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Supported by Fulham FC |
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Johnny Haynes
| Category: | Male Player |
| Year Inducted: | 2002 |
Profile by Robert Galvin, the author of Football's Greatest Heroes, the official book of the National Football Museum Hall of Fame:
Johnny Haynes, a self-proclaimed ‘perfectionist' hailed by Jimmy Greaves as ‘the greatest passer of the ball I've ever seen', caused a sensation when he became the first player in English football to earn £100-a-week.
A veteran of two World Cups, the Fulham inside-left was an automatic choice as a midfield ‘schemer' for England during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ‘Basically, if Johnny was fit during my time in charge, he played,' Walter Winterbottom said.
Dave Mackay described Haynes as the most difficult player to mark in the world. ‘I've tried close-marking him and getting in quick tackles, but it didn't stop him,' Mackay said. ‘Once I decided to lay off to see if that worked, but he was even more deadly.'
Haynes specialised in delivering an accurate through-ball to the feet of a striker on the run. With England , that tended to be Jimmy Greaves. ‘There has rarely been such a dominant figure for England as Johnny,' Greaves said. ‘Nearly every forward move was masterminded by him.' If that option wasn't on, there was always a disguised reverse pass to the wings. ‘He was a master at that particular skill,' Greaves added.
A loyal servant at Craven Cottage, where he played throughout his career, Haynes was a long-time transfer target for AC Milan, who lodged a bid of £100,000 in 1961. ‘He's not for sale,' Tommy Trinder, the club chairman, told them bluntly.
A few months later, when the maximum wage regulation – then fixed at £20 a week - was lifted, Fulham offered Haynes a five-fold pay rise as an incentive to stay in west London. The Italians were offering even more money, but Haynes signed anyway. ‘I love London , I am captain of England and I feel I owe the game something,' he said at the time.
Haynes made his England debut in the 2-0 win against Northern Ireland in Belfast in October 1954. Billy Wright was immediately impressed.
‘Johnny was just nineteen, and it was unusual at that time for the selectors to put their faith in youth,' Wright recalled. ‘But he already looked an assured and confident player, someone who could hit accurate 40-yard passes with either foot. He was a footballing master.'
In 1958-59 Haynes proved his versatility and value as an attacking player, scoring 26 goals in 34 League matches for Fulham. By now, he was a fixture with England .
So much so that, by the time England arrived in Chile for what would prove to be a disappointing World Cup campaign in 1962, England 's heavy reliance on Haynes was obvious to all, including the opposition.
Asked how his team would play against England in Chile, the Hungary coach told reporters: ‘Simple: number 10 takes the corners, number 10 takes the throw-ins; number 10 does everything. So what do we do? We put a man on number ten. Goodbye, England .' They did, and it was..
Later that year, Haynes – now at the height of his fame – was involved in a serious car accident that put him out of the game for almost a year and effectively ended his international career. He was 28, and he had captained his country 22 times.
Despite numerous calls in the press for Haynes' recall, Alf Ramsey did not select him again for England , following his appointment as manager in 1963. ‘I don't think he's quite the same player since the accident,' Ramsey said privately. Told about this, Haynes said: ‘Alf is right.'
Even so, Haynes was instrumental in keeping a struggling Fulham side in the top flight, against the odds, until relegation in 1967-68.
There was one more twist to the story: ‘I was the first player to be paid £100 a week, but Fulham did not increase my wages by a penny to the day I retired in 1970,' Haynes said.