Ask any football enthusiast who was the greatest-ever England manager and the answer would probably be "Alf Ramsey." After all, he was the man in charge when, in 1966, England won the World Cup for the first and only time in their history.
Yet, in all probability, Ramsey would never have become the English manager had it not been for the skill and commitment of one man, a Welshman by the name of John Elsworthy.
John Elsworthy was born in Nantyderry in Monmouthshire in July 1931. He was always fond of sport and was a more than competent cricketer, turning down the chance to play for Glamorgan County Cricket Club. Although he was also gifted at rugby, there was no doubt that his favourite sport was football.
He had an amateur soccer career that saw him win the Welsh FA Youth Cup with Barry Island YPA and then move on to play, again as an amateur, for Newport County. Finally, in 1949 he signed professional forms for Ipswich Town.
At that time, Ipswich was an unfashionable club, its players sometimes unkindly referred to as 'country bumpkins'. Elsworthy became a regular in the Ipswich side in the 1952-53 season, after National Service had disrupted his early professional career.
A dynamic driving force in the team's midfield, it was clear, right from the beginning, that this was the type of player all clubs needed - strong, determined and willing to go the last mile in any situation. In the 1953 FA Cup run he attracted the attention of big clubs like Liverpool and Everton, who were keen to sign him, but a drop in form cooled their ardour - which was probably just as well for Ipswich Town.
In 1958 John Elsworthy played in an FA Cup tie against Manchester United, the last home appearance of the Busby Babes before the tragedy of the Munich air crash. Ipswich may have lost 2-0 but after the game he was compared, more than favourably, with the great Duncan Edwards.
That same year Elsworthy was named in the Welsh Squad for the World Cup in Sweden but with the Welsh FA short of cash the squad was reduced at the last moment. Elsworthy was one of the unfortunate platers to miss out. Perhaps because he played for the most unfashionable of clubs, the opportunity of international honours never came again.
It was an oversight that effectively consigned him to being the holder of what was the most unwanted title in football - the best uncapped Welsh player of all time.
When Alf Ramsey came to Ipswich Town as manager, John Elsworthy's name soon became an automatic choice on Ramsey's team sheet. And the team began the slow but steady climb out of the lower reaches of the Football League. The football world was amazed when the unfashionable East Anglian side won the Second Division title in 1961, then claimed the First Division title the following season.
John Elsworthy, under the leadership of Alf Ramsey, gained the unique record of being the only player to win a championship medal at every level of the league. It was an amazing achievement.
There is no doubt that Ramsey's leadership - off the field - was an essential part of the club's success. He had stitched together a team, keeping costs to a minimum and giving the players belief in themselves. When the club beat both Tottenham Hotspur and the much fancied Burnley to lift the league title (the equivalent of winning today's Premier League) Ramsey's achievement was hailed as "a miracle on a shoestring."
Yet he could not have done it without John Elsworthy. On the field the lanky Welshman was a tower of strength. A solid and reliable player who never gave less than 100% he was exactly what Alf Ramsey needed in his side. Ipswich may have had marvellous strikers like Ray Crawford and Ted Phillips and play-makers such as Jimmy Leadbetter, but the real strength and backbone of the side was provided by Elsworthy.
He was also intensely loyal. Once he had signed for Ipswich he never played for any other team in a career that saw him make well over 400 games for "the Town."
John Elsworthy epitomised the sporting ideals and driving passion that lifted Ipswich Town to the top of the Football League. And he had his reward when he was part of the side that hammered Maltese Champions Floriana 10-0 in the European Cup. Fittingly, Elsworthy was one of the scorers that day.
When Alf Ramsey left Ipswich to take up the role of England manager, there were many who said he would never have got there without the support of the whole hearted John Elsworthy. Unfortunately, the club's fortunes - and Elsworthy's - declined once Ramsey had gone.
Elsworthy found it hard to relate to the management styles of his successors (Jackie Milburn amongst them) and in 1965 he retired from the game he loved to run a grocery store. He captained Ipswich on his last three appearances for the club.
Living in Ipswich, Elsworthy remained passionately interested in his club. He became Honorary President of their supporters club and never missed a match. He died on 3 May 2009, loved by everyone in the game and an Ipswich supporter through and through.
He might be regarded as the best Welsh footballer never to gain an international cap for his country but probably the best accolade he could be given is a simple one. Simple but honest - without him Alf Ramsey would probably never have become manager of England.
