Sir Bobby Robson --- Thanksgiving

[The Fish 10857]

I'm guessing that there'd have been fans outside and given that Shepherd is not exactly favoured by them, even if Bobby had forgiven him, it's unlikely the fans ever will. Unfortunately that may manifest in ill-timed protestations against him outside Durham cathedral.

 

probably wise that, even if he was invited, he didn't show.

[Craig 6682]

I'm curious as to whether Freddie Shephard was at Sir Bobby's memorial service, but then maybe he wasn't invited.

I'd like to know just how many old players were in attendence, ones who had served under Bobby for club & country, but of course by invite only could limit the numbers.

 

 

I'm guessing that there'd have been fans outside and given that Shepherd is not exactly favoured by them, even if Bobby had forgiven him, it's unlikely the fans ever will. Unfortunately that may manifest in ill-timed protestations against him outside Durham cathedral.

 

probably wise that, even if he was invited, he didn't show.

 

 

According to .COM, Shepherd was there....

 

Big screen beambacks to SJP and Ipswich town centre enabled fans to follow Monday's service of remembrance for Sir Bobby Robson at Durham Cathedral.

 

Among those present at the service were former Magpies Shay Given, Gary Speed, Peter Beardsley, Stuart Pearce, Jermaine Jenas, Terry McDermott, Malcolm Macdonald, Frank Clark, Gazza and Alan Shearer.

 

Former Chairman Freddy Shepherd attended, as did one -time members of the SJP backroom staff John Carver, Mick Wadsworth & David Geddis. However, current club MD Derek Llambias wasn't present.

 

Sam Allardyce and Jack Charlton were also at the Cathedral - good to see the latter out and about after recent health problems - while Chris Hughton and current United first teamers/club staff attended.

 

Sir Bobby's England managerial counterparts Fabio Capello, Graham Taylor, Terry Venables, Steve McClaren, Howard Wilkinson, Peter Taylor and Sven Goran Eriksson rubbed shoulders with Terry Butcher, Mick McCarthy, Eric Gates, Steve Bruce, Niall Quinn, Roy Keane & Lawrie McMenemy.

 

Alex Ferguson, Bobby Charlton, Brian Robson, Gary Lineker, David Seaman, Roy Hodgson, Harry Redknapp, David Moyes, Trevor Brooking and Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola were also among the 1,000 strong congregation.

[The Fish 10857]

Fair dos. Didn't see him at all.

[Craig 6682]

Sir Bobby gone but never forgotten

By Jonathan Pearce

BBC football commentator

 

Tears seeped from reddened eyes as the great and the good came to pay their final respects to Sir Bobby Robson under the vaulted roof of Durham Cathedral. But there were smiles too.

 

Gary Lineker's eulogy had the sort of humour, deep knowledge and warmth that mirrored Sir Bobby himself. He knew the man so well.

 

But now it's the turn of those who revered the former England manager from a distance. The supporters of the two clubs he loved so much will give football's favourite grandad one last rousing send-off as Ipswich and Newcastle meet on a special and emotional Portman Road Saturday.

 

He made his name as a manager there. He created a football club that was respected throughout Europe. How fitting it was that he ended his managerial career at the club of his boyhood dreams. How shabbily Newcastle United treated him.

 

Not the fans though. Never the fans. They may have grumbled at results but they worshipped the County Durham coalminer's son. We all did.

 

I couldn't be there for the memorial service. I had a prior engagement at the annual Lily Foundation golf day. But as the day shone out over the course the day was further warmed by people asking me if I knew Sir Bobby and the stories I could tell.

 

We first worked closely at the 1988 European Championship finals. The competition proved atrocious for England. On the field they were humbled by Ireland, the Netherlands and the Soviet Union. On the streets of Germany beer-bellied bruisers shamed the nation with acts of thuggery.

 

The press savagely turned on the manager but not once did he duck a radio interview or briefing. When he spoke into the microphone he tried to explain the way the games had gone or what he planned to do. The answers weren't terse. They were rich in insight and passion.

 

There were verbal blunders. Ahead of the opener against Ireland he announced that Viv Anderson was in the team. A nudge from an aide reminded him that he'd actually picked Gary Stevens! He frequently mixed up Stevens and Trevor Steven. I once heard him call Bryan Robson 'Bobby'. The mix-ups made me laugh out loud. You couldn't help warm to the man.

 

In 1990 I was one of half a dozen journalists allowed to stay in the England team hotel. With the pressure mounting day-by-day he remained scrupulously polite and welcoming. We weren't made to feel like interlopers. We were allowed to witness close up the deep affection the players felt for him.

