Crook and Barcelona's Jack Greenwell in Football Hall of Fame

A forgotten football "pioneer" has been inducted into the game's Hall of Fame after a campaign by a man who lives in the legend's childhood home.

Jack Greenwell was born in Crook, County Durham, and found great success managing clubs and countries including Barcelona and Peru.

Campaigner Harold Stephenson said Greenwell's achievements were "phenomenal".

The National Football Museum said he was among the English greats.

Greenwell was born in 1884 to a coal mining family and went down the pits himself at the age of 13.

He played for Crook Town and was part of West Auckland's 1909 Sir Thomas Lipton trophy winning team, dubbed the first World Cup, where he caught the eye of Barcelona.

"At that time going to Bishop Auckland six miles away was an adventure, so for him to go abroad was astounding," Mr Stephenson said.

Greenwell won multiple trophies at Barcelona and is their third most successful manager of all time, behind Pep Guardiola and Johann Cruyff.

He also founded the club's women's team before moving to South America where he found further success in Peru and Colombia.

He died in Bogota, Colombia, in 1942 at the age of 58 and is buried in an unmarked grave.

Mr Stephenson said he began researching Greenwell 15 years ago after a friend told him he lived in the Crook home where the footballer was born.

"What he achieved was phenomenal," Mr Stephenson said, adding: "Tactically and physically he was 50 years ahead of his time, but he never got the recognition he deserved.

"I wanted his name to be remembered."

Mr Stephenson started a campaign to have him recognised by the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2002, but museum chief executive Tim Desmond admitted he was initially sceptical.

Speaking at the induction ceremony held at Durham University on Tuesday, Mr Desmond said decisionmakers did not think Greenwell met the criteria, but they changed their mind after Mr Stephenson's relentless campaign which involved extensive research and petitions.

"Greenwell undoubtedly played a big part in the globalization and shaping of football as we know it today, and the museum is delighted to be inducting him into the Hall of Fame," Mr Desmond said.

"His legacy serves as an inspiration to football enthusiasts around the world and it's our role to help shine a light on these astounding stories from the beautiful game."

Stewart Regan, the Crook-born former CEO of the Scottish FA who presided over the induction ceremony, said Greenwell was a "prestigious footballer and pioneer".

Greenwell became the 196th person to be inducted, joining the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Bobby Robson and Jill Scott.

Messages of support were sent from clubs including Barcelona and Valencia, while a trophy was presented to Greenwell's former clubs Crook Town and West Auckland by Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup winner Dennis Tueart.

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