Mon 08 April 2024, 11:45
Tottenham HotspurA key member of Bill Nicholson's trophy-winning teams of 1967 and the early 1970s, it was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Joe Kinnear on Sunday. He was 77.
A full-back with pace and physicality who loved to get forward, Joe was born in Dublin before moving with his family to Watford at the age of seven. He was soon captaining Watford and Hertfordshire Schoolboys, joined St Albans City and that's where he was spotted by Bill's assistant Eddie Baily.
Initially arriving as an amateur in 1963, Joe signed professional forms in 1965 and made his debut against West Ham in April, 1966, eventually making eight appearances at the end of the 1965/66 season.
His breakthrough arrived the following season, 1966/67. He earned his first cap for the Republic of Ireland, regular full-back, and then legendary defender Phil Beal, broke his arm, and Joe played the rest of the season, his 28 appearances included a first major final as he stepped out at the age of 20 to face Chelsea at Wembley in the 1967 FA Cup Final, goals from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul seeing us home 2-1.
Now a regular and forming a superb full-back partnership with Cyril Knowles - Beal now moving to centre-back - Joe recovered from the best part of a year on the sidelines after breaking his leg against Leeds in January, 1969 to take his place in the 1971 League Cup Final, 1972 UEFA Cup Final and 1973 League Cup Final and victories against Aston Villa, Wolves and Norwich City respectively taking his personal medal haul to four.
The arrival of Ray Evans eventually saw Joe play less regularly - five appearances in 1973/74, 19 in 1974/75 - and he departed for Brighton in the summer of 1975 having made 258 appearances for us in all competitions. He only played one more season and took his tally to 26 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Joe went on to coach the Nepal and India national teams, coach in Malaysia and at Doncaster Rovers before taking the reins at Wimbledon from 1992-1998. He led Wimbledon to sixth in the Premier League in 1993/94 and few Spurs fans will forget our battles with Joe's Dons side in the 1997/98 season - we played them five times in the space of a calendar month (16 January-16 February, 1998) in the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup semi-final.
Joe later managed Luton Town, Forest and then Newcastle United but following a heart bypass operation, left the Magpies when his contract expired in February, 2009. He later returned to St James' Park for a short spell as Director of Football.
On Sunday, Joe's family released a statement that read: "We are sad to announce that Joe passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family."
The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with Joe's family and friends at this incredibly sad time.
