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English Football Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame in Manchester, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become significant figures in the history of the English game. New members are added each year, with an induction ceremony held in the autumn, formerly at varying locations, but exclusively at the Museum itself following its move to Manchester's Urbis building in 2012.

The Hall is on permanent display at the Museum. An accompanying book, The Football Hall of Fame: The Official Guide to the Greatest Footballing Legends of All Time, was first published in October 2005 by Robson Books. Authored by football historian Rob Galvin and the Museum's founding curator Mark Bushell, it is updated every year with the newest inductees, containing an in-depth profile about the career and reputation of each one, along with a select exhibit from the Museum which relates to their achievements.

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Selection panel

Members of the Hall of Fame are chosen by a panel. Initially, this consisted of ex-players Jimmy Armfield, Sir Trevor Brooking, Jimmy Hill, Mark Lawrenson and Gordon Taylor, all of whom had become professional pundits and/or senior figures in football after retiring.

In subsequent years, former England national team manager Graham Taylor and former England international Steve Hodge have also served stints on the panel, though it is now chiefly a grouping of eminent football historians. The current panel features Neil Carter, Tony Collins, Jeffrey Hill, Peter Holme, Dick Holt, John Hughson, Simon Inglis, Alexander Jackson, Gary James, Graham Kelly, Tony Mason, Kevin Moore, Martin Polley, Dil Porter, Dave Russell, Matthew Taylor, Jean Williams and John Williams.

All surviving inductees to the Hall are granted an additional place on the panel. Two players have been inducted as the 'Fans' Choice', following polls on the BBC Sport and Sky Sports websites.

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History

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Initially, there were three main categories of induction; a mass of 'Players' and 'Managers' from the men's game, together with one figure from the women's game (Sir Alf Ramsey is noted as the only figure to date honoured in both of the main male categories). To be considered for induction, players must be either retired or at least 30 years of age. All inductees must also have played/managed for at least five years in England.

In 2007, two other regular categories were established. Chiefly, this was in recognition of football's central role in English culture, extending Hall of Fame honours to those who have contributed greatly to the English game outside the more obvious fields of play. The Community Champion category – sponsored by the Football Foundation – honours professional players who have donated their spare time and money to the grassroots level of the sport, while the Football for All Award – sponsored by The Football Association – is presented to pioneers of the various forms of football played by disabled people.

Since 2009, the Museum has also commemorated great teams from history alongside its awarding of individual players and coaches. The criteria for a team's induction is that they must have played at least a quarter of a century prior. 2013 saw the first induction of a referee (Jack Taylor),[1] while 2017 saw the first induction of a figure from the football media.

On occasional circumstances there will also be a presentation of a 'special award', usually to mark significant anniversaries. Jimmy Hill is to date the sole recipient of an honour styled as a Lifetime Achievement Award, in celebration of his unusual polymathic career in the game.

On 27 February 2020 the Premier League announced plans to officially launch its Hall of Fame, with plans to induct its first two players on 19 March 2020. For one to be inducted in the Premier League Hall of Fame,[2] it is a requirement that the player must be a retiree of the Premier League and only the player's Premier League career will be used for consideration for their candidacy.[3][4]

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Inductees

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Men

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George Best, inducted in 2002
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Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Charlton, both inducted in 2002
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Stanley Matthews, inducted in 2002
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Arthur Wharton, inducted in 2003
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Alan Shearer, inducted in 2004
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Dennis Bergkamp, inducted in 2007
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Thierry Henry, inducted in 2008
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Paul Scholes, inducted in 2008
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Gary Speed, inducted in 2017
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Women

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Hope Powell, inducted in 2003.
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Kelly Smith, inducted in 2017.
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Managers

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Alf Ramsey, inducted as a manager in 2002, and later as a player in 2010. He is the only person to be honoured as such.
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Other awards

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In 2004, Sepp Blatter, then president of FIFA, was inducted to mark the world federation's centenary. He became the first figure outside the English game to be honoured by the Museum.

In 2007, the Football Foundation Community Champion award was created, with its inaugural holder being Niall Quinn. The following winners were Peter Beardsley (2008), Robbie Earle (2009)[220] and Graham Taylor (2010).[221] The award has been inactive since then.

