A CAMPAIGN has been launched to award a posthumous World Cup winner's medal to the legendary Boro and England trainer Harold Shepherdson.

Shepherdson, who served Boro for more than 40 years, was a key member of Sir Alf Ramsey's backroom team during the nation's never-to-be-forgotten 1966 campaign.

The rules of the day were that only the 11 players who took the field were eligible for medals.

But six months ago FIFA agreed to award medals to the 11 non-playing reserves, including Norman Hunter, Jimmy Armfield and Jimmy Greaves.

And now the call has gone out for Shepherdson, Sir Alf and coach Les Cocker to be commemorated, too.

Log on to www.worldcup66.com for campaign details and to sign a petition.

The campaign is being led by newspapers and radio stations who believe the backroom staff have been unjustly overlooked.

It has the support of Middlesbrough FC and Shepherdson's family.



His daughter, Linda, who married Boro defender Frank Spraggon, said: "It would be a lovely if a medal were to be awarded in recognition of my father.

"Obviously it's a long time after the event but I know Sir Alf was very grateful for the part my dad played in the 1966 World Cup. It would be nice to see all three of the families receive a medal."

Sir Alf wrote to Shepherdson shortly after the tournament saying that, but for his influence and contribution, England would not have won.

His 87-year-old widow, Peggy, who attends all Riverside home matches, still has the letter.

Shepherdson was appointed England trainer in 1958 under Walter Winterbottom and covered four World Cups and 171 internationals. He was awarded the MBE in 1969 for services to football in general.

He played for Boro sporadically either side of the Second World War, but it was as an expert in fitness and training techniques that he made his name.

One of the most important figures in the club's history, he was right-hand man to a succession of Middlesbrough managers and was caretaker boss himself four times before retiring in 1983.

The Shepherdson Way approach road to the Riverside Stadium was named in his honour in 1995.

These days FIFA are more generous in the way they distribute World Cup medals. From 1978 onwards, all members of the winning squads were given medals.

Since 1986, the World Cup winners have been awarded a total of 45 medals with 23 for the squad and 22 for the coaching staff.

The decision also means that Pele will be awarded a medal for the 1962 final, which he missed due to injury. He will now be in the unique position of having three winners' medals.