Jimmy Armfield
Encyclopedia
James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE
, DL
(born 21 September 1935 in Denton, Lancashire
) is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live
. 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 captained the England national team
fifteen times.
from Denton, he was spotted in a practice match at Bloomfield Road
by then-Tangerines manager Joe Smith
. Armfield, who played on the left wing for that game, scored all of Blackpool's goals in a 4–1 victory. Impressed, Smith offered him a trial. On 27 December 1954, Armfield made his Blackpool debut at Portsmouth
. Armfield recalled of the game: "That League debut at Fratton Park
was not, I fear, a very conspicuous one for me. I found myself up against Gordon Dale, a very clever and strong winger with plenty of experience. He was far too good and we lost 3–0. Gordon really gave me the run-around, and I realised just how much I had to learn. They were a very good team in those days, and they scored a goal in about the first two minutes — and I hadn't touched the ball. We were three down after fifteen minutes."
He was part of the Blackpool side that finished in what is to date still the club's highest-ever League position when they finished as First Division
(then the top flight in England) runners-up in the 1955–56 season.
Armfield was voted Young Player of the Year in 1959. 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. The Seasiders achieved little success in his seventeen years with them, the club having won the FA Cup
the year prior to his arrival. The exception was promotion to the First Division
in 1969–70.
Armfield was awarded a testimonial match, played on 2 September 1970, his 35th birthday, and thousands turned out to pay tribute to him. He played his final game for Blackpool on 1 May 1971, in front of a crowd of over 30,000 against Manchester United
at Bloomfield Road, in what would be the last game played by Blackpool in the top flight of English football for almost 40 years. He came back from a ten-game injury lay-off to make his swan song
appearance.
between 1959 and 1966, and captained his country on fifteen occasions. He made his international debut on 13 May 1959, against Brazil
in front of over 120,000 fans at the Estádio do Maracanã
. He played in the 1962 World Cup
in Chile
, where he was acclaimed as "the best right-back in the world". He was also voted "best right-back in Europe" between 1962 and 1964. He was included in the 1966 World Cup
-winning squad but missed out on the tournament through injury.
In the 1966 World Cup final only the 11 players on the pitch at the end of the 4–2 win over West Germany received medals. Following a Football Association
-led campaign to persuade FIFA
to award medals to all the winners' squad members, Armfield was presented with his medal
by Gordon Brown
at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street
on 10 June 2009.
in 1971, leading them to promotion to the Second Division
in the 1972–73 season as Third Division
champions.
On 4 October 1974 Armfield took the helm at Leeds United
, replacing Brian Clough
as manager, leading them to the European Cup
Final in the 1974–1975 season where they lost 2–0 to Bayern Munich
. Assisted by Don Howe, Armfield was responsible for rebuilding Don Revie
's ageing but still formidable side, a task which he achieved with some success. Armfield bought in players such as Tony Currie and Brian Flynn
, and under his stewardship Leeds never finished outside of the top ten, qualified for the UEFA Cup
, and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup
in 1976–77 and the League Cup
in 1977–78.
from 1979 to 1991. Currently he is best known as a match summariser for BBC Radio Five Live
and this year marks his 30th year on the BBC
. To mark the occasion, Armfield picked his personal Top 5 Players from each decade he had been summarising and these were broadcast as part of the 2009 FA Cup build-up on 30 May 2009.
He is also a consultant with the Football Association
and in this role was responsible for the appointment of Terry Venables
as England coach in 1994 and was also a key figure in Glen Hoddle's appointment two years later. In 2000 he was awarded an OBE
for services to football and in 2004 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
of his home county of Lancashire
. In 2005–2006 he served as High Sheriff of Lancashire
.
Although born in Denton, Armfield has lived mainly in Blackpool, moving there in a Second World War evacuation, and in 2003 he was awarded the freedom of the resort. In 2004 he released his autobiography, Right Back to the Beginning: The Autobiography, which was described in a book review in The Times
as "Authoritative and engaging, but at the same time warm-hearted and kind, there is not a harsh word, and hardly a critical one, in it".
On 23 September 2005 he received a civic reception in Blackpool just after his 70th birthday on 21 September when a tangerine flag was flown from the town hall for the day in his honour.
On 11 May 2007, he announced on BBC Radio Lancashire
that he had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
in his throat, and was being advised to rest by his doctors, but he remained positive about his future. On 22 September 2007, Armfield was the half-time guest at Blackpool's Championship
home match against Colchester United
. He received a standing ovation, and he thanked the Blackpool fans for their support, which, he said, helped him get through the recent dark days.
On 2 March 2008, Armfield was awarded the Outstanding Contribution honour at the Football League Awards
ceremony in London
. On 18 September 2008 Armfield was awarded a place in the football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum
in Preston, joining fellow former Seasiders Stanley Matthews
and Stan Mortensen
in the list of Blackpool players selected. The panel which consisted of Bobby Charlton
, Tom Finney
and Mark Lawrenson
opted to induct Armfield. He was presented with the honour by former England teammate, Jimmy Greaves
at the National Football Museum Hall of Fame Night, held in London.
