Jimmy Armfield

The official biography of football legend Jimmy Armfield – England and Blackpool maestro, manager, commentator and family man

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Jimmy Armfield had effectively three different lives. The first was in football: the ‘one-club’ man at Blackpool FC where he stayed for his entire playing career from 1954 until 1971, despite the offers of far bigger clubs. He never won a single honour whilst there, except a promotion-winning medal in 1970 when he led Blackpool to the First Division. He made his debut a few months after the famous 1953 FA Cup Final victory and retired a few months before the next trophy the club won, the 1971 Anglo-Italian Cup. He played for England and captained them, was named ‘the best right-back in the world’ in the 1962 World Cup but missed out in the 1966 World Cup Final as Alf Ramsey had replaced him with George Cohen. He never at any time expressed any kind of regret over these moments.

After his playing days, he managed both Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United, taking them to promotion and the European Cup Final respectively, but his footballing career was never glittered with trophies. Even the knighthood that most of his peers believed he should have received never came. A smaller honour did, but one that Jimmy gratefully acknowledged.

His second life was that of a broadcaster and journalist, where he excelled as a calm voice alongside the firebrand of a commentator. Jimmy’s analysis was as clear and as concise as needed, explaining why something had happened, as opposed to what.

His third life was that of a family man. After moving to Blackpool, he never left. He was a ‘pillar of the community’ and there was rarely a Sunday that he wasn’t at his local church playing the organ or attending a charitable event where he was the patron. His family was his rock, and he was immensely proud of them. He also loved the town of Blackpool, and Blackpool loved him back.