Cyril Barry Knowles was a footballer who played left-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England.
14 Facts About Cyril Knowles
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Cyril Knowles was the son of the rugby league footballer Cyril Knowles, and the older brother of fellow professional footballer Peter Knowles.
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However, Middlesbrough recognised his talents as a potential left-back and Cyril Knowles was accepted into their amateur squad.
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Cyril Knowles would spend 11 years at White Hart Lane, where he was famed for his crossing ability, creating countless opportunities from open play as well as set pieces.
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Cyril Knowles is remembered for his excellent partnership with Irish right-back Joe Kinnear and his valuable contribution towards the acceptance of the overlapping, attacking full-back in modern football.
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Cyril Knowles represented the English Under-23 team on six occasions and played for Young England against the England senior side and the Football League against the Scottish League in 1968 and 1969.
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Cyril Knowles scored 17 goals in 507 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, winning the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973 and a UEFA Cup winners medal in 1972.
8.
Cyril Knowles was the inspiration for the popular record "Nice One Cyril", performed by Cockerel Chorus, which peaked at number 14 in the UK Singles Charts in March 1973, and is widely regarded as the greatest left-back in the history of Tottenham Hotspur by both supporters and critics.
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Cyril Knowles resigned as Darlington manager in 1987 following relegation to the Fourth Division, but soon returned to management with Torquay United.
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Cyril Knowles transformed a poor side that had almost been relegated from the League the previous season, taking them to the brink of play-offs in his first season and the final of the Associate Members' Cup the following year.
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Cyril Knowles revived Hartlepool and they finished 12 points clear of relegation.
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Cyril Knowles was diagnosed with a brain tumour in February 1991 and coach Alan Murray took temporary charge of the first team.
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Cyril Knowles failed to recover from the cancer and he died on 30 August 1991 at the age of 47.
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Cyril Knowles married Betty Grundy in 1967, with whom he had a son, who died in a freak traffic accident when a stone was thrown up from the road and crashed through the window of the car he was in and hit him in the head.