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Tribute
To Boro Legend Wilf Mannion
TEESSIDE
is mourning the passing of a footballing legend. Wilf Mannion
passed away, aged 81, in a local hospital. His Boro career
started in 1937, and finished in 1954. He played 368 times for
Middlesbrough, scoring 110 goals. He also appeared 26 times for
England, and played in a "Match Of The Century" for
Great Britain against the Rest Of The World, in which he scored
twice.
Among
the tributes, Bryan Robson said: "It is a sad day for
Middlesbrough Football Club and for the area. All our sympathies
go out to his family. I always found Wilf to be a smashing bloke
and he was always ready to do things for local charities. He was
always interested to know what was going on at the Club when I
saw him at matches. He was a great ambassador for the games and
it is a great loss. Players like Wilf could have played at any
time."
Wilf's
Fact File
16
May 1918 - Born in South Bank, Midlesbrough
2
January 1937 - Boro debut, 2 - 2 at home v Portsmouth
January
1940 - Enrols with the Green Howards and serves in Italy and the
Middle East
10
May 1947 - Scores a hat-trick as England beat Northern Ireland 7
- 2. It was his international debut
3
October 1951 - Wins his final England cap v France
May
1954 - Retires as a player
December
1954 - Decides to sign for Hull City, and played until the end of
the season
April
1959 - Retires again after four years of Non-League football
17th
May 1983 - Joint testimonial match with George Hardwick
Part
of the hospitality team which welcomed guests to match days at
both Ayresome Park and the Riverside Stadium
14th
April 2000 - Dies in a Redcar hospital
Quotes from
the Evening Gazette
Fact file
from Wilf's biography - Golden Boy by Nick Varley, published by
Aurum Press. ISBN 1854105248
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