Alf Ramsey

Soccer Player

Alf Ramsey was born in Dagenham, England, United Kingdom on January 22nd, 1920 and is the Soccer Player. At the age of 79, Alf Ramsey biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Date of Birth
January 22, 1920
Nationality
United Kingdom
Place of Birth
Dagenham, England, United Kingdom
Death Date
Apr 28, 1999 (age 79)
Zodiac Sign
Aquarius
Profession
Association Football Manager, Association Football Player
Alf Ramsey Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 79 years old, Alf Ramsey has this physical status:

Height
173cm
Weight
Not Available
Hair Color
Not Available
Eye Color
Not Available
Build
Not Available
Measurements
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Alf Ramsey Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Not Available
Hobbies
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Education
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Alf Ramsey Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
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Dating / Affair
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Parents
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Alf Ramsey Life

Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey (22 January 1920 – 28 April 1999) was an English footballer and manager.

As a player, he starred for the England national team and captained the team, but he is best known for his time as England boss from 1963 to 1974, which included leading them to victory in the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Ramsey was knighted in 1967 in commemoration of his World Cup victory, but he also coached his country to third place in the 1968 European Championship and the 1972 European Championship respectively, while the 1972 European Championships were contested.

Ramsey, as a player and a member of England's 1950 World Cup squad, was both a defender and a member of the England team. Ramsey was born and raised in a quiet Essex village.

He showed athletic promise from an early age and, after serving in the British Army during the Second World War, embarked on a football career, mainly as a right-back.

He was considered a rather slow but effective player with a keen grasp of the game's tactics.

Nicknamed "The General" played for England 32 times between 1948 and 1953, captaining the team three times, scoring three times, and competing in the 1950 World Cup for the first time.

He played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, and he was a member of the Tottenham Hotspur team that lifted the English League championship in the 1950-1951 season. Ramsey moved from playing 35 to managing Ipswich Town, then in the third division of English football.

Ipswich won the Third Division South in 1956–57 and the Second Division in 1960–61, extending the divide over the next six years.

Ramsey's crew defied expectations to become champions of England in the 1961–62 season, Ipswich's first ever campaign in the top division.

A year later, Ramsey took over the England team.

He used a narrow setup that resulted in his England side being dubbed "The Wingless Wonders" in a distinct departure from common usage of the day.

Ramsey was a national hero in 1966 after winning the World Cup at Wembley, but he had his critics at the time and now.

Following the team's inability to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, he departed the England job acrimoniously. Ramsey briefly played football for a short time in Birmingham City and Panathinaikos before retiring in 1979-80.

He lived a relatively simple life in Ipswich for the next two decades, retiring in 1999 at the age of 79.

In 2009, a statue of Ramsey was unveiled at the reconstructed Wembley Stadium, and various trophies were given to him in Ipswich.

He was the first person to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame twice: an inaugural inductee in 2002 in recognition of his service as a boss and in 2010 for his contributions as a player.

He is widely regarded as one of England's all-time great managers.

Early life

Alfred Ernest Ramsey was born in Dagenham, 6 Parrish Cottages, about ten kilometers (16 km) east of central London, on January 22. He was the third of five children, four boys, and a child born to Herbert Ramsey, a smallholding laborer who raised pigs and drove a horse-drawn dustcart, as well as his mother Florence (née Bixby). The only toilet was outside Parrish Cottages, which was lacking hot running water and electricity, and there was no running water and electricity. Such conditions were typical of Dagenham during this period, but Ramsey's street gradually became an anachronism as he aged up. The Becontree estate, a large urban neighborhood that by 1934 was home to 120,000 people and the Ford Dagenham automobile factory, were converted by London County Council in 1921. Parrish Cottages remained largely unchanged: electricity was not available until the 1950s, and even then, only with Ramsey's reluctant acceptance, who, according to a neighbor, was terrified of it. The Ramsey house was "little more than a wooden hut" in Phil Cairns' recollection of a childhood friend.

Alf Ramsey's earliest memories were portrayed by his mentor Fred Tibble as "a very quiet boy who loved football." Ramsey's 1952 autobiography Talking Football: Ramsey wrote "live[ing] for the open air from the time I could toddle," spending hours each day in the meadow behind his family's house, playing ball games with his brothers. He learned skills such as ball control, kick off, and heading with a tennis ball. Ramsey attended Becontree Heath School, which had a roll of about 200 students aged from four to fourteen years old. On the way to escape the monotony, he and his brothers had to walk two hours from their house to get there, and then passed a ball between each other. Ramsey was not particularly popular socially or particularly diligent as a student, but he did excel at sports. In addition to football, he played cricket to a high level and represented the school in the high jump, the long jump, and both the 100-yard and 200-yard dash. Despite his diminutive stature, he enjoyed boxing until a time when a much bigger foe—"as wide as I was tall" in Ramsey's recollection—gave him a serious beating in a school tournament. Ramsey had a noticeable scar over his mouth, a memento of this war, for the remainder of his life.

"He was very withdrawn, almost surly," Cairns recalled, "but the football field became alive." Ramsey was picked to play for Becontree Heath School as a child as old as fourteen and playing alongside boys as old as 14; his nine-year-old brother Len was at inside-right. The purchase of his first pair of football boots was prompted by Alf's selection for the school team. He became the school captain two years later, aged nine years old. By this time, he had changed to playing at centre-half—the key position of the "WM" team in British football, between the full-backs and the forwards. Ramsey's main strength was generally expected to be his precise passing; his chief disappointment was a lack of energy, which Ramsey addressed by learning to read the game and positioning himself properly. Ramsey served on teams representing Dagenham and Essex County, as well as the London schools team while at Becontree, and he was unsuccessful in his attempts to represent the London schools team. When he was at school, his brother Albert watched his first Football League match, watching their favorite team, West Ham United, compete against Arsenal. This was Alf's first senior match before playing in them for the first time. It was later revealed that his principal memory of it was the success of one of the Arsenal forwards, Alex James of Scotland.

