Along with all other West Ham United fans around the world, we are in sadness today (Feb 9) at the death of Ron Greenwood, the greatest manager in the club’s history.

Ron, 84, passed away peacefully at his home in Sudbury, Suffolk, where he lived with his wife Lucy, after a long illness.

Formerly assistant manager at Arsenal, the former Chelsea centre-back succeeded Ted Fenton as West Ham boss in 1961 and, over the next 13 years Ron, more than anyone, established the club as a symbol of the best qualities to be found not only England, but throughout Europe.

He was the first manager at Upton Park to win a major trophy, the FA Cup in 1964, and he made history again a year later when he returned to Wembley to lead Hammers to their only major European title, the ECWC, with a classic performance. The 2-0 victory over TSV Munich 1860 on that epic night is still recognised by all those lucky enough to see it as the finest display of entertaining, attacking football ever produced by the Irons.

The World Cup-winning trio of Moore, Hurst and Peters all owe their development in the early 60s to the coaching skills of Greenwood. The lessons they learned from the ‘Godfather of Coaching’ (as Don Howe described him) on the training ground at Chadwell Heath came to glorious fruition in the 1966 World Cup Final.

Sir Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds will readily testify just how much they, too, owe Ron for setting them on the way to becoming claret and blue legends. Many, many others have been indebted to Greenwood for making them better players and providing them with a platform to go on into management and coaching themselves later on.

And, but for injury to his two key England players, Brooking and Kevin Keegan, which cost the country so dearly in Spain in 1982, Greenwood might have written his own piece of World Cup history as our national manager. He managed England for five years, from 1977, when he was in virtual semi-retirement.

The greatest manager West Ham has ever had? John Lyall, who succeeded Ron in August 1974, would be the first to agree that the innovative Greenwood deserves that accolade, having learned all he knows about the game from his paternal mentor.

Speaking today, Lyall told EX: "He had such an effect on so many people in and around the game and I can't imagine anyone who had more influence over coaches in my time than Ron. And I had the best of him because I was working with him for so long.

"One feels a great sense of pride in having known someone like him and it’s sad that he’s gone."

The club is to hold a minute's silence prior to next Monday¹s home game against Birmingham City (Feb 13). It will be a chance for modern-day supporters to show their appreciation of a great man who did so much to make West Ham United the club it is today.

But the truth is, Ron Greenwood has left a lasting legacy in E13 where his vision, integrity, influence and achievements should never be forgotten and serve as an example to all those who attempt to emulate him.

A full, in-depth tribute to Ron Greenwood MBE will dominate issue 32 of EX Magazine, on sale March 4, including tributes from numerous ex-West Ham players and the people who knew him best.