Today is an incredibly special day for the whole family. If Sir Walter was here today, he definitely would say, "I can't believe that Carnegie has done such an amazing job." It's absolutely staggering. I'd had no vision it was going to be like this. It's absolutely superb.
He was a boy from a working-class family in Oldham, educated himself, got a scholarship to high school, wanted to be a teacher, went to Chester Teacher Training College, and then played for Manchester United. What he thought when he played for Manchester United was, "Do you know what? You could teach football." And so he came to Carnegie, and he learnt how would you teach football.
He began his life here. His whole career started off here.
And he did so well as a student that he was offered a position of senior lecturer immediately he graduated. He launched sport sciences, everything he needed to know, dietary thing, which was totally new. A lot of players didn't like it. A lot of clubs didn't like it. So he was a man ahead of his time, a pioneer. Football clubs didn't have coaches then. The managers just bought and sold players. So what he learnt here was the beginning of everything he did as director of coaching for the Football Association for 16 years.
Everything he did in life was education. At the Football Association, for example, not only did he set up the coaches' badges scheme, he wrote courses for groundsmen, he wrote courses for club secretaries. He ran a publications department and a video production department. It was all about education. I hope that what he did will be an inspiration to other students.
It made perfect sense for everything to be here. I feel he's in the room with us now. He's come home to Carnegie.
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