.jpg) Armfield in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Christopher Armfield | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1935-09-21)21 September 1935 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Denton,Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 22 January 2018(2018-01-22) (aged 82) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Blackpool, Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right back | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1954–1971 | Blackpool | 569 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 569 | (6) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1959 | England U23 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1959–1966 | England | 43 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1974 | Bolton Wanderers | ||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1978 | Leeds United | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
James Christopher Armfield (21 September 1935 – 22 January 2018)[2] was an English professionalfootball player and manager. He played the whole of hisFootball League career atBlackpool, usually atright-back. Between 1954 and 1971, he played 627 games in all competitions, scored six goals, and spent a decade as the club'scaptain. He also represented theEngland national team 43 times between 1959 and 1966, and captained them in fifteen games.[3] He was a member of England's1966 World Cup-winning squad. After retiring from playing, Armfield managedBolton Wanderers andLeeds United, leading the latter to the1975 European Cup final.
Armfield was born in 1935 to Christopher and Doris Armfield.[4] After Armfield's family moved toBlackpool from Denton during theSecond World War,[4] he was spotted in a practice match atBloomfield Road by managerJoe Smith. Armfield, who played on the left wing for that game, scored all of Blackpool's goals in a 4–1 victory.[5] Impressed, Smith offered him a trial.[6] After finishing his studies atArnold School in Blackpool and obtained his higher school certificate, he joinedBlackpool at the age of 17.[4] On 27 December 1954, Armfield made his Blackpool debut atPortsmouth. He recalled of the game: "That League debut atFratton Park was not, I fear, a very conspicuous one for me. I found myself up againstGordon Dale, a very clever and strong winger with plenty of experience. He was far too good and we lost 3–0. Gordon really gave me the run-around, and I realised just how much I had to learn. They were a very good team in those days, and they scored a goal in about the first two minutes — and I hadn't touched the ball. We were three down after fifteen minutes."[7]
He was part of the Blackpool side that finished in what is to date still the club's highest-ever Football League position when they finished asFirst Division (then the top flight in England) runners-up in the1955–56 season.[8]
Armfield was voted Young Player of the Year in 1959. He was awarded Granada TV's Sports Outlook Northern Sports Star of the year trophy in 1961.
In 1966, he narrowly lost out toBobby Charlton for the Footballer of the Year award and had to content himself with being Blackpool's Player of the Year.[6] Blackpool achieved little success in his seventeen years with them, the club having won theFA Cup the year before his arrival. The exception was promotion to the First Division in1969–70.
Armfield was awarded a testimonial match, played on 2 September 1970, his 35th birthday, and thousands turned out to pay tribute to him.[6] He played his final game for Blackpool on 1 May 1971, in front of a crowd of over 30,000 againstManchester United at Bloomfield Road, in what would be the last game played by Blackpool in the top flight of English football for almost 40 years. He came back from a ten-game injury lay-off to make hisswan-song appearance.[8]
Armfield won 43 caps forEngland between 1959 and 1966, and captained his country on fifteen occasions.[9] He made his international debut on 13 May 1959, againstBrazil in front of over 120,000 fans at theMaracanã Stadium.[6] He played in the1962 World Cup inChile, where he was acclaimed as "the best right-back in the world".[7] He was also voted "best right-back in Europe" between 1962 and 1964. However, a groin injury suffered in Blackpool's last match of the1963–64 season, againstIpswich Town ruled him out of the side for England's busy summer programme.Fulham'sGeorge Cohen took the opportunity to establish himself as England's first choice right-back with a series of strong performances, and Armfield was unable to force his way back into the team. He played two further matches in the warm-up to the1966 World Cup and was included in the winning squad but a toe injury sustained in the pre-tournament appearance againstFinland and Cohen's incumbency ensured he played no part in the tournament. His appearance against Finland was his last for his country.[10]
In the 1966 World Cup final only the eleven players on the pitch at the end of the 4–2 win over West Germany received medals. Following aFootball Association-led campaign to persuadeFIFA to award medals to all the winners' squad members, Armfield was presented with hismedal byGordon Brown at a ceremony at10 Downing Street on 10 June 2009.[11]
Not long after the end of his playing career, Armfield becamemanager ofBolton Wanderers in 1971, leading them to promotion to theSecond Division in the1972–73 season asThird Division champions.[12]
On 4 October 1974, Armfield took the helm atLeeds United, replacingBrian Clough as manager, leading them to theEuropean Cup Final in the1974–75 season in which they lost 2–0 toBayern Munich under controversial circumstances.[13] Assisted byDon Howe, Armfield was responsible for rebuildingDon Revie's ageing, but still formidable, side; a task which he achieved with some success. Armfield bought in players such asTony Currie andBrian Flynn, and under his stewardship Leeds never finished outside of the top ten, qualified for theUEFA Cup,[14] and reached the semi-finals of theFA Cup in1976–77 and theLeague Cup in1977–78.[3] He was dismissed as manager in July 1978, being replaced byCeltic managerJock Stein.[15]
Leeds was Armfield's final managerial role, and he decided to work in the media. He worked as a journalist with theDaily Express from 1979 to 1991.[3] Later he was known as a match summariser forBBC Radio 5 Live. 2009 marked his 30th year on theBBC. To mark the occasion, Armfield picked his personal Top 5 Players from each decade he had been summarising and these were broadcast as part of 5 Live's2009 FA Cup Final pre-game programme.[citation needed]
