Joe Kinnear, a former manager of Wimbledon and Newcastle, passed away at the age of 77.
Following a fight with dementia, former Wimbledon and Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear passed away at the age of 77. The devastating news was confirmed on Sunday night by a statement from his family.
In 2015, Kinnear—who also served as a coach for Nottingham Forest and Luton—was given a dementia diagnosis. During his brilliant playing career, the former Republic of Ireland international won the FA Cup, the League Cup twice, and the UEFA Cup with Tottenham.
After starting his career at White Hart Lane, he played for ten seasons totaling 258 appearances before moving to Brighton in 1975. However, he only lasted one season on the south coast before quitting the game.
In a 2021 interview, Bonnie, Kinnear’s wife, talked about her husband’s struggle with dementia to the Telegraph. “He became irritable and somewhat depressed. I felt like, ‘This isn’t right,'” she recalls.
Then, in some circumstances, he became hostile. Simply put, Joe wasn’t there. Getting him to see a doctor was difficult, but in the end, we were able to get him in, and in 2015, he received a diagnosis.
He was diagnosed with early-onset vascular dementia, and ever since, his condition has gotten worse. He’s nearing the end. Seeing how someone can change breaks my heart. He loomed larger than reality. He cherished humankind. He would enter a bar, buy drinks for everyone, share amusing anecdotes, and generally liven up the gathering.”
After ending his playing career, Kinnear began coaching, first in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, then returning to England to work as an assistant at Doncaster.
After that, he was appointed manager of Wimbledon in 1992, and he guided the team to the FA Cup and League Cup semifinals in 1996. In his final coaching position, he went on to manage Newcastle.
Before returning for a brief period in 2013 and 2014 as director of football, he worked for a few months at St James’ Park in 2008 and 2009.
