Jackie Blanchflower
Encyclopedia
John "Jackie" Blanchflower (7 March 1933 — 2 September 1998) was a Northern Irish
football player. He graduated from Manchester United
's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster
. He was the younger brother of Danny Blanchflower
, the captain of the Tottenham Hotspur
side that dominated English football in the early 1960s.
on 24 November 1951 against Liverpool
, away at Anfield
. He helped the club to two league titles during the 1950s. Nicknamed "Twiggy" by his teammates, he was renowned for his versatility. Initially, he played many games as a forward, but the Manchester United manager at the time, Matt Busby
recognised his intelligent positioning sense and aerial power and chose to play him at centre-half. He scored 27 goals during his time at the club.
d pelvis
and arms and legs, and crushed kidney
s, and his right arm was nearly severed. He was in hospital for two months and was read the last rites
in the early days, but survived.
He tried to return to football, but never made a full recovery. Doctors advised him not to return to football because of fears he would damage his kidney and, a year later, Blanchflower retired from football. The Munich air disaster had ended his career at the age of just 24, having earned 12 caps for Northern Ireland.
:
He and Jean married in 1956
After retiring from football, Jackie Blanchflower tried various jobs in the Manchester
area, but misfortune dogged him:
He eventually pursued studies in finance and began a career as an accountant. He later became an after-dinner speaker and was a regular on the after-dinner circuits until his death from cancer on 2 September 1998. He was 65 years old.
He is survived by his three children; John senior (born 1961), Helen (born 1964) and James (born 1966). He had been a widower since the death of his wife Jean in 1990.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
football player. He graduated from Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
. He was the younger brother of Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...
, the captain of the Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
side that dominated English football in the early 1960s.
Manchester United
Blanchflower's first appearance in a professional game was for Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 24 November 1951 against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, away at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. He helped the club to two league titles during the 1950s. Nicknamed "Twiggy" by his teammates, he was renowned for his versatility. Initially, he played many games as a forward, but the Manchester United manager at the time, Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
recognised his intelligent positioning sense and aerial power and chose to play him at centre-half. He scored 27 goals during his time at the club.
Munich air disaster
On 6 February 1958, the Manchester United team that had travelled to Belgrade for the second leg of a European cup tie had their chartered plane stop in Munich to refuel. Weather conditions caused the plane to crash when the pilot attempted to take-off from Munich airport and 23 of the 43 passengers on board were killed. Blanchflower was severely injured, suffering from a fractureBone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
d pelvis
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
and arms and legs, and crushed kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
s, and his right arm was nearly severed. He was in hospital for two months and was read the last rites
Last Rites
The Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
in the early days, but survived.
He tried to return to football, but never made a full recovery. Doctors advised him not to return to football because of fears he would damage his kidney and, a year later, Blanchflower retired from football. The Munich air disaster had ended his career at the age of just 24, having earned 12 caps for Northern Ireland.
Personal life
The callous attitude of Manchester United towards Blanchflower after injury forced the end of his playing career was revealed by journalist David Conn in a 2000 article in The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
:
He and Jean married in 1956
After retiring from football, Jackie Blanchflower tried various jobs in the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
area, but misfortune dogged him:
- He ran a sweetsCandyCandy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
and newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
shop: a supermarketSupermarketA supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
opened round the corner. - He worked for a bookmakerBookmakerA bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
: a hard winter1963 United Kingdom cold waveThe winter of 1962–1963 was one of the coldest winters on record in the United Kingdom. Temperatures plummeted and lakes and rivers began to freeze over...
with the land under snow for several weeks hit horse racingHorse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
so hard that he lost the job. - He took on a pub: two weeks later the breathalyser was introduced.
- He became a printer: he was made redundant in 1976.
He eventually pursued studies in finance and began a career as an accountant. He later became an after-dinner speaker and was a regular on the after-dinner circuits until his death from cancer on 2 September 1998. He was 65 years old.
He is survived by his three children; John senior (born 1961), Helen (born 1964) and James (born 1966). He had been a widower since the death of his wife Jean in 1990.