England's World Cup winner is dead

Sir Alf Ramsey has died at the age of 79.

The man who led Ipswich Town to the 1962 League championship achieved the ultimate for a coach of the English national side by winning the World Cup in 1966.

The 4-2 extra-time win over West Germany assured the Dagenham-born Ramsey a place to himself in the history of the English game. He had suffered a long fight against Alzheimer's disease and suffered a stroke last summer during the World Cup in France. He was credited with a tactical revolution in the game by dispensing with wingers to produce an England team in 4-4-2 formation to win the then Jules Rimet trophy in front of the Queen in 1966.

He coached the England national team until 1974 when failure to reach the World Cup in Germany - notably in a momentous draw with Poland at Wembley saw him become the first England coach to be fired and he never forgave the administrators at the English FA who ousted him. He drifted away from the game after an unsuccessful return to club management with Birmingham City.

He disliked giving interviews and his autocratic style of leadership alienated some of the new style professionals of the 1960s but he retained the respect and affection of all Englishmen for delivering the ultimate football dream for their side and no coach since has come close to emulating his achievement.

Ramsey took elocution lessons when he was appointed to the job in 1963 and his stilted speech delivery did not come across well in a game that was starting to begin its love affair with television. He famously dispensed with England's best forward by leaving out Jimmy Greaves from the side which progressed to the 1966 triumph but Ramsey believed other players were better suited to play his favoured system and was proved right.

A minute's silence will be held before all games in England tomorrow and tributes to the former coach will be led by Sir Bobby Charlton who played his entire international career under the man.

With the passing of Ramsey and the death six years ago of Bobby Moore, English football has lost the two authors of that July win that inspires and haunts the country's football to this day.