Not seen this before - Wilf Mannion

Wilf reminded me of my own dear dad. Very nice bloke and a real gentleman, would give his last pound away to others. He was not driven by ambition. Hundreds came to his funeral, but there was no money to pay for it.
 
@Norman_Conquest

Sad what he to Boro & England & ended up working on building sites

That video was linked on here in November of last year and this is what I wrote at the time - I have linked the original post further below for you to read:

I lived back to back with Mannion and the house he was going into was on Queens Street.

I've mentioned before on here how he would go to the bookies on Redcar Rd and on passing us (playing football) would take the ball off us and boot it up the road to chase. We use to think he was some old gadgy spoiling our game. When we finished playing, we would walk up to Heageny's shop and look at Mannion's trophies and England caps in the shop window and wish we could be like him. We never once thought the old gadgy spoiling our game and the England international was the same person.

Also in the clip, it shows the queen opening his pub. When he met the queen Mannion was having trouble with his feet and couldn't get his shoes on and wore a pair of carpet slippers. There used to be a photo in The Tiger of him shaking hands with the queen, I had looked at this picture on numerous occasions and never once noticed the slippers until he pointed it out one night.


Regarding him working on building sites - I feel Wilf was badly advised regarding his investments and put his money into the wrong things. It was rumoured that Wilf's wife liked a drink and he had a lot to put up with from her. We would see her during the day with a dinner dress on and long white gloves. I can remember approaching me like this and my mum dragging me away before going back out to her.

Born just a little bit too early.
He would have walked into the 66 world cup team.
The team that Wilf played in would have destroyed the 1966 team. Unbeaten on English soil and five of the best forwards ever to grace the game - Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton, Raich Carter, Stanley Matthews and Wilf Mannion. Throw into that George Hardwick, Frank Swift, Stan Mortensen to name a few and you have the makings of a great squad that was capable of anything but had their golden years stolen from them due to WW2 and would have gone on to great things.
 
That video was linked on here in November of last year and this is what I wrote at the time - I have linked the original post further below for you to read:

I lived back to back with Mannion and the house he was going into was on Queens Street.

I've mentioned before on here how he would go to the bookies on Redcar Rd and on passing us (playing football) would take the ball off us and boot it up the road to chase. We use to think he was some old gadgy spoiling our game. When we finished playing, we would walk up to Heageny's shop and look at Mannion's trophies and England caps in the shop window and wish we could be like him. We never once thought the old gadgy spoiling our game and the England international was the same person.

Also in the clip, it shows the queen opening his pub. When he met the queen Mannion was having trouble with his feet and couldn't get his shoes on and wore a pair of carpet slippers. There used to be a photo in The Tiger of him shaking hands with the queen, I had looked at this picture on numerous occasions and never once noticed the slippers until he pointed it out one night.


Regarding him working on building sites - I feel Wilf was badly advised regarding his investments and put his money into the wrong things. It was rumoured that Wilf's wife liked a drink and he had a lot to put up with from her. We would see her during the day with a dinner dress on and long white gloves. I can remember approaching me like this and my mum dragging me away before going back out to her.


The team that Wilf played in would have destroyed the 1966 team. Unbeaten on English soil and five of the best forwards ever to grace the game - Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton, Raich Carter, Stanley Matthews and Wilf Mannion. Throw into that George Hardwick, Frank Swift, Stan Mortensen to name a few and you have the makings of a great squad that was capable of anything but had their golden years stolen from them due to WW2 and would have gone on to great things.
Thanks for that Norman, didnt see it posted last year

Nice story about growing backing on Wilfs house & Wilf kicking the ball away, great memories
 
Thanks for that Norman, didnt see it posted last year

Nice story about growing backing on Wilfs house & Wilf kicking the ball away, great memories
Erimus - Wilf was a lovely man to talk to and loved talking football of any level, you would have been in your element in his company. Even in his latter days, he was knowledgeable about the game and a smile would cross his face when discussing his football exploits. It was like he wanted to pass his thoughts on to others and was never bitter about the riches modern day footballers earn.

I am sure you have heard the story of him traveling up on the train to Hampden Park and having to stand amongst the fans because he couldn't get a seat.
 
Fascinating.
He didn"t hold by coaches did he.
Amazing player and character. Devoted family man as well.
 
He was a good friend to my grandad, and we would see him on and off when they got together at the grandparents house. He often did keepyups in their back garden to entertain all of the kids, but sadly I can't remember him, my mother said he picked me up once to head a ball my grandad threw. Only wish they'd taken photographs.
 
I only met Wilf when he was very advanced in years and I was pretty young but he was an absolute gent, I only knew about him because of the way my grandfather would go on about how good he was, "the golden boy of English football".

I remember being in awe of him when I met him, I hope he realised that so many years after he played for us that we still had such feelings for him.
 
What a great watch.

The very thought of players earning £1600 per month in today's money, let alone facing blunt questions like that from a reporter!
 
Sad that. I remember seeing him at D Long/British Steel either Lackenby or Cleveland around that time. Reckon the previous time I saw Wilf I was on my dad's shoulders at Ayresome Park.
 
Erimus, my dad knew him, I know every dad did, I was given an autograph on a card with something like best wishes with my name.
I had an autograph book with people of the Dicky Rooks era.
I have not seen them since I cleared out the programmes when I was married.

The daft things we do.
 
Nothing wrong with working on a construction site, but the sad thing was the acclaim he didn't get, compared to the other players shown. He was, after all, Finney's favourite player, but the least well known of that England front 5. If he'd signed for Arsenal, wouldn't it have been a different story.
I read somewhere that when Wilf met Danny Blanchflower (the interviewer in this film) he said 'you and me could have done some damage (in the same side)'. I
 
From the National Football Museum write up :

"Wilf Mannion at Middlesbrough was the Mozart of football - stylish, graceful, courtly, showing exquisite workmanship with the ball." Stanley Matthews​


Blimey (y)
i was just about to look for that quote as i heard it years ago. amazing to think how looked up to Stanley was and he says that about our Wilf. Magnificent.
 
whilst on the theme of old players, I have a book here gathering dust, would rather it went to a good home - stan rickaby, upover & downunder. I'm happy to post it to anyone who would appreciate it, absolutely free of charge - just message me your address. I am not a bot!
 
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