Wilf Mannion
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Wilfred ("Wilf") James Mannion (May 16, 1918 - April 14, 2000) was a footballer who signed professional forms for Middlesbrough on 17 September 1936 and played for them until 1954, scoring 110 goals in 368 appearances. He also played for England 26 times, scoring a hat-trick on his debut on May 10, 1947. He played his final game for England on October 3, 1951 against France. He is widely regarded as one of Middlesbrough's greatest ever players.[citation needed]
Mannion had stunned Middlesbrough fans in 1947 when it seemed he was set to join Oldham Athletic, but the Lancashire club couldn't afford the prohibitive price tag Boro had placed on him, and he was soon back at Ayresome Park.
After initially retiring as a player in 1954, Mannion joined Hull City on 24 December of that year and decided to play on for another season. He eventually retired in 1959, having played an extra four years of non-league football.
He had a joint testimonial match with George Hardwick on May 17, 1983.
On April 14, 2000, Wilf Mannion died in hospital, at the age of 81. Many Middlesbrough fans were greatly saddened at the passing of one of their heroes. Mannion was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in recognition of his impact on the English league.
