I OWED HIM SO MUCH FOR HIS ENGLAND NOD

JIMMY ARMFIELD was one of a very special kind. A man of dignity, compassion, a man who was respected by all — I repeat all, and I can say that with certainty — who played alongside him at Blackpool and with England, against him home and away, as a club manager at the very highest level and latterly as a brilliant ambassador of our game. He was a man you were always pleased to see, who trusted the people he had to deal with and who always dealt with them with a smile and a gentle word. There was never in my experience a hint of aggression from him, although he was the very finest of defenders — the complete footballer — a right back who played behind Sir Stanley Matthews. It was there, he once told me, he would listen patiently to the non-stop chatter of the young Alan Ball! We knew each other as rivals in my early years at Chelsea when he was Blackpool’s outstanding defender. It was no surprise he earned the worldwide accolades with England during and after the World Cup finals in 1962. I failed to make the cut for England’s 1966 World Cup final squad — and Jimmy didn’t make the final team — so I have that disappointment in common with him. He was there for me when the FA were deliberating whether or not I would be England’s manager to succeed Graham Taylor. The FA acknowledged Jimmy’s reputation for unbiased assessment and had given him the role of investigating whether the English game thought I would be the man for the job. If he found a flaw in my proposed appointment then they would be told. I also knew that if he recognised I had support then he would report that, despite the opposition of others on the international board. His report was positive in my favour and I can tell you it meant so much to me knowing that it came from him. Sometimes you can be too trusting and maybe that would apply to Jimmy. After that meeting with the international board he took me to one side and said that on no account could I talk publicly about what was a secret meeting. I agreed. On the way home I picked up the London Evening Standard and read a headline which was something like: ‘VENABLES IN SECRET MEETING WITH THE FA’. Some secret! I have had many conversations with him over the years going back to our playing days, as rival managers and when our paths crossed during his years of balanced commentating for BBC Radio. Because of that it is difficult to accept he has gone. There are people in your life who have real stature and are so significant you expect them always to be there. To be remembered as an outstanding footballer and a successful top club manager is a fine tribute. When you can add that Jimmy was a man of unflinching principle and regard for others, then it is some legacy.