Danny Blanchflower – A biography of a Visionary

Danny Blanchflower – A biography of a Visionary

A biography of footballer Danny Blanchflower. Born in Belfast and educated at St. Andrews, Blanchflower began his career at Barnsley in 1949, soon finding himself at odds with the management, gaining an image as a rebel. In 1951, he moved to Aston Villa, where his elegant style was out of place with Villa’s physical approach.

When Arsenal pulled out of a proposed #40,000 transfer, it looked as though Blanchflower’s career might be over, but things fell into place when he joined Spurs. He was twice Footballer of the Year; he helped Spurs win the double in 1961, the FA Cup again the year after, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963, the first European victory by an English club.

In these days of player’ agents, corporate hospitality, share options and television bonuses, it’s often the football, the glory and the romance of the game, that gets overlooked.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s there was no footballer in love with his trade than Danny Blanchflower. An elegant and inspirational midfield force, he captained the Spurs 1961 Double-winning side and led Northern Ireland, against the odds, to the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup. Equally eloquent off the field, he was no stranger to controversy, writing about the game with a great clarity and passion, and working tirelessly as an innovator, forever trying to transform football as a spectacle for player and fan alike.

Drawing on extensive interviews with family, friends and colleagues (including Jackie Blanchflower, Sir Stanley Matthews, Johnny Haynes, Geoff Hurst, Pat Jennings and Derek Dougan), Dave Bowler skilfully recounts the story of one of football’s greatest thinkers and iconoclasts.