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Sir Walter Winterbottom, CBE (January 31, 1913 in Oldham, England – February 16, 2002) was manager of the England football team from 1946 until 1962. He was the first person to be given the job.
Winterbottom's first career choice was to be a teacher. He trained at Chester Diocesan Training College (now the University of Chester) and qualified in 1933. While teaching he also played amateur football for local teams and was soon signed up to Manchester United as a professional, playing his first game in 1936 and being part of the team that won promotion to the First Division in 1938. He appeared in a further twenty six first team games before a spinal ailment curtailed his career.
Winterbottom was appointed national director of coaching in 1946 and manager in May 1947. His first game was a 7-2 victory over Ireland in September 1946. He managed the team (and arranged travel, accommodation and meals) through four World Cup competitions. It is sometimes reported that Winterbottom had no control over team selection, and that his role was mainly an administrative and training one. In fact, while a selection committee did choose the squads, it was Winterbottom who selected the starting XI.
He was created an OBE in 1963 and a CBE in 1972, and was awarded a knighthood in 1978.
He died, aged 89, in February 2002.
Winterbottom was posthumously inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution as a manager to the English game on a national level.
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