The sports world mourns the passing of former Irish Republic player and Wimbledon manager, Joe Kinnear, who passed away aged 77, as confirmed by his family. Originally from Dublin, Kinnear had a successful career that began at Tottenham where, as a player, he triumphed in the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. Later in his career, he took on managerial roles at clubs such as Luton, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle.
Joe’s serene passing was disclosed in a statement: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of Joe this afternoon, surrounded by loved ones.” His wife Bonnie had previously disclosed in 2021 that Joe had been dealing with dementia since 2015.
Joe’s illustrious tenure with Tottenham began in his teens in 1963 and led him to his pro debut in 1966. The ensuing decade saw him playing for the club over 250 times, celebrating victories in the FA Cup (1967), UEFA Cup (1972), and the League Cup (1971 and 1973). He later spent his final playing season with Brighton.
His coaching journey initiated in Asia with stints in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, followed by India and Nepal. Upon returning to England, he assisted Dave Mackay at Doncaster before helming Wimbledon in 1992. Wimbledon saw their highest finish in the top flight in the 1993-94 season and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup under Kinnear’s charge in 1997.
However, Kinnear suffered a setback in 1999 when he had a heart attack ahead of a match against Sheffield Wednesday, which led to his resignation in June that year. Later, Kinnear appeared in the roles of director and manager at Oxford and Luton, respectively. At Luton, he presided over their promotion from the Third Division in the 2001-02 season.
In the later years of his career, Kinnear led Nottingham Forest and succeeded Kevin Keegan at Newcastle in 2004 and 2008, respectively. However, in February 2009, he fell ill before a game against West Brom, which subsequently led to his hospitalisation. He had to undergo a heart bypass operation, handing over the managerial reins to Alan Shearer for the remainder of the season.