George Raynor, an English manager who guided Sweden to Olympic gold and a World Cup final, remains largely forgotten in his homeland. Despite his achievements, the former lower-league player struggled to find work in England before taking the Sweden job in 1946.
Raynor's coaching career began with a physical training instructor role in Iraq during World War II and a stint with Aldershot reserves. FA secretary Stanley Rous recognised his aptitude and recommended him for the Sweden position, where he worked under a selection committee led by former Sweden winger Putte Kock.
Under Raynor, Sweden became a competitive force. In 1948, they won Olympic gold in London, with the attacking trio of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm—known as Gre-No-Li—leading the way. However, Sweden's strict amateur rules meant players who turned professional abroad were barred from the national team, forcing Raynor to rebuild.
Despite these restrictions, Raynor led Sweden to third place at the 1950 World Cup and Olympic bronze in 1952. He studied Hungary's legendary 'Magical Magyars' and devised a 2-2 draw against them in 1953, sharing his tactics with England manager Walter Winterbottom—advice that went unheeded as England lost 6-3 to Hungary days later.
Raynor's crowning achievement came at the 1958 World Cup on home soil, where Sweden reached the final, losing 5-2 to Brazil. He later wrote in his book, 'Football Ambassador at Large', that any coach dreams of success in his own country, but he never received the recognition he deserved in England.