 

He'd commissioned an Italian tank to be positioned outside the gates of the hotel on Sardinia for added security. The players and journalists still managed to break out on secret drinking trips thinking he'd never know. He always found out though. His tongue would give a lash, but there was a mischievous glint in his own eyes at the telling-off. His affection for the players knew no bounds. He loved football people.

 

Mick Lowes of BBC Newcastle and I got terribly drunk on the eve of the pre-World Cup friendly in Tunisia and nearly missed the plane. We hurtled into the airport lounge sweaty and hungover. Bobby glanced, raised an eyebrow, wagged a finger and told us we'd be out of the camp if it ever happened again. There was no rampaging lecture, but I never crossed him again.

 

After the epic quarter-final win over Cameroon, in the England hotel perched high on dizzying cliffs, we were halfway through an interview when he suddenly disappeared in mid-answer. He literally ran off. We stood puzzled for several minutes until we heard the pitter-patter of onrushing feet. There he was reappearing down a dim corridor. He resumed the answer as if he hadn't even paused for thought. We never asked him why he'd done a runner. He never told us. It was Tommy Cooper-esque. It was typical Bobby.

 

Years later he asked if we could work together to help garner funds for one of his old Fulham team-mates Bedford Jezzard who'd hit illness and hard times. He'd phone every day to gauge the progress. He wouldn't let it lie until we'd organised something with Fulham. He was dogged, unstinting and generous with his affection.

 

So the fans will be on Saturday at Ipswich. The Portman Road North Stand is to be renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in a special ceremony. Lady Elsie and two of their sons will be there to mark the occasion. The players will wear unique Sir Bobby Robson Foundation shirts, to the auctioned off after the game for his charity. There will be dear moments to treasure.

 

But then he was a dear man. He was a good man. He was a football man.

 

I last saw him at a Football Writers' Association dinner. I'm very proud to be a member of the Association and he knew it. As he came past our table he whispered into my ear: "I've listened and watched you closely on the radio and TV since 1988. I'm so proud of what you've achieved."

 

My career could end tomorrow, but I would still have that moment to cherish forever. It will never leave me.

 

Neither will he. In Durham Cathedral the Bishop of Newcastle explained that "the glory of God is a human being fully alive". Sir Bobby will always be alive for me because I'll constantly compare other managers and situations to him and how he would have reacted. "What would Sir Bobby have said there?" I will ask myself.

 

He won't be able to answer. That's our loss. But I know what he would do. He'd do the right thing. That knowledge is our gain.

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8268818.stm

 

[Guest alex]

Nice piece that.

[timnufc 0]

Sir Bobby gone but never forgotten

By Jonathan Pearce

BBC football commentator

 

Tears seeped from reddened eyes as the great and the good came to pay their final respects to Sir Bobby Robson under the vaulted roof of Durham Cathedral. But there were smiles too.

 

Gary Lineker's eulogy had the sort of humour, deep knowledge and warmth that mirrored Sir Bobby himself. He knew the man so well.

 

But now it's the turn of those who revered the former England manager from a distance. The supporters of the two clubs he loved so much will give football's favourite grandad one last rousing send-off as Ipswich and Newcastle meet on a special and emotional Portman Road Saturday.

 

He made his name as a manager there. He created a football club that was respected throughout Europe. How fitting it was that he ended his managerial career at the club of his boyhood dreams. How shabbily Newcastle United treated him.

 

Not the fans though. Never the fans. They may have grumbled at results but they worshipped the County Durham coalminer's son. We all did.

 

I couldn't be there for the memorial service. I had a prior engagement at the annual Lily Foundation golf day. But as the day shone out over the course the day was further warmed by people asking me if I knew Sir Bobby and the stories I could tell.

 

We first worked closely at the 1988 European Championship finals. The competition proved atrocious for England. On the field they were humbled by Ireland, the Netherlands and the Soviet Union. On the streets of Germany beer-bellied bruisers shamed the nation with acts of thuggery.

 

The press savagely turned on the manager but not once did he duck a radio interview or briefing. When he spoke into the microphone he tried to explain the way the games had gone or what he planned to do. The answers weren't terse. They were rich in insight and passion.

 

There were verbal blunders. Ahead of the opener against Ireland he announced that Viv Anderson was in the team. A nudge from an aide reminded him that he'd actually picked Gary Stevens! He frequently mixed up Stevens and Trevor Steven. I once heard him call Bryan Robson 'Bobby'. The mix-ups made me laugh out loud. You couldn't help warm to the man.

