Overview

Sir Walter Winterbottom was arguably the most influential man in modern English football. He is known as the first England team manager, but more than that he was an innovator of modern coaching, sports administrator and a man ahead of his time; a man who had a profound effect on English football and who laid the foundations for England's success in 1966. Walter managed them all, from Lawton to Charlton, and inspired many to become coaches: Ron Greenwood, Bill Nicholson, Jimmy Hill and Bobby Robson were amongst his disciples and took his gospel to the clubs they managed. Born in 1913, Winterbottom started out as a teacher and physical education instructor, playing amateur football in his spare time. He was soon signed up by Manchester United, playing his first game 1936 and winning promotion to the First Division in 1938. A spinal ailment curtailed his career, but during World War II he served as an officer in the Royal Air Force before the FA appointed him as national director of coaching and England team manager in 1946.He remains the ony manager to have taken the national side to more than two World Cup finals and was created an OBE in 1963 and a CBE in 1972 before being knighted in 1978. Walter died in 2002 but his legacy continues to inspire many in football today, especially with the opening of the new St George's Park football academy. With interviews and insight from top football names, this book - written by Winterbottom's son-in-law - also draws on personal diaries, photographs and letters. However, this is more than just a biography of one man - it's the story of how modern football came about.

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9781784183332

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Reviews

' Walter was a gigantic and inspirational figure whose influence on the game should be forever enshrined' - John Motson 'An affectionate and thorough biography about a man who loved the game and yearned for ways to make his teams more beautiful, more effective and more open-minded' - Alyson Rudd, The Times 'If any man should be recognised in the football world it is Sir Walter. If any man has NOT been fully recognised in the football world it is Sir Walter. His contribution to football coaching is second to none: a man who was well ahead of his time. Read his story' - Graham Taylor, England manager, 1990-3 'It's never too late - as this fine biography demonstrates - to salute a long-neglected football man. Congratulations to... Graham Morse for explaining so skilfully to recent generations, exactly why it was overdue. For everyone interested in English football, it's a must-read' - Patrick Barclay, London Evening Standard 'A unique insight into one of English football's under-appreciated heroes. It is the story of the battle to gain acceptance of coaching in England, as well as the biography of a rich and remarkable life' - Matt Barlow, Daily Mail

Author Information

Graham Morse is the author of ""The Islands Time Forgot."" Sir Walter Winterbottom is his father-in-law.

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