By Denis Stidder
Not much happens in the small town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. It has been called Sun Trap of the South and God’s Waiting Room. The young move away and the retired come to stay. Nobody would ever think Eastbourne has had such a strong connection to World Cup’s history. However, it seems to have been a kind of a Mecca for World Cup football managers and top-ranking professional footballers.
Ironically, many of the residents of Eastbourne are unaware of the four World Cup football managers that have graced their seaside resort. Four managers were privileged enough to manage eight national and one Olympic team. They have also managed two local football teams, Eastbourne United and Eastbourne Town. Ed McIlvenny, a Scot, who captained the 1950 USA World Cup team, also worked and lived in Eastbourne.
The royal family also has had close connections with Eastbourne. Edward Prince of Wales’s, later to be King who abdicated planted a Holm oak in the grounds of The Oval, home of Eastbourne United. The plaque is lost in undergrowth but the tree now dominates the football ground where an England Manager put his players through their paces. Queen Mary also has a couple of plaques in the town. One on a Holywell beach hut dated 1935 and one in St. Mary’s church where she attended a service in the same year. In 1966 the year England won the World Cup, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II laid a stone at Pevensey Castle not commemorating England’s win but the conquest of England by the French. Hopefully, England may get its’ revenge this year.
Ed McIlvenny, a Scotsman, was captain for the USA national team when drawn in one of the early rounds against England for the 1950 World Cup beating them 1- 0. The American team was a mishmash of players, being unable to find suitable footballers with citizenships they signed up non-Americans, Ed being one of them. In doing so they were granted American Citizenship. Amazingly, though the English team was made up with players such as; Stanley Matthews, Wilf Mannion, Tom Finney and Bert Williams, amongst others. Ed McIlvenny, a true gentleman to all those who knew him, worked and lived out his life in Eastbourne.
Ron Greenwood CBE, was made England manager after Don Revie resigned. Under his managership, England qualified for the 1980 UEFA Euro’s, and two years later he took them to Spain for the World Cup, where they left eliminated but unbeaten after drawing with both West Germany and Spain the eventual winners. Ron was a true professional who had football in his blood. Prior to being England manager he won the FA Cup 1964 and 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup. During this time he also was responsible for the development of the 1966 FIFA World Cup winning trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. In 1978, Ron Greenwood selected England’s first black player Viv Anderson. He retired as England Manager in 1982, when Bobby Robson took over. Eastbourne was truly privileged when Ron Greenwood came to the Oval to manage the Eastbourne United football team, during which time he brought West Ham United and Arsenal teams to entertain the fans. Arsenal were beaten despite having the great Bob Wilson in goal, in his last ever game.
Gordon Jago MBE, had an illustrious career in Football, much of it made in the USA where he was made manager of the national team in 1969. In this country he managed Queens Park Rangers and Millwall, before moving to the states and managing the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Dallas Sidekicks. A member of the Sidekicks Hall of Fame, he was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup in recognition of his invaluable, selfless, and far reaching contribution to the beautiful game in March 2016. Gordon Jago was one of only six men named to the 2013 class of the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame. A real professional Gordon is still remembered by a few old Eastbourne United footballers for his amazing enthusiasm for the game.
John Mansell, known as Jack, played professional football for Brighton, Cardiff and Portsmouth before coaching at Sheffield Wednesday and a number of others before he went to Europe, and the US. He became National football manager of Israel and the Bahrain National team. Jack Mansell, is the third football professional to have honoured Eastbourne United’s youth with his knowledge and experience.
George Skinner was Coach to five national teams; Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran. George became Iceland’s manager for the Olympic football team. George loved England and in his early days played for Spurs, and was player/coach for Hastings United, before becoming manager of Eastbourne Town Football Club at the Saffron’s famous old cricket ground. George particularly loved Eastbourne though and was publican of the Wheatsheaf Pub in Willingdon where his photo is still on the pub wall.
He was an Eastbournian, through and through being a publican for the Wheatsheaf pub in Willingdon and became FA chief coach for Kent before returning to Finland to take charge of the Finish Olympic team. George Skinner returned to England as manager of Eastbourne Town from 1954 until 1959 and later held the post of chief coach of the Sussex FA.
In 1962 he travelled abroad to coach in Nigeria before becoming the national team coach of countries including Libya (1965), Jordan (1968) and Saudi Arabia (1969). He took the appointment of national coach with Frank O’Farrell of Iran in 1972. His last managerial position overseas was with Icelandic club IBV in 1976. Under his charge the club became the countries first club to progress past the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1978, after knocking out Glentoran. He retired from football in 1978 and settled in Pevensey Bay. He died on 30 September 2002 at an Eastbourne nursing home.
McIlvenny Captain of the 1950 USA world cup team
Mansell Israel national coach (1980s)
Jago USA national coach (1969)
Greenwood England World Cup Manager (1982)
Skinner National coach Libya/Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Iran/Iceland
and coach for Finland Olympic football Team
Author Bio:
This is a story of the coast town of Eastbourne and its connect to World Cup’s of previous years. it focuses on Eastbourne United’s football ground the ‘Oval’ at which several England world cup managers coached. Furthermore, other famous footballers had parts to play at the ‘Oval’ together with Royalty as Edward VIII planted a tree.
Contact Author:
Denis Stidder: 07792959576