The 14-year-old Ramsey attempted to work at Ford in 1934 and told his family that he wanted to become a greengrocer. He spent time as an apprentice at a local Co-op shop, providing groceries on a bicycle. Ramsey's manual work increased his physique, but he was unable to play organized football because he had to work on Saturday afternoons. He returned to action after a two-year absence when he joined Five Elms, a newly formed amateur team whose matches on Thursday matched his work schedule. Ramsey was discovered by Ned Liddell, a Portsmouth scout, and later a well-established top-flight team about a year ago, during the 1937-38 season. Liddell was given a job as an amateur. Ramsey decided to bring the papers home to examine first rather than signing on the spot; he signed them and posted them to Portsmouth by mail that night. Portsmouth did not contact Ramsey again, much to Ramsey's annoyance. He spent the next two years at the Co-op while playing cricket in the summer and winter.

Ramsey was recruited into the British Army on June 24, 1940, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. He was posted to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and underwent his initial training in Truro, where he and other recruits were housed in a government-controlled hotel. Ramsey found the adventure to be a thrilling one. "The longest trip I had taken was by train until I travelled to Cornwall," he recalled. "It was the first time I had ever been to a hotel." And with us sleeping twelve to a bed on straw mattresses, it would not have ended for me the awe of being in a swagger hotel." "That set the tone for Alf's war," Leo McKinstry says in his 2010 biography; Ramsey spent the entire war in Britain on home defense projects. Despite the physical demands, the job made him "a fitter young fellow than when I first reported for service as a Dagenham grocery apprentice."

Ramsey would describe joining the army as "one of the finest things that ever happened to me" as "I learned more about life in general that I hadn't figured out in years at home." Ramsey learned about discipline and leadership as well as his social skills, but "I have never been very good at mixing with people," the journalist Nigel Clarke said. Ramsey became a company quartermaster sergeant sergeant in an anti-aircraft unit.

Ramsey also played football more often, and at a higher level than before. He was sent to St Austell, on the south coast of Cornwall, where he manned beach defenses and became the captain of the battalion football team, playing center-half or center-forward as circumstances permitted. Ramsey came from Barton Stacey, Hampshire, where he came under the command of a Colonel Fletcher, himself an accomplished footballer, after three years in various seaside postings. By this time, Ramsey's battalion squad featured players from a number of Football League clubs, including Len Townsend and Arsenal's Cyril Hodges. Southampton defeated Southampton 10-3 at the Dell in a pre-season friendly on August 21, 1943, and Ramsey played center-half for his battalion team, then played again a week later as the team took on Southampton's reserve team. The soldiers won the second match, 4–1.

Colonel Fletcher called Ramsey to inform him that Southampton needed a centre-half for their first-team match against Luton Town on Sunday, and that the sergeant's availability was questioned. Ramsey, 23, was suspicious, saying he didn't have knowledge but that if playing would lead him on to a professional football career, he'd give it a shot." Ramsey signed for Southampton as an amateur on Tuesday, marking his debut for the club at Luton's Kenilworth Road station. Ramsey gave up a penalty kick late in the game against Southampton 2–1, allowing Luton to equalize, but Southampton defeated Southampton 3–2. He appeared in three more games for the team during the 1943–44 season before his battalion's transfer to County Durham caused his absence. Ramsey played in a trial match at Southampton during the 1944-45 season and did well enough to guarantee the club a professional deal on wages of £2 per match. Ramsey was still uncertain about his future as a footballer; he signed the deal only after Southampton told him that if he wanted to leave at the end of the season if he so desired.

Ramsey was hospitalized during the 1944–45 pre-season, but he didn't make his first appearance as a professional until December. Ramsey center-half in the match against Arsenal at White Hart Lane, and McKinstry said he had the best game of his career to date." Drake scored twice, but Ramsey maintained that he had demonstrated his ability to play league football. Ramsey was recalled from inside-left against Luton Town at the Dell on March 3rd, 1945; he scored four goals in a 12–3 Southampton victory. "He can certainly hammer a ball," the Southern Daily Echo said. Ramsey made 11 appearances in the League South last season.

Ramsey remained in the army from 1945-46, the first football season after the war. He scored two goals in each of Southampton's first two games and then a hat-trick in a 6–2 victory over Newport County on October 6, 1945, beginning as a centre-forward. He played in 13 League South games before military obligations intervened: in December 1945, he was sent to Mandatory Palestine, where he accepted an invitation to captain a football team representing the British garrison. Arthur Rowley, who later scored hundreds of goals for Leicester City and Shrewsbury Town, as well as future Scotland international forward Jimmy Mason. Ramsey returned to England in June 1946 to find himself entertained by both Bill Dodgin and the Dagenham Cooperative, the latter of which gave Ramsey his pre-war service back. Ramsey initially turned Southampton down, but after the club agreed to better terms: £6 per week during the summer, £7 in winter, and £8 if he was selected for the league team, the club accepted. Soon after, he was officially discharged from the army.

Personal life

Ramsey was extremely concerned about his personal history. He attempted to mask his Essex roots and make himself appear as erudite and worldly, even going so far as to adopt an accent that journalist Brian Glanville referred to as "sergeant-major posh." Ramsey's accent had progressively improved during his tenure as England's boss fuelled rumors that he had been given elocution lessons, sparking rumors that he had received elocution lessons, fueling rumors that he had been taught, as evidenced by constant joking from members of the Essex or East London team, including Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves. Rodney Marsh, a forward from the East End who played in Ramsey's England team from 1971 to 1973, later said:

Ramsey was believed to have ancestors from Romany (or "gypsy") families. Ramsey was concerned about the suggestion, and he erupted with indignation when Moore saw some Romany caravans and yelled that the manager should "drop in to see his relatives," according to one anecdote. On one occasion, when Ramsey suspected Moore and Greaves of mocking his accent on the team bus, he said he would "win the World Cup without those two bastards."

Ramsey's career as a professional footballer and many years after, he appeared to be two years younger than he really was, as shown in his eponymous autobiography, Talking Football, which was published in 1952. Ramsey first turned professional with Southampton during the Second World War. He told Southampton that he was born in 1922 rather than 1920, arguing that this could help his future prospects and compensate for the years he had lost to the hostilities. In press papers, his autobiography, and Who's Who, he promoted this false age for more than two decades, but not on official papers such as his marriage papers, in which he revealed his true date of birth. Ramsey only revealed his true age after being knighted in 1967, when he realized that he did not lie to Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage's, publisher.

