Football’s Gentleman Jim dies, aged 82
REMEMbEREd as the ‘perfect gent’ of football, Jimmy Armfield’s reputation could not differ any more wildly from that of today’s bad-boy superstars.
The former England football captain and bbC commentator, who died at 82 yesterday after a long battle with cancer, earned just £20 a week in his early days playing for blackpool.
by contrast, Alexis Sanchez will pocket £600,000 a week after a big-money transfer from Arsenal to Manchester United was announced yesterday.
In recent years Armfield had become a familiar voice to millions of fans as a bbC Radio 5 Live commentator.
Until his illness became too much for him, he could be heard for more than 30 years by a generation of football fans who never saw him play. Armfield, who was part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad, first had treatment for nonHodgkin’s lymphoma in 2007. The disease returned in 2016.
Yesterday footballers and broadcasters paid tribute to a man who not only captained England 15 times but was also a ‘one-club man’ – playing for blackpool in 627 games over a career lasting 17 years.
blackpool FC yesterday said it was ‘deeply saddened to learn of the passing of its record appearance holder and vice-president’.
bbC Match of the day presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: ‘Saddened to hear that Jimmy Armfield has passed away. A wonderful footballer and England captain who went on to be a terrific broadcaster of the game he loved, and, most importantly, he was a delightful man. He’ll be much missed.’
Former Liverpool and England keeper Ray Clemence called him ‘a great player and perfect gent in every way’.
Armfield was one of two blackpool players – along with Alan ball – in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad but injury denied him an appearance.
In 2009 he was finally handed a winner’s medal by then Prime Minister Gordon brown after a campaign to honour those who did not start in the final.
In 2000 he was awarded an ObE for services to the game. Armfield leaves a wife Anne, 83, and sons John and duncan.