He also worked as a consultant withthe Football Association and in this role was responsible for the appointment ofTerry Venables as England coach in 1994 and was also a key figure inGlenn Hoddle's appointment two years later. In 2000, he was awarded anOBE for services to football[16] and in 2004 he was appointed aDeputy Lieutenant of his home county ofLancashire. In 2005–2006 he served asHigh Sheriff of Lancashire.[17]
Although born in Denton, Armfield lived mainly in Blackpool, moving there in a Second World War evacuation, and in 2003 he was awarded the freedom of the resort.[18][19]In 2004, he released his autobiography,Right Back to the Beginning: The Autobiography, which a book review inThe Times described as "Authoritative and engaging, but at the same time warm-hearted and kind, there is not a harsh word, and hardly a critical one, in it".[20]
On 23 September 2005, he received a civic reception in Blackpool just after his 70th birthday on 21 September when a tangerine flag was flown from the town hall for the day in his honour.[19]
In 2006, Armfield was awarded with an Honorary Fellowship from nearbyMyerscough College, recognising his pioneering contribution to developing the attacking full-back role.[21]
On 22 September 2007, Armfield was the half-time guest at Blackpool'sChampionship home match againstColchester United. He received a standing ovation, and he thanked the Blackpool fans for their support, which, he said, helped him get through the recent dark days.[22]
On 2 March 2008, Armfield was awarded the Outstanding Contribution honour at theFootball League Awards ceremony in London.[3] On 18 September 2008 Armfield was awarded a place in the football Hall of Fame at theNational Football Museum inPreston, joining fellow formerSeasidersStanley Matthews andStan Mortensen in the list of Blackpool players selected. The panel which consisted ofBobby Charlton,Tom Finney andMark Lawrenson opted to induct Armfield. He was presented with the honour by former England teammate,Jimmy Greaves at the National Football Museum Hall of Fame Night, held in London.[23]
On 27 April 2008, Armfield was awarded thePFA Merit Award at the 35th Annual Awards Dinner at London'sGrosvenor Hotel. He received threestanding ovations when he got up to accept the award.[7]
In July 2009 he was honoured byTameside Council in Denton, where he was born, and the Denton andAudenshaw District Assembly presented him with a lifetime-achievement award.[24]
Armfield was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year's Honours list for services to the community in Lancashire.[25][26]
Armfield's son, John, also played football, albeit to a less successful level and became a teacher in Lancashire. In October 1980, he signed associated schoolboy forms withManchester United, but never made a professional appearance before going on to playnon-league football forRuncorn,Barrow andWorkington.[27]
On 5 May 2012, Armfield presented the trophy to the winning captain.[28] at theFA Cup Final between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Armfield was awarded Global Football Ambassador at the Football Business Awards 2016.[29]
On 11 May 2007, Armfield announced onBBC Radio Lancashire that he had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment fornon-Hodgkin lymphoma in his throat, and was being advised to rest by his doctors, but he remained positive about his future.[30] The cancer was successfully treated, but returned in November 2016.[31]
Armfield died of the disease in 2018, at the age of 82.[32][31]
Armfield was inducted into Blackpool'sHall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by him in April 2006.[33] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Armfield is in the 1960s.[34]
The South Stand at Bloomfield Road, which was opened on 20 March 2010, is named the "Jimmy Armfield South Stand" with ARMFIELD spelled out in white seats amongst the tangerine majority. A statue of Armfield was commissioned by the Blackpool Supporters' Association in 2009. The nine foot high statue, costing £100,000, is located outside the main entrance, behind the West Stand facing Seasiders Way, and was unveiled bySir Trevor Brooking on 1 May 2011.[35][36][37]
"I feel quite humble about it and I must be honest I will be very proud to see it as I am with the stand, as Blackpool is my team and my town. It is nice to think that anything I have done has been appreciated, all people like to think that."
— Armfield talking in October 2009 about the statue commissioned of him at Bloomfield Road[35]
On 2 September 2019,The FA unveiled the Jimmy Armfield Briefing Room atSt. George's Park in his honour.[38]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackpool | 1954–55 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 1955–56 | First Division | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | ||
| 1956–57 | First Division | 38 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | ||
| 1957–58 | First Division | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | ||
| 1958–59 | First Division | 32 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 1959–60 | First Division | 41 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 44 | 1 | ||
| 1960–61 | First Division | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 1961–62 | First Division | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 1962–63 | First Division | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| 1963–64 | First Division | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 1964–65 | First Division | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| 1965–66 | First Division | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| 1966–67 | First Division | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| 1967–68 | Second Division | 41 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 1968–69 | Second Division | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 1969–70 | Second Division | 40 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 1970–71 | First Division | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| Career total | 569 | 6 | 33 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 627 | 6 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Bolton Wanderers | 1 August 1971 | 4 October 1974 | 180 | 80 | 47 | 53 | 044.4 |
| Leeds United | 4 October 1974 | 30 June 1978 | 193 | 87 | 47 | 59 | 045.1 |
| Total | 373 | 167 | 94 | 112 | 044.8 | ||
England
Bolton Wanderers
Leeds United
England squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
