SIR ALF RAMSEYFootball manager Sir Alf Ramsey, who died on 28 April 1999, gave England the greatest moment in sporting history with the legendary 1966 World Cup win against West Germany.Sir Alf led the England team for 11 years and is often celebrated as the most effective manager England ever had. Under his guidance, the team also came third in the 1968 European Championship and reached the quarter-finals of the 1970 World Cup.He was a natural manager and a superb tactician . Even as a player he demonstrated intuitive positional sense and could read the game better than most. He took a risk with his revolutionary 4-4-2 system that really paid off.When he became the England manager in 1963, he made the bold statement that his team would win the World Cup. His conviction, hard work and insightful game plan remain an inspiration to football managers today and he is still the only England manager to have won the World Cup.Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was born on January 22 1920 in Dagenham, Essex. He showed early promise as a footballer and played for his army regiment before being selected for the Portsmouth side in the 1942 London War League.He played for Southampton between 1943 and 1949, making his professional debut in 1944. But it was as a right-back at Tottenham Hotspur that he enjoyed real success, playing in over 250 cup and league games and earning the nickname The General of Penalties.He made his England debut in 1948 and captained his country three times. But then retired in 1955 to become manager of Ipswich Town . His success was reflected in the team’s climb from Third Division South to 1962 First Division champions.In 1963, Sir Alf took the post of England manager and raised eyebrows with his bold conviction that England would win the 1966 World Cup. He shook up managerial traditions by demanding complete control over squad selection, which led to him being called 'England's first proper manager'.Sir Alf was a hard task-master, training his team rigorously to ensure maximum fitness and stamina. His players were never sure if they would be selected to play, which meant they were always proving their worth by giving their best performance on the field.In the 1966 final, he chose a team that balanced youth and experience, making the risky decision to replace Jimmy Greaves with Geoff Hurst, who scored the hatrick that brought England its World Cup glory. The pivotal third goal in England's 4-2 win over West Germany was set up by the youngest player in the side, Alan Ball.Sir Alf left the post in 1974 to be replaced by Don Revie, and was appointed Board director and caretaker manager of Birmingham City . Between 1979 and 1980, he acted as technical advisor to Greek team Panathinaikos.During the 1998 World Cup, Sir Alf had a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He developed Alzheimer's disease and died in an Ipswich nursing home in 1999 aged 79.Perhaps the greatest manager the England football team ever had, Sir Alf entered the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. In recognition of his achievements at Ipswich , the town erected a statue of him and named a street Sir Alf Ramsey Way . He was also immortalised in the popular football comic ‘Roy of the Rovers’ .He was undoubtedly a master tactician, whose insight and innate understanding brought about England’s greatest sporting achievement. As a manager, he was firm but fair and ran a very tight ship. He nurtured the potential he saw in young players and ensured no single player felt they had special status in the team.He revolutionised football by introducing an innovative style of play which led to the 1966 success and England’s nickname 'The Wingless Wonders’. The opposition’s fullbacks were confused when midfielders and strikers took the ball down the middle, instead of winging it down the side.One of Sir Alf's World Cup stars, Sir Bobby Charlton, says he will be sorely missed: "I couldn't be more upset if it was family. Alf Ramsey gave all of us in the football business the greatest moment we have ever had as players, as coaches, as managers as fans and as officials. He was a winner and gave us our proudest moment."
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