Jimmy Jimmy
The Blackpool Legend Who Managed Bolton Wanderers
A Bloomfield Road defensive legend starting a second season in the third tier of English football with the aim of getting Bolton Wanderers promoted. Ian Evatt in the modern day, right?
Actually, this is an action replay of exactly 50 seasons ago. The 1972/73 season was the second as manager at Burnden Park for Jimmy Armfield who had played all his career at Blackpool and also represented England with distinction.
The parallel is not exact because this is Ian Evatt’s third season at the club and, as we know, he had one in the fourth tier. Armfield joined Bolton in 1971 for the club’s first ever season in the lower divisions. He guided us to a solid upper mid-table finish before securing the title and promotion at the end of 1972/73.
Later generations will remember Jimmy more for his media work than anything else. He was a very regular radio summariser on Five Live, often bringing pragmatic and seasoned footballing thought to balance against the hyperbole of the BBC commentator sitting next to him.
In fact for many years Jimmy was a reporter himself. He’d deliver one of the match reports on Sports Report and prove what an expert broadcast journalist he’d become. In those days it was rare for a footballer to make the transition in to being a full-blown journalist as opposed to an expert observer supplementing journalism.
“It was rare for a footballer to make the transition in to being a full-blown journalist”
Jimmy stabilised us back in the second tier in 1973/74 before taking on the job vacated by Brian Clough after his infamous short reign at Elland Road, Leeds came to an abrupt halt. In his final job in management he took the Yorkshire club to the European Cup Final.
Fans who can recall the very early 1970s will no doubt have tales to tell about the Armfield era at Bolton – great matches, promotion celebrations and perhaps even individual encounters with the great man. Those who don’t will certainly be aware of tales passed on by parents and other older relatives.
One of the things he did that resulted in a bond with the fans was ending the practice of United coaches using the Burnden forecourt to pick up fans on their way to Old Trafford. How that had come to pass in the first place is a mystery but Armfield was as offended as if he'd been born in Great Lever and said “no more”.
Perhaps his best signing for the club was Peter Nicholson who went on to play throughout the 1970s and early 1980s and still has a strong association with the club to this day.
“If Ian Evatt can emulate what Jimmy did 50 seasons ago we’ll all be happy”
Click to read more about the tragic events in August 1974.
Undoubtedly the saddest moment of his reign came a month or so before he left for Leeds. The tragic death of a Blackpool fan during crowd trouble when Bolton visited at the start of 1974/75 was a story that hit national headlines and left fans of both clubs feeling appalled. Mr. Armfield visited the parents of the lad who had died. With his Blackpool connections he was the ideal man to represent Bolton Wanderers in that horrible situation but his own diplomatic, down to earth skills would probably have been enough alone.
When Jimmy left he handed over to his assistant Ian Greaves and Bolton went from strength to strength. Sadly Jimmy died a few years ago but he remains much respected in footballing circles – including high up in the F.A., for whom he did work around the England squad until relatively late in life.
If Ian Evatt can emulate what Jimmy did 50 seasons ago we'll all be happy. There's certainly currently a similar positive feeling to those long ago days of the 1970s with a boom in attendances and a swell of enthusiasm for Bolton Wanderers in the town.