The BBC's Kevin Gearey looks back at Sir Alf Ramsey's career

On a glorious July day three years later, his prediction came true and Ramsey claimed a permanent place in English football history.

Born in Dagenham, Essex, in 1920, the son of a smallholder, Alf Ramsey was a promising footballer at school, and later played for his army regiment during World War II.

"The General" captained England three times

He was signed as an amateur by Southampton in 1943 and turned professional a year later.

In 1949 he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. His arrival at White Hart Lane marked the beginning of successful period for Spurs.

He played at right-back in more than 250 cup and league games, and until late in 1953 was an automatic choice for England, captaining the national side three times.

As a player, Ramsey's coolness, his capacity for critical analysis combined with decisive action, won him the nickname "The General".

Winning the championship as Ipswich manager

He brought these qualities to management when he joined Ipswich Town in 1955. Despite operating on a shoestring budget, within seven years he brought his team up from the old Third Division South to Football League champions.

This feat earned Ramsey a new job, as manager of England.

After meticulous planning and preparation, Ramsey took his "wingless wonders" to the World Cup Final at Wembley on 30 July 1966.

Geoff Hurst clinches the World Cup

His team beat West Germany 4-2 in extra time to lift the Jules Rimet trophy for the first - and only - time. The calm on his face was one of the unforgettable moments.

He himself confessed afterwards that he did not remember feeling any emotion at all. He said he was too busy watching and noting every movement to feel tense or excited.

He was knighted in 1970.

Ramsey blamed for 1970 World Cup defeat

Four years later, the World Cup final beckoned again as England led a quarter-final against West Germany 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining. But they lost and Sir Alf came in for sustained criticism for his cautious tactics.

Then, at Wembley in October 1973, England could only draw with 1-1 with Poland which meant that they had failed to qualify for the World Cup finals. Later that season, Sir Alf was sacked.

Poland's goal at Wembley in 1973 seals Ramsey's fate

A brief spell as a caretaker manager with Birmingham City followed and in 1979 he became technical adviser to the Greek club Panathinaikos. He was dismissed the following year after a series of bad results.

A quiet retirement followed. He remained a regular visitor to Wembley for major occasions and in 1991 he was reunited with some of his World Cup-winning team before the FA Cup Final.

But Sir Alf Ramsey will always be associated with one summer's day in 1966 when his England were on top of the world.

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