Ron Greenwood

Infobox Football biography
playername = Ron Greenwood


fullname = Ronald Greenwood
dateofbirth = birth date|1921|11|11|df=y
cityofbirth = Worsthorne
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|2006|2|9|1921|11|11|df=y
cityofdeath = Suffolk
countryofdeath = England
position = Defender
currentclub =
youthyears =
youthclubs = Chelsea
years = 1945–1949
1949–1952
1952–1955
1955–1956
clubs = Bradford Park Avenue
Brentford
Chelsea
Fulham
caps(goals) = 059 (0)
142 (1)
065 (0)
042 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = England B
nationalcaps(goals) = 001 (0)
manageryears = 1961–1974
1977–1982
managerclubs = West Ham United
England

Ronald 'Ron' Greenwood CBE (11 November 1921 — 9 February 2006) was an English football player and manager, best known for being manager of the English national football team from 1977 until 1982. He had previously been a successful manager of West Ham United, and his role as England manager was his final role in football.

Playing career

Ron Greenwood was born in the village of Worsthorne, near Burnley, Lancashire, but moved to London as a child during the 1930s Depression. He was educated at Alperton School in Middlesex, leaving at the age of 14 to be an apprentice sign-writer. He played as a centre-half, joining Chelsea as an amateur whilst training as an apprentice signwriter. During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force in Northern Ireland and guested for Belfast Celtic. In 1945 he left Chelsea for Bradford Park Avenue, and made 59 appearances over the next four seasons.

In 1949 Greenwood moved to the club he supported as a boy, Brentford, where he made 142 league appearances and scored one goal. After three years at Brentford, he returned to Chelsea, where he played 65 times and won a First Division winners' medal in 1954-55 under Ted Drake. That summer, he moved on to Fulham, where he made another 42 league appearances before retiring at the end of the 1955-1956 season. He was never capped for his country, though he did make a single 'B' team appearance.

Coaching career

After retiring Greenwood moved into coaching. He coached Eastbourne United, Oxford University (where he came to the attention of Sir Harold Thompson, a future Chairman of the F.A.), the England Youth and Under-23 teams. He combined the England Under-23 post with being the assistant manager at Arsenal under George Swindin between 1958 and 1962, when he was appointed as the manager of West Ham United.

Greenwood's reign at West Ham brought them sizeable success. He oversaw the development of players such as the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, and under him the Hammers won the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. He moved upstairs in 1974, becoming the club's general manager. After England coach Don Revie's resignation in 1977, Greenwood was appointed full-time manager in the same year. Under Greenwood, England qualified for the 1980 European Championship and then the 1982 World Cup, their first World Cup in 12 years. England came through the tournament unbeaten, but did not win enough games to progress beyond the second group stage. Greenwood resigned after the World Cup and retired from the game.

Life after football

After his career in football Greenwood was a regular analyst on BBC Radio. He died on 9 February 2006, aged 84, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

The Town Council of Loughton, where Greenwood lived during his time as West Ham manager, have resolved to erect a blue plaque to his memory. When West Ham played Birmingham in a Premier League fixture on 13 February 2006, a one minute silence was held in Greenwood's memory. West Ham won the game 3-0.

Greenwood was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2006, recognising his achievements as a manager in the English game. He was survived by his widow, Lucy.

The Heritage Foundation charity has erected a blue plaque in Greenwood's memory at West Ham's Upton Park, which was unveiled by Ron's family on 21 January 2007.

Honours

As a player

Chelsea
*First Division Title winner: 1954–55

As a manager

West Ham United
*FA Youth Cup winner: 1963
*International Soccer League (1960-1965) winner: 1963
*FA Cup winner: 1964
*FA Charity Shield winner: 1964* (*Shared)
*First Division Title winner: 1964–65
*European Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1964–65

Managerial statistics

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|id=1088|name=Ron Greenwood
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/1447218.stm Obituary] from BBC Sport
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-2032561,00.html Obituary] from "The Times"
* [http://football.guardian.co.uk/obituary/0,,1706289,00.html Obituary] from "The Guardian"
* [http://england-expects.blogspot.com/2006/02/ron-greenwood-dies.html England- Expects.org obituary]
* [http://england-expects.blogspot.com/2006/02/ron-greenwood-dies.html Ron Greenwood and the England job. Extract from new book about the England football team by author James Corbett]

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