This Day in History: 2023-01-18

Nr. 385

ALF RAMSEY TAKES OVER ENGLAND REINS (1963)

On 25 October 1962 Sir Alf Ramsey was appointed England manager to succeed Walter Winterbottom.
The former Southampton and Tottenham defender, who captained England on three occasions during his 32 international appearances, had won the Football Association’s respect by taking Ipswich Town from the Third Division South to the League Championship in 1962. Ramsey immediately began to appreciate the size of his task in February 1963 when England lost his opening game 5-2 to France in Paris in a European Championships qualifier. Even so, Ramsey confidently predicted that he would lead England to the World Cup in 1966.

Bobby Smith, Jimmy Greaves and Maurice Norman pay close attention to the words of their new international manager Alf Ramsey.