Also in 2007, the Football for All Award was created, with its inaugural holder being Stephen Daley, a Northern Irish-born English footballer whose professional career was ended by loss of vision at 18, and later became the captain of the partially sighted England national team. In 2008, Steve Johnson, a regular member of the England squad for amputee football and the leader of Everton's charity venture, Everton in the Community, won the award.[222] In 2009, Ronnie Watson, a footballer who has learning disabilities, won the award. He had been training with Oldham Athletic, in preparation for the 2008 European Learning Disability Championship, where he would captain the England LD side.[223] In 2010, George Ferguson won the award. Ferguson is a long-time member of Everton's blind football team and secretary of the Visually Impaired Football League. 2013 saw David Clarke, captain of Great Britain blind football team, win the award. From 2014 to 2017, members of the England cerebral palsy team were honoured, with Matt Dimbylow,[134] Gary Davies,[142] Martin Sinclair[149] and Alistair Patrick-Heselton winning.[224]

The presentation of a special award would happen sporadically over the years. In 2007, Sheffield, the world's oldest football club was commemorated for reaching its 150th anniversary. In 2008, Michel Platini, then president of UEFA, became the second figure outside the English game to be honoured by the Museum in a one-off European Hall of Fame ceremony. Two years later, Jimmy Hill was honoured with a special lifetime achievement award.[225] In 2013, the special award was used three times. Firstly, to Civil Service, the only surviving club of those represented at the official formation of the Football Association in 1863. Secondly, to Ebenezer Cobb Morley, the first secretary of the Football Association and often considered to be its founding father, inducted to mark the governing body's 150th anniversary. Thirdly, to William McGregor, the founder of the Football League was inducted to commemorate the organisation's 125th anniversary. In 2014, the Football Battalion, a group of professional footballers and fans who fought in the Battle of the Somme, were honoured.[134] In 2015, Sun Jihai, the first Chinese player in the English game, was made "Anglo-Chinese Football Ambassador". His surprise induction was announced as part of the state visit to the United Kingdom by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The decision caused controversy on social media with Labour's shadow minister for sport Clive Efford suggesting that the award had been bought by the office of Prime Minister David Cameron. A spokesman for the museum explained that Sun had been recognised for his "ambassadorial role in enhancing the profile and popularity of English football to a Chinese audience".[226] In 2016, two clubs were honoured: Cambridge University, for their unofficial claim to be the world's oldest club; some documents in their archive suggest a foundation year of 1856, the year before Sheffield began,[227] and Notts County for their status as the world's oldest club currently playing at a professional level; founded in 1862.[228]

Team awards were introduced in 2008, as part of a one-off European Hall of Fame ceremony. Manchester United and Liverpool's European Cup winning sides of 1968 and 1978 were the first teams inducted. In 2009, Manchester United's Busby Babes squad of the 1950s and Manchester City's cup-winning squad of the late 1960s and early 1970s were inducted.[229] In 2010, the World Cup winning England squad was inducted. In 2011, Aston Villa's European Cup winning side of 1982 was inducted in a special ceremony. In 2014, Preston North End's "Invincibles" team was inducted.[134] In 2016, Nottingham Forest's European Cup winning squad of 1979 and 1980 was inducted.[228]

In 2013, a referee section was created, with Jack Taylor the inaugural holder.[230] Taylor remained the only inductee until 2024, when Rebecca Welch, who became the first woman to referee a Premier League fixture, was inducted in 2024.[231] In 2017, a journalism section was created with Hugh McIlvanney the inaugural holder.

