The Goalmaker

Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode Seventeen

2007-09-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

"I was absolutely flabbergasted by that performance. I did not expect that at all. I am not interested in giving reasons or mitigating circumstances. It was just a very bad performance." (Sir Alex Ferguson)

A splendid word, "flabbergasted", which I was told covered two entire pages in one of my sister's books when she was a small child, and which she proclaimed with gusto whenever those pages were turned. Perhaps she and SAF read the same book, being of similar generations. The etymology is unknown, although the word dates back to at least the 18th century; a collision of the roots for "flabby" and "aghast" in a Germanic construction seems the most popular guess.

Because the bus was over an hour late, and I was standing in the pouring rain, I must count myself lucky enough to have missed the first chunk of this match. I hadn't thought to take a radio with me (and anyway I haven't got a portable DAB yet).

So by the time I got home, we were a goal down and obviously playing achieved rubbish. The Sun the next day had a pointless piece about our playing a reserve side (and at the same time forcing the season ticket holders to buy a ticket to watch it), but this wasn't really a side of inexperienced kids. It had six internationals; it had a defence with considerable experience on loan to various clubs; it had a midfield worth a small fortune; it had John O'Shea. It had no strikers to speak of, of course, but that is our current approach. Presumably, if they'd stayed, Rossi and Smudger would have had a game, so you can't really blame them for going.

I can fully understand why SAF thought the side was "good enough to win", and that has more to do with overestimating our own players rather than underestimating the opposition. But it is has happened too often; for SAF to say he "didn't expect it" is surely disingenuous. He should expect it by now, because we have done it so often.

In fact, if we look at the history of SAF's teams, he has never shown himself adept at rotation. Our greatest successes have been achieved with a settled side, most of our blips when that side has been disrupted by injury, suspension, the rules of European competition (in the early days) or managerial meddling.

Although we were the first team to have the brainwave of using the League Cup in its various guises to play our younger reserves, we have never demonstrated notable success at the practice (as distinct from Arsenal, for instance), whether in the League Cup or the early rounds of the FA Cup (0-0 Exeter City, for example) or indeed some dead group ties in Europe. The recent year when we won the League Cup was when injuries virtually forced us to play a stronger side at an early stage.

I really thought he might have given Rooney and Tevez a few more minutes together against Coventry, even from the bench, although bringing on Rooney and Ronaldo last year didn't help. And maybe he should have started with Wesley and Carrick. Even so this is simply the curse of Mickey Mouse again.

Because, generally, this competition has been cursed for United. We were one of the last teams to enter the League Cup when it started and have shown it little affection, enthusiasm or success ever since. Look how long it took us to win it and then only in a fairly shoddy performance in a dreadful powder blue shirt.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end of Phil Bardsley as a United player. I can well imagine he will be on his way out of the transfer window in December. "Defenestration" is another splendid word. You must have a word for throwing someone out of the window.

It certainly shows us that the quality of our reserve strength is lacking en masse. A number of them may be capable of slotting into an established and settled side and doing a job, but we only seem to grow squad players these days, not players with any touch of greatness. Who was the last great player we produced through our own youth set-up? Scholes, I would suggest. And Giggs before that.

Anyway, as I was saying, I missed the first goal. Apparently "Best's crossfield pass picked out Michael Doyle inside the United penalty area and Doyle hit the ball to the far post, where Mifsud was lurking to turn the ball past the stranded Tomasz Kuszczak". Who would have thought we'd ever hear of Best and Michael Doyle playing on the same side? From the highlights, it didn't appear startling defending, particularly by Johnny Evans. And not long after that, Mifsud hit the post.

Overall, we matched them for goal attempts, apparently, but I suspect many of those were Nani having a blaze from nowhere in particular. It may likely take a season or so to harness his talent, but I suspect we are always going to suffer from the occasional spectacular goal in the middle of rather too many dreadful efforts. Ronnie was wasteful in the early days, but Nani is older and should already have learned better.

The changes for the second half seemed to give us a bit more shape, and it looked as if we might even get away with this sort of thing again, and at least take it to extra time.

There was the one moment when Coventry keeper Andy Marshall produced an outstanding fingertip save to deny Dong after 69 minutes, when a header was floating into the top corner. But within a minute they were down the other end, Mifsud doubled his tally and that was it.

Later, Mifsud should probably have had a hat-trick when Tomasz pushed the ball into his path, but he somehow failed to find the goal.

Manchester United 0 Coventry 2

Goals: Mifsud 27, 70.

Manchester Utd: Kuszczak, Bardsley (Brown 45), Evans (Carrick 56), Pique, Simpson, Nani, Martin (Campbell 45), O'Shea, Eagles, Dong, Anderson.

Subs Not Used: Heaton, Eckersley.

Booked: Pique.

Red shirts, white shorts, black stockings.

Coventry: Marshall, Osbourne (McNamee 88), Ward, Turner, Borrowdale, Simpson, Stephen Hughes, Doyle, Tabb, Mifsud, Best (Adebola 90).

Subs Not Used: Konstantopoulos, De Zeeuw, Thornton.

Attendance: 74,055 Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).

Anyway, so much for the Glazers' latest attempt to squeeze the fans. No more home cup-ties here for them. And the atmosphere of fans who were there only begrudgingly, and well outsung by the visitors, went some way towards that.

The attendance figure is largely a myth, of course. United have long counted the number of tickets paid for (which includes all season ticket holders whether or not they - or indeed anyone else - are actually in the seats), rather than the number of bodies through the turnstiles. In theory you could have an attendance of 75,000 with less than 20,000 in the stadium.

Wednesday 26.09.2007 : 5Live Extra Radio

The Anti-Semitic Referee and Others

2007-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

One of the more bizarre follow-ups to the victory over Chelsea was seen in their manager's homeland. In the Maariv newspaper Gady Carmeli, an assistant coach at an Israeli club and a friend and adviser to Grant, wrote: "What the anti-semitic referee did [at Old Trafford] yesterday was worse than injustice. Everybody agrees, Chelsea played its best half an hour of football this season at the start of the game. Avram was at his best preparing the tactics but no British pundit could understand it." (Shaul Adar, September 25, 2007 The Guardian)

This is, of course, a classic example of the tactical paranoia commonly adopted by certain factions in Israel and their support lobby. Any opposition is automatically categorised as "anti-semitic".

But it seems it may also go deeper. Abramovich has long positioned himself as Jewish, rather than Russian, and has been giving financial support to Israeli football, which was how he met Grant in the first place.

A piece in the Daily Mirror noted 'Chelsea were in danger of letting their paranoia take over last night as anti-Tottenham jibes by Blues fans were being seen as a dig at Roman Abramovich...one chant, of "We hate Tottenham", was being seen in the upper echelons of Stamford Bridge as a potentially anti-Semitic statement aimed directly at Abramovich, who has never hidden his Jewish faith.'

Perhaps nobody at Chelsea has ever bothered to tell Abramovich about the traditions of anti-semitism already rooted deeply in their fan-base, elements of which always used to greet Spurs fans with what were supposed to be impressions of the noise a gas chamber makes.

Whether opposition from fans to Grant and Abramovich will indeed express itself as anti-semitism remains to be seen, but I doubt those particular fans will be subtle enough to bother couching it as opposition to Spurs.

Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode Sixteen

2007-09-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

So the question was always going to be, how will they react. Either way, we seem unlikely to be the story, it's going to be entirely about Chelsea, which must be all to the good.

Not especially concerned, until the television decides to go on the blink about an hour before kick-off. It's clearly the NTL feed, or the Virgin feed as it has now become. The programmes via the roof-top aerial seems fine, so the set itself must be fine.

