Billy Bingham
Encyclopedia
William Laurence "Billy" Bingham, MBE
(born 5 August 1931, Belfast
) is a former international footballer and football manager
. He is currently a scout for English Football League Championship
side Burnley
.
As a player, his first professional club was Glentoran
, who he played for between 1948 and 1950. Making the move to England, he then spent eight years with Sunderland
, making 227 league appearances. In 1958 he switched to Luton Town
, making close to 100 league appearances in a three years spell. This was followed by a two year association with Everton
, where he again went close to 100 league appearances. He finished his career after breaking his leg in a match for Port Vale
in 1964, at the age of 33. Between 1951 and 1963 he won 56 caps for Northern Ireland
, scoring 10 international goals.
His management career would be as notable as his playing career. After taking charge at Southport
in 1965, he was appointed manager of Northern Ireland two years later. During his time as an international manager he also took charge at Plymouth Argyle
, and later Linfield
. In 1971, he was appointed as the head coach of the Greece
national side. Two years later he returned to the domestic game with Everton
of England. He returned to Greece for a brief spell in 1977, taking the reins at PAOK Salonika. The following year he went back to England to take charge of Mansfield Town
for one season. In 1980 he was re-appointed as Northern Ireland manager, his final position, and a post he would hold for the next thirteen years.
, he was captain of the schools football team.
in 1950 for £
8,000 making 227 appearances and scoring 47 goals, before his departure in 1958 for Luton Town
where he played in the 1959 FA Cup
Final. At the start of the 1960–61 season after Luton's relegation, he joined Everton
for a fee of £15,000. During his time at Everton, he made 98 appearances and scored 26 goals. Bingham left Everton after being in the 1963 First Division
winning team and joined Port Vale
for a then joint-club record of £15,000 in August 1963. He retired from playing after breaking
his leg
in a 4–0 defeat at Brentford
on 5 September 1964. He left for Southport
on a free transfer in April 1965 to become their trainer-coach.
and played for his country in the World Cup finals 1958
. He was awarded 56 full caps, a record at the time, and also scored 10 goals, half of which were scored in British Home Championship
matches against Scotland
.
the team won promotion in 1967 from the Fourth Division
to the Third Division
of the Football League
. He guided the team to second place in the Fourth Division winning promotion to the Third Division.
Bingham took over as manager at Everton in May 1973, and the "Toffees" finished seventh in his first season. He brought in players such as Martin Dobson
and Bob Latchford
. Everton seemed likely to win the title again in 1975, but only won once in the last five games finishing fourth. In 1975–76 Everton finished eleventh; but a run of eight league games without a win resulted in Bingham being sacked in January 1977.
Bingham managed Northern Ireland in two spells and it would be during the second that he would be best remembered as a manager. He led Northern Ireland to the 1982 FIFA World Cup
, and despite a limited squad with only one or two genuine world class players at his disposal Bingham's team stunned the host nation, Spain
with a 1–0 victory.
Bingham's trademark as Northern Ireland manager harked back to his days as a player at the 1958 World cup when team captain Danny Blanchflower
famously quoted that the idea was to equalise before the other team scored. Northern Ireland regularly punched above their weight under Bingham with a string of single goal victories over top European opponents, including home and away against West Germany. They qualified again for the 1986 FIFA World Cup
but Bingham's team was an ageing one and after failing to reach the 1990
and 1994
finals he stepped down.
The final game of the 1994 World Cup qualification campaign was against Republic of Ireland
, and was to be marred with sectarianism and controversy. Bingham's men set out to deny the Irish the point they needed in order to secure qualification, with Northern Ireland unable to qualify. Jimmy Quinn's strike was cancelled out by a late Irish equalizer, and after the game there was an ugly exchange between Bingham and Ireland manager, Jack Charlton
.
In May 2008 he came out of retirement to become a talent spotter at Burnley
.
, Bob Paisley
, Brian Clough
, Sir Alex Ferguson
and Sir Bobby Robson
, as well as playing greats like Pelé
, Sir Stanley Matthews
, Sir Tom Finney
, Sir Bobby Charlton
and fellow Northern Ireland International George Best
.
Bingham also received FIFA's "Centennial Order of Merit" in 2004, to mark 100 years since the founding of the world governing body of football.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 5 August 1931, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
) is a former international footballer and football manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He is currently a scout for English Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
As a player, his first professional club was Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
, who he played for between 1948 and 1950. Making the move to England, he then spent eight years with Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, making 227 league appearances. In 1958 he switched to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, making close to 100 league appearances in a three years spell. This was followed by a two year association with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, where he again went close to 100 league appearances. He finished his career after breaking his leg in a match for Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in 1964, at the age of 33. Between 1951 and 1963 he won 56 caps for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, scoring 10 international goals.
His management career would be as notable as his playing career. After taking charge at Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
in 1965, he was appointed manager of Northern Ireland two years later. During his time as an international manager he also took charge at Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, and later Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
. In 1971, he was appointed as the head coach of the Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
national side. Two years later he returned to the domestic game with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
of England. He returned to Greece for a brief spell in 1977, taking the reins at PAOK Salonika. The following year he went back to England to take charge of Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
for one season. In 1980 he was re-appointed as Northern Ireland manager, his final position, and a post he would hold for the next thirteen years.
School Career
When he attended Elmgrove Primary SchoolElmgrove Primary School
Elmgrove Primary School is a large Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It opened in 1932 as Elmgrove Elementary School. In 2008, Elmgrove celebrated it's 75th anniversary. Special medals made from Mambco, were given to all the pupils...
, he was captain of the schools football team.
