Joe Kinnear, the former manager of Wimbledon and Newcastle United, has died at the age of 77. Kinnear, who had also managed Luton and Nottingham Forest, was diagnosed with dementia in 2015. His family announced his passing in a statement, saying that he had “passed away peacefully”, surrounded by his loved ones.
Kinnear had an illustrious playing career, winning 26 caps for the Republic of Ireland over an 11-year period. He spent 10 seasons with Tottenham, where he made 258 appearances. He helped the club win the FA Cup, the League Cup twice, and the UEFA Cup. Unfortunately, a knee injury forced him to retire after just one season with Brighton in 1975.
Kinnear began his managerial career in 1983 with the India national side. Later, he had a stint with Nepal in 1987. In March 1989, he returned to English football with Doncaster Rovers. His next role came with Wimbledon two-and-a-half-years later, where he was in charge for more than seven years. The “Crazy Gang” manager helped guide Wimbledon to a sixth-place finish in his second full season in charge, winning him the 1994 LMA Manager of the Year award.
Despite returning to management with Luton Town in 2001 and a brief spell with Nottingham Forest, Kinnear ended his managerial career with a short and controversy-filled spell at Newcastle United. He was appointed caretaker manager after Kevin Keegan’s resignation in the 2008-09 season but only lasted 18 games before stepping down.
Kinnear is remembered by those who knew him as a true legend of the game. Tributes have been flooding in from the football community, with Newcastle, Luton, Wimbledon, and Tottenham all expressing their condolences to Kinnear’s family and friends
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