On December 10, 1951, Ramsey married Rita Norris (née Welch) at Southampton Register Office. Rita's marriage to Arthur Norris, another man from the 1950s—the timeframe dictated that she would not get a legal divorce from Arthur until three years after the separation in 1947, and she did not remarry for another year after that. Ramsey kept the affair private to the extent that Tottenham did not know anything about it until the wedding's days. Rita changed her name to Victoria and was generally referred to as "Vic" by Ramsey, who lived in McKinstry, who was a good stepfather to her daughter from her first marriage, Tanya (usually called Tanya). He was a Freemason of Waltham Abbey Lodge from 1953 to 1981, when he resigned.

Source

Alf Ramsey Career

Playing career

In time for the 1946–47 season, the regular Football League was revived. Ramsey acquired Alf Freeman, an insider who had already signed for the club, and relocated to Southampton with a close friend from the army. Ramsey was the first three games of the season as a center-forward, with center-forward Joe Sanchez scoring in each of his first three games. Dodgin and the club's manager, Sydney Cann, made a decision that changed Ramsey's professional playing career, with the finding that neither center-half nor center-forward properly suited him, they switched him to right-back. "Exactly the right place for Alf," McKinstry says, quoting Ramsey's tactical expertise and fine passing. Ramsey and Cann, who had played at full-back for Torquay United, Manchester City, and Charlton Athletic, formed a close master-and-pupil partnership. The two participants had long discussions about tactics and individual tactics during training sessions. Cann said, "I want to know who has the same enthusiasm of learning as Alf Ramsey." He would never believe anything on its face value... He was the kind of player who was a manager's dream because you could discuss a decision and then accept it and then play it. "In his game, he was a manager's dream."

Ramsey made his complete league debut against Plymouth Argyle at the Dell on October 26, 1946, replacing Bill Ellerington, who was injured on a second straight match at the Dell. Ramsey's tense was helped during the game by the team's other full-back, Bill Rochford's calm reassurance and guidance. Southampton defeated 5–1 in their joint-largest victory of the 1946–47 season, but Ramsey maintained the tempo of the regular peacetime Football League in a dramatic jump. "They were so rushed to get to a point," he later wrote. Ellerington was reinstated and Ramsey was returned to the reserves after one more game. Ramsey was held out of the first team until January 1947, when Ellerington was hospitalized again shortly before an away match against Newcastle United. Southampton lost 3-1, but Ramsey was generally considered to have acquitted himself well. He held his position for the remainder of the season, with increasing confidence. In a February 1947 interview, Dodgin praised Ramsey as a "player who believes in football, talks football, and lives football."

Ramsey's first peacetime season was a triumphant one for him when he played for Southampton against Manchester City in April 1947. Sam Barkas, 38, a former England international who was playing at full throttle for City, was a former England international who was looking at full throttle for the club at the end of his last season. Ramsey was greatly impressed by Barkas' professionalism and prompt passing, and he was subsequently adopted as a role model. Ramsey firmly established himself ahead of Ellerington in the Southampton team in 1947–48, and he was the only player at the Southampton team to play in all 42 League games.

Ramsey's playing style among his peers was rather sluggish, but he had a keen eye for the game, read the text well enough, and distributed the ball with a stout's. Taking after his Southampton captain Bill Rochford's, he preferred to play the ball out of defence rather than simply clearing it as quickly as possible. He became a master penalty taker due to his coolness and his ability to anticipate the goalkeeper. Ted Bates, one of Ramsey's Southampton teammates, described him as "lacking both height and speed," but also credited him with a "razor-sharp brain: he would never be caught in a situation that exposed him."

Southampton struggled to win promotion from 1947 to 1948, placing third behind Birmingham City and Newcastle United, but the club's main players, Ramsey, had also excelled during the season, and by the time, the captain's role had been diminished. He was selected as part of a 16-man England squad to travel Switzerland and Italy in May 1948; the flight to Geneva was his first experience in an aeroplane. On his return from international service, he travelled to Sao Paulo to join the Southampton team as a member of a Brazilian club tour. Southampton had lost every game in Brazil so far, and morale was poor. Ramsey restored morale and introduced a new strategy to combat the Brazilian tactics, which were much more flexible than those used by English teams of the time. Southampton's Ramsey suggested that Southampton could exploit the space left behind them when they ran upfield to attack. McKinstry compares this planning to some of Ramsey's later employs as the manager of Ipswich Town. Southampton defeated Corinthians 2–1 in their next game before ending the tour with a draw and a loss. Ramsey was impressed by the South Americans' football ability, but not by their players', pressmen, administrators, or fans; McKinstry considers the situation to have "fed Alf's nascent xenophobia."

Ramsey had made his first appearance for the England national team and made a total of 90 league and 6 FA Cup appearances for Southampton during the 1948-1949 season, scoring eight goals. In a 2–1 away loss to Sheffield Wednesday on 8 January 1949, he made what turned out to be his last competitive appearance for Southampton. In a friendly away from Plymouth Argyle a week later, he collapsed as he went into a tackle and fractured his knee. Dodgin brought Bill Ellerington back to the team to substitute Ramsey, but the Southampton faithful played well as Southampton defeated eight and drew two of the next ten matches. Ramsey told Ramsey that given Ellerington's good form, he would "find it very difficult" to regain his position in the team. Ramsey, who was still in his 30s, was enraged and thought this was a direct insult by Dodgin: he subsequently begged Southampton to put him on the transfer list on March 7, 1949. Dodgin's words astound him. "The world did indeed appear to be a dim and unfriendly place," he later said; "I seriously considered quitting football for a brief period of time."