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Notes

  1. Fans' Choice, in conjunction with Sky Sports.
  1. Also played in 17 Scottish Football League matches for Hibernian.
  2. Also played in 182 Ligue 1 matches for Auxerre, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Nîmes.
  3. Also played in 160 Serie A matches for Juventus and AS Roma.
  4. Also honoured with Presidency of the Museum.
  5. Also played in 4 League of Ireland matches for Waterford, and played in 5 National Soccer League matches for Perth Azzurri and Blacktown City.
  6. Also played in 204 Scottish Football League matches for Celtic.
  7. Also played in 7 League of Ireland matches for Sligo Rovers.
  8. Also honoured with Vice-Presidency of the Museum
  9. Also played in 41 Serie A matches for Lazio, and 74 Scottish Football League matches for Rangers.
  10. Also played in 12 Serie A matches for A.C. Milan
  11. Also played in 90 Bundesliga matches for Hamburger SV.
  12. Also played in 27 Serie A matches for Torino.
  13. Also played in 135 Scottish Football League matches for Hearts.
  14. Also played in 103 La Liga matches for Barcelona, and 18 J1 League matches for Nagoya Grampus Eight.
  15. Schmeichel collected his Hall of Fame trophy in 2013, having missed his initial inauguration in 2003.
  16. Also played in 197 Danish 1st Division for Hvidovre and Brøndby, and played in 55 Primeira Liga matches for Sporting CP.
  17. Born in Jamestown, Gold Coast (now Accra, Ghana). Wharton moved to England aged 19, but he did not play for the national team.
  18. Shearer collected his Hall of Fame trophy in 2014, having missed his initial inauguration in 2004.
  19. Giggs collected his Hall of Fame trophy in 2015, having missed his initial inauguration in 2005.
  20. Born in Bremen, Germany. Trautmann's professional career began a few months after the creation of West Germany, but he did not play for the national team, despite the possibility to do so.
  21. Also played in 8 Scottish Premier League matches for Celtic.
  22. Also played in 191 Serie A matches for Juventus, Sampdoria and Internazionale.
  23. Also played in 86 Scottish Football League matches for Partick Thistle.
  24. Also played in 29 Serie A matches for Juventus
  25. Also played in 281 Serie A matches for Napoli, Parma and Cagliari
  26. Also played in 73 North American Soccer League matches for Vancouver Whitecaps.
  27. Fans' Choice, in conjunction with BBC Sport.
  28. Also played in 185 Eredivisie matches for Ajax, and played in 85 Serie A matches for Inter Milan.
  29. Also played in 69 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco.
  30. Also played in 28 La Liga matches for Barcelona, and played in 18 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich.
  31. Also played in 56 Serie A matches for Sampdoria, and played in 50 Scottish Football League matches for Rangers.
  32. Also played in 116 La Liga matches for Real Madrid, played in 98 Major League Soccer matches for LA Galaxy, played in 29 Serie A matches for Milan, and in 10 Ligue 1 matches for Paris Saint-Germain.
  33. Henry collected his Hall of Fame trophy at a special ceremony in 2011, having missed his initial inauguration in 2008.
  34. Also played in 110 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco, played in 16 Serie A matches for Juventus, played in 80 La Liga matches for Barcelona, and played in 122 Major League Soccer matches for New York Red Bulls.
  35. Also played in 129 Primera División matches for Belgrano and Huracán, and played in 14 Ligue 1 matches for Paris Saint-Germain.
  36. Also honoured with Vice-Presidency of the Museum.
  37. Also played in 158 wartime league matches
  38. Also played 73 Serie A matches for A.C. Milan, played 13 Ligue 1 matches for Paris Saint-Germain, played in 86 Scottish Football League matches for Rangers and Hibernian
  39. Also played in 89 Serie A matches for Sampdoria and Atalanta, and played in 18 Scottish Football League matches for Rangers
  40. Also played in 120 Scottish Football League matches for Queen of the South and Airdrieonians
  41. Also played in 35 La Liga matches for Real Madrid.
  42. Also played in 49 Ligue 1 matches for Cannes, and played in 100 Serie A matches for Milan, Juventus and Inter Milan.
  43. Also honoured in 2008 as Everton supporters' "favourite performer in European games" at a one-off European Hall of Fame ceremony.
  44. Also played in 252 Scottish Football League matches for Dundee and Aberdeen.
  45. Also honoured in 2008 as Liverpool supporters' "favourite performer in European games" at a one-off European Hall of Fame ceremony.
  46. Also played in 18 Major League Soccer matches for LA Galaxy.
  47. Born in Maripasoula, French Guiana. Regis moved to England aged five, and was capped by the national team during the 1980s.
  48. Fashanu did not play for the national team, but was capped at U21 level.
  49. Also played in 127 Scottish Football League matches for Rangers.
  50. Also played in 54 Serie A matches for Inter Milan.
  51. Tull was born in Folkestone, but he did not play for the national team in his playing career and was killed in action during the First World War.
  52. Also played as an amateur for Clapton from 1908 to 1909.
  53. Also played in 29 Bundesliga matches for Hamburger SV and 88 Belgian Pro League matches for Anderlecht.
  54. Also played as an amateur for Barking Town from 1920 to 1921.
  55. Born in St. George's, Grenada. Batson moved to England aged nine, and was capped by the national team at B level.
  56. Also played semi-professionally for Prescot Cables and Chelmsford City, and played in the War League for Leicester City.
  57. Of Chinese descent, Soo was born and raised in England, and was capped by the national team during wartime.
  58. Also scored over 900 goals in her club career
  59. Also managed Great Britain and Scotland.
  60. Also honoured with Vice-Presidency of the Museum.
  61. Also managed Athletic Bilbao.
  62. Also managed Nancy, Monaco and Nagoya Grampus Eight.
  63. Also managed Barcelona and Australia.
  64. Solely coached abroad, mainly in Spain, as well as in Peru and in Colombia. He managed Barcelona, UE Sants, CD Castellón, Español, Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII, Valencia, Sporting de Gijón, Universitario de Deportes, Peru and Independiente Santa Fe.
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References

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