Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis Blanchflower (10 February 1926 – 9 December 1993) was a former Northern Ireland footballer, football manager and journalist who played for and captained Tottenham Hotspur, including during their double-winning season of 1960–61. He was ranked as the greatest player ever in Spurs history by The Times in 2009.
|
Blanchflower in 1976 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Dennis Blanchflower | ||
| Date of birth | 10 February 1926 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 9 December 1993 (aged 67) | ||
| Place of death | Staines, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Glentoran | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1949 | Glentoran | 124 | (7) |
| 1949–1951 | Barnsley | 68 | (2) |
| 1951–1954 | Aston Villa | 148 | (10) |
| 1954–1964 | Tottenham Hotspur | 337 | (15) |
| 1961 | → Toronto City (loan) | 12 | (3) |
| 1962 | → Boksburg (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 1965 | Durban City | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 693 | (38) | |
| International career | |||
| 1949–1963 | Northern Ireland | 56 | (2) |
| 1948–1949 | Irish League XI | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1976–1979 | Northern Ireland | ||
| 1978–1979 | Chelsea | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Blanchflower played as a defensive midfielder at right half and was known particularly for his accurate passing, his ability to dictate the tempo of the game and his inspiring leadership. After a lengthy playing career, he retired at the age of 38. He became a respected football journalist and, later, a football manager.
Blanchflower said of football: "The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."