I call the Virgin call-centre. Their menu has an irritatingly perky female voice; their customer service centre a male voice, which I assume to be on the sub-continent. We try the usual tricks like switching things on and off and unplugging various devices and plugging them back in. I try and explain the problem. It occurs to me that there must be an entire generation that does not understand the concept of "vertical hold"- and its absence - a perennial fault of televisions in my childhood. It is quite hard to explain what's happening without this bit of available vocabulary.

Eventually, we lose the entire Virgin picture, which at least has the advantage of now being extremely simple to describe. By then we have established that it is affecting all their channels, although some worse than others, so it must be the set-top box. I dread the fact that this is one of their old analogue boxes and will probably be beyond repair or replacement (they were unable to replace even the remote a couple of years back). OK, that will pre-empt the decision to go digital, which I would probably have made in the next few weeks anyway, but that in itself is bound to lead to delays, waits for engineers and the usual trappings of any change in service (including an increase in the price). In the meantime, an engineer can come out on Wednesday. Seems pointless to do anything other than agree.

In the more pressing meantime, we need to get to the nearest pub; as it's a standard Sky game, this can be interpreted quite literally for once.

It's somewhere we don't really go that often. The beer is tolerable, rather than good, but as good as the place where we usually go for Setanta games, anyway, although that says virtually nothing. But it isn't a CAMRA branch meeting after all (and frankly they have been known to meet in some of the most bizarre pubs , in the cause of evangelism).

I read bits of the piece in The Observer about how J Terry was the one who pushed Mourinho over the edge. It is strange how Terry seems to have come to believe a lot of the stuff about him being an "icon". This rumour about him demanding a clause in his contract that will always make him their best-paid player was perhaps the start (although I suppose it is only a way of putting some form of inflation-proofing - or Ballack proofing - into a long-term contract, it does have that aura of crazed arrogance - if they sign Kaka or Ronaldinho, for example, does Terry really think he should be in that same bracket? I'm not even sure he should be in the England team).

Useless grainy slow motion montage of Mourinho clips. There is obviously an entire group of television workers who make a living out of putting these things together, for a purpose which is entirely beyond me, other than to use up time which regulation says cannot be used for advertising. It is presumably a cheaper method of programming than many others, although surely not cheaper than talking heads talking bollocks.

As the game is about to start, baskets of "roast" potatoes and chicken are put out on the tables. This is a most civilised version of an old tradition, which harks back to those distant days of the last century when you were only allowed a couple of hours in the pub from 12 to 2, in between church and Sunday dinner. Although it seems like ancient history, it can't really be that long ago, when the only way we could watch the Sunday afternoon game in the pub was via a lock-in. Certainly, less than fifteen years ago.

Saha is on the bench and Tevez starts alongside Rooney is the only notable team news, although it's reassuring that John O'Shea is back on the bench, in case we need an emergency striker.

Chelsea are playing all three of their holding midfielders - Makalele, Mikel Obi and Essien - and Shevchenko on his own up front between Joe Cole and Malouda. The three who might be most upset by Mourinho's departure (Lampard, Drogba and Carvalho) are injured, of course. Grant's fellow Israeli, Ben Haim, replaces Alex. If this is Abramovich's team, the cavalier instinct is not notable. Wright-Phillips, for instance, one of their better players this season, is on the bench.

Early on, Rooney cuts inside Ben Haim on the edge of the box and curls a shot on goal which Petr Cech just finger-tipped wide at full-stretch.

Cech is probably the only player I envy Chelsea. Essien and Mikel we would have had, of course, and would have saved us the need to buy Hargreaves, but they chose the money, or their agents' did. (I don't think either of them are Mourinho men; more like Kenyon men). But I don't think I'd have anyone else from the Chelsea team.

For the first half-hour it's a relatively even game. We probably have the slight edge, whilst Chelsea look half dangerous on the break, only never seem to get their options or final ball right. I am reassured to see that Shevchenko doesn't look like suddenly finding his old form, which I had half worried about. His pace has gone, and without that half-yard the space to apply the ability to control and shoot seems to have gone as well,

We are denied a penalty when Joe Cole slides in on Evra and brings him down, before getting a faint touch on the ball, probably with his knee. That touch may give Mr Dean enough "doubt". Giggs wasted a decent chance (and was to waste another better one in the second half, after a fine ball from Carrick) - perhaps he will never reach 100 league goals and will be forever stranded on 98. I wonder if he regrets the Faustian pact he made with the devil after his first season, when he gave up the ability to score regularly so that he could acquire the ability to tackle.

On the half-hour, Mikel clatters Paddy. It's a poor tackle, but I didn't think there was anything malicious in it. However, Mike Dean is reaching for his back pocket. As a referee, he is fairly trigger-happy with red cards and gestures that he thinks Mikel went in two footed. You can see, from the replay, how Dean might have seen it that way, and Mikel certainly went studs first on to Paddy's metatarsal region, but he didn't go over the ball and the second foot didn't seem to catch him at all.

I think that with ten men and our limited ability to break down the massed defence this season, we are edging ever closer to the 0-0.

Although there are words for the next to last and for the one before the next to last, I don't know a word for the one after the last. The postultimate, I suppose. Anyway, in the last minute, we attacked and got a corner. I am not entirely sure where this concept has come from, but referees these days are clearly reluctant to blow the whistle for the end of a playing period when the ball is either out of play or in either attacking third. It is a very modern idea and can be irritating when referees seem to wait for, for example, a goal kick to be taken, so that they blow whilst the ball is in mid-air over the half-way line.

Anyway, Mike Dean allows time for the corner to be taken on the right. Usually, once the corner is cleared away, he might blow, but Wes Brown comes onto the clearance and heads it straight back wide to Giggs, who's moving out after taking the corner. Giggs turns back along the by-line and puts in a wickedly spinning cross to the near post with the outside of his foot. Cech comes to clear it out by the post and Tevez dives across in front of his hands and deflects it into the net. A great time to score, the postultimate minute.

The second half was largely anti-climactic. I worried that United might have their eye on some record of successive 1-0 victories. Although Chelsea were creating nothing - I don't think EVDS had to touch the ball in anger all game - at 1-0 there is always the fear of a wonder strike, a ghastly deflection or a moment of refereeing madness.

Shevchenko was substituted around the hour mark. Shots of Abramovich (and acolytes) applauding ostentatiously. Perhaps he always applauds when players go off, but the producer doesn't usually bother showing it.

There was one moment when Joe Cole cracked Ronnie from behind that was more deserving of a red card than Mikel's challenge, but gradually things ticked down. Cole was taken off fairly quickly, in case the referee had his eye on him.

Saha came on rather later than usual, as much to let Tevez leave the field to applause as to exploit any gaps. Still he made a run or two and the result was sealed when Ben Haim left a leg hanging for Saha to go over. Quite deliberate, I would imagine, on Louis's part, although he didn't exactly have to swerve into him.

I thought it was a clear penalty, although Louis didn't help by a piece of over-acting. The sort of thing that often puts a referee off. Perhaps this one was subconsciously remembering the one he didn't give earlier, and thought it late enough not to affect the game.

This not being Arsenal, Saha then got straight up to take the penalty. Ronnie looked fairly put out. Giggs had stopped him taking a free-kick earlier in the game and given it to Tevez to blaze over the bar. Although Ronnie had since had the chance to take a free-kick himself (it would have gone into the wall as usual but the wall obligingly let it through for Cech to scoop up with little concern), he may have seen some sort of conspiracy in demoting him for penalties as well. Louis put it hard enough down the centre of the goal, fortunately missing Cech's feet on the way.
Manchester United 2 Chelsea 0

Manchester Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Tevez (Saha 79), Rooney.

Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Nani, Pique, O'Shea.