On 27 April 2008, Armfield was awarded the PFA Merit Award
at the 35th Annual Awards Dinner at London
's Grosvenor Hotel. He received three standing ovation
s when he got up to accept the award.
In July 2009 he was honoured by Tameside Council in Denton, where he was born, and was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Denton and Audenshaw District Assembly.
Armfield was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year's Honours list for services to the community in Lancashire.
Armfield's son, John, was also a footballer, albeit to a less successful level. In October 1980, he signed associated schoolboy forms with Manchester United
, but never made a professional appearance before going on to play non-league football
for Runcorn, Barrow
and Workington
.
In May 2010, after Blackpool won promotion to the Premier League for the first time, Armfield — who attended the Championship play-off Final
at Wembley — wrote a column for The Daily Mail.
On 30 October 2009, Blackpool F.C. announced that a life-size statue of Armfield was being commissioned by the Blackpool Supporters Association. It would cost £100,000, with the money to be raised by a series of fund-raising events. The aim was to unveil the statue, which will be positioned outside the main entrance, behind the West Stand facing Seasiders Way, on his 75th birthday in September 2010.
However, the statue was not unveiled until 1 May 2011, with former England team mate Sir Trevor Brooking attending the unveiling.
As a manager
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...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(born 21 September 1935 in Denton, Lancashire
Denton, Greater Manchester
Denton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is five miles to the east of Manchester city centre, and has a population of 26,866....
) is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, usually at right back
Right Back
-Guest Artists:This album features many additional artists, including:* Barrington Levy, performing on "Righteous Dub" & "Saw Red"* H.R., performing on "New Sun"* Dangr, performing on "Kick Down"* Tippa Irie, performing on "Sensi"...
. 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 captained the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
fifteen times.
Club career
After Armfield's family moved to BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
from Denton, he was spotted in a practice match at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
by then-Tangerines manager Joe Smith
Joe Smith (football manager)
Joseph "Joe" Smith was an English professional football player and manager. He was manager of Blackpool for 23 years and guided them to victory in the 1953 FA Cup Final, the only time they have won the competition since their 1887 inception.-Playing career:Born in Dudley in the West Midlands,...
. Armfield, who played on the left wing for that game, scored all of Blackpool's goals in a 4–1 victory. Impressed, Smith offered him a trial. On 27 December 1954, Armfield made his Blackpool debut at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. Armfield recalled of the game: "That League debut at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
was not, I fear, a very conspicuous one for me. I found myself up against Gordon Dale, a very clever and strong winger with plenty of experience. He was far too good and we lost 3–0. Gordon really gave me the run-around, and I realised just how much I had to learn. They were a very good team in those days, and they scored a goal in about the first two minutes — and I hadn't touched the ball. We were three down after fifteen minutes."
He was part of the Blackpool side that finished in what is to date still the club's highest-ever League position when they finished as 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....
(then the top flight in England) runners-up in the 1955–56 season.
Armfield was voted Young Player of the Year in 1959. In 1966, he narrowly lost out to 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...
for the Footballer of the Year award and had to content himself with being Blackpool's Player of the Year. The Seasiders achieved little success in his seventeen years with them, the club having won the 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...
the year prior to his arrival. The exception was promotion to the 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....
in 1969–70.
Armfield was awarded a testimonial match, played on 2 September 1970, his 35th birthday, and thousands turned out to pay tribute to him. He played his final game for Blackpool on 1 May 1971, in front of a crowd of over 30,000 against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Bloomfield Road, in what would be the last game played by Blackpool in the top flight of English football for almost 40 years. He came back from a ten-game injury lay-off to make his swan song
Swan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
appearance.
Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame
Armfield was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by him in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Armfield is in the 1960s.International career
Armfield won 43 caps for EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
between 1959 and 1966, and captained his country on fifteen occasions. He made his international debut on 13 May 1959, against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in front of over 120,000 fans at the Estádio do Maracanã
Estádio do Maracanã
The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final...
. He played in the 1962 World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, where he was acclaimed as "the best right-back in the world". He was also voted "best right-back in Europe" between 1962 and 1964. He was included in the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
-winning squad but missed out on the tournament through injury.
In the 1966 World Cup final only the 11 players on the pitch at the end of the 4–2 win over West Germany received medals. Following a Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
-led campaign to persuade FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
to award medals to all the winners' squad members, Armfield was presented with his medal
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
by Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
at a ceremony at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
on 10 June 2009.
Management career
Not long after hanging up his boots, Armfield became manager of Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in 1971, leading them to promotion to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in the 1972–73 season as 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...
champions.
