Published 16 April 2024 6 min read
England
Jack Greenwell inducted into National Football Museum's hall of fame
Pioneering English coach and former Barcelona manager to be recognised at honorary dinner in Durham to celebrate his legacy
Jack Greenwell, the English coach who remains Barcelona’s longest-serving manager and the man credited with the inception of what became known as ‘Tiki-Taka’ has been posthumously inducted into the National Football Museum’s hall of fame.
Crook-born Greenwell managed FC Barcelona over two spells between 1913-1923 and 1931-1933, winning seven titles whilst in charge to become one of the Catalan giant’s most decorated managers.
He also coached in South America with spells in Colombia and Peru, who he led to their first ever Copa America triumph in 1939.
To commemorate Greenwell’s induction and legacy, a celebratory meal is being held at Durham University on Tuesday 16 April, not far from Greenwell’s hometown of Crook as people from across the globe will pay homage to one of football’s true ground breakers.
Greenwell was a pioneer in football management as he was not only one of the first English coaches to ever manage abroad, but also one of the most successful coaches in English history.
He left a legacy in both Spain and across South America, playing a big part in the globalisation and shaping of football as we know it today.
Crook-born Greenwell managed FC Barcelona over two spells between 1913-1923 and 1931-1933, winning seven titles whilst in charge to become one of the Catalan giant’s most decorated managers.
He also coached in South America with spells in Colombia and Peru, who he led to their first ever Copa America triumph in 1939.
To commemorate Greenwell’s induction and legacy, a celebratory meal is being held at Durham University on Tuesday 16 April, not far from Greenwell’s hometown of Crook as people from across the globe will pay homage to one of football’s true ground breakers.
Greenwell was a pioneer in football management as he was not only one of the first English coaches to ever manage abroad, but also one of the most successful coaches in English history.
He left a legacy in both Spain and across South America, playing a big part in the globalisation and shaping of football as we know it today.
Greenwell’s story began in the mining town of Crook, County Durham in 1884. And like most men of that time, he followed in his father’s footsteps at the age of 13 and worked as a putter in the mines.
But at 17, his football journey began when he signed as a wing-half for Crook Town, who at the time had just won the FA Amateur Cup before moving on to West Auckland FC.
It was 1909 that proved to be the year which changed his life, after West Auckland were invited to take part in an international football competition called the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, dubbed by many as ‘the first World Cup’, in Turin, Italy.
West Auckland managed to win the tournament, beating Winterthur of Switzerland by 2-0 in the final, after which Greenwell was first approached to sign for FC Barcelona. Three years later, he decided to take the plunge and join Barcelona as a player in August 1912.
After a year at the club, Greenwell took over as Barcelona’s official coach at the age of 28 in a player-manager role in 1913 and went on to manage the club for a total of 492 games.
During his time in charge he won five Catalan Championships and two Copa del Reys as well as being credited with introducing many innovations, none greater than the passing game that would become the precursor to Tiki-Taka.
Spells in Spain as manager of UE Sants, CD Castellón, Sportind De Gijon, Valencia, Espanyol and Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII (now known as RCD Mallorca) followed before he had to flee the country following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
But at 17, his football journey began when he signed as a wing-half for Crook Town, who at the time had just won the FA Amateur Cup before moving on to West Auckland FC.
It was 1909 that proved to be the year which changed his life, after West Auckland were invited to take part in an international football competition called the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, dubbed by many as ‘the first World Cup’, in Turin, Italy.
West Auckland managed to win the tournament, beating Winterthur of Switzerland by 2-0 in the final, after which Greenwell was first approached to sign for FC Barcelona. Three years later, he decided to take the plunge and join Barcelona as a player in August 1912.
After a year at the club, Greenwell took over as Barcelona’s official coach at the age of 28 in a player-manager role in 1913 and went on to manage the club for a total of 492 games.
During his time in charge he won five Catalan Championships and two Copa del Reys as well as being credited with introducing many innovations, none greater than the passing game that would become the precursor to Tiki-Taka.
Spells in Spain as manager of UE Sants, CD Castellón, Sportind De Gijon, Valencia, Espanyol and Real Sociedad Alfonso XIII (now known as RCD Mallorca) followed before he had to flee the country following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
He was subsequently approached to become tactical advisor for Peru ahead of the 1936 Olympic football tournament in Berlin before moving to Lima in 1938 to become coach of both Universitario de Deportes and the Peru national team. In 1939, Universitario won the Peruvian title for the third time in their history and Peru secured their first Copa América title.
His final chapter in management came in Colombia in 1940, as coach of the CD Atletico Junior club. He would again find himself involved in the Colombian national side, helping them to prepare for the 1942 Central American and Caribbean games.
As a result of the Games being postponed due to the outbreak of the Second World War, he was able to take over as coach of the recently formed Club Independiente Sante Fe in Bogotá in 1942 and received much acclaim for his tactical awareness and discipline.
The National Football Museum Hall of Fame aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of those who have made an outstanding contribution to English football. The Hall of Fame also acknowledges and champions the careers of those that go beyond just impact on the pitch.
Greenwell now joins esteemed company with the likes of fellow Barcelona manager Terry Venables, Terry Butcher and Sir Alf Ramsey.
Tim Desmond, CEO of the National Football Museum, expressed his admiration for Greenwell's contributions, stating: "Greenwell undoubtedly played a big part in the globalisation and shaping of football as we know it today, and the Museum is delighted to be inducting him into the Hall of Fame.
“His legacy serves as an inspiration to football enthusiasts around the world and it’s our role to help shine a light on these astounding stories from the beautiful game."
His final chapter in management came in Colombia in 1940, as coach of the CD Atletico Junior club. He would again find himself involved in the Colombian national side, helping them to prepare for the 1942 Central American and Caribbean games.
As a result of the Games being postponed due to the outbreak of the Second World War, he was able to take over as coach of the recently formed Club Independiente Sante Fe in Bogotá in 1942 and received much acclaim for his tactical awareness and discipline.
The National Football Museum Hall of Fame aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of those who have made an outstanding contribution to English football. The Hall of Fame also acknowledges and champions the careers of those that go beyond just impact on the pitch.
Greenwell now joins esteemed company with the likes of fellow Barcelona manager Terry Venables, Terry Butcher and Sir Alf Ramsey.
Tim Desmond, CEO of the National Football Museum, expressed his admiration for Greenwell's contributions, stating: "Greenwell undoubtedly played a big part in the globalisation and shaping of football as we know it today, and the Museum is delighted to be inducting him into the Hall of Fame.
“His legacy serves as an inspiration to football enthusiasts around the world and it’s our role to help shine a light on these astounding stories from the beautiful game."
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