Booked: Rooney (61 : dissent), Brown (80 : foul).

Goals: Tevez 45, Saha 90 pen.

Strip : Red shirts, white shorts, black stockings.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Ben-Haim, Terry, Ashley Cole, Makelele, Essien, Obi, Joe Cole (Pizarro 76), Shevchenko (Kalou 59), Malouda (Wright-Phillips 69).

Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Alex.

Sent Off: Obi (32).

Booked: Joe Cole (73), Terry (83).

Attendance : 75,663 Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

This is when you really miss Mourinho, of course : a harsh sending off, a goal after time, a soft penalty. How much he would have made of all that. Avram Grant sounded like a low-level trade union official remembering a list of grievances. There was no panache, no histrionics; not even the achieved pout of Benitez.

No longer will we be able to see the man whose entire career was founded on a dodgy linesman's decision ranting on about officials and injustice. In truth, it takes away some of the savour of victory. Some of the savour, of course, but not a lot.

Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode Fourteen

2007-09-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Stuff of nightmares. For the first time this season, the pub was actually advertising the game a couple of days earlier, which in itself should have set off the alarms.

We weren't entirely surprised the doors were still shut. They do tend to be open until the early hours, so getting out of bed on Saturday is often a problem and I always worry about an early kick-off. The Police have a lot to answer for.

Peering through the window, there are some signs of activity; well, life at least.

I put the radio on and wait for them to stop talking about rugby. She seems to be polishing tables, I am told; couldn't she do that after she opens the door? Gesticulation through glass. Wonder vaguely how this appears from inside, but never mind, the meaning should be quite apparent. She is holding up two fingers, I am told, but in the informative rather than the demonstrative mode.

They are just about to toss the coin. OK, couple of minutes, shouldn't be a problem. Think vaguely about Gorgeous Gus and his lucky gold sovereign and wonder if each referee has a special coin that he takes out or just fiddles amongst his change on the day. Maybe the FA issues them with a special "tossing disc".

It's hard to work out the team news. Rooney doesn't feature, but I had always thought adding him to the squad was largely a gesture, perhaps to confuse or worry Sporting in their tactical preparation. Ronaldo is back of course; Micky is at left back and Evra in front of him. No Saha and can't work out if he's even on the bench. In the absence of our specialist substitutes, O'Shea and the Scottish player, who is in fact on the bench is an interesting question, but not one the BBC shows any inclination to answer.

No Tim Howard again for Everton. His excuse this time is a finger injury.

Two minutes is nearer to ten, not that we seem to have missed anything that could be described as action, but that's not the point. More research into the finer points of communication through glass. Table polisher disappears totally. Some of those waiting have sat on the pavement across the road, by the cemetery gates. Michael decides to take a chance on another pub, which may be showing it (despite lack pf advertisement), but we hang on a little longer.

When Radio 5 change commentators and the bleating tones of Alan Green take over, I start to get seriously concerned. And I'm not the only one. A screech from beside me; apparently two fingers meant, "We've decided not to open until two o'clock". Obvious, really. It always makes sense to advertise two or three matches you aren't going to show.

So follow Michael to the other pub, half listening to a continuing rant about the failings of publicans in one ear and Alan Green in the other. The game still doesn't sound worth watching but, apart from anything else, I am now desperate for a drink, and even prepared to watch Liverpool or the rugby.

So the first half hour has passed as we get there. I have heard Evra has hit the side netting. Arteta has put a free kick from just outside the box over the bar. Little else. Not missed a lot.

Arrive just in time to see Vidic play a corner up onto his face and wide. Then United suffer a blow a few minutes before half-time when Micky collapses with no-one near him and is carried off with what appears to be a bad knee injury. His knee looked to twist under him as he went down. He's replaced by Nani and Paddy drops back vaguely towards where a full-back might usually be.

Scholes is booked for punching the ball back not quite close enough to where it is supposed to be. Well, probably he was booked for "dissent", because he was certainly displaying clear disagreement with a handball decision that had been given against him, and the crowd were going for it. Scholes does tend to use his hands quite a lot, but on this occasion it was pretty much shoulder. And he was then fortunate not to be sent off for a late challenge on Arteta straight afterwards. Another referee might well have been more pompous and I expect Wiley might well have booked him for the challenge, had it not been for the previous card. I think Scholes is getting increasingly grumpy in his old age.

Watch a bit of the Liverpool game in the interval. Not looking much better than our game, to be frank.

One way and another, Scholes was United's most prominent player in this match. Early in the second half, he is on the far post for an Arteta corner and forced to hack Johnson's header off the line when he flicks it on at the near post. Scholes then wastes our best opportunity of the match after 55 minutes or so when he volleys wide from only about 10 yards, after Tevez has lifted the ball delicately over the defence to leave him clear. Tevez has looked fresh enough after his Australian trip, and shown some lovely touches, but is still not providing any cutting edge. Well, no-one is.

Ronaldo has been whacked a few times and failed to get anything out of the referee. Eventually, he is booked for diving, tumbling under a challenge from Leon Osman, as Ronnie runs along on the edge of the area. Replays seem to demonstrate clear contact. He might well have gone down relatively easily, given the ball was running out of his reach and it was a position he would have fancied, but I don't think that is "simulation" (it isn't when the blessed Michael Owen does it for example) and at that speed almost anything can make your balance go.

Louis is eventually brought off the bench after about 60 minutes, the classic SAF substitution time. He doesn't seem likely to have the same impact as against Sunderland.

In fact, it doesn't look as if we'll get anything from the game, when we make the breakthrough with seven minutes left, Vidic hurling himself in front of defenders at the near post, to head home a fine Nani corner.

Almost immediately, we see the other classic SAF substitution: a defender or defensive midfielder brought on with five minutes to go. It's a tactic I hate, seems generally disruptive and we usually seem to hold on despite rather than because of the change. Nice to see Pique, mind, but I'd have preferred a different context. If Mickey is really bad, perhaps he'll become left-back cover.

Everton put on the midweek hero McFadden in the closing minutes and he instantly brought a decent save from EVDS, although he can't hold it and we have to scramble around until Yobo turns it past the post.

So twice in a row we have disproved my old adage that we never score from corners. Perhaps this is just down to the introduction of Nani, I can't imagine we have been spending any more time on it in training. Obviously the general trend is worrying, but at least we are sneaking these ugly little wins. Apart from anything else, it must be incredibly annoying for other teams, this impersonation of Chelsea. Chelsea themselves can't manage it, which is even better, and have what seems to be a perfectly good goal disallowed. I am not entirely clear how we can be ahead of anyone on goal difference, but so we are.

Arsenal's defeat of Spurs is unfortunate, although it's a pretty good game; the result flatters them and Spurs would probably have won if they'd taken their earlier chances. Maybe it really is going to be a more competitive league this year. Of course, Spurs may panic and Berbatov may be agitating for a move at Christmas. And the other teams are really falling into the "difficult to beat" rather than the "be worried about" category. Leading teams will drop points against several of them, but I can't see any of them going on a devestating run just yet.

Everton 0 Manchester United 1

Everton: Wessels, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Arteta, Jagielka, Neville (McFadden 85), Osman (Pienaar 73), Johnson, Yakubu (Anichebe 74).

Subs Not Used: Turner, Carsley.

Booked: Neville, Pienaar.

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre (Nani 41), Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Evra, Giggs (Saha 63), Tevez, Nani (Pique 85).

Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Gibson.

Booked: Scholes, Ronaldo.

Red shirts, black shorts, black stockings.

Goals: Vidic 83.

