Terry Venables, former England manager, dies aged 80
Man who took national side to the semi-finals at Euro ’96 also managed Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Leeds United after a successful playing career at Chelsea, Spurs and QPR
Terry Venables, the legendary former England, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona manager, has died at the age of 80 after a lengthy illness.
Venables took England to the semi-finals of the European Championships in 1996, a run he described as “my most thrilling experience in football”, memorably beating Holland 4-1 at Wembley. His reign, however, ended in tears after England were knocked out on penalties by Germany. He also ended Barcelona’s eleven-year title drought in 1985, becoming known as “El Tel” during his time in Spain, and won the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 1991.
A statement issued on behalf of Venables’ family read: “We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully after a long illness. We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives.”
Spurs said in a statement: “The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player and manager Terry Venables. Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s friends and family at this incredibly difficult time. In tribute, we shall hold a minute’s applause prior to kick-off and our players will wear black armbands during [Sunday afternoon’s] fixture against Aston Villa. Rest in peace, Terry.”
Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the League Managers Association (LMA), added: “The LMA is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of LMA member and former LMA president Terry Venables. Our thoughts are very much with Yvette [his wife] and all of Terry’s family at this time.”
Born in Dagenham in Essex in 1943, Venables was a midfielder during his playing days, making a combined 526 appearances for clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and earning two caps for England.
After he hung up his boots in the late 1970s he co-authored the popular detective novels Hazell with Gordon Williams, which were later turned into a successful television series by ITV.
Venables began his managerial career at Crystal Palace in 1976 and led them and QPR into the top flight. Bobby Robson, who was a good friend of the Barcelona vice-president, later recommended him for the post at the club. He led the side to the European Cup final in 1986, where they lost to Steaua București on penalties after a 0-0 draw. That year they also signed Gary Lineker from Everton and Mark Hughes from Manchester United.
Venables eventually ended his managerial career with fleeting spells at Portsmouth, Crystal Palace and Leeds United. In his final years he ran a boutique hotel and restaurant with Yvette, his wife, in Alicante.
You would not make up the career of Terry Venables. Nor should anyone try. He was a complete one-off. In assessing his life, you need to pinch yourself because he would have been quite the character even if he had never been manager of England and Barcelona, had never played football for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
This is a man who, while manager of Queens Park Rangers, released a family board game. Terry Venables Invites You to Be The Manager was for 2-6 players aged 10+ and its box featured images of Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker, two players that were integral to his managerial journey. As he reached the end of his playing career with QPR, Venables released the first of his detective novels. Four years later, Thames Television turned his series of books about the wisecracking James Hazell into a TV series. He bought a controlling stake in Portsmouth while manager of the Australia national team, failed in his attempt to set up a west end tailors and in 1998 agreed to be disqualified from company directorships for seven years.
He was the football man who was famous among those who did not care for football. He was also one of the game’s larger than life characters who inspired loyalty but was also considered, by some critics, as overrated. What is certain though is that his appointment as England manager in 1994 was controversial and unexpected.
His financial dealings were the subject of two Panorama episodes, in 1992 and 1994, when he was accused of “unscrupulous business practices” during the takeover of Tottenham in 1991 with Alan Sugar but a document purporting to prove this was a mock-up and not actual evidence.
That he was given the England job was due in large part to Jimmy Armfield, the former England defender and beloved radio pundit. In his autobiography, Venables makes it plain he would not have been countenanced for the role had not Armfield been appointed to lead the hunt for Graham Taylor’s successor. Sir Bert Millichip, then the FA chairman, was not keen on him for the job and he had not even been interviewed four years previously when Bobby Robson left the post. Armfield spoke to a wide range of players and coaches and the overwhelming response was that Venables should be appointed. Before his formal interview, he reflected that he was on a shortlist of one and that “the only things that could prevent me from becoming the next England manager were not football matters, but the slurs, allegations and accusations levelled at my character and business dealings”.
His vow, upon taking the job was for the national team “to play in a manner that brings admiration from the public,” and that is what he achieved in England’s run at the 1996 European Championships in the sense that the 4-1 victory over Holland was achieved with a panache rarely seen since as the team seemed to relax into their responsibilities. The penalty shoot-out defeat to Germany in the semi- final was not deemed his fault but Venables had already decided to quit due to limitations placed on any contract extension.
But arguably his more compelling legacy comes from his time in charge at Barcelona, a job which earned him the nickname “El Tel” and which began with him fleeing his first night of media intrusion by leaving his hotel via a window and a fire escape and checking into another hotel under a false name.
There was much cynicism among the locals about what an English coach could possibly do for them but as soon as the results turned, promising a first league title after eleven years of disappointment, he became a popular figure. The doubters were wooed by him addressing the fans in Catalan. He was brave too. His first big call was to tell the board to sell Diego Maradona and replace him with Steve Archibald. Perhaps if that decision had backfired, Venables would not have lasted very long in Catalonia. Bringing in Gary Lineker also proved a masterstroke sealed by the striker’s hat-trick against Real Madrid in 1987.
Venables reached the final of the European Cup in 1986 and although Barcelona lost on penalties, he had proven that assumptions about the limitations of English coaches were wrong. For all the concern about his business dealings, those heady years in Spain formed the basis of his ability to be accepted as, and take on, the always tricky challenge of being England manager.
Perhaps the overwhelming wonder of Venables is his sheer irrepressibility. At times it felt as if there was nothing he would not try. He even attempted marketing a curious wig meant to keep real hair fresh for the weekend. More successful was the singing. He was a fine crooner and in 2002 reached no 46 in the charts with a World Cup record. An Elvis Presley cover did even better eight years later.
“Football is just like life,” he wrote. “You have to give it your best shot, take the best and survive the rest.”
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