Ramsey's statement that Dodgin had treated him unfairly was not shared by the other Southampton players, who regarded Ellerington as a player of comparable ability. Ramsey was also motivated to leave early at halftime during his last league match against Sheffield on Wednesday, according to wing-half Joe Mallett: Ramsey was also motivated by a dressing-room alteration with his captain Bill Rochford at halftime: one of the Sheffield Wednesday goals was blamed on Ramsey's inability to play an opposing winger offside. Ramsey wanted to convince him to stay, but his mind was made up: he told them that if he played in the reserve team, it would hurt their chances of playing internationally. Liverpool, Luton Town, and Burnley were among the clubs that expressed interest in buying him, but Sheffield Wednesday had not made a formal bid by the time of the transfer deadline on March 16th. Tottenham Hotspur came up with a last-minute bid, but there was no time for the transfer to happen, and Ramsey was forced to remain at Southampton for the remainder of the season. Arthur Rowe, the current Tottenham Hotspur manager, revived the offer and signed Ramsey in a part-exchange contract for £4,500 and Wales international winger Ernie Jones, which was then a record for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ramsey's new manager, who discovered that they had common personalities and visions on tactics, was a good fit. Ramsey, Rowe, was raised in a modern, fast-moving style of play. These plans developed into "push-and-run," a playing style that had never been attempted in British football and based on swift passing. Tottenham's pioneered the technique to good effect: a Spurs player would lay the ball off to a teammate, then run past the opposing defender to gain an immediate return pass. According to McKinstry, "Under Rowe, Alf was much more than a defender." Rowe was charged with instigating assaults and based a large portion of Tottenham's game plan around Ramsey's correct passage.

Tottenham's 1949-50 season got off to a good start, and they quickly topped the Second Division: in 22 games between August 1949 and January 1950, they did not lose in 22 matches. Ramsey was an integral part of the team, having carved the right-back position for the first time; he created fruitful relationships with many players, including wing-half Bill Nicholson, goalkeeper Ted Ditchburn, and inside-right Sonny Walters. Ramsey adored Rowe's ability to move forward and attack in November 1949, when he faced Grimsby Town in an away match, earning what is generally regarded as the highest goal of his career. He intercepted a long pass near the half-way line and smashed the ball past the advancing goalkeeper shortly after halftime. The Enfield Gazette's reporter declared that the cause would "never be forgotten by those fortunate to be present." Tottenham won the match 3–2.

Spurs won the 1949–50 Second Division championship with seven games to spare, scoring more goals and conceding fewer points than any of their opponents, and were promoted to the First Division for the following season. Rowe told the club's annual meeting in August 1950, just weeks before Tottenham embarked on their first top-flight season since being relegated at the end of the 1934-1935 campaign: "As much as anything else, I would rate our good time last year to the addition of Alf Ramsey." Spurs got off to a rocky start to the 1950-51 season, and by Christmas, the Spurs had returned to form from the previous year and were at the top of the standings table. Ramsey continued to play a key role in McKinstry's story: "He was the master of strategy, the lynchpin of a team that forged its attacks from the back, and the chemist who put Rowe's plans into motion." Ramsey's deep knowledge of the game and leadership on and off the field resulted in his teammates' nicknaming him "The General." Tottenham are crowned champions of England a year after promotion on April 28, 1951, with a 1–0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday. "I believe fortune shone a lot during the 1950-1951 season," Ramsey remarked on Talking Football: "I am a member of one of the finest club teams in years."

Spurs earned their second-place finish in the 1951–52 season, but the Spurs fell into a brutal decline, finishing 10th in 1952–53 and 16th in 1953–54. The players who had forged the championship-winning team's spine were losing their fitness, and Ramsey, Ron Burgess, Nicholson, and others were among the players who had sustained the necessary physical fitness—push-and-run required players of exceptional physical fitness—and some of the others were over 30. Ramsey was also affected by a recurring abdominal injury. His preference for ball play rather than simply clearing it became unpopular in some parts of Tottenham's fan base. In the 1952–53 FA Cup semi-finals against Blackpool at Villa Park, a particularly low ebb was on display. Ramsey had a good time, holding Bill Perry, the Blackpool left-winger, quiet, and with just a minute to spare, the game was finely balanced at 1–1. Ramsey made a fatal mistake when they first made it. Having beaten Perry to a free-kick, he proceeded to drop the ball back to goalkeeper Ditchburn in a situation where most defenders would have cleared it. Ramsey's knees were bounced off the ball and ran away from him, allowing Blackpool forward Jackie Mudie to score. Blackpool beat 2–1 on the first round before going on to win what is commonly referred to as the "Matthews Final."

Following the semi-finals, Ramsey was mocked by fans and media, with one Spurs manager saying, "Ramsey mistakenly gave the ball away." He may have simply kicked the ball out of play." Ramsey was publicly contrite—"I can only say I am terribly sorry" he told the Daily Express, but in the Tottenham team's team, he analyzed the change that had resulted in Mudie's death and attempted to pinpoint others as guilty. "Fortuitous to admit the fault in front of his coworkers, Alf knew he had made a tragic mistake," McKinstry writes. He was haunted by the mistake. During the 1953-54 season, it was speculated that he might return to Southampton, who had been relegated to the Third Division South, in a position combining playing duties and coaching. But he wasn't finished as a Spurs player; indeed, after Burgess left to join Swansea Town in 1954, he was named club captain.

Despite their success on the field, a strong personal rivalry developed between Ramsey and Nicholson, partially because they both liked the prospect of staying on at Tottenham in a coaching role after retiring. Rowe told Ramsey that he wanted him to do so, but Rowe resigned in February 1955 due to health difficulties. Danny Blanchflower, a Northern Ireland international wing-half who arrived from Aston Villa to replace Nicholson, provided another threat to Ramsey's position at Tottenham. Blanchflower was more offensive than Nicholson and, as a result, did not have the necessary cover for Ramsey to advance upfield; Ramsey also protested the possibility that Blanchflower could replace him as Tottenham's main strategist.

Rowe's illness and Blanchflower's arrival together signalled the end of Ramsey's playing career. Ramsey missed matches during his 1954–55 season due to injury, but the Leicester City winger Derek Hogg suffered "a terrible roasting" at his hands in April 1955. Rowe resigned in 16th place after the season ended in 16th place; his deputy Jimmy Anderson took over and Nicholson was hired to his coaching staff. Despite being club captain and all, Ramsey knew that his time at Tottenham had come to an end. In all competitions, he had appeared in 250 international games for Tottenham over the past six seasons. "I was 35 years old and obviously worried about my future," he later wrote. "I really didn't know what was going to happen to me." I knew my days as a player were limited, but there was only one way for me in this respect: downhill.

