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English Football Legends Series

A outstanding right-half, renowned for his passing and sharp tactical brain, Danny Blanchflower was one of Tottenham's greatest ever players and the captain of their double-winning side.

Danny Blanchflower

Clubs: Barnsley, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur

Position: Midfielder

Appearances*: 553

Goals*: 27

Honours: League Championship, 1
FA Cup, 2
Cup Winners Cup, 1

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* League appearances and goals only

Barnsley and Villa

He started his career with Belfast side Glentoran before moving to Barnsley in 1949.

Two years later he moved to Aston Villa and played 148 games for the club, often as captain.

However, he became disillusioned with the training methods employed by Villa, which emphasized physical exercise over ball-work.

"Football is not really about winning, or goals, or saves, or supporters - it's about glory. It's about doing things in style, doing them with a flourish; it's about going out to beat the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."
Danny Blanchflower

Tottenham Hotspur

In 1954 he was transfered to Tottenham for the huge fee of 30,000 pounds.

He would spend ten years at White Hart Lane, making 382 appearances and scoring 21 goals.

Tottenham finished 2nd in 1957, and 3rd in 1958, with Blanchflower being named Footballer of the Year.

The following year Spurs slipped to 18th and at one stage looked like relegation candidates.

The Double

All that was to change with the appointment of Bill Nicholson. Under Nicholson's leadership and with Blanchflower as captain, Spurs won the league by 8 points in 1960/61.

They then beat Leicester City in the 1961 FA Cup final to record the first Double of the 20th century.

Footballer of the Year and European Triumph

Any there were more personal accolades for Blanchflower as he picked up a second Footballer of the Year award.

More success followed in 1962, as Spurs beat Burnley 3-1 to retain the FA Cup.

Then in 1963, Tottenham entered the record books again, as they became the first British club to win a European trophy, thrashing Atletico Madrid 5-1 to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Blanchflower retired from football a year later.

Later Career

After retiring, he withdrew from football for several years, but returned to manage Northern Ireland in 1978.

He was appointed Chelsea manager in 1978 but was unsuccessful in the role, winning just 5 of 32 games. He resigned in September 1979.

Blanchflower later worked as a commentator on CBS for National Professional Soccer League matches in the US.

He was also a regular commentator for Yorkshire Television.

Death

In later life, Blanchflower suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. He died at his home in London on 9 December 1993. He was 67 years old.

In 2003 he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

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