Danny Blanchflower

Footballer, born in Belfast, NE Northern Ireland, UK. Studious, cultured and articulate when off-field, he was a powerful influence in the Northern Ireland side which reached the World Cup quarter finals in 1958. Transferring from Aston Villa to Tottenham Hotspur, he masterminded the London club's double success in the League and the FA Cup (1960–1).

Robert Dennis Blanchflower, known as Danny Blanchflower (February 10, 1926 in Belfast - December 9, 1993) was a footballer, football manager, and journalist who captained Spurs during their double-winning season of 1961. By 1946 he was back in Belfast, back at Gallachers, and building a reputation as an outstanding footballer.

He began his professional football career at the end of the Second World War when he was signed by Belfast side Glentoran.

The highlight of his time at Spurs came with the 1960-61 season. With Blanchflower as captain Spurs won their first 11 games, still a record for the top flight of English football and eventually ran out as league champions by 8 points. They then beat Leicester City in the final of the FA Cup to become the first team in the 20th century to win the league and cup double not achieved since Aston Villa in 1897.

In 1962 he again captained Spurs to victory in the FA Cup, only narrowly missing out on a second double when they finished a close third in the league behind Ipswich Town and Burnley, and in 1963 he captained his side to victory over Atlético Madrid in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, the first British side to win a European trophy.

Between 1949 and 1963, he earned 56 caps for Northern Ireland, often playing alongside his brother Jackie, and in 1958 captained his country when they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

After retiring as a player in April 1964, he withdrew from football for several years, returning briefly as manager of Northern Ireland in 1978, and as manager of Chelsea in 1978-1979, where he won just 5 out of 32 games as the club plunged towards relegation.

He was one of only a handful of players to have been awarded the title of English Footballer of the Year on two occasions, winning in both 1958 and 1961.

In the later years of his life, he suffered from Alzheimer's Disease, and died at his home in December 1993 aged 67.

Preceded by: Tom Finney	Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1958	Succeeded by: Syd Owen
Preceded by: Bill Slater	Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1961	Succeeded by: Jimmy Adamson
Preceded by: Ken Shellito	Chelsea F.C. Manager 1978-1979	Succeeded by: Geoff Hurst
Preceded by: Dave Clements	Northern Ireland manager 1976 - 1979	Succeeded by: Billy Bingham