Ramsey's first experience as an international came while he was at Southampton, where he played for England B against Switzerland B in May 1948. In a 6–0 victory over Switzerland at Highbury in December that year, he made his full England debut. He briefly lost his England to his Southampton teammate Bill Ellerington, but after good results for Tottenham, England defeated Italy 2–0 home win over Italy on November 30. 1949, he returned to England's 2–0 home win over Italy. Ramsey's joining the England squad coincided with the team's first-ever World Cup appearance, with the British Home Nations having revived football's world governing body FIFA in 1946 after being barred from the first three World Cup tournaments in the 1930s. The Football Association (FA) in London had been playing little since the game's inception in the late nineteenth century, but the England and the England squads were still firmly convinced that English football and the England team was the best in the country, but that getting to the World Cup was not necessary. The reasons supporting this were that England had never lost at home to any team from outside the British Isles. A panel of eight FA selectors selected the team, as well as the executive director of coaching, was chosen by a committee of eight FA selectors with the position of England manager, which was occupied by Walter Winterbottom.

Ramsey and three of his Tottenham teammates — Ditchburn, Nicholson, and forward Eddie Baily — were the first Tottenham players to play at a World Cup. The United Kingdom was one of the favorites to win the tournament, largely due to their reputation. The team had no preparations ahead of their first game in Brazil a week earlier. Ramsey found the South American weather difficult, saying that "at the end of even a quick kick-around, I became infinitely more drained than after a tumultuous league match at home." Despite this, an England team led the England team against Chile 2–0 in their first match.

England's next match pitted them against the United States, an obstacle they were not expected to beat — at the Estádio Independence in Belo Horizonte, 300 miles (480 km) inland. Ramsey was again picked by the selectors, but Stanley Matthews was left out on the grounds that England might beat the Americans without him, despite Winterbottom's protests. The first half was dominated by England. "I'm not making excuses when I say that in the first 45 minutes we had a year of bad luck," Ramsey said in 1952. "Shots that appeared to be safe to score were missing by the width of a coat of paint." The American goalkeeper, much to his astonishment, discovered himself stopping the ball with his body, and on occasion, without really knowing what it was all about. On 37 minutes, the US took the lead after a long shot across England's penalty zone flies into the net off the head of American forward Joe Gaetjens.

At halftime, the score remained 1–0, and the second half told the same tale: England missed a slew of good opportunities, struck the woodwork numerous times, and had one attempt that seemed to cross the line not given. "Even Alf Ramsey, who used to be expressionless throughout a game, threw up his arms and gazed upwards as a brilliant free-kick was somehow saved by their unorthodox keeper," England captain Billy Wright said. No England goal came, and the United States defeated 11-0 in what became England football history as the national team's most humiliating defeat. Ramsey, a zealously patriotic person, viewed the event as a point of personal humiliation. On hearing the match a few years later, one journalist recalled "his face creased and he looked like a man with an unhealed wound." If England beat Spain in their last group game, they could remain in the competition, but they lost by a 1–0 loss.

Despite this disappointing result, the English football establishment made no reforms in policy, insisting that England remained the best in the world and that it had simply fallen victim to bad luck in Brazil. Ramsey remained a central figure in the squad and captained his country against Wales on November 15, 1950, after Wright was forced out due to poor form. A week later, Ramsey captained England in a 2–2 draw against Yugoslavia, the first time a team from outside the British Isles had played away against England and not lost, and not lost. England's unbeaten home record against international teams was shattered by Austria, then one of Europe's most offensive offensive squads, which became one of the most powerful attacking teams. With 25 minutes to play, the Austrians led 1–0, but they were defeated 1–1 when Ramsey scored a penalty. The match ended 2–2—England's unbeaten home record was preserved. Ramsey England's "ice-cool hero" was named by the Daily Mail, and he himself named the Austria match in Talking Football as "the best international" in the sport.

Ramsey remained in the England squad throughout 1952, including in England's 3–2 victory over Austria on May 25. He was left out of the squad for a match against Wales in October 1953 due to injury. He was called back for the following match against a Rest of the World XI later that month, scoring his second international goal and securing a 4–4 draw. At Wembley Stadium, his last appearance for England came on November 25th, 1953, in what the British press dubbed the "Match of the Century"—England's -- against Hungary, the so-called "Golden Team" or "Magical Magyars," the 1952 Olympic champions, a riot.

Although England was defeated by comfortably, British observers' prediction of a clash between two of the world's greatest powers devolved into a walkover. The unbeaten home record was obliterated, as well as any suggestion that England had nothing to learn from abroad—they were entirely outplayed by the Hungarians' fluid, fast-paced game, which McKinstry's words were not dissimilar to Tottenham's push-and-run. Ramsey scored a penalty, his third and final international goal, but Hungary, who had scored after less than a minute, won 6–3. He refused to accept that England had been outclassed, adding: "All of those goals came from outside the penalty zone." We shouldn't have lost, but we shouldn't have lost." Ramsey has never played for England again, having won a total of 32 caps, scored three goals (all penalties), and captained his nation three times.

Managerial career

Ramsey had made up his mind that he wanted to remain in football as a coach, but he didn't have the right qualifications or managerial experience, barring a part-time coaching stint at Eton Manor in London. Although Anderson did not spend time in Southern Rhodesia, Ipswich Town of the Third Division South, received permission from Ramsey to talk to Ramsey about his signing him as player-manager. On his return from Africa, Ramsey refused to engage in both coaching and playing. "I told them I'd only focus on one thing," Ramsey said later; "it would be impossible to play with the players I would be coaching." Ipswich confirmed Ramsey's appointment as the boss on August 9, 1955, bringing the totality to a halt. Some of those who knew Ramsey had skepticism about how he would rule. "He'll be fine, but he'll be the boss," says Wilf Grant, a former Southampton teammate who was still on the Ipswich coaching staff. "Ipswich Town owes a lot to intelligent football—and footballers who think," Ramsey's England teammate Billy Wright said.

Ramsey joined Ipswich right after the club's relegation from the Second Division at the end of the 1954–55 season, the team's first year in the third class up to that point. To quote McKinstry, the club had neither "glittering pedigree or fame" nor "strong football history" nor "strong football tradition"—the team's roots in 1938 were small and basic, with no "strong football tradition"—it was a player. One of the team's strengths was the aristocratic Cobbold brewing family, to which the chairman and a significant portion of the team's hierarchy belonged. "I had no idea about Ipswich when I first arrived," Ramsey later said. "In fact, the first thing I had to do was to discard my preconceived notions of how football should be played." My first participation in the First Division had been honed. I soon discovered that what I saw at Ipswich was very different. Ramsey retained the majority of the teaching staff recruited by his predecessor, Scott Duncan, who resigned after 18 years as Ipswich's boss. Duncan stayed on as club secretary, allowing Ramsey to concentrate on playing issues rather than confining in Duncan's administration.

