Married to the daughter of English football legend Sir Walter Winterbottom, local author Graham Morse had the unique privilege of personally knowing one of the most influential men in the history of the game. Sports fans are invited to join Morse at Books & Books, Camana Bay for the launch of his new biography, Sir Walter Winterbottom: The Father of Modern English Football, on Thursday, August 1 at 7pm.

This free event will include an author presentation, group discussion and book signing.

About the Book

Sir Walter Winterbottom was arguably the most influential man in modern English football. He is known as the first England team manager, but more than that he was an innovator of modern coaching, sports administrator and a man ahead of his time; a man who had a profound effect on English football and who laid the foundations for England’s success in 1966. Walter managed them all, from Lawton to Charlton, and inspired many to become coaches: Ron Greenwood, Bill Nicholson, Jimmy Hill and Bobby Robson were amongst his disciples and took his gospel to the clubs they managed.

Born in 1913, Winterbottom started out as a teacher and physical education instructor, playing amateur football in his spare time. He was soon signed up by Manchester United, playing his first game in 1936 and winning promotion to the First Division in 1938. A spinal ailment curtailed his career, but during World War II he served as an officer in the Royal Air Force before the FA appointed him as national director of coaching and England team manager in 1946. He remains the only manager to have taken the national side to more than two World Cup finals and was created an OBE in 1963 and a CBE in 1972 before being knighted in 1978. Walter died in 2002 but his legacy continues to inspire many in football today, especially with the opening of the new St George’s Park football academy.

With interviews and insight from top football names, this book – written by Winterbottom’s son-in-law – also draws on personal diaries, photographs and letters. However, this is more than just a biography of one man – it’s the story of how modern football came about.

Sir Walter Winterbottom: The Father of Modern English Football is now available at Books & Books.

About the Author

Graham Morse is an avid sports enthusiast with a deep love for football. He first visited Wembley for the 1962 Spurs v Burnley Cup Final and over the next three decades he attended most England Internationals and Cup Finals. Sailing is another of Graham’s passions. In 2002 he crossed the Atlantic with his wife Janet and in 2007 they traversed the Pacific, a journey that he documented in his first book, The Islands Time Forgot. Graham and Janet have four children and eight grandchildren. They have lived in England, America, Switzerland and are now residents of the Cayman Islands.

For up to date information on all Books & Books events in Grand Cayman, visit www.booksandbooks.com, like Books & Books (Cayman) on Facebook and follow @BooksandBooksKY on Twitter.

• Founded in 1982 by Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books is exceptionally well-respected in the literary community as one of America’s most successful independent bookstores with three locations in South Florida – plus stores in Grand Cayman, Westhampton Beach, Miami International Airport and the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

• Books & Books Grand Cayman is located in the Town Centre of Camana Bay, at 45 Market Street, where it is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 9:00pm. The store number is 345.640.2665.

• Books & Books was one of the first shops to open in the Town Centre of Camana Bay; Grand Cayman’s most vibrant shopping and entertainment destination. The store is designed to encourage customers to explore and creates a sense of discovery with a large section dedicated to Caymanian authors, as well as a vast number of titles of Caribbean interest. A light and airy room dedicated to children has a particularly impressive selection of picture books in addition to toys, educational games and books for kids of all ages. The new and notable fiction section includes New York Times bestsellers, while the art room has a comprehensive collection of architecture, design, photography and gardening books.

• The Books & Books International Visiting Author Series brings renowned authors from around the world to Grand Cayman. The store has hosted more than 100 writers including Salman Rushdie, Michael Ondaatje, Robert Goolrick, Alexander McCall Smith and Dylan Lauren and children’s authors and illustrators such as Mo Willems, Loren Long and Anna Dewdney.

• Sign up to receive Books & Books Grand Cayman’s free, weekly electronic newsletter of special events by visiting www.booksandbooks.com. Scroll down to the Event Newsletters section, type in your email address and select Grand Cayman Events.

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