Walter Winterbottom
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Walter Winterbottom | ||
| Date of birth | 31 March 1913 | ||
| Place of birth | Oldham, England | ||
| Date of death | 16 February 2002 (aged 88) | ||
| Place of death | England | ||
| Playing position | Half back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Manchester United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1936–1938 | Manchester United | 26 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1946–1962 | England | ||
| 1952 | Great Britain | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Sir Walter Winterbottom CBE (31 March 1913 – 16 February 2002) was the first manager of the England football team (1946–1962) and FA Director of Coaching. He resigned from the FA in 1962 to become General Secretary of the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) and was appointed as the first Director of the Sports Council in 1965. He was knighted for his services to sport in 1978 when he retired. The Football Association marked the 100th anniversary of Winterbottom’s birth by commissioning a bust which was unveiled by Roy Hodgson at St Georges Park on 23 April 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of English football.
Born in Oldham, Lancashire, Walter Winterbottom was the only son of James Winterbottom, a ring frame fitter in a textile machine works. At the age of 12 he was awarded a scholarship to Oldham High School where he excelled. He won a bursary to Chester Diocesan Teachers Training College, graduating as the top student in 1933 and took a teaching post at the Alexandra Road School, Oldham. Whilst teaching he played football for Royton Amateurs and then Mossley FC where he was spotted by Manchester United. He signed for United as a part-time professional in 1936 but continued teaching. In his first season (1936/37) at Manchester United he showed great promise, playing 21 first team League games and 2 FA cup games, appearing as wing half and centre half. But in the following two seasons he made only 4 first team appearances. and 41 Central League appearances, his playing career effectively ended by a spinal disease, later diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis. Whilst still playing for Manchester United he left his teaching position to study at Carnegie College of Physical Education, Leeds. On graduating he was appointed as a lecturer.
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