Jimmy Murphy

Who was Jimmy Murphy?

James Patrick "Jimmy" Murphy was a football player who made over 200 appearances for West Bromwich Albion and won 15 caps for Wales. He later became manager of the Welsh national team. Murphy is most famous for being a strong, influential figure at Manchester United from 1946 until the 1970s, as assistant manager, chief coach, reserve team manager and a full-time scout, although he disliked the limelight and preferred to work quietly behind the scenes. Following the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, Murphy temporarily took over as Manchester United manager until the end of the 1957–58 season, steering the club through its greatest crisis. Murphy had not been on the Munich aeroplane, as he had missed the trip due to managing Wales against Israel in Cardiff on the same night as the Red Star Belgrade versus Manchester United match in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The victory for Wales over Israel that night ensured that Wales qualified for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, the only FIFA World Cup that Wales have qualified for to date.