Attendance: 39,364. Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

Learn that Mickey's knee is wholly buggered and he's done for the season. Dopey though he can be, I have a soft spot for him, if only for refusing to play with Joey Barton, and it would be sad to see his career end like this. Knee injuries are increasingly prevalent (I heard someone blame hard pitches, which may have some truth to it) and older players find them harder to deal with, witness Ole. I wouldn't be altogether surprised if that is effectively the end of Mickey.

My Story : Matt Busby

2007-09-10T19:33:00.001-07:00

I picked this up the other day. It's no more than the usual Souvenir Press ghosted autobiography of a manager or a player. The journalist involved in pulling this one together, David R Jack, presumably adopted the use of the middle initial to distinguish himself from his namesake, the famous Arsenal player. He worked for a now defunct title called Empire News (a Manchester based Sunday, which was bought by Thomson in 1959 and sold and merged with the northern edition of the News of the World the following year). His other ghosted works included "Finney on Football" and "Mr Cricket", the latter apparently the life story of an earlier Fergie, W H Ferguson, a famous Australian scorer.

What makes this book so different is that it was put together in 1957, just after United had won their second championship in succession, failed in their first bid for the European Cup and been robbed of the first double of the twentieth century by Peter McParland's dreadful clattering of Ray Wood. It is Busby's thoughts without the distortion of hindsight that affected all that came later. The copy I have was given to someone called Robert by his parents as a present for Christmas 1957. Just six weeks later, of course, the author was in intensive care, a majority of his team were dead and nothing he said about football could ever again be free of that shadow.

There was a second edition of the book published in 1958, with a chapter about Munich added. I don't imagine the publishers could resist the opportunity, but as I read the book the whole relevance and weight of it seemed to be given by the absence of the knowledge of what was to come.

It is interesting, for example, how little space is given to Duncan Edwards. In later years, the size of Edwards has seemed to overshadow that team, but from 1957 he seems to be just a component part.

There is a photograph in the book of Busby walking through Nice with four journalists. Three of them died at Munich and the other, Frank Taylor, survived and wrote a book about the crash. But whoever chose that photograph didn't know that would happen.

And the book ends, "I am convinced that the future will prove even brighter.... There is no reason why Manchester United should not remain in the forefront of English - and European - soccer for at least another ten years. I hope to be at Old Trafford to see it, because as I believe I mentioned before, this is the finest club in the world."

Well, so it is, of course, so it is.

Matt Busby, My Story, As told to David R Jack, Souvenir Press, London, 1957; Second edition, with additional chapter, Souvenir Press, 1958; Sportsman's Book Club edition (of 1958 edition) 1959.

Friends of Mr Watkins : Number Four

2007-09-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Leslie S Dalgarno

Les Dalgarno, 56, is a friend of SAF from Aberdeen days and has known him since 1976. He is essentially a commercial property lawyer, although he acted for SAF in his £11 million contract renewal talks back in 2002.

Dalgarno spent 35 years at Paull & Williamsons, Aberdeen, a partner from 1977 and eventually Head of the Commercial Property department. He is described as "one of Scotland’s most highly respected commercial property lawyers". The firm claimed to be "particularly noted for the strength in depth of its corporate, commercial property and dispute services teams and (....) highly regarded for its experience and understanding of the energy sector".

In October 2006 Dalgarno was appointed a non-executive Director of aAIM, a commercial property investment company based in London's Mayfair, and stepped down as a partner, although he remained with Paull & Williamsons as a Business Development Consultant.

This was not a new relationship with aAIM. Commenting on his appointment, Mr Dalgarno said: "I have advised aAIM during its rapid growth in the last three years and I am very keen to add value to the continuing growth of the company in the future."

In January 2003, Robert Whitton, Mark Tagliaferri and Stuart Le Gassick founded aAIM (Active Asset Investment Management) "to promote a more sophisticated and innovative approach to real estate financing recognising the rapid integration of the property market and other capital markets".

But the company's main launch came in July 2003, at a swanky champagne reception in the heart of the City of London. And as a centrepiece of the occasion, Andrew Vicari, the multimillionaire court painter to the Saudi Royal family, presented an oil portrait of Sir Alex Ferguson to none other than the Manchester United manager himself.

From the start, aAIM has used its celebrity investors as a marketing tool, and SAF has been most prominent amongst them. Other football people have also invested, including Alan Smith (even before he signed for United), Gareth Barry and John Terry. Simon Cowell is also said to be involved, and Sir David Frost chairs their advisory panel. Essentially it is a tool for creating "tax-efficient" syndicates of rich people to invest in commercial property. Many of the investors are no doubt anonymous city figures, but the footballers make it all sound sexier.

At the launch party SAF said, "The syndicate fits in well with the balance of my investments. I was impressed by the balance of the company and I liked the team. I like people who are go-ahead, young, energetic and work hard." Presumably he liked the team even more when his friend Dalgarno was included.

At the same time as Dalgarno joined, aAIM set up a joint venture with the Bank of Scotland called the Symmetry Fund, with the intention of spending £2 billion on European property. In December it picked up a string of four-star hotels, including the George in Edinburgh ("Sir Alex Ferguson backer of new owners of top Edinburgh hotel" as The Scotsman put it), the Russell in London, the Royal York in York, the Met in Leeds, the Palace in Manchester and Selsdon Park in Croydon. Since aAIM was launched in January 2003, it claims to have generated an average return of more than 80 per cent.

Another recent report also noted that "aAIM is also advised by James Chapman & Co, which counts Manchester United FC and Sir Alex Ferguson among its clients", so the friends of Mr Watkins know how to keep in touch.

Dalgarno is also a keen golfer (he visited the Masters in Augusta with a select group from the Deeside Golf Club) and is involved in charity work in Scotland. He recently organised a charity lunch on behalf of Voluntary Service Aberdeen, which ten firms each paid £10,000 to attend. Old and new employers were amongst the ten contributors. And the lunch was hosted by SAF himself.

Sources : Faisal Islam, The Observer, July 20, 2003; The Scotsman, 19 November 2006

The Famous Five go to White Hart Lane

2007-08-27T04:23:00.001-07:00

“I am an ambitious chairman, we are an ambitious club and we want Champions League football at White Hart Lane. " Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, August 21, 2007

"I was in the hotel because a friend came who had nothing to do with football." Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, August 20, 2007

"You know quite well that if you ever go against the orders of the chief—that's me, my girl, in case you didn't know it—you won't come out with us again. You may look like a boy and behave like a boy, but you're a girl all the same. And like it or not, girls have got to be taken care of." Julian, Five on a Hike Together, 1951

The fiasco of the Martin Jol \ Ramos affair has drawn some unwelcome attention to those in control at Tottenham, a splendid example of the best that English capitalism can offer in opposition to the multifarious international consortia that are hoovering up the Premiership.

There were four men meeting Ramos in that hotel room in Seville (apparently two left by the front door and two by the back) and one more playing golf in the Bahamas. This is a quick guide to the five of them.

Joe Lewis ("Julian")

Lewis is ultimately the money behind Spurs, although he seems to have little or no interest in the day to day business.

He is said to be the 16th richest person in Britain, worth something over £2,000 million. How exactly he counts as being in Britain when he spends all his time in the Bahamas is something The Sunday Times doubtless explains in detail when it does its list. Perhaps it is "British person" rather than person in Britain; as yet, he hasn't renounced his citizenship. He has homes all over the globe; Forbes counts him as the 486th richest person in the world.

Joe Lewis had no higher education. He was born above a pub in "the East End of London" about 70 years ago and made his initial wealth expanding the family's catering business (he started as a waiter and it eventually became the Beefeater pub chain), then selling luxury goods to tourists, before finally moving into currency trading and tax exile in the 1970s.

