Incredible images show old Daily and Sunday Mirrors – the papers that England 1966 legendary manager Sir Alf Ramsey loved and trusted
Sir Alf Ramsey loved and trusted the Daily Mirror, a new book reveals.
Author and historian Grant Bage spent six years researching his book « The Unseen Sir Alf » and he discovered the England legend loved dealing with both the Daily and Sunday Mirror.Bage spoke to the Mirror about his book and was asked why he wanted the Mirror to tell his story that had taken him so long to research. He said: “Alf gave the Daily and Sunday Mirror nine unique biographical interviews during 1970-72. It felt right to honour that legacy.”
When we look back at Ramsey’s relationship with the Mirror it was amazing. Back In 1972 we ran a series of highly intimate interviews under the headline: “Alf and Me – by Frank McGhee. »
McGhee was our highly respected chief sportswriter at the time. The series was introduced with the following words: « Sir Alf Ramsey completes a century of full international matches as England’s team manager when he leads his side out against Wales in a World Cup qualifying tie at Cardiff on Wednesday next week. FRANK McGHEE has been with Sir Alf in every one of the previous 99 games.
« Between them, they share a thousand memories of triumph, failure, drama and laughter. Today ‘Alf and Me’ starts a fascinating series that takes you behind the England international Soccer scene. »
While Ramsey was still England manager he invited McGhee into his Ipswich home for Sunday lunch – cooked by his wife. McGhee described a “relaxed and memorable Sunday I spent at his home – over the roast beef his wife Vick cooked and Alf had carved.”
He started one of his pieces: “If life had played a couple of little jokes on Alf Ramsey he might now be working for Ford’s at Dagenham. Or he might be employed by the Co-Op. »
Bage’s book is published tomorrow. He gave an amazing insight into the kindness of Ramsey to an Ipswich Town player, now dead, who was convicted of a « homosexual gross indecency » offence back in the 1950s.
He said simply: “All Ramsey was half a century ahead of his time.”
Ramsey demanded that the club’s board, after the player’s enforced exile, ignore the conviction and offer the player a new contract. When they listened to his pleas Ramsey then successfully integrated the player back into the dressing room and into the team. This was just unheard of back in the 1950s.
Bage explained: “The way he handled such a sensitive and controversial situation was incredible. Conventional history has got Ramsey wrong: despite appearing conformist he was radically different. »
Bage made his discovery after ploughing through thousands of documents in preparation for his book. His work in the archives is set to lead to a dramatic change in the way history judges Ramsey. One of the chapters in his book is entitled: “Ramsey’s Rainbow Career Ride.”
Another is “Leading the Way, Liberal, Moderniser, Underdog.” Bage’s meticulous research enabled him to uncover “a secret chapter in Alf’s life when he saved a young player’s career following a guilty plea for homosexual behaviour.
It may have been a different era but the book reveals that the one paper Ramsey always chose to tell his story was the Mirror.
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