BLANCHFLOWER, Robert Dennis (1954-64)

Position: Half back
Height: 5ft 10ins 
Weight: 10st 7lbs
Born: Belfast, 10 February, 1926
Died: Cobham, Surrey, 9 December, 1993
Signed from Aston Villa, December 1954
Retired June 1964
Also played for: Connsbrook, Bloomfield United, Glentoran, Barnsley, Aston Villa, Northern Ireland

Spurs Record:
Debut: 11 December, 1954 v Manchester City (FL) (a) drew 0-0
Appearances: League 337, FA Cup 33, Europe 12
Goals: League 15, FA Cup 4, Europe 2

Many footballers have left an indelible mark on football’s history, most for their performances on the pitch, some for their managerial skills and others their tactical innovations.  Few have left their mark because of the man they were.  Danny Blanchflower is one of that select band.

A boy from Belfast, he moved to England to ply his trade, became one of the greatest footballers this country has produced and built a reputation as a deep thinker with real passion for the game he played and wrote about so well.  Frequently controversial, there were many who disagreed with his views but none who did not respect them.

His whole ethos on the game is summed up in one quotation that will always be pure Blanchflower:

    “The game is about glory. It’s about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.”

Danny began his career with Glentoran, moved to Barnsley, then joined Aston Villa, the £15,000 fee ample evidence how much his playing talents were recognised even though he had already shown his rebellious side by upsetting Barnsley manager, Angus Seed, with demands to use a ball in training.

At Villa Park, Blanchflower flourished on and off the pitch.  On it his talents shone through. Off it, he began espousing his views on the game and how it should be played in the media.  He was not afraid to speak his mind, a trait that endeared him to some but upset others.  After three years with Villa, Blanchflower wanted to win trophies, to leave his mark.  His transfer request granted, Villa placed a record £40,000 fee on his head.

Arthur Rowe was desperate to sign him.  He had heard the stories but recognised a kindred spirit and knew he and Danny shared the same vision of the game.  A figure of £30,000 secured Blanchflower’s signature and it would prove to be money extremely well spent.

From his very first game in a Spurs’ shirt, Blanchflower showed the superlative skills that made him the country’s premier attacking wing-half.  Always demanding the ball, everything he did was simplicity itself, whether playing a short pass to his inside-forward, dropping a long ball into the stride of his opposite winger or arrowing a defence-splitting pass to his forwards.

His great strength lay in his attacking play and he was not renowned for defending but while he often got caught upfield, he did not totally forget his defensive job.  He was not a player for the thunderous tackle, but preferred to break up attacks with swift interceptions or jockey opponents into areas from which they could cause no harm.

Perhaps Blanchflower’s greatest skill though was in captaincy.  He replaced Alf Ramsey in the role before his first season in London was over and after Bill Nicholson assumed the managerial reins, their relationship was in no small way responsible for the club’s greatest successes.

Danny was an inspirational captain, leading from the front, encouraging, always there to back his colleagues and representing them off the field with style and intelligence.  More than that, he had the ability to take Bill Nick’s ideas onto the pitch and put them into action, changing them if needed knowing he had Nicholson’s full support.

Into his late thirties, the trophies he craved came with the ‘Double’ in 1961, the FA Cup in 1962 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963.  He also collected the Player of the Year award in 1957 and 1961.

Injury brought Blanchflower’s playing career to a close in 1964.  He then built a new career as a journalist, controversial, forceful and innovative as ever but respected by his peers as someone who really knew the game. He also had spells as manager of Chelsea and Northern Ireland.

On the international stage, Blanchflower won 56 caps for Northern Ireland, captaining them in their vain but glorious World Cup campaign of 1958.