new stadium came to a halt as the club debt reached £13 million. Smith raised funds by selling Elliott to Leicester for £1.7 million, and signed veteran defender Chris Whyte on a free transfer as a short-term replacement. Oxford finished the season in 17th place, but the club's financial situation became ever bleaker. Numerous players were sold, though Smith was allowed to spend £170,000 on defender Phil Whelan. Smith left the Manor Ground midway through 1997–98 with Oxford 16th in the league, and his assistant Crosby managed to maintain the club's mid-table position at the end of the season.

West Bromwich Albion
Smith was appointed manager of West Brom on a three-year contract on 24 December 1997, with Oxford receiving around £100,000 in compensation. He had a mixed start to his time at the Hawthorns as Albion fell from promotion contenders to a tenth-place finish in 1997–98, but recorded victories over local rivals Wolves and Stoke.

In preparation for 1998–99, he signed athletic Derby centre-back Matt Carbon for £800,000, Blackpool striker James Quinn for £500,000, and Manchester City defender Jason van Blerk for £50,000. He also brought in winger Mark Angel, midfielders Mario Bortolazzi and Enzo Maresca, and striker Fabian de Freitas. However, the player who had the greatest impact for West Brom was young striker Lee Hughes, who had been signed before Smith's arrival but only made his first start under Smith. Aside from Maresca, many of Smith's signings had little impact, and supporters criticised him for allowing popular goalkeeper Alan Miller and strikers Andy Hunt and Bob Taylor to leave the club. West Brom started the season well with Hughes in tremendous form, but a slump in form in March 1999 left them ending up in 12th place. Smith was dismissed on 27 July 1999, just a week before the start of 1999–2000.

Return to Oxford
On 3 February 2000, Smith was appointed manager of Oxford for the second time in his career, with the club 21st in the Second Division. He re-signed striker Nigel Jemson from Ayr United, and kept Oxford in the division as they ended 1999–2000 in 20th place, one place and one point above the relegation zone. He signed a one-year contract extension in the summer of 2000 but fell out with chairman Firoz Kassam. He later admitted that the signings he made on a limited budget, which included Ian McGuckin, Andy Scott and Rob Quinn, were not good enough. Smith resigned on 2 October 2000 after a terrible start to 2000–01, a season which ended in Oxford being relegated in last place. He continued to work as a scout for the club under Dave Kemp and then Mark Wright.

Wrexham
Smith returned to management on 8 October 2001 with Wrexham on a two-year contract, replacing Brian Flynn who had resigned after 12 years in charge, with the club 23rd in the Second Division. He was tasked with keeping the club steady whilst it struggled with financial problems. He decided to cut back on the club's youth coaching spending, and as a result, Wrexham's youth structure was downgraded from an academy to a Centre of Excellence. He signed goalkeeper Marius Røvde, midfielder Jim Whitley, and gave striker Hector Sam his debut, but failed to keep Wrexham away from the relegation zone. With relegation confirmed, new signing Lee Jones scored all five goals in a 5–0 win over Cambridge United, leaving cause for optimism at the Racecourse Ground.

He signed wing-back Paul Edwards and held on to most of his key players for the 2002–03 season. Wrexham had a good start to the season, and Smith won the Manager of the Month award for September 2002 after a sequence of four wins and two draws. A slump followed, but Wrexham recovered from a poor October 2002 after coming from behind to beat AFC Bournemouth on 9 November, as strikers Andy Morrell and Lee Trundle formed a good partnership, with Jones an impact substitute. Wrexham dropped out of the play-off places following a sequence of draws in March 2003, but new signing Scott Green scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Hartlepool United on 18 March, the first of a sequence of eight victories that took Wrexham into the third automatic promotion place with four matches to go. They held on to the position to secure promotion from the Third Division at the first attempt. Wrexham also beat Newport County 6–1 in the final of the FAW Premier Cup to secure an important £100,000 in prize money. Smith was named as the Manager of the Month for April and 2003, before winning the League Managers Association's Third Division Manager of the Season award.

Smith lost Morrell and Trundle on free transfers and replaced them with Chris Armstrong and Chris Llewellyn. The club's financial problems meant that players went unpaid at the start of 2003–04. However, they remained in the play-off places in December 2003. However, a hairline fracture to Shaun Pejic left Smith short of defenders and the promotion challenge ebbed away to a mid-table finish. Wrexham retained the FAW Premier Cup though with a 4–1 victory over Rhyl. However, Smith made himself unpopular with supporters after refusing to endorse their campaign to oust controversial chairman Alex Hamilton.

Writing in his autobiography, Smith described 2004–05 "the most harrowing, distressing footballing time of my life" as the club entered administration with debts of £2.6 million. Wrexham became the first club to be deducted 10 points for entering administration and were subsequently relegated from League One, eight points short of safety despite new signing Juan Ugarte scoring 23 goals. Despite the financial trouble Wrexham managed to win the Football League Trophy, knocking out Notts County, Stockport County, Chester City, Hereford United and Oldham Athletic en route to the final against Southend United at the Millennium Stadium. The final was settled in extra time, with Ugarte and Darren Ferguson securing a 2–0 victory. The club earned £250,000 in prize money and the first national trophy in Wrexham's history.

Smith turned down the managerial role at Blackpool to remain in place at Wrexham for 2005–06. He signed goalkeeper Michael Ingham, defenders David Bayliss and Lee Roche, and strikers Lee McEvilly and Jonathan Walters, whilst blooding brothers Marc and Mike Williams. However, Wrexham struggled in the league despite on-loan striker Matt Derbyshire scoring 10 goals in 16 appearances. They finished the season 13th in League Two, having won only one of their last nine matches. The last match of the season was a 1–1 draw with former club Oxford, which hastened Oxford's relegation out of the Football League.

Wrexham exited 18 months of administration at the start of 2006–07 and started the season with an eight-match unbeaten run, including a 4–1 win over Championship club Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup. However, a 5–0 defeat at Accrington Stanley triggered a run of bad results that Smith was unable to turn around. With Wrexham hovering above the relegation zone in 18th place, Smith was dismissed on 11 January 2007. He is one of only 24 people to have managed over 1,000 professional matches in English football.

Personal life
He married his childhood sweetheart Kate in October 1967. Their first child, Paul, was born in April 1969 and was named after teammate Paul Shardlow, who had died six months earlier. They had two further children: Becky (born 1971) and Tom (born 1978). Smith released his autobiography, Just One Of Seven, in November 2008. He writes a weekly column for The Sentinel and is occasionally a commentator on Stoke matches for BBC Radio Stoke. In July 2011, he re-joined Stoke on a part-time basis as a mentor for young Academy players needing guidance off the pitch. He was inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame.

As a player
Stoke City
 * Football League Second Division third-place promotion: 1978–79
 * Football League Cup: 1971–72
 * Watney Cup: 1973–74

As a manager
York City
 * Football League Fourth Division: 1983–84

Sunderland
 * Football League Third Division: 1987–88
 * Football League Second Division promotion: 1989–90

Oxford United
 * Football League Second Division promotion: 1995–96

Wrexham
 * FAW Premier Cup: 2002–03, 2003–04
 * Football League Third Division third-place promotion: 2002–03
 * Football League Trophy: 2004–05

Individual
 * Football League Fourth Division Manager of the Month: March 1984
 * Football League Third Division Manager of the Month: September 2002, April 2003
 * Third Division Manager of the Season: 2002–03

title: Denis Smith (footballer, born 1947)


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