Policemen, teachers, politicians and doctors……..they all seem so young today.
Perhaps I’m getting old…..an observation confirmed by my reflection that I have experienced every England Football manager’s failure since the FA decided it was indeed a full-time job….
The role of England national football team manager was first established in May 1947 after a 1v0 defeat by Switzerland. Walter Winterbottom, who was at the time National Director of Coaching, received the phone call and went on to become the longest serving England manager, overseeing 139 internationals between 1947 and 1962.
From the first ‘official’ international fixture in 1872 the England team was picked by the "International Selection Committee"……with a coach and trainer chosen from the League to prepare the team for each game…..I guess such an approach today could lead to Steve Evans (manager Rotherham Utd and former manager of Crawley Town and Boston Utd) being installed for any future match with Argentina.
And if you are still dreaming of Harry Redknapp’s appointment to the position of England manager, read on as I list all seventeen England managers in chronological order.
Walter Winterbottom: 1947-1962, Walter held on to his job until the FA realised he was pretty useless. It probably took too long for England to realise that foreign teams played a slightly ‘different’ game to us.....mind you they still do.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry! England and Saint George!'
(Sir) Alf Ramsey: 1963 – 1974, winning the World Cup in 1966 was of course brilliant but our team in 1970 was better……if only Gordon Banks had resisted the main course at supper the night before we played West Germany!
And then Poland came to Wembley in October 1973. A mix of mistimed substitutions by Ramsey and an inspired goalkeeping performance by Poland's Jan Tomaszewski resulted in England’s failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup…..
FA chief Harold Thompson’s malevolence towards Alf surfaced and within a couple of months our greatest national team manager was gone.
Joe Mercer: 1974 (interim manager)…..a really nice man, a great player and a pretty good manager. Joe was manager of Aston Villa when, in 1964, they suffered their first FA Cup defeat by a team outside of the top flight…..Aldershot 2 v1 Aston Villa…..so I always had a lot of time for him.
Don Revie: 1974 – 1977, he simply failed as England manager but his career legacy (Leeds Utd) did result in the rise of Brian Clough to the position of, ‘greatest Football League Manager in the 20th Century’.
Ron Greenwood: 1977 – 1982, another few years of failure under a technically gifted coach and genuinely nice man.
Bobby Robson: 1982 – 1990, an England career that came good at Italia '90 (World Cup 4th place)….but for most of his tenure the press wanted him gone…..and just behind Sir Alf, he was certainly the next best. A great football mind, tactically astute and a truly brilliant coach.
Graham Taylor: 1990-1993, now he was a ‘turnip’…
Terry Venables: 1994-1996, his period in office is perhaps best remembered for the football anthem ‘Three Lions’ - by Baddiel & Skinner & The Lightning Seeds….we did ok at Wembley in the Euros but Terry was simply too much of an ‘Arry’ for the FA to cope with.
Glenn Hoddle: 1996-1999, the World Cup finals second round with the guidance of Eileen Drewery (faith healer) was as good as it got under Glenn.
Howard Wilkinson: 1999-2000…thank goodness he was only in charge, as interim coach, for two games.
Kevin Keegan: 1999-2000…..even he had to admit that he was just not good enough.
Peter Taylor: 2000, just one game as a caretaker…..probably a good description of his managerial ability.
Sven-Goran Eriksson: 2001-2006, now with a record that shows two World Cup quarter- finals and a European Championship quarter-final Sven must be held in high regard…..
I guess his low standing in my own affection illuminates perfectly the point that our national team’s performance on a world and European stage is determined by the ability of 20 players but modified by the ability of one coach……Sven’s modifications were unfortunately negative in their impact.
Steve McClaren: 2006-2007, an excellent ‘number two’….so why did we make him ‘number one’.
Fabio Capello: 2008-2012, the best win percentage of all England managers. If only he had been able to speak English we would have won the World Cup in South Africa….enjoy your comfortable retirement Fabio (with our millions).
Stuart Pearce: 2012, one game as a caretaker before the appointment of Roy Hodgson.
Roy Hodgson: 2012 - ?, well if The Sun has anything to do with it….he will be gone just after this summer’s European Championships.
I hope you do ok Roy……in fact I hope you receive a Knighthood.
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