 

In 1990 I was one of half a dozen journalists allowed to stay in the England team hotel. With the pressure mounting day-by-day he remained scrupulously polite and welcoming. We weren't made to feel like interlopers. We were allowed to witness close up the deep affection the players felt for him.

 

He'd commissioned an Italian tank to be positioned outside the gates of the hotel on Sardinia for added security. The players and journalists still managed to break out on secret drinking trips thinking he'd never know. He always found out though. His tongue would give a lash, but there was a mischievous glint in his own eyes at the telling-off. His affection for the players knew no bounds. He loved football people.

 

Mick Lowes of BBC Newcastle and I got terribly drunk on the eve of the pre-World Cup friendly in Tunisia and nearly missed the plane. We hurtled into the airport lounge sweaty and hungover. Bobby glanced, raised an eyebrow, wagged a finger and told us we'd be out of the camp if it ever happened again. There was no rampaging lecture, but I never crossed him again.

 

After the epic quarter-final win over Cameroon, in the England hotel perched high on dizzying cliffs, we were halfway through an interview when he suddenly disappeared in mid-answer. He literally ran off. We stood puzzled for several minutes until we heard the pitter-patter of onrushing feet. There he was reappearing down a dim corridor. He resumed the answer as if he hadn't even paused for thought. We never asked him why he'd done a runner. He never told us. It was Tommy Cooper-esque. It was typical Bobby.

 

Years later he asked if we could work together to help garner funds for one of his old Fulham team-mates Bedford Jezzard who'd hit illness and hard times. He'd phone every day to gauge the progress. He wouldn't let it lie until we'd organised something with Fulham. He was dogged, unstinting and generous with his affection.

 

So the fans will be on Saturday at Ipswich. The Portman Road North Stand is to be renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Stand in a special ceremony. Lady Elsie and two of their sons will be there to mark the occasion. The players will wear unique Sir Bobby Robson Foundation shirts, to the auctioned off after the game for his charity. There will be dear moments to treasure.

 

But then he was a dear man. He was a good man. He was a football man.

 

I last saw him at a Football Writers' Association dinner. I'm very proud to be a member of the Association and he knew it. As he came past our table he whispered into my ear: "I've listened and watched you closely on the radio and TV since 1988. I'm so proud of what you've achieved."

 

My career could end tomorrow, but I would still have that moment to cherish forever. It will never leave me.

 

Neither will he. In Durham Cathedral the Bishop of Newcastle explained that "the glory of God is a human being fully alive". Sir Bobby will always be alive for me because I'll constantly compare other managers and situations to him and how he would have reacted. "What would Sir Bobby have said there?" I will ask myself.

 

He won't be able to answer. That's our loss. But I know what he would do. He'd do the right thing. That knowledge is our gain.

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8268818.stm

 

 

Unfortunately I dont think thats true at all. We anything but 'worshipped' him by the end of his time here. Everyone was kicking off big style at finishing 5th. The fans deserted him and the team at the lap of honour, and SBR was caught talking about how Leeds got relegated that day but got cheered off the pitch yet he finishes 5th and gets that.

 

There was no prespective, granted there was definetely some things wrong with the team and some players, and understandably people wernt happy with those things, but to take away all prespective as a lot of fans did and crucify ultimately a good finish in the Premiership was basically betraying him imo. I was more pissed off at the lack of support than missing out on CL football that season.

 

I think the fans definetely get a bad deal when it comes to most other things like Roeder, Allardyce - "fans forced them out" etc which is rubbish, and the whole "Ashley bowed to fan pressure to get Keegan" etc is rubbish aswell - he was never mentioned before bieng appointed, and the cliched "relegation is toon fans fault not Ashleys".

 

But the fans undoubtedly treated SBR shabbily at the end of his time, and could have made it much harder for Shepherd to sack him.

Edited September 23, 2009 by timnufc

[Kid Dynamite 7029]

It was the players the fans 'deserted', not the manager. I for one was sad to see him go. I suspect its one of those situations where every NUFC fan will now claim 'the fans wanted him out, but not me'. In the same way every man and his dog was at the Spartans Wrexham match in '78

[Guest alex]

Or claim they stayed for that lap of honour.

[timnufc 0]

It was the players the fans 'deserted', not the manager. I for one was sad to see him go. I suspect its one of those situations where every NUFC fan will now claim 'the fans wanted him out, but not me'. In the same way every man and his dog was at the Spartans Wrexham match in '78

 

I was pissed off with the negative atmosphere inside SJP through out the season which is why I started Bring Back The Noise, Im just saying it how it is, nowt to do with claiming anything in hindsight. Robson started making mistakes but the way a lot of people started forgeting what he'd done for us was annoying, surley its obvious that fans stating 5th is unacceptable dosent bode well for the managers position.