Ipswich, where a player of "mature age" was relegated, was a difficult proposition for a new coach, particularly because the squad had no money to improve, so Ramsey had to make the most of the team's potential. He made tactical innovations, according to the local newspaper, beginning his first game in charge, he had his team playing three distinct styles of corner kicks, indicating "as poor a game as one can recall at Portman Road." Ramsey coached the club to third position in the Third Division South's first season as manager, with Ipswich scoring 106 goals in the 46 league games. Ramsey led the team to the division championship during his second season as coach, with Ipswich also scoring in excess of 100 goals. It was Ipswich's second title and it resulted in promotion to the Second Division, and the following three seasons, the Ipswich team continued to win mid-table positions.

Ramsey guided Ipswich to the Second Division title and the top flight for the first time in the club's history in 1960-61. Ray Crawford, the division's top goalcorer with 39 points, was the catalyst for the success. Ramsey's side went on to become the Champions of England in their first season at the top of the table in the following season. Many modern football pundits and journalists had rated the team for relegation at the start of the season, making the feat all the more impressive. Ramsey based on a resolute defense and two strikers, Ray Crawford and Ted Phillips, who scored more than 60 goals between them. Jimmy Leadbetter, a left-winger who Ramsey converted into a deep-lying, left-of-center midfielder, was deemed the team's main player.

Bill Nicholson, Ramsey's former teammate, changed the formation of his Spurs team to Ipswich in the 1962 FA Charity Shield championship match, which Tottenham lost 5–1. Ramsey also oversaw Ipswich's brief European debut in the 1962–63 European Cup in the same season. Despite beating Maltese on aggregate, Floriana, 14–1 loss, Ipswich was 4–2 on aggregate in the second round to eventual champion A.C. Milan, although Ipswich had won the home leg 2–1. Ipswich finished 17th, just four points above the relegation zone, putting them among the worst-performing defending champions in the English top-flight. Ramsey said on October 25th, 1962, not long into the season, he agreed to be in charge of the England national team, beginning 1 May 1963. He left Ipswich after eight seasons as their coach from the Third Division South to the top of English football. Following Ramsey's retirement, the Ipswich's results faded, and the team lost their second division two years after winning the league title two years ago.

England lost in the quarter-finals of the 1962 World Cup in Chile to Brazil, and manager Walter Winterbottom resigned five months later after being targeted by the British media. Though Ramsey's name as England boss was announced in October 1962, he took over in May 1963 because Ramsey felt it would be wrong to walk out on Ipswich, who were in danger at the time. Ramsey had taken "a vulnerable position" out of service, according to the Times, but he had to postponed his appointment due to injuries and other reasons "at the wrong end of the league table," with hopes that he would take over the reigns "from the new year." When Ramsey took over as boss, he demanded absolute control over squad picks: previously Winterbottom had been in charge of squad selections, but board committees handled many of the selections; now, he was not. Ramsey's appointment and appropriation of all such positions resulted in his title being referred to as "England's first proper boss."

Ramsey predicted "We will win the World Cup" on appointment, causing a stir when he said "We will win the World Cup" that was supposed to be hosted in England in 1966. One of Ramsey's first moves as England captain was to name West Ham United captain Bobby Moore as captain of the national team. Moore came from working-class roots in London's East End, which is similar to Ramsey. Moorere was only 22 years and 47 days old when he captained the team for the first time against Czechoslovakia in a friendly on May 29, 1963. England defeated Wales 4–2.

Ramsey's first competitive match as England's head coach was in a preliminary qualification round of the 1964 European Nations' Cup. The inaugural 1960 tournament, as well as other national teams, had failed to enroll in England. To advance to the last sixteen qualifiers, they were drawn against France in a two-legged knockout match. At Hillsborough, the home leg, which was played under Winterbottom, had been drawn 1-1. Ramsey insisted that he selected the squad himself and included seven players who would be included in the 1966 World Cup team. He took charge of the away leg at the Parc des Princes in Paris, which they lost 5–2, effectively excluding England from the tournament in Ramsey's first game in charge.

England automatically qualified for the 1966 World Cup as hosts. England played against Uruguay in the first group game, on July 11, 1966, and despite losing talent, including Jimmy Greaves and Roger Hunt, who were fighting an organized Uruguayan defense, England was held to a 0–0 draw. It was the first time England had failed to score at Wembley since 1945. Ramsey's statement three years ago seemed skeptical, but his side remained calm and continued experimenting when their team faces Mexico in the next game. Ramsey was using the 4–3–3 system, with John Connelly against Uruguay, Terry Paine against Mexico, and Ian Callaghan against France; each of the group games used a winger; and John Connelly against Uruguay; Terry Paine against Mexico; and Ian Callaghan against France.

Ramsey discarded Alan Ball and John Connelly and brought in Terry Paine and Martin Peters, who matched Ramsey's dynamic style of play as a midfielder. England defeated Mexico 2–0. Ramsey used Terry Paine and Ian Callaghan for their final group match against France. England beat Wales 2–0, guaranteeing qualification to the knockout rounds. Two challenging situations resulted from the final group match. Nobby Stiles, a midfielder who had been warned by senior FIFA officials, reacted angrily when Ramsey was asked to leave the team. Ramsey strongly disagreed and told FIFA that either Stiles will stay in his squad or Ramsey would resign, or else Ramsey himself would resign. During that game, another bad tackle was made, resulting in Tottenham's striker (and one of England's most prolific goal-scorers) being injured and sidelined for the next few games. Despite having more experienced strikers in his squad, Ramsey selected young Geoff Hurst as Greaves' replacement, seeing promise in the young West Ham forward. Ramsey's last game with a winger was also marked by the France match. After that, Ian Callaghan was dropped from his team and brought back Alan Ball to improve the midfield.