Lewis is the main investor in the Tavistock Group, which he founded 30 years ago. Tavistock Group is a global, private investment company. The company has grown to encompass "a broad portfolio of interests" in over 170 companies in 15 countries in areas including property, financial services, life sciences, energy, industry and consumer goods. "The company employs a simple investment philosophy looking for value opportunities where its capital, flexibility, management support and strategic hand can build value." Tavistock Group has offices in Argentina, the Bahamas, China, the European Union, Mexico and the United States. Among Lewis's property holdings are 3,600 acres in the Bahamas and 8,000 acres in Florida. He is currently investing heavily in health-care and bio-technology in Florida, which may be a consciousness of his own mortality.

Joe Lewis spends most of his time and much of his money on celebrity golf (he once paid over £1 million to charity for a day's golf with Tiger Woods - his other well-funded celebrity partner is Ernie Els). He owns two golf clubs, which play each other for charity once a year (perhaps this is the model envisaged for football in due course).

Lewis has two children. His son, Charles, left the Enic board along with the finance director in 2001 after "a string of financial misfortunes". His daughter fronts a lot of Tavistock's charitable work.

At one stage Lewis, through Irish connections, was linked with Desmond, JP McManus et al in the plan to bring Celtic and Rangers into the English Premiership.

Sources : Forbes.com; The Sunday Times; Tavistock Group website; Sunday Business Post, November 04, 2001

Daniel Levy ("Dick")

Daniel Levy is chairman of Tottenham Hotspur and Lewis's man at Enic - the English National Investment Company - which owns the controlling interest in Spurs. Levy was reportedly the one who first encouraged Lewis to invest in football clubs.

Levy was born on 8 February 1962, in Essex. His family, through their holding company A. Levy and Sons Ltd, owned the Mr Bywrite "straight talking, no-nonsense" male fashion-retailing group. (Incidentally, this group later changed its name to Blue Inc and was sold in its entirety to Marlow in February 2006).

He has a first class degree in economics and land economy from Cambridge, graduating in 1985. He is married with four children and said to be a Spurs fan of long-standing.

From university, Levy went into retailing, but at some stage he struck up a relationship with Lewis. Levy joined the board of Enic in 1995 and is now chairman.

Enic's ultimate owner is a company, Crailes Holdings, registered in the Bahamas, where little information is provided about companies. Enic , however, have been happy to confirm that Lewis is behind Enic, with Levy, via family trusts, owning 29%.

"It is very much a joint effort between Joe and Daniel," a spokesman said. "Daniel himself takes responsibility for the decisions at Tottenham."

The first grand plan was to build an international sporting group with a strong bias toward media income. This brought them to Glasgow Rangers for their first investment, followed by a £2.4 million stake in Vicenza.

Levy pushed Enic from being a finance operation into a leisure concern. In May 2000 the firm spent £500,000 buying gambling website UKbetting.com, and took a stake in the Streets Online e-tail chain. Enic also took on the Warner Brothers Studio Stores chain in the UK and other bits and pieces, including a restaurant in Las Vegas.

Enic first tried to buy Spurs off Sugar in 1998, when they valued the club at £80 million. At first, Sugar held out for a higher price but eventually in 2000 Enic agreed to pay £22 million for a 27% stake (a valuation of the whole club at about £81 million).

In 2000, Enic was also in negotiations to buy Wembley (at a time when JP McManus and Desmond were pushing the National Stadium concept in Ireland). Levy and Lewis withdrew from the £222 bid for Wembley because it was "too complex", which probably translates as "no clear profit" .

In the mid-to-late 1990s Enic embarked on a wider plan to buy a major football club in every European country. The intention was to pool resources and even players, to cash in on football's revival and television windfalls across the continent. By the time Enic finalised the purchase of 27% of Spurs from Alan Sugar in 2001, the company also owned large stakes in FC Basle in Switzerland, AEK Athens and Slavia Prague as well as the original chunks of Rangers in Scotland and Vicenza in Italy.

This portfolio turned out to be fraught with difficulties. In May 1998, after Slavia and AEK qualified for the Uefa Cup, Uefa had ruled that two clubs in "common ownership" could not play in the same competition. Enic spent £1.3m appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, which allowed AEK and Slavia to compete pending its decision but ultimately upheld Uefa's ruling because Enic owned more than 50% of both clubs.

Levy described the decision at that time as "a retrograde step for football in Europe", but with its multi-ownership plan in tatters, Enic began to sell all the clubs except Spurs. After AEK and Basle were offloaded, Enic sold its 20.2% stake in Rangers in August 2004, then Vicenza three months later.

According to Enic's most recently published accounts in 2006, that left only a 31.5% stake in Tottenham and its 96.7% ownership of Slavia Prague. Enic still appeared to own Slavia up to July last year, but the company says that in fact it had reduced its holding in Slavia to a minority interest. This came to light when Spurs were drawn against Slavia in last season's UEFA Cup. In any event, the tie would have been fine because they owned less than 50% of Spurs at the timr, even though everyone was clear they controlled the club.

With the purchase of Sugar's remaining stake this year, of course, the share in Spurs is now up to about 66%.

Apart from Spurs, Enic's main interest is now said to be "property investment."

In contrast to, say, Kemsley, Levy is not demonstrative with his wealth. He even declines to spend money on shareholders, Enic issuing no dividends but aiming to build capital value, or indeed on himself. In 2000, he was reported to take home just £10,000 a year from his work at Enic (although he does take fair chunks from Spurs and other companies - see below).

Sources : BBC News, 20 December, 2000; David Conn, The Guardian September 27, 2006

Paul Kemsley ("George")

Kemsley (or PK as he apparently likes to be known) is Tottenham's vice-chairman. A long-term Spurs fan, the carpet in his office is navy blue and white stripes and the walls adorned with signed shirts and memorabilia.

He was one of the early public faces of the new ownership, attending Q & A sessions with supporters when Levy was much more reticent. At a session in 2002, he "introduced himself to the members as an Executive Director of the Football Club whose primary responsibility is property". It's noted that several supporters present knew him and had travelled with him to away matches in the past. At that point Kemsley stated clearly that the club was not for sale and that he along with ENIC and other major investors hoped to see a return on their equity as a result of success on the pitch. However, the reference was to a "5 year plan", and those five years are now up.

It was through Kemsley that the meeting with Ramos was set up. He made contact with London based property developer Tony Jimenez, a man with interests in Seville, who has been acting as UK agent for Ramos.

Levy, Lewis and Kemsley, are involved in a property development company, Rock Investment Holdings, which has acquired a spread of commercial and residential sites around England. Lewis holds his 50% stake in Rock via a holding company, Rapallo, of which Levy is the sole director. In the year to December 2004, Levy was paid £240,000 by Rapallo; in the year to June 2005, he was also paid £525,000 by Enic for his work as Tottenham's chairman. Rapallo, like Enic, is ultimately owned by Lewis via a company incorporated in the Bahamas.

Kemsley set up Rock in the 1990s, but the business shot to prominence in 2005 when it became involved in a takeover battle for Countryside Properties. In the end the takeover didn't go ahead, but Kemsley sold the shares at a profit anyway. He said at the time, "It was great profile-wise and we made a few quid along the way. There was no question of the money not being there. The support we had from Lewis was unparalleled. He sent me £300m in cash to buy the equity. Telling him I didn’t want the money was not an easy phone call to have to make.”

More recently, starting late last year, Kemsley appeared to be building up for a takeover of Quintain Property and Development, which has large regeneration projects close to Wembley football stadium and the former Millennium Dome in London. However, in July 2007 he sold his 11.9 per cent holding at a profit. He and HSBC also recently made a profit of more than £30 million in just five months when Rock bought and then sold the Grade I-listed former headquarters of Midland Bank. A hankering towards shorter-term profit taking may not be what Spurs fans really hope to see.

