Former defender for Leicester City and club record sale Death at age 86 of Tony Knapp
Knapp gained attention for his contributions to England while playing for Matt Gillies’ City team before going on to lead Southampton and coach teams to league titles in Scandinavia.
It has been reported that Tony Knapp, a former defender for Leicester City, passed away at the age of 86.
Knapp, a dependable defender in the early years of Matt Gillies’ reign, went on to become a Southampton club icon and later worked as a manager in Iceland and Norway. His passing was reported in Southampton on Wednesday afternoon.
Knapp, a coal miner, was a vital member of Gillies’ team that was competing in the first division by 1958 after being signed by City from amateur football as a 17-year-old in 1953. Knapp was called up by England due to his performance in the 1959–60 season, but he was never given the opportunity to play for his nation.
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Knapp suffered a knee injury in November 1960, and Ian King took Knapp’s spot in the City side. He therefore missed the match against Tottenham Hotspur even though he was healthy enough to play in the 1961 FA Cup final.
Knapp moved to Southampton for £27,500 that summer after leaving City after participating in 92 games, setting a club record for Leicester. Knapp played 260 games for the Saints and led them to their first-ever promotion to the top level in 1966.
Knapp began coaching after stints with Coventry and Tranmere and in North America. His work in Iceland earned him the position as head coach in the middle of the 1970s. Later, he managed several of Norway’s top club teams, including Viking, with whom he won the league and cup double in 1979.
When he spoke to City in 2020, he was still a resident of Norway. He reflected on his time there and remarked, “I still rank that time in my life as the best. At that time, Filbert Street had some outstanding players, including Frank McLintock and Gordon Banks, the best custodian I’ve ever played with.
“How important the club was to the residents of Leicester really amazed me. People would stop and talk to you whenever you were out and about or shopping. It was outstanding.
I came from a mining family. My father, who was a miner himself, enjoyed that I played football, but because of my upbringing, I never lost control. Some experts soar high before crashing hard to the ground. Never did I fly. Looking back, I believe I would have been a better player if I had the confidence I needed as a player.
“I was truly shocked at how significant the club was to Leicester citizens. Every time you went shopping or out and about, people would stop and talk to you. It was excellent.
I come from a family of miners. I played football, which my father, a miner, liked, but because to my upbringing, I never lost control. Some experts fly to great heights before coming tumbling down. I have never flown. Looking back, I think that if I had the necessary player confidence, I would have been a better player.
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