England's first opponents were Argentina for the knockout stages. Ramsey went from 4–3–3-3 to 4–3–1,2–2. Ramsey refused a request from the FA that Stiles be dropped, citing ball and Peters as centre performers. England defeated Hurst 1–0 after a tumultuous quarter-final (where Argentinian captain Antonio Rattn refused to return to the field after being dismissed) after a violent quarter-final, with Hurst latching onto a cross from Martin Peters and heading home a goal. Ramsey stopped his players from the traditional swapping of shirts with the Argentinians during their game, and was later reported to have referred to Argentinian players as "animals"; "It seemed a shame" that so much Argentinian talent was wasted." Our best football will come against the right opposition: a team that plays football but not as animals, and not one that plays football." Ramsey said, "I've been a little dissatisfied that the behavior of some players in this competition reminded me of animals," Greavsie's book in 2009. Ramsey's image and made successive England teams unpopular around the world, particularly in South America, where he actually referred specifically to the Argentinians as animals. England faced Portugal's top goal scorer Eusébio on the tournament's fluent and skilful side in the semi-finals. However, England defeated them 2–1 in a thrilling match in which they forfeited their first goal of the season from the penalty position.

England became the World Champions on July 30, 1966, beating West Germany in the final. Ramsey's promise was kept. In the final, a lot of Ramsey's tactics and decisions proved their worth. Ramsey came under pressure to bring back the fit-again Jimmy Greaves to the team, but his motto was "never change a winning team." In a 4–2 victory (after extra time, the game ending 2–2 in normal time) at Wembley, he stuck to his guns and kept faith with Greaves' replacement, Geoff Hurst, who backed Ramsey's judgment by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–2 victory. When the grueling final went to extra time, he was bringing his team a strong mix of experience and youth. The youth in the team ruled England for extra time, particularly Alan Ball, the youngest player in the England squad at 21. Even in extra time, he showed no signs of tiring or stopping running—famously setting up Hurst's second goal and taking a few chances himself. Ball was still running down the pitch in the case Hurst missed assistance as the game came to an end. Ball was welcomed by a number of England supporters who believed that the game was already over, rather than a cross from Hurst.

Hurst reminded that Ramsey forbade his players to lie down on the pitch to rest before extra time, as their opponents did. Ramsey told the England team, "Look at them," Ramsey said, pointing to the Germans; "They're finished." They're thrown out on their backs. "You've won it once," Ramsey said to his players. Now you'll have to go out and win it all over again."

Ramsey stayed his normal self during the holidays, rather than joining in but rather enjoying his players' triumph. He is the only England manager to have won the World Cup. "He was dependable to his fingers and as popular with the players as any manager I've ever seen," Bobby Charlton said of Ramsey's role in leading the England team to World Cup victory: "He was a natural performer and as popular with the players as no manager I've ever seen." He was a winner, but England would not have won the World Cup in 1966 if Alf Ramsey was not a winner. "He made us laugh out loudest moment" in his life. "You did it, Alf," Nobby Stiles replied, "We'd have been nothing without you."

Ramsey received a knighthood in 1967, the first to a football manager, a year after England triumphed in the World Cup under his leadership. Despite a loss to Scotland 3–2 at home in 1967, England reached the last eight of the 1968 European Championships by amassing the highest aggregate record of the four Home Nations over the 1966–67 and 1967–68 seasons (although also losing to Scotland 3–2 at home.) They then defeated Spain both home and away to become one of four teams to progress to the finals in Italy. In a bad-tempered semi-final, England suffered a 1–0 loss: Alan Mullery was banned from attacking an opponent in the groin. Mullery later told Ramsey, "I'm glad someone retaliated against those bastards" and paid Mullery's £50 fine levied by the Football Association. After defeating the Soviet Union, England was forced to settle for third place.

The 1970 World Cup champions were crowned automatically as defending champions of the tournament, which was held in Mexico. England and Brazil were one of the tournament's most popular choices, and several analysts speculated that England and Brazil, who would meet again in the first round of matches, would meet again in the final. The arrest of Bobby Moore in the Bogotá Bracelet incident had interrupted Ramsey's plans for the tournament, with the England squad being branded "robbers and inebriated," according to the Mexican media.

Despite losing by the same scoreline to eventual champions Brazil in the first round, two 1–0 victories over Romania and Czechoslovakia enabled England to advance, including a memorable save by Gordon Banks from Pelé's header. They lost 3–2 in the quarter-finals, after being in the lead 2–0 with 20 minutes remaining. Ramsey had drafted Bobby Charlton and Martin Peters, who had presumably to lay them down for the semi-finals, but that was deemed a tactical mistake. Ramsey's shrewish tactics and substitutions in the searing Mexican heat, as well as Chelsea's Peter Bonetti, who was blamed for the loss. Bonetti, who was playing because regular keeper Gordon Banks had been sick, had a seemingly harmless shot by Franz Beckenbauer slip under his arm and was eventually trapped out of position by a looping header by Uwe Seeler. Gerd Müller scored a third time in the 108th minute to knock England out. Ramsey owed Bonetti and his mistakes, but his own actions were not beyond reproach.

England defeated the United Kingdom in the 1972 European championship by winning their qualification tournament, which also included Switzerland, Greece, and Malta. In a 1–1 home draw with Switzerland, they dropped just one point in the qualification. England then met West Germany in a match to be played over two legs to determine who would advance to the finals (which would feature only four teams)). England was eliminated after a 3–1 home loss at Wembley and a scoreless draw in Berlin. Hugh McIlvanney, a journalist, referred to England's football against West Germany as "cautious joyless football" and as an indication that the England era under Ramsey had not progressed. West Germany won the tournament by beating the Soviet Union 3–0 in the final.

Only two other nations qualified for the 1974 World Cup: Poland and Wales. The Poles, who hadn't qualified for a World Cup finals since 1938, were an improved squad that would finish third in the tournament. England had to win their final match against Poland at Wembley Stadium in October 1973 due to a home draw with Wales and a loss in Chorzów. Ramsey had requested that the Football League games be postponed on the weekend to help with England's preparations. "It is a football match, not a war," Football League secretary Alan Hardaker said.

The Derby County manager Brian Clough described Polish goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski as a "circus clown in gloves" before the qualifier against Poland at Wembley Stadium. The match ended 1-1-1, with Norman Hunter and goalkeeper Peter Shilton's rousing goalkeeping effort, as well as many unorthodox saves by Tomaszewski, who made many vital, and often unorthodox saves. Ramsey was still angry with the substitution procedure, so he was fired for waiting until the 85th minute before calling on forward Kevin Hector. England had attempted and failed to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in the national team's history.