[Guest alex]

Probably not really the time or place but if you really want to be truthful about it the there was only two things wrong with getting rid of Robson - the timing and the replacement (and the latter is in itself a symptom of the former).

[Craig 6682]

Probably not really the time or place but if you really want to be truthful about it the there was only two things wrong with getting rid of Robson - the timing and the replacement (and the latter is in itself a symptom of the former).

 

Can't really argue with that one to be honest. We'd all accepted that his time was coming to an end and most expected a natural handover to Shearer at the end of the 04/05 season.

 

IIRC that whole month of August 2004 was an unmitigated disaster. We sold Speed without SBR knowing, then he found out that he was going to be replaced at the end of the season through the press. Then we sold Woodgate with no viable replacement lined up, the we had the incident where Dyer threw the armband away at Middlesbrough, then the ridiculous bid for Rooney.

 

And then we sacked Robson - 36 hours before the transfer window closed. Utter madness.

[Noelie 103]

If Shepard had moved him upstairs instead of sacking him everyone would have been happy.

[Guest alex]

If Shepard had moved him upstairs instead of sacking him everyone would have been happy.

I bet he wouldn't have been, old school 'hands on' manager if ever there was one.

[Noelie 103]

If Shepard had moved him upstairs instead of sacking him everyone would have been happy.

I bet he wouldn't have been, old school 'hands on' manager if ever there was one.

 

I bet he would have, in fact I believe it was in the cards for him to go upstairs at the end of the season, and I think Bobby was the kind to adjust & adapt to any position he was handed. Remember he signed on as a helper to Steve Staunton and the Irish national team which showed he did not have to be the main man but was prepared to be a from the side advisor and not the 'hands on' manager.

[Guest alex]

If Shepard had moved him upstairs instead of sacking him everyone would have been happy.

I bet he wouldn't have been, old school 'hands on' manager if ever there was one.

 

I bet he would have, in fact I believe it was in the cards for him to go upstairs at the end of the season, and I think Bobby was the kind to adjust & adapt to any position he was handed. Remember he signed on as a helper to Steve Staunton and the Irish national team which showed he did not have to be the main man but was prepared to be a from the side advisor and not the 'hands on' manager.

And that didn't go very well, did it? He also had an ill-fated 'upstairs' role at Barca so I'd say the evidence suggests he wasn't the kind to adjust to a less involved role. Also, If he'd wanted a move upstairs at NUFC, I reckon all he'd have had to do was ask because it was obvious he couldn't go on indefinitely, but he wanted to stay on as manager imo.

[Dr Gloom 21924]

robson never should have been sacked. we've been on a downward spiral ever since

[Dr Gloom 21924]

Probably not really the time or place but if you really want to be truthful about it the there was only two things wrong with getting rid of Robson - the timing and the replacement (and the latter is in itself a symptom of the former).

 

Can't really argue with that one to be honest. We'd all accepted that his time was coming to an end and most expected a natural handover to Shearer at the end of the 04/05 season.

 

IIRC that whole month of August 2004 was an unmitigated disaster. We sold Speed without SBR knowing, then he found out that he was going to be replaced at the end of the season through the press. Then we sold Woodgate with no viable replacement lined up, the we had the incident where Dyer threw the armband away at Middlesbrough, then the ridiculous bid for Rooney.

 

And then we sacked Robson - 36 hours before the transfer window closed. Utter madness.

 

not me. i never thought he should have been sacked.

 

i thought at the time that we were had been spoiled by the success we had under him and the majority on here assumed dark times like we're in now were not possible again. problem is the grass isn't always greener. we had one of the most revered managers in the game at the time and we didn't treat him with the respect he deserved.

 

of course the whole situation was made much worse by several baffling decisions by shepherd - timings of sackings, appointing the likes of souness and roeder etc

 

but if you ask me the problem with the kind of success we enjoyed under robson is that it breeds impatience among fans (and in our case, the board). it may be some time again until we're finishing in and around the top 4 for three consecuitve seasons. i wonder if we'll be as fickle next time....assuming there is a next time

[Guest alex]

Probably not really the time or place but if you really want to be truthful about it the there was only two things wrong with getting rid of Robson - the timing and the replacement (and the latter is in itself a symptom of the former).

 

Can't really argue with that one to be honest. We'd all accepted that his time was coming to an end and most expected a natural handover to Shearer at the end of the 04/05 season.