Club career
In his playing career, Bingham was a small elusive right winger who provided fine deliveries from the flank. He joined SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in 1950 for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
8,000 making 227 appearances and scoring 47 goals, before his departure in 1958 for Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
where he played in the 1959 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Final. At the start of the 1960–61 season after Luton's relegation, he joined Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
for a fee of £15,000. During his time at Everton, he made 98 appearances and scored 26 goals. Bingham left Everton after being in the 1963 First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
winning team and joined Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for a then joint-club record of £15,000 in August 1963. He retired from playing after breaking
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
his leg
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
in a 4–0 defeat at Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
on 5 September 1964. He left for Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
on a free transfer in April 1965 to become their trainer-coach.
International career
He was a Northern Ireland internationalNorthern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
and played for his country in the World Cup finals 1958
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
. He was awarded 56 full caps, a record at the time, and also scored 10 goals, half of which were scored in British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
matches against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
International goals
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 November 1954 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
2–2 | 1955 British Home Championship 1955 British Home Championship The 1955 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1954–55 football season. It was won by a strong England side which included players such as Johnny Haynes and Nat Lofthouse as well as future manager Don Revie... |
|
| 2 | 8 October 1955 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
2–1 | 1956 British Home Championship 1956 British Home Championship The 1956 British Home Championship was a football tournament played during the 1955–56 season between the British Home Nations. It was the only occasion during the hundred year run of the Home Championship in which all four teams finished level on points... |
|
| 3 | 16 January 1957 | Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
1–1 | 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification -UEFA Group 2:--------------------France qualified.-UEFA Group 3:--------------------Hungary qualified.-UEFA Group 4:--------------------Czechoslovakia qualified... |
|
| 4 | 5 October 1957 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
1–1 | 1958 British Home Championship 1958 British Home Championship The 1958 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1957–58 season. The competition was marred by the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, when an aircraft carrying the Manchester United football team home from a European Cup... |
|
| 5 | 15 October 1958 | Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
2–6 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 6 | 18 November 1959 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
1–2 | 1960 British Home Championship 1960 British Home Championship The 1960 British Home Championship football tournament was played by the British Home Nations throughout the 1959–60 season and was shared between three of the competing teams at the expense of Ireland... |
|
| 7 | 6 April 1960 | Wrexham Wrexham Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
2–3 | 1960 British Home Championship 1960 British Home Championship The 1960 British Home Championship football tournament was played by the British Home Nations throughout the 1959–60 season and was shared between three of the competing teams at the expense of Ireland... |
|
| 8 | 7 November 1962 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
1–1 | 1963 British Home Championship 1963 British Home Championship The 1963 British Home Championship football tournament came after disappointment for the home nations in the 1962 FIFA World Cup, for which only England qualified, only to be beaten 3–1 in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil... |
|
| 9 | 28 November 1962 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
2–0 | UEFA Euro 1964 qualifying | |
| 10 | 12 October 1963 | Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
2–1 | 1964 British Home Championship 1964 British Home Championship The 1964 British Home Championship international Home Nations football tournament was an unusual affair in which victory was shared between the England, Scotland and Ireland national football teams after all teams scored four points by beating Wales and then winning one and losing one of their... |
Management career
While manager of SouthportSouthport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
the team won promotion in 1967 from the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. He guided the team to second place in the Fourth Division winning promotion to the Third Division.
Bingham took over as manager at Everton in May 1973, and the "Toffees" finished seventh in his first season. He brought in players such as Martin Dobson
Martin Dobson
Martin Dobson, popularly known as "Sir Dobbo", was born on 14 February 1948 in Rishton, England. He is a former professional footballer and England international who played as a midfielder....
and Bob Latchford
Bob Latchford
Robert Dennis "Bob" Latchford is an English former association footballer who played as a centre forward. He made more than 500 appearances in the Football League, playing for Birmingham City, Everton, Swansea and Coventry City in the First Division, and won 12 full caps for England.Latchford was...
. Everton seemed likely to win the title again in 1975, but only won once in the last five games finishing fourth. In 1975–76 Everton finished eleventh; but a run of eight league games without a win resulted in Bingham being sacked in January 1977.
Bingham managed Northern Ireland in two spells and it would be during the second that he would be best remembered as a manager. He led Northern Ireland to the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, and despite a limited squad with only one or two genuine world class players at his disposal Bingham's team stunned the host nation, Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
with a 1–0 victory.
Bingham's trademark as Northern Ireland manager harked back to his days as a player at the 1958 World cup when team captain Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...
famously quoted that the idea was to equalise before the other team scored. Northern Ireland regularly punched above their weight under Bingham with a string of single goal victories over top European opponents, including home and away against West Germany. They qualified again for the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
but Bingham's team was an ageing one and after failing to reach the 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
and 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
finals he stepped down.
The final game of the 1994 World Cup qualification campaign was against Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, and was to be marred with sectarianism and controversy. Bingham's men set out to deny the Irish the point they needed in order to secure qualification, with Northern Ireland unable to qualify. Jimmy Quinn's strike was cancelled out by a late Irish equalizer, and after the game there was an ugly exchange between Bingham and Ireland manager, Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
.
In May 2008 he came out of retirement to become a talent spotter at Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
.
Awards and honours
Amongst the numerous awards and honours granted to Bingham, he was made an MBE for services to football in 1981 and the Professional Footballers Association made him the recipient of their annual Merit Award in 1994 for "outstanding contribution" to the game. This latter makes him one of just 34 individuals so honoured since the award was inaugurated in 1974, putting him in the company of such managerial luminaries as Bill ShanklyBill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
, Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
, Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
and Sir Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
, as well as playing greats like Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, Sir Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
, Sir Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
, Sir Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
and fellow Northern Ireland International George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
.
Bingham also received FIFA's "Centennial Order of Merit" in 2004, to mark 100 years since the founding of the world governing body of football.