The announcement yesterday afternoon (October 30) that Nobby Stiles had died cut another living link to the England World Cup winning team of 1966 and now leaves only George Cohen, Roger Hunt, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Geoff Hurst as its surviving members.
Stiles (78), who in later years suffered from prostate cancer and dementia, through the mid-1960s with England and his club Manchester United, became one of the most decorated footballers of his generation.
The crowning glory, however, was winning the World Cup – and in a superbly-balanced team where goalkeeper Gordon Banks and captain Bobby Moore provided calm assurance and Bobby Charlton brought guile, Stiles offered hard-edged combativeness. Yet there was more to him than being simply destructive – his excellent passing skills off either foot appreciated by Manchester United manager Matt Busby and at international level by Alf Ramsey.
Norbert Peter Stiles was born in Manchester during an air raid on the city in May 1942. Selected to represent England Schoolboys at the age of 15 in 1957, shortly afterwards he signed forms with Manchester United, the team he supported as a boy, a rise through the junior ranks leading to a senior debut in October 1960.
With the Old Trafford club still coming to terms with the Munich Air Crash of February 1958, when eight members of the side were killed returning from a European Cup tie in Belgrade, Stiles, selected for his full debut at full-back, became prominent among the home-grown talent in the team rebuilding operation Busby was undertaking.
Impressed with his tenacious tackling and fine distribution, he saw in Stiles the attributes required to play in the middle of the field, as domestic football developed from the traditional half-back line into a midfield trio. Despite a lack of height and being short-sighted – Stiles played in contact lenses throughout his career – he soon became a key figure as United began to re-emerge from the tragedy of Munich, although was a surprise omission from the 1963 FA Cup winning team.
In the same year he married Kay Giles, sister of Irish team-mate Johnny, who did play in the Wembley final against Leicester City, although Giles would be transferred to Leeds later the same year – Giles and Stiles, irrespective of the family connection, fierce combatants in Leeds United v Manchester United clashes through the rest of the decade.
With teenage wonder kid, Belfast-born George Best incorporated into a team already boasting the talents of Denis Law, Pat Crerand, Stiles and Charlton, United won the league championship with style in 1965 – distinguished displays in the title-winners’ engine room gaining the attention of Ramsey, who in Stiles found all he sought in a midfield talisman.
Winning a first England cap in 1965, Stiles was an established member of the team when the World Cup rolled around 12 months later, on the field every minute of the six matches England were to play. An ill-timed tackle on French midfielder Jacques Simon in a group game drew calls for Stiles to be dropped, but having no truck with the FA or media interference, Ramsey stood by his player. He was vindicated with three exemplary displays in the knockout stages – Stiles’ endeavours in nullifying the threat of Portuguese superstar Eusebio in the semi-final proving hugely significant as England secured a 2-1 win.
In the final against West Germany four days later Stiles gave another effective display, although the most enduring images of him on July 30 1966 came after the 4-2 extra-time triumph. His gap-toothed smile and victory jig during the lap of honour were captured for eternity – along with a body shake with the Jules Rimet Trophy above his head, when the squad were acclaimed by thousands when they appeared on the balcony of the Royal Garden Hotel later in the day.
Manchester United win the European Cup
In 1967 Stiles was a member of the Manchester United team who once again won the league title – their second success in three seasons bringing another tilt at the European Cup. Destiny was such that ten years on from the awful events of Munich Manchester United should reach the 1968 final – the road taking them to Wembley where they defeated Portuguese champions Benfica, Stiles once more limiting the impact Eusebio had on the match.
In becoming the first English club to win the competition Manchester United reached the top of the mountain, but were soon in descent as an ageing team were allowed to bask too long in European Cup winning glory. On developing a series of niggling injuries Stiles lost his place in the England side, winning only three caps in eighteen months prior to the 1970 Mexico World Cup – and although named in the tournament squad by Ramsey, did not kick a ball in anger as England saw their reign as world champions end with defeat in the quarter-finals.
His international career ending with 28 caps in 1970, twelve months later Stiles’ 14-year tenure as a Manchester United player also came to an end, joining second division Middlesbrough for a fee of £20,000. In 1973 he once again joined forces with Bobby Charlton, moving to Preston North End as player-coach when his former United and England team-mate headed to Deepdale as manager.
As his playing days receded further into the past Stiles also managed Preston, before coaching and management spells with Canadian outfit Vancouver White Caps and West Bromwich Albion. Eventually he returned to Old Trafford where a period as youth team coach coincided with emergence of future Manchester United European Cup winners and international players Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Neville brothers Gary and Phil.
Along with Bobby Charlton and Ian Callaghan, Nobby Stiles is member of an illustrious trio of English footballers who have won the League Championship, European Cup and World Cup – their number showing no sign of being increased any time soon.
Sadly in later life, Stiles felt compelled to sell the World Cup and European Cup winners medals in order to provide financial security for his family.
An altogether disheartening state of affairs, from biographies and documentaries it is clear the lads of ’66 (including the management) never looked for hand-outs, just recognition – financial and in terms of achievement – from the football authorities, for what they accomplished.
With Nobby Stiles now joining that great gathering of England players in the sky, the outpouring of affection toward him will serve as reminder there was interest in football before the advent of the Premier League – hopefully, the eternal respect and gratitude of the footballing public will be of comfort to the loved ones he leaves behind.
NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller available as an Amazon Kindle book.
