Walter Winterbottom

Sir Walter Winterbottom (31 March 1913 – 16 February 2002) was an English football player and coach.

He won a bursary to Chester Diocesan Teachers Training College, graduating as the top student in 1933 and took a teaching post at the Alexandra Road School, Oldham.

Whilst teaching he played football for Royton Amateurs and then Mossley where he was spotted by Manchester United.

He signed for United as a part-time professional in 1936 but continued teaching.

In his first season (1936/37) at Manchester United he showed great promise, playing 21 first team League games and 2 FA cup games, appearing as wing half and centre half.

But in the following two seasons he made only 4 first team appearances.

and 41 Central League appearances, his playing career effectively ended by a spinal disease, later diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis.

Whilst still playing for Manchester United he left his teaching position to study at Carnegie College of Physical Education, Leeds.

On graduating he was appointed as a lecturer.

During World War II Winterbottom served as an officer in the Royal Air Force, reaching the rank of wing commander and working at the Air Ministry with overall responsibility for training PE instructors at home and overseas.

He was also a guest player with Chelsea and ran coaching courses for the FA at grammar schools in London.

He was the first manager of the England national team (1946–1962) and Director of Coaching for The Football Association (the FA).

In 1946 Stanley Rous, who was the secretary of The Football Association, persuaded the FA council to appoint Winterbottom as The FA's first Director of Coaching and suggested he take on the additional responsibility of being the first England team manager.

Walter Winterbottom has the distinction of being England's first, youngest and longest serving England team manager; he is also the only England manager to have had no previous professional managerial experience.

In all matches in which he was in charge, England played 139, won 78, drew 33, and lost 28; goals for 383, against 196.

At home England lost six matches in sixteen years.

England won the British championship in thirteen out of his sixteen seasons (seven times outright and six times sharing top place).

In the World Cup tournament England qualified on all four occasions, reaching the quarter-finals twice, playing 28 matches, winning 15, drawing 7 and losing 6; goals for 75 against 35 (including World Cup qualifying matches).

Although he had coaching and managerial responsibilities, Winterbottom never had the power to pick his own team (it was chosen by a selection committee).

Over time his technical knowledge increasingly influenced selectors.

Notable victories during his era were 10—0 away to Portugal in 1947, 4—0 away to Italy in 1948, 3—1 at home to recently crowned World Champions West Germany in 1954, 4—2 at home to Brazil in 1956 and 9—3 at home to Scotland in 1961.

Notable defeats were losing 2–0 to the Republic of Ireland at Goodison Park, losing 1—0 to the USA in the 1950 World Cup and 6—3 at home to Hungary in 1953 when England lost their unbeaten home record to a foreign team at Wembley, followed by a 7—1 away defeat to the same team in 1954.

Also while he was manager, England visited Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, the Soviet Union, United States and Uruguay for the first time.

Winterbottom led England to four consecutive World Cup finals, a record subsequently equalled only by Helmut Schön of West Germany.

England entered the World Cup for the first time in 1950, qualifying for the tournament in Brazil by winning the British Home Championship.

England had never before played in South America.

They beat Chile by 2–0 but lost 1—0 to the USA and 1—0 to Spain to be eliminated in the first round.

Winterbottom again led England to qualification in Switzerland in 1954 by winning the British Home championship.

A 4—4 draw against Belgium and a 2—0 victory against Switzerland took them to the quarter-finals where they were beaten 4—2 by the defending champions, Uruguay.

England qualified for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden with wins over the Republic of Ireland and Denmark, with a team that had lost only once in 17 games.

Three months before the tournament began the Munich air disaster robbed the team of key players from Manchester United: Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor and Duncan Edwards died.

He resigned from the FA in 1962 to become General Secretary of the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) and was appointed as the first Director of the Sports Council in 1965.

Finally, prior to Alf Ramsey's arrival in 1962, he convinced the FA that the team manager must have sole control of selection.

During his time Winterbottom repeatedly warned the English football establishment that countries in Continental Europe and South America were overtaking England and that English football had to change.

His sixteen years as England team manager helped greatly in creating a modern and competitive national team and four years after his departure in 1966 England won the World Cup.

His innovations included the introduction of England B, Under 23, youth and schoolboy teams providing players with continuity and experience in international football before being selected for the full England team.

He was knighted for his services to sport in 1978 when he retired.

The Football Association marked the 100th anniversary of Winterbottom's birth by commissioning a bust which was unveiled by Roy Hodgson at St Georges Park on 23 April 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of English football.

Born in Oldham, Lancashire, Walter Winterbottom was the only son of James Winterbottom, a ring frame fitter in a textile machine works.

At the age of 12 he was awarded a scholarship to Oldham High School where he excelled.