Jimmy Armfield
Blackpool legend and England World Cup winner who led Leeds to the 1975 European Cup final.
James Christopher Armfield (21 September 1935 – 22 January 2018) was an English professional football player and manager. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right-back. Between 1954 and 1971, he played 627 games in all competitions, scored six goals, and spent a decade as the club's captain. He also represented the England national team 43 times between 1959 and 1966, and captained them in fifteen games. He was a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. After retiring from playing, Armfield managed Bolton Wanderers and Leeds United, leading the latter to the 1975 European Cup final.
- Position
- Right Back
- National Team
- England
- International Caps
- 34
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Armfield was born in 1935 to Christopher and Doris Armfield. After his family moved to Blackpool from Denton during the Second World War, he was spotted in a practice match at Bloomfield Road by manager Joe Smith. He made his Blackpool debut on 27 December 1954 at Portsmouth. He was part of the Blackpool side that finished as First Division runners-up in 1955–56. He was voted Young Player of the Year in 1959 and awarded Granada TV's Sports Outlook Northern Sports Star of the year trophy in 1961. In 1966, he narrowly lost out to Bobby Charlton for the Footballer of the Year award and had to content himself with being Blackpool's Player of the Year. He played his final game for Blackpool on 1 May 1971 against Manchester United.
In Their Own Story
In the 1974–75 season, Armfield led Leeds United to the European Cup final. The match against Bayern Munich was played at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Leeds lost the final under controversial circumstances, with several decisions going against them. Despite the defeat, Armfield had guided the club to its first European Cup final, a significant achievement given the team was in transition after Don Revie's departure.
Reader's Guide
Armfield won 43 caps for England between 1959 and 1966, captaining his country on fifteen occasions. He made his international debut on 13 May 1959 against Brazil. He played in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, where he was acclaimed as 'the best right-back in the world'. A groin injury in 1964 allowed George Cohen to become England's first-choice right-back. Armfield played two further matches in the warm-up to the 1966 World Cup and was included in the winning squad but did not play in the tournament due to a toe injury. He received his World Cup medal on 10 June 2009. After playing, he managed Bolton Wanderers from 1971, leading them to promotion to the Second Division in 1972–73. On 4 October 1974, he took over at Leeds United, leading them to the European Cup final in 1974–75, where they lost 2–0 to Bayern Munich. He was dismissed in July 1978 and replaced by Jock Stein.
Did You Know?
- Armfield was awarded an OBE in 2000 and a CBE in the 2010 New Year's Honours.
- He served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 2005–2006.
- He was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in 2008.
- His autobiography, 'Right Back to the Beginning', was published in 2004.
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