Career
A defender, he enjoyed a lengthy playing career, the tail end of which was interrupted by World World War World War II He played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stourbridge, Mansfield Town, Portuguese Vale, Brentford, and Plymouth Argyle. He became a coach and manager after the war, taking charge of Dover, N ottinghamshire County and Manchester City. He took County into the quarter-finals of the, though he was better equipped as a scout than as a manager.
Poyser played as a defender, and was a strong left-back.
Playing for Teversal Colliery, he had an unsuccessful trial at Mansfield Town, before moving on to Stanton Hill Victoria. He enjoyed spells at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stourbridge, before signing with Mansfield Town.
He was part of the Mansfield team when they were elected to the Football League in 1931. In May 1931, he joined Portuguese Vale of the Second Division.
However he totalled just six appearances for the "Valiants" in the 1931-1932 campaign.
He featured 28 times in the 1932-1933 season, before establishing himself in the first team with 39 appearances in the 1933-1934 campaign. He made 72 league appearances for Portuguese Vale. In June 1934 he transferred to Brentford for a fee of £1,550, a club record.
The "Bees" finished fifth in the First Division in 1935-1936, sixth in 1936-1937 and 1937-1938, and then 18th in 1938-1939.
He remained at Griffin Park for a decade, making 157 appearances, though like many players of his era, the Second World War shortened his career, though he represented Brentford in the non-competitive wartime competitions. The 36-year-old Poyser joined Plymouth Argyle for a £3,500 fee late in the 1945-1946 season, making three Football League South appearances and a further three Second Division appearances.
He left Home Park at the end of the 1946-1947 season. Poyser first turned to management with Dover.
He then returned to his old professional clubs in a coaching capacity, becoming the assistant trainer at Brentford and a coach at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Former N ottinghamshire County winger Gordon Wills regards Poyser as the best manager he played foreign The "Magpies" struggled in the lower half of the Second Division during his four seasons at Meadow Lane, though they did reach seventh in the 1954-1955 season. In January 1957 Poyser joined Manchester City as assistant to Les McDowall, with a reputation for being a talented scout.
Manchester City were relegated to the Second Division in 1963, and McDowall left the club
On 12 July 1963, Poyser was appointed as his replacement. He made three key signings in Derek Kevan, Jimmy Murray, and Johnny Crossan, whilst promoting home-grown talent in Alan Oakes and Glyn Pardoe – both of whom went on to build long careers at the club
In his first season, the club reached the League Cup semi-finals, but were well short of promotion in the league, finishing sixth. His second season proved disappointing, and in January 1965 the club reached a low point with their lowest ever league attendance of 8,015 against Swindon Town.
Poyser himself was not at the stadium, as he had elected to perform a scouting mission instead.
At Easter Poyser was sacked, and the club finished the season in their then lowest ever position of 11th in the Second Division. His replacement, Joe Mercer, went on to great success at Maine Road. with Brentford.