The PFA Coaching Department’s technical consultant Jimmy Armfield has received a World Cup winner’s medal 43 years after England won the trophy.
Injured captaining England, Jimmy lost his place to George Cohen in the build up to the World Cup.
The former Blackpool and England defender was one of the 11 reserves who did not feature during the 4-2 win over West Germany at Wembley in 1966.
Armfield was capped 43 times by England and also managed Bolton and Leeds before turning his attention to work as a football correspondent.
His award of a medal comes following FIFA’s decision to change their rules which had prior to 1974 seen only players who started in the final receive a medal.
Ever forthright Jimmy commented:
“It’s nice to get it but I can’t say it’s something that’s been bothering me all these years. If you didn’t play in the final, whether through injury or not getting selected, you didn’t get a medal – it was as simple as that but these days everybody gets a medal, the kit man, the bus driver, they all get one.”
“I think that’s why this has happened. It’s not as if anyone has been pressuring FIFA to have it done, it is just being brought into line with how it is nowadays.”