On 4 October 1974 Armfield took the helm at Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, replacing 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...
as manager, leading them to the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
Final in the 1974–1975 season where they lost 2–0 to Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. Assisted by Don Howe, Armfield was responsible for rebuilding Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
's ageing but still formidable side, a task which he achieved with some success. Armfield bought in players such as Tony Currie and Brian Flynn
Brian Flynn
Brian Flynn, is a Welsh football manager and former Welsh international player.On 13 September 2010 Flynn was confirmed caretaker manager of the Wales national football team after John Toshack stepped down...
, and under his stewardship Leeds never finished outside of the top ten, qualified for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, and reached the semi-finals of the 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...
in 1976–77 and the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1977–78.
Post-management
Leeds was Armfield's final managerial role, and he decided to work in the media. He worked as a journalist with the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
from 1979 to 1991. Currently he is best known as a match summariser for BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and this year marks his 30th year on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. To mark the occasion, Armfield picked his personal Top 5 Players from each decade he had been summarising and these were broadcast as part of the 2009 FA Cup build-up on 30 May 2009.
He is also a consultant with the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
and in this role was responsible for the appointment of Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
as England coach in 1994 and was also a key figure in Glen Hoddle's appointment two years later. In 2000 he was awarded an OBE
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...
for services to football and in 2004 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of his home county of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. In 2005–2006 he served as High Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
.
Although born in Denton, Armfield has lived mainly in Blackpool, moving there in a Second World War evacuation, and in 2003 he was awarded the freedom of the resort. In 2004 he released his autobiography, Right Back to the Beginning: The Autobiography, which was described in a book review in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "Authoritative and engaging, but at the same time warm-hearted and kind, there is not a harsh word, and hardly a critical one, in it".
On 23 September 2005 he received a civic reception in Blackpool just after his 70th birthday on 21 September when a tangerine flag was flown from the town hall for the day in his honour.
On 11 May 2007, he announced on BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
that he had been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
in his throat, and was being advised to rest by his doctors, but he remained positive about his future. On 22 September 2007, Armfield was the half-time guest at Blackpool's 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...
home match against Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
. He received a standing ovation, and he thanked the Blackpool fans for their support, which, he said, helped him get through the recent dark days.
On 2 March 2008, Armfield was awarded the Outstanding Contribution honour at the Football League Awards
Football League Awards
The Football League Awards is an annual awards ceremony commemorating football-related people involved in the three divisions of the Football League...
ceremony in 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...
. On 18 September 2008 Armfield was awarded a place in the football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum
National Football Museum
The National Football Museum was a museum in Preston, Lancashire, England founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of association football memorabilia. It was built outside Deepdale, which as of 2010 is the oldest continuously used football league ground in the world...
in Preston, joining fellow former Seasiders 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'...
and Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
in the list of Blackpool players selected. The panel which consisted of 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...
, 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....
and Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
opted to induct Armfield. He was presented with the honour by former England teammate, Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
at the National Football Museum Hall of Fame Night, held in London.
On 27 April 2008, Armfield was awarded the PFA Merit Award
PFA Merit Award
The Professional Footballers' Association Merit Award is an award given by the Professional Footballers' Association for meritorious service to football....
at the 35th Annual Awards Dinner at 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...
's Grosvenor Hotel. He received three standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
s when he got up to accept the award.
In July 2009 he was honoured by Tameside Council in Denton, where he was born, and was presented with a lifetime achievement award by Denton and Audenshaw District Assembly.
Armfield was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year's Honours list for services to the community in Lancashire.
Armfield's son, John, was also a footballer, albeit to a less successful level. In October 1980, he signed associated schoolboy forms with Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, but never made a professional appearance before going on to play non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
for Runcorn, Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
and Workington
Workington A.F.C.
Workington A.F.C. is an English football club from Workington, Cumbria. They are in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Borough Park, which has a capacity of 3,101 . The club play in red, and are known locally as the Reds...
.
In May 2010, after Blackpool won promotion to the Premier League for the first time, Armfield — who attended the Championship play-off Final
2010 Football League Championship play-off Final
The 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 2010 to decide the third team to be promoted from The Championship to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season....
at Wembley — wrote a column for The Daily Mail.
Bloomfield Road
The South Stand at Bloomfield Road, which was opened on 20 March 2010, is named the "Jimmy Armfield South Stand" with ARMFIELD spelled out in white seats amongst the tangerine majority.On 30 October 2009, Blackpool F.C. announced that a life-size statue of Armfield was being commissioned by the Blackpool Supporters Association. It would cost £100,000, with the money to be raised by a series of fund-raising events. The aim was to unveil the statue, which will be positioned outside the main entrance, behind the West Stand facing Seasiders Way, on his 75th birthday in September 2010.
However, the statue was not unveiled until 1 May 2011, with former England team mate Sir Trevor Brooking attending the unveiling.
Honours
As a player- World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 1966
As a manager
- Football League Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe 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...
champion: 1972–73