10 things about Sir Alf Ramsey

With football in the news I have recently read Leo McKinstry's biography of Sir Alf Ramsey. The biography is not without faults but gives you a good idea of the man, I would guess. There are some differences of opinion, eg on whether he was withour a sense of humour or very dry. He certainly was not without humour. Here are ten things I learned about him

1. He is the only manager to take England to a World Cup final and to win the World Cup
2. He is the only manager to take a side (Ipswich) and win the top division the year they came up.
3. He was an essentially shy man
4. He was a man obsessed with football
5. He was a man who saw that it is teams that win football matches not individuals
6. He is one of only 15 football knights
7. He ws a man who generally did not swear but who could use some very ripe language at times
8. He was an Englishman who hated the Scots
9. He did not have a very good relatioship with the press
10. he was the first England manager to select the team himself, something he insisted on