Kemsley is also involved in a profit-sharing deal with the club itself, partly relating to Spurs' long search for a bigger ground. Tottenham have agreed to pay Kemsley 15% of any profits the club makes from its property investments, a deal some fans have raised objections to, but which Levy defends as a fair return for the work Kemsley will do. Piecemeal, land around White Hart Lane has been bought to create a larger footprint for the stadium, but the club insists it will not expand its current ground unless the project forms part of wider regeneration, involving public money, of the rundown area of Haringey around it.

Online gambling is another area that has got Kemsley excited on occasion. He took stakes in a number of quoted businesses, although not all his investments have been successful. Gaming VC is one he prefers not to dwell on. He has had more success with stakes in Party Gaming, the poker operator, Betex, which has a licence to run a lottery in China, and Gaming Corporation, a gambling portal. Arguably his biggest success was with Fun Technologies, an AIM-quoted company that specialises in so-called “skill games”, which allow customers to play solitaire, chess and other games for money. Unlike casino games or sports betting, it is legal in America.

Kemsley also fancies himself as a poker player and was spotted in a big money game with professionals on youtube. "Looks like some novice with lots of money to burn", was one on-line observer's comment.

He certainly has a wide social circle. Alan Sugar and Philip Green are friends. (He has appeared on The Apprentice with Sugar). In July, when Kemsley celebrated his 40th birthday with a grand party in Granada, Spain, entertainers over the weekend included Jackie Mason, the Gypsy Kings, Duran Duran, Billy Joel and Craig David. There were almost enough footballers for a team, including Robbie Keane and Jamie Redknapp. Robert Earl, founder of the Hard Rock cafe, flew in, too.

Another guest was 'Magpie' Mike Ashley, billionaire founder of Sports Direct and the new owner of Newcastle United. One anecdote Kemsley has told is quite instructive about both of them, "When I was 15, I was a Saturday boy at this place called John Paul Menswear. Mike (Ashley)'s first sports shop was opposite, and I'd always be in there playing darts. He would beat me every week and I'd usually go home with no money".

Although the rumours that Ashley had funded the party were denied, he is widely said to be one possible buyer for Spurs if, as also rumoured, the whole plan is to add value to the club before flogging it off.

Sources : Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust Members Meeting, 1 August 2002; Matthew Goodman, The Sunday Times, December 4, 2005; David Conn, The Guardian September 27, 2006 ; The Evening Standard, June 12, 2007; The Financial Times, July 13, 2007 ; The Financial Times, July 18, 2007; Ian Ridley and Daniel King, Daily Mail, 25 August, 2007

Damien Comolli ("Anne")

Comolli was appointed as Director of Football in 2005 after Chelsea "head-hunted" Frank Arnesen. He is now aged 35. Technically, at least, he is Jol's boss, with responsibility for the medical, academy, scouting and club secretarial departments.

Levy does not seem to trust managers and was keen to establish this European model, initially with Arnesen and Santini. Explaining the scouting system in the club magazine this year, Comolli was clear about who governed the process. “Obviously we [the scouting department] come up with all the names and I tell Martin this is the reason why we think this player is No 1, No 2, No 3 and so on. Of course Martin has a vital say in all of this and he might say he prefers one player to another, so we can swap around, but basically we’re always working on a team of players who currently play for other clubs.” In practice, this seems to mean that Jol doesn't necessarily get the players he wants, or even players in the positions he wants.

Comolli started out as a defender in Monaco's youth team but injury and an underlying lack of true quality made him turn to coaching, at the age of 20, with encouragement from Arsene Wenger, then manager at the French club. He started with the under 16s. He spent three years at Monaco, a season in Japan with the Nagasaki Under-18s, and then joined Wenger at Arsenal in 1997.

Comolli also gained a Law degree at the Universite de Nice in 1995.

At Arsenal he was chief European scout. Names such as Kolo Toure, Jeremie Aliadiere and Gael Clichy stand out among the untested players he brought to the club, while he also helped to sign Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.

After leaving Arsenal, he was technical director at Saint-Etienne for a single season, when they finished sixth, but he then fell out with the club hierarchy. "I did not agree with the direction the club was going in terms of management. We had different points of view. I am not in football just to sit behind my desk. I say what I think if I think something is wrong. I am respectful of the people who run the club but I didn't agree and I left."

On his initial appointment at Spurs he portrayed himself as a workaholic. "I have no time for myself,'' admitted Comolli, who is married with two children. "My family is great and very supportive. When you are in professional football and you are passionate you don't even know what time it is. Whatever it takes you do it, because it's a privilege to be working with your passion.

"Football is about details and I think making the right decision in every aspect is important. Otherwise it would be an easy job and it's not an easy job. Football is a very small world but you can still make a difference by working harder. I'm talking about everything. Every detail counts if you want to be successful. "

Levy's take was "He'll be a huge asset to the club with his forward-thinking approach to international networking and partnerships." Whether the discussions with Ramos come under that heading, I really don't know.

Sources : John Ley, Daily Telegraph, Sept 16, 2005; The Evening Standard, Sept 8, 2005; The Sunday Times, August 26, 2007

John Alexander ("Timmy the dog")

Alexander is the club secretary at Spurs and only along at the meeting because he is their contracts man. He is also, presumably, the one who really should have known better.

Born Liverpool 1955, John Alexander signed as a professional for Millwall after graduating from London University with a BA Hons in Geography. He went on to play for Reading, where he was a member of the 4th Division championship winning side in 1979, and later Northampton Town.

On ceasing to be a professional footballer, John worked for the BBC for five years before joining Watford in 1987 where he was Assistant Secretary to Eddie Plumley before becoming Secretary. He joined Tottenham Hotspur as Club Secretary on March 27 2000 from Watford, replacing Peter Barnes, who left White Hart Lane to join West Ham United.

In June 2005 the Football Administrators Association announced that John Alexander was to be their new Chairman. He took over from Alan Jones who served as Chairman for over four years. The Football Administrators Association draws its membership from those concerned with the administrative side of the game, consisting mainly of Club Secretaries and their assistants, but also including several Chief Executives. It is a sister association of the League Managers Association.

Hence, he should have known better than to go behind his manager's back. And to get caught, of course.

As the Daily Mail said "at the very least, (it) shows that the 15th wealthiest club in the world .... are unfamiliar with behaving like a big club". Enid Blyton has nothing on this little adventure.

Sources : FAA website; Ian Ridley and Daniel King, Daily Mail 25 August, 2007

Epilogue

In the meantime, "according to sources at Tottenham and in the City", Enic’s ownership is not intended as a long-term investment. Towards the end of last season talks were held with an American consortium about a potential takeover . Although that approach did not result in a formal offer, ENIC remains eager to profit on its ownership of Tottenham and would sell its holding for an appropriate price. Both club and owners are being advised by Seymour Pierce, City financiers who specialise in Premier League takeovers and who, through Keith Harris, the former chairman of the Football League, brokered the purchase of Manchester City by Thaksin Shinawatra.

After accounting for its complex structure of ordinary and preference shares, Tottenham’s current stock market value is £212m. Last season the word was that ENIC would settle for a 50% mark-up on that figure, but the £470m buyout of Liverpool and the battle for Arsenal have widened their eyes. The asking price for Spurs now stands nearer to £450m.

Two things are essential to "achieve full market potential" (sell for as much as possible) : Champions League football and the redevelopment of the Lane into a larger stadium of Emirates size. Both aims would be largely embraced by fans, whose main complaint about the current ownership has been the time when a sponsor's logo meant they had a bit of nasty red on their shirts.

If Kemsley and Levy can achieve both aims before cashing in, they may yet retain the "best owners in the world" tag they have been given by some groups of fans.

