Joe Armstrong (1894–1975) succeeded
Louis Rocca as chief
scout of
Manchester United after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. At United, Armstrong worked very closely alongside reserve team manager and follow scout,
Jimmy Murphy, and the youth players that made their debut from the early 1950s onwards are a tribute to their scouting skills.
Early in 1953, Joe Armstrong signed 15-year-old
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert Charlton (born 11 October 1937) is an English former footballer who played either as a midfielder or a forward. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World ...
, who went on to become one of the greatest players in the world, being part of Manchester United's
European Cup winning team of 1968 and the 1966
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
World Cup winning team.
Another notable signing was
Duncan Edwards, who broke into the Manchester United first team at the age of 17, was capped for the England team at 18, and gained two
Football League championship medals as well as 18 England caps before he died two weeks after being injured in the Munich crash.
Armstrong died in 1975 at the age of 81.
Manchester United F.C. non-playing staff
1894 births
1975 deaths
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