How good was Wilf Mannion?

Stanley matthews, nat lofthouse and all his other england team mates long after playing seem to wax lyrically about him. You never hear of gerrard, lampard or beckham doing same with say downing.
 
He was before my time but I remember hearing my Dad talk about watching him. He thought Mannion was the greatest ever player. Then again he said he saw him juggle the ball up on to his head and run half the length of the pitch with it on his head before dropping it down and volleying it into the net.
Could have been some rose tinted glasses involved.
 
You would have to be mid 80s now to see him play and be able to take in his quality, say around 1948 - 50.

My mum saw him around 1952, but I got the impression, she didn't go to games for the football.🥰

I just remember blokes talking about him in the early 1970s saying he was like George Best, but more reliable. Opposition fans would turn up at their local club to see Wilf Mannion. National football training oosters featured him, thefre was one at the Design Museuem in London, last year.
Good point that actually! :ROFLMAO:

http://cuhalloffame.org.uk/index.php/11-inductee-profiles/77-wilf-mannion

Appears Cambridge appreciate him too.
 
My old man waxed lyrical about Wilf, but he loved ’Juninio’ as he called him 🤣

He said Mannion and Juninho were both magicians in their own era’s, but the pace and style of the game was very different in each era, as were the state of the pitches. He was definitely more in the Mannion camp though.
 
He was before my time but I remember hearing my Dad talk about watching him. He thought Mannion was the greatest ever player. Then again he said he saw him juggle the ball up on to his head and run half the length of the pitch with it on his head before dropping it down and volleying it into the net.
Could have been some rose tinted glasses involved.
Was that mentioned in the 1970s BBC documentary programme? and they said it was the Blackpool @ home match in the late 1930s when he was trying to impress his future wife - nicknamed the "Mannion" Match.

It fits the description of Mannion as the English Pele.
 
My Dad was a big Mannion man and watched the Boro right up to his final journey to the Bob End in the Sky so he saw all the eras that he could.

His stand out players over 80 odd years were Mannion, Juninho, Emerson and Clough.

He thought Clough was the best striker he had seen playing for anyone.
 
My old fella used to regale me tales of Mannion, but mainly handed down from my Grandad, my dad’s real heroes were Clough and Peacock. My dad’s Uncle remembered 1930s Mannion and thought him the greatest player ever, Best in his opinion was a prima donna not fit to lace Wilf’s boots.
 
Remember hearing a story about Mannion at Ayresome Park balancing the ball on his head and running a good 25 yards or so with it, maybe further than that. Has anyone else heard something similar?
 
My Dad says he can't choose between Mannion and Juninho, but his favourite player of all time by an absolute mile is Clough.

Mannion was interrupted by WW2, my Dad was only 9 when WW2 ended. Wilf was already 27.
 
Was that mentioned in the 1970s BBC documentary programme? and they said it was the Blackpool @ home match in the late 1930s when he was trying to impress his future wife - nicknamed the "Mannion" Match.



It fits the description of Mannion as the English Pele Or, is Pele the Brazilian mannion .
 
Back
Top