Please answer the following question: Facts: - managerclubs: port vale chester city preston north end halifax town - caps: 148 170 168 3 - youthclubs: miles platting swifts bolton wanderers - birth date: 23 august 1938 - clubs: miles hove albion -lrb- loan -rrb- platting swifts bolton wanderers southampton brighton & - height: 6 ft 0 in m 2 on - death date: 25 december 1998 - name: john mcgrath - nationalteam: england u23 - death place: manchester , england - birth place: manchester , england - position: centre-half - fullname: john thomas mcgrath - totalgoals: 5 - manageryears: 1979 -- 1983 1984 1986 -- 1990 1992 - years: 1968 -- 1974 1973 - totalcaps: 489 - goals: 2 2 1 0 Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of john mcgrath -lrb- footballer , born 1938 -rrb- .
Answer:
john thomas mcgrath -lrb- 23 august 1938 -- 25 december 1998 -rrb- was an english footballer and manager in the football league .he played as a defender , and started his career at bury from 1955 to 1960 .he then spent the next eight years with newcastle united following a # 24,000 transfer , helping them to the second division title in 1964 -- 65 .in 1968 he joined southampton for a # 30,000 fee , where he would spend the final six years of his playing career , though he also played briefly for brighton & hove albion in 1973 .in total he played 489 league games in a nineteen-year career in the football league .starting his management career at port vale in 1979 , he won them promotion out of the fourth division in 1982 -- 83 .following this he left to take the reins at chester city in 1984 .appointed manager at preston north end in 1986 , he led them promotion out of the fourth division as runners-up in 1986 -- 87 , before departing in 1990 .he finished his career with a brief spell in charge of halifax town in 1992 .