England, which had won the World Cup in 1966, is now known to have failed in three successive tournaments. The disappointments of quarter-final departures from major tournaments in 1970 and 1972 had been followed by failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup. Ramsey was fired by the FA on May 1, 1974, a few months after the draw with Poland, which had resulted in failure to progress.

Some of the FA's officials had long grudges against Ramsey, according to reports. "England's most influential boss would have a legacy fit for a hero" despite its malevolence, according to British writer and author Leo McKinstry. Ramsey's treatment, according to Alan Ball, was "the most incredible thing to ever happen in English football."

Ramsey returned to Ipswich to spend time with his wife, feeling he needed "a period of rest." He became a director of Gola Sports and of a local building company but remained out of the public eye for 18 months or so. He began attending Ipswich Town and often appeared as a television pundit. He was highly critical of England's results against the Netherlands in February 1977, on ITV's On the Ball, describing the players as "poor individually" and the team as "completely disorganised." Asked if he had any sympathy for his replacement, Don Revie, Revie said he did not want sympathy: "Having accepted the post of England team manager, he must accept the responsibility of his position in precisely the same way as I did." His exposure to the media has mellowed. Ramsey said in June that he would consider returning to leadership after being interviewed in June for a five-a-side tournament between eight of the 1966 World Cup teams for a trophy named in his honour.

In January 1976, he had been on the board of Birmingham City's First Division club. Ramsey turned down the opportunity to serve as the manager on a permanent basis when Willie Bell was fired in September 1977, but did agree to act as the caretaker until a replacement could be found. He had changed his mind by early November. He resigned from his position as a consultant, with a mandate that extended not only team leadership but also broad authority for club affairs, as well as the selection of Birmingham's next manager. His tenure was limited to just four months. Trevor Francis, a former star of a football team, was banned from speaking out in newspaper interviews about his desire to leave a team he disliked, and the board accepted Ramsey's suggestion to place him on the transfer list in February 1978. Ramsey gave two weeks' notice to resign three days later, when the decision was reversed due to fear of a backlash from supporters. The club announced his resignation before the notice period was complete, and accounts attributed to the club's recent 4–0 loss to Coventry City. Ramsey was quick to deny any such link, claiming he had "never walked out on anyone." In what became English football's first £1 million transfer, Francis was sold less than a year later to Nottingham Forest.

Ramsey ruled ten of the games for which he was in charge, drew four and lost twelve. Among the tenacious games at Anfield was a 3–2 win over Liverpool, the reigning league and European champions, who were included in a Birmingham Mail series on Birmingham City's "30 great games." Although Ramsey did also work as a technical advisor for Greek side Panathinaikos during 1979–80, he was aged 58 when he left Birmingham, but he did not complete manage them.

Ramsey began working with a new style of play that would eventually lead to success in the World Cup, and led to the design of his England team, "The Wingless Wonders." Ramsey began denying natural wingers their defensive abilities in favour of attacking midfielders who might play back in defensive roles. This setup was often baffled by opposing fullbacks, who would naturally expect a winger to be running down the flank at them after the ball was kicked off: instead, attacking midfielders and strikers were attacking the ball through the middle of the defense and scoring. At Ipswich, this method of play was fruitful, but it was even more effective when England travelled to Spain to compete a friendly with them before the World Cup. "The Spanish full-backs were just staring at each other when we were driving in drives through the middle," Bobby Charlton said. Ramsey's tactics were working in Spain, the reigning European Champions, and it was surprising for an English team.

Ramsey gained the esteem of his teammates. When Ramsey begged on Ramsey to withdraw Stiles from the 1966 World Cup quarter-finals following a tackle on Frenchman Jacques Simon in the previous game, he strongly supports Nobby Stiles. After the final, with the players in a single room and their wives compelled to sit in an adjoining room, he excused his players early from the banquet to allow the players to join their wives after nearly four weeks apart. He was "usually equable" in his demeanor to the players, but "he blew his top" when his 1978 Birmingham City team put on a weak defensive performance; the next game was a "historic victory."

Source

Sir Bobby Charlton, humble, brave, and incredibly gifted, was supposed to be a source of inspiration

www.dailymail.co.uk, October 21, 2023
JEFF POWELL: The last time we broke bread together Our Bobby was under doctor's orders not to drink, but he looked around to make sure his beloved Norma wasn't watching and said, 'Go on then.' For the sake of an old time, a beer is a must.' Not that he had a serious relationship with alcohol. The odd drink took its measured place as with everything else in a life well-considered. Except for the football.

England on brink of history as kick-off nears for World Cup final: Lionesses are all smiles as they arrive at Stadium Australia ahead of their historic clash against Spain - with millions of fans Down Under and back home set to roar them to victory

www.dailymail.co.uk, August 20, 2023
The Lionesses of England have left their hotel for the final countdown before their historic World Cup final starts. In Sydney's light blue tracksuits ahead of England's first World Cup final since 1966, the participants were seen stepping out of the Intercollegiate Athletic in Sydney. Young and old supporters gathered outside the hotel and applauded as their heroes boarded a maroon-coloured bus, branded with 'The Final' in gold lettering, to take them to Stadium Australia. The bus was given a police escort for its ride around the town, which should take about half an hour. Sarina Wiegman's crew were seen strolling in the Sydney sun earlier in the day, a tradition that many teams enjoy before a big game.

Countdown to glory continues for Lionesses as England team relax in the pool, take in the sites and dance in the dressing room ahead of World Cup Final against Spain

www.dailymail.co.uk, August 18, 2023
The Lionesses of England are seen relaxinde by the pool, enjoying Sydney's sights, and dancing in the dressing room ahead of Sunday's big game. In the changing room of Lotte Wubben-Moy's Instagram story, Goalie Mary Earps (middle) was caught merrily side-stepping as her coworkers walked around her. Wubben-Moy also captured Alessia Russo and Ella Toone (both right) swimming in the pool as they countdown to the World Cup Final against Spain, England's first since 1966. Katie Zelem (left) of midfield can also be seen smiling as she showcases some bright blue cupcakes that were being stored in a Nike shoebox.