 

IIRC that whole month of August 2004 was an unmitigated disaster. We sold Speed without SBR knowing, then he found out that he was going to be replaced at the end of the season through the press. Then we sold Woodgate with no viable replacement lined up, the we had the incident where Dyer threw the armband away at Middlesbrough, then the ridiculous bid for Rooney.

 

And then we sacked Robson - 36 hours before the transfer window closed. Utter madness.

 

not me. i never thought he should have been sacked.

 

i thought at the time that we were had been spoiled by the success we had under him and the majority on here assumed dark times like we're in now were not possible again. problem is the grass isn't always greener. we had one of the most revered managers in the game at the time and we didn't treat him with the respect he deserved.

 

of course the whole situation was made much worse by several baffling decisions by shepherd - timings of sackings, appointing the likes of souness and roeder etc

 

but if you ask me the problem with the kind of success we enjoyed under robson is that it breeds impatience among fans (and in our case, the board). it may be some time again until we're finishing in and around the top 4 for three consecuitve seasons. i wonder if we'll be as fickle next time....assuming there is a next time

The problem was basically a lack of 'planning'.

It was though. He had his 70th birthday when he was here and there should have been something in place whereby he handed over the reins but, as was ever the case with the previous regime, managerial appointments were reactive decisions taken without foresight. You only get rid of someone like Robson if you have a better replacement and you don't do it at the start of a season just before the transfer window closes. Obviously you can't plan for every eventuality but to not have a firm plan in place for the eventual replacement of a septuagenarian in your employment is nothing short of reckless. Presumably they thought managers would be knocking their door down to come here but that wasn't the case at that time so we ended up with Souness and the rest is history. Saying he should never have been sacked is a massive oversimplification though.

[The Fish 10857]

To be honest we had the opportunity to hand the reigns to some young British managers, Irvine, Carver etc. I know there's little fruit to be taken from the tree of wishful thinking, but I think we'd have been much better off risking our future in their hands than those of Souness et al.

[Monkeys Fist 42449]

The problem was basically a lack of 'planning'.

It was though. He had his 70th birthday when he was here and there should have been something in place whereby he handed over the reins but, as was ever the case with the previous regime, managerial appointments were reactive decisions taken without foresight. You only get rid of someone like Robson if you have a better replacement and you don't do it at the start of a season just before the transfer window closes. Obviously you can't plan for every eventuality but to not have a firm plan in place for the eventual replacement of a septuagenarian in your employment is nothing short of reckless. Presumably they thought managers would be knocking their door down to come here but that wasn't the case at that time so we ended up with Souness and the rest is history. Saying he should never have been sacked is a massive oversimplification though.

This for me, was the worst thing about this whole episode.

The Shepherd/Hall regime were guilty of this throughout their tenure.

[Isegrim 9775]

3, 2, 1 ...

 

Leazes!!!

[sandman02uk 0]

To be honest we had the opportunity to hand the reigns to some young British managers, Irvine, Carver etc. I know there's little fruit to be taken from the tree of wishful thinking, but I think we'd have been much better off risking our future in their hands than those of Souness et al.

 

But if I remember correctly alot of stuff being said was that Robson had lost the dressing room and we needed a hard man to come in and take control, When Souness was appointed lot of people said it was a good decision

 

The sacking of Sir Bob never sat well with me, I'm yet to find someone who thinks it was the right decision

[The Fish 10857]

To be honest we had the opportunity to hand the reigns to some young British managers, Irvine, Carver etc. I know there's little fruit to be taken from the tree of wishful thinking, but I think we'd have been much better off risking our future in their hands than those of Souness et al.

 

But if I remember correctly alot of stuff being said was that Robson had lost the dressing room and we needed a hard man to come in and take control, When Souness was appointed lot of people said it was a good decision

 

The sacking of Sir Bob never sat well with me, I'm yet to find someone who thinks it was the right decision

Really?

[sandman02uk 0]

To be honest we had the opportunity to hand the reigns to some young British managers, Irvine, Carver etc. I know there's little fruit to be taken from the tree of wishful thinking, but I think we'd have been much better off risking our future in their hands than those of Souness et al.

 

But if I remember correctly alot of stuff being said was that Robson had lost the dressing room and we needed a hard man to come in and take control, When Souness was appointed lot of people said it was a good decision

 

The sacking of Sir Bob never sat well with me, I'm yet to find someone who thinks it was the right decision

Really?

 

Media where loving it certainly and the general feeling was he would bring control back to the dressing room, obviously these people didn't realise he's a cunt of a man

[Guest alex]

I honestly remember the complete opposite. Most people iirc thought 'Souness? Fuck me, we've done Blackburn a favour there'. Obviously some people had him down as a 'top boss' but we won't go there.