Heinze : "In the end you just give in" (or not)

2007-08-24T23:01:00.003-07:00

In the end, Phil Chisnall's record is preserved - and given the tenacity which United displayed this time around, likely to last a good many years longer. But I don't think he'll be the answer to many quiz questions for quite a while - it's become much too easy a question.

Strange that no-one ever mentions how much longer it is since Liverpool sold anyone to United.

In the end, Liverpool's lawyers have been proved fallible (I hope it was the club paid them, not Gaby, for I doubt it was "no win, no fee"), Benitez makes a fool of himself, United are (apparently) paid more than they had any right to expect and Gaby is given the chance to take over from Roberto Carlos. And I don't imagine his agents will lose by the deal either, more's the pity.

So why does so much bitterness appear to linger? Gaby himself seems to have shrugged his shoulders, so I almost wonder if it was just a fight on principle, because he (or his agents) objected to being told what to do. Keano pointed out to Jaap Stam the unpalatable truth that footballers in the end are slabs of meat, but I fail to see why footballers are expected to like the fact and to fawn over the shopkeeper.

And, personally, I am also not at all clear why fans should expect a foreigner who has been in Manchester (or rather in the rich ghettos of Cheshire) for three years, to share their irrational hatred of a club down the road. Loyalty is a rare quality in the modern era; it can't be expected of many owners, directors or players and, frankly, not of all fans. SAF clearly defines "loyalty" as doing what he tells you to do. It is a personal relationship (rather like The Godfather). Perhaps Gaby grates because, for one season at least, there were fans who had the perception that he was different.

From what SAF has been saying since, that perception was probably largely illusory. If it hadn't been for the injury, it would have been obvious his "people" were wheedling to get him away years ago.

Ferguson told MUTV the player's agent was agitating for a move virtually as soon as he had arrived. "We signed Gaby in July 2004 and he immediately went off to play for the Argentina Olympic team, and then onto some World Cup qualifiers," he said. "We didn't get him until September, so in that first year he probably played about five months. At the start of the following season, a day before he suffered his cruciate injury against Villarreal, his agent came to see me and said he either wanted a transfer or for me to double his wages. That immediately sent out the wrong signal. Throughout his rehabilitation, his agent was asking me to sell him."

And in classic Ferguson-speak "You wonder whether the lad actually wants to play for you and in the end, you just give in."

That reminds me of the passage in The Godfather where Don Vito throws up his hands and says "but who can reason with this man", and the chap goes very pale and turns up in a New Jersey swamp a few weeks later.

The club shows the players little enough loyalty. When their time has gone, we unload them without a qualm. Even players who have been fans since they were children. The stories abound of the ruthlessness of Busby et al. He, in particular, had a fear of those he discarded coming back to haunt him. One player he sold commented that he liked to sell people "outside the Manchester Evening News circulation area".

The thing to do is celebrate the rare instances when loyalty is to be found, when players share in the irrational accumulation of desire that makes up United. The rarity is what gives it the value.

And in the end, to what are we giving the loyalty? Clubs have changed their names, their strips, wound up and re-formed, changed grounds. They have been bought and sold like slabs of meat themselves (sometimes by butchers - both literal and metaphorical butchers).

Norman Mailer in The Siege of Chicago tries to explain why Lyndon Johnson (and other US politixians) could never deal with Ho Chi Minh. "A good politician ... can deal with any kind of property-holder but a fanatic, because the fanatic is disembodied from his property. He conceives of his property - his noble ideal - as existing just as well without him. His magic partakes of the surreal."

Players, managers and owners may all prate about the club being "bigger than anyone",but they don't really mean it, don't feel it the same way, except in occasional instances. Their loyalty is the loyalty of cosa nostra and the shared backscratcher.

It is unfair to expect a player to be a fan. Only fans understand the magic that exists just as well without them.

Record Suspensions : Kevin Lewis

2007-08-24T23:01:00.002-07:00

United players figure highly in the longest suspensions of all-time list. Cantona, of course; Frank Barson, not long after leaving us; John Fitzpatrick. There is an unlikely inclusion : one United player who never even turned out for the first team, Kevin Lewis.

Kevin Lewis

Kevin Lewis was born in Hull on 25 September, 1952.

He came to United through the apprentice scheme, and was under contract to the club from 1969-72. In 1970-71, he was a member of the first-team squad but never played in the side.

Kevin Lewis was a full-back. Sadly his main claim to fame whilst at Old Trafford was his disciplinary record.

He was first given a three week ban in 1969, by the same tribunal that banned John Fitzpatrick for eight weeks. On 28 January 1971, there is record of a four week ban and a £25 fine. On 10 December 1971 he was back before a tribunal after a sending off in a Central League game. This time they banned him until the end of the season, presumably almost five months.

That was it with United. At the end of the season Lewis was on his way to Stoke City, where he remained until 1976. He played in front of Peter Shilton and behind Jimmy Greenhoff and Alan Hudson, amongst others, but only managed 15 first team appearances for them.

After Stoke, he moved on to Crewe Alexandra until 1981, when he moved to non-league football.
In his English League career he played 137 games, with 2 goals, so the vast majority of these must have been with Crewe.

In 1983-84, Lewis was a member of the Telford United side that had a storming cup run.

" Telford United, proud representatives of the Alliance Premier League, came agonisingly close to holding Derby County to a draw in last night's FA Cup fourth round tie at the Baseball Ground. "

Lewis made his mark early in that game, and clearly his combative approach did not change over the years. As the match report said, "Derby set off with a bang and were ahead after only six minutes. Even before the goal, Kevin Lewis had been booked for something he said to the referee and, with a caution recorded, was lucky to stay on the field after scything down John Robertson."

After dodgy refereeing decisions on both sides, Telford eventually lost 3-2.

Kevin Lewis was manager of Leek Town from 1985-86 when he resigned to return to Telford United as assistant manager.

These days he runs "The Dyers' Arms", a few minutes walk away from Leek Town's ground. One of the websites even refers to him as "the last of the Busby Babes", although I doubt if Kevin thinks of himself that way.

The Retirement Sweepstake

2007-08-24T23:01:00.001-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson is still cagey about the exact date he might retire. The only clue he seems to have given is that he doesn't intend to be there when he's seventy (31 December 2011, as a matter of interest).

One date that might hover in the reaches of his mind is 2010, the point at which he will have been manager for longer than Sir Matt Busby, who lasted 24 consecutive seasons as United manager, before ushering in that period of gloom and destruction for the club that was the early 70s. (He also spent an additional period as manager after the interlude that was Wilf McGuinness).

Busby is the longest serving football club manager of the modern era (although Dario Gradi came very close to surpassing him).

All of them have a long way to go to come near the longest serving manager of all time. Fred Everiss of West Brom was appointed in August 1902 and apparently spent 46 seasons in charge (I suspect they have cheated, because I don't think they called them managers in those days and, indeed, WBA themselves didn't call anyone "manager" until Everiss had retired).

Anyway, the closer he comes, SAF would hardly be human if he didn't find that bit of history enticing. Well, perhaps he is hardly human, of course.

Source

http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/longest-historical.html

A Murder Mystery Interlude : Frank Barson not involved

2007-08-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

When Frank Barson left Villa for United in the summer of 1922, his successor in the Villa team was a young man called Tommy Ball.

Born in County Durham in February 1899, Thomas Edgar Ball had been playing for a local colliery team when he attracted Villa's attention and was signed in January 1920 as cover for Barson. After Barson's departure, Ball took his place and quickly became recognised as one of the league’s best centre-halves.

While Ball was never destined for great things on the pitch he does still hold a unique place in footballing history. For as far as can be discovered, on the evening of Armistice Day, 11 November 1923, Thomas Ball became the only professional in the Football League ever to have been murdered. At least, on this occasion, even rumour does not suggest Frank Barson was involved.

The Murder Story

Ball and his wife lived at Somerville Cottages, Brick Kiln Lane, Perry Barr. Their immediate neighbour was a 45 year old former Birmingham policeman called George Stagg.

On the evening of Sunday 11 November, Mr and Mrs Ball returned home by bus at about 10.30, after a few drinks in the Church Tavern, Perry Barr. Ball had played for Villa in Nottingham in a 1-0 victory over Notts County the previous day.

Soon after their return home, close to his house, Ball was shot in the chest. By the time a doctor arrived he was dead, the body lying on a couch, a wound in his chest "about the size of a half a crown".

A Police Sergeant Davenport attended the scene and arrested Stagg, who was waiting in his own house for his former colleagues. Stagg proceeded to make a long statement to the Police.

On the Monday morning, Stagg was accordingly remanded in custody on a charge of wilful murder. He was described as a tall man, with grey hair and moustache, wearing a long mackintosh. The Police evidence suggested that Stagg had fired one shot from a "single barrelled gun", then reloaded and fired a further shot which had hit Ball in the chest and killed him. On 28 November, Perry Barr Magistrates committed George John Alan Stagg for trial on the charge of murder.

Stagg had served in the army for many years, leaving to join the City of Birmingham Police Force for a time but returning to the army when war broke out. Wounded, he was invalided out in 1916 and worked in several local factories. In 1921 he bought the two cottages in Brick Kiln Lane, letting one to the newly married Balls in October 1922.

The case came to trial at Stafford Assizes on 19 February 1924. Stagg pleaded "not guilty".

The prosecuting counsel, C.F. Vachell, suggested a history of bad relations between the neighbours.

Beatrice Ball testified that her husband had left the house on the night of 11 November to look for a dog. She said that almost immediately, before her husband could have got any further than the gate, she heard Stagg shouting, and immediately afterwards the sound of a shot. She went out and saw her husband staggering from the direction of Stagg's gate, holding his hands to his chest. He said to her, "he has has shot me".

Mrs Ball also stated that her husband was a moderate drinker who had been perfectly sober on the night of his murder. They had been happily married, she said, and he had never struck her. Ball's excellent character was further emphasised by the Aston Villa trainer Alfred Miles.

Medical evidence was that Ball had been shot through the heart.

Stagg stuck to the statement he had made to the Police following the murder. His story was that Ball had been drunk and had tried to climb over the bolted gate into his garden. Stagg said that he had fired his gun to scare Ball away. When this didn't work, he prodded him in the chest with the gun. Ball caught hold of the gun and tried to wrench it away from him. He in return tried to wrench it back. Ball fell back and there was an explosion as the gun went off.

In the witness-box, Stagg added to his original statement, saying that his foot had slipped during the struggle and that he was "almost certain" that the gun-trigger caught on the gatepost. His defending Counsel, Sir Reginald Coventry, argued that it was a pure accident and there was no conceivable motive for his client to murder Ball. Coventry was described as a slight, stern man, the son of a Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, notable in later years for his opposition to the abolition of judicial flogging for punishing the "professional garotters of Liverpool and Cardiff".

Stagg also alleged that Ball was a violent man who often attacked his wife, something which she herself had firmly denied.

The Judge summed up quite clearly. He pointed out that there was a conflict of evidence, However, he said the substantial thing was that, if the gun had been fired deliberately, it was murder; if the gun had gone off accidentally in a struggle, it was manslaughter.

The jury retired for an hour and forty minutes, before returning with a verdict of guilty of wilful murder. At the same time, they recommended the prisoner to mercy.

Mercy was not, of course, the prerogative of the Judge, who put on his black cap and sentenced Stagg to death by hanging. Trials were quick in those days; it was all completed in the same day.
On 18 March, the case was considered by the Court of Criminal Appeal. Sir Reginald argued that the Court should substitute a verdict of manslaughter for the one of murder.

However, the Lord Chief Justice indicated there was no ground on which the Court of Appeal could intervene. The summing-up had been unassailable, the verdict was clearly one which a jury could reasonably have reached on the evidence.

The question of mercy had to be left to "those who dealt with such matters", who would no doubt give the jury's recommendation "all the weight which it demanded".

And indeed Stagg was lucky. On 26 March, the Home Secretary announced his advice that the death sentence be commuted.

It seems strange that, even in those days, no-one appears to have been particularly surprised that the inhabitants of Birmingham patrolled their gardens armed.

Ball was described by the Birmingham press as, "a player of considerable achievement and even greater promise".

A stone football marks the grave of Tommy Ball in the graveyard of the church of St John the Evangelist in Perry Barr. It sits on a plinth with the inscription “A Token of Esteem from his Fellow Players of Aston Villa FC.” They say that "items are frequently left as gifts on the grave when Villa are having a good season". Perhaps a misuse of the word frequently, of course.

Sources

The Times
The Best of Heroes and Villains, 1994
I am told that Paul Lester has written a small book on the murder, which I haven't yet read, but which may well have more detail. I do wonder if Stagg ever emerged from prison, for instance.

Frank Barson : the finest football brain of his time

2007-08-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

If anyone recalls Frank Barson these days, it is as "the hardest man of all". He features in lists of the top 50 hard men of football (no 35, as it happens, but Stuart Pearce of all people got to number 2), the 50 worst tackles, the 10 longest suspensions. He is most remembered for the likely apocryphal tale that he took a gun, rather than an agent, to his contract negotiations.

There was much more to Barson than that.

Frank Barson was a very talented half-back, although later in his career he was increasingly prone to fits of very bad temper. It was said then that the mere mention of the fact that Barson was playing against them led opposition players to claim they were injured, rather than play against him.

Yet Percy Young says one contemporary who played with Barson saluted him as “the finest football brain of his time”.

Frank Barson

Frank Barson was born in Grimesthorpe, Sheffield, on 10 April 1891.

In his working life, he started as a blacksmith. After starring for Firshill Council and Grimesthorpe schools, he started his football career as an amateur at Albion FC.

In 1909 he signed for local outfit Cammell Laird FC and it was two years later in July 1911 that he began his professional football career with Barnsley.

The Barnsley Battlers

The historian Richard Holt has said, “There was a self-conscious cult of northern aggression, which applauded the violent antics of some players”, and Barson learned his trade with the “Barnsley Battlers”, who were amongst the main practitioners. In Holt’s words, “Clubs like Barnsley, fed by miners from the nearby coalfield, abounded in stories of men working double shifts and walking twenty miles to play a match”.

It was whilst at Oakwell that Barson's notorious temper first became evident; before he could even start his first game for the Tykes he had to serve a two month suspension, following a brawl with a few Birmingham City players in a pre season friendly. On another occasion he had to be smuggled out of Goodison Park after a cup-tie to avoid a waiting crowd, who had been incensed by his behaviour during the game.

Barnsley's 1912 FA Cup semi-final tie with Southern league Swindon was notoriously brutal, as Barnsley set out to “curb the pace” of Swindon’s star player, the amateur international, Harold Fleming. “Barnsley deliberately kicked Fleming … until he had got seriously injured, and the local press jeered at the southerners for making an official complaint”. After a 0-0 draw, which Swindon finished with nine men, Barnsley won 1-0 in the replay (against a team without Fleming, who didn’t play again for nearly a year).

Barson wasn’t selected in this Barnsley team, which went on to beat West Brom in the Cup final replay at Bramhall Lane (another solitary goal, after another 0-0 draw), but he clearly learned a lot about uncompromising defence. In his own words, "at Barