Wilf Mannion

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Wilfrid James Mannion (16 May 1918 – 14 April 2000) was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward,<ref name=nfm/> making over 350 senior appearances for Middlesbrough. He also played international football for England. With his blonde hair, he was nicknamed "The Golden Boy".<ref name=Varley>N. Varley (2002) Golden Boy: A Biography of Wilf Mannion, Aurum Press Ltd, Template:ISBN</ref><ref name=golden/>

Early life

Mannion was born on 16 May 1918 in South Bank, the son of Irish immigrants Tommy and Mary Mannion, and one of ten children.<ref name=golden/>

Club career

Middlesbrough

Mannion joined his local team Middlesbrough F.C. in 1936 and went on to make 341 Football League appearances for them, scoring 99 goals in the First and Second Divisions, over the next 18 years. However, his career was disrupted by World War II.<ref name=fl>Football League Career Stats at Neil Brown</ref> He scored 110 goals in all competitions for Middlesbrough.<ref name=gazette>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mannion fought in France and Italy during World War II,<ref name=spar>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=nfm>English Hall of Fame Profile Template:Webarchive</ref> and in Italy his commanding officer was the England cricketer Hedley Verity.<ref name=spar/>

At the end of the 1947–48 season he wanted a transfer, but Middlesbrough refused. In protest he did not play for them for much of the following season but he eventually backed down and started playing for Middlesbrough again.<ref name=obit/>

Later career

After initially retiring as a player in 1954, Mannion subsequently joined Hull City. However, the Football League suspended him for articles he had written,<ref name=mfc>Template:Cite web</ref> He then played non-league football with Poole Town and Cambridge United and Finished his playing career at Haverhill Rovers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International career

Mannion was capped on 26 occasions by the England national team between 1946 and 1951, and his final appearance came on 3 October 1951.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a member of the England squad for the 1950 FIFA World Cup.<ref name=mfc/> Along with Middlesbrough and England teammate George Hardwick, he was also part of the Great Britain football team that beat the Rest of Europe 6–1 in 1947.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He remains the only Middlesbrough player to score for England at the World Cup.

After football

Mannion was eventually awarded a testimonial match by Middlesbrough in 1983, alongside former Boro and England colleague George Hardwick.<ref name=golden>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mannion died on 14 April 2000 at the age of 81.<ref name=obit>Template:Cite web</ref> After his death, Middlesbrough FC erected a statue of Mannion outside the Riverside Stadium.<ref name=golden/>

In 2004, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Profile at Spartacus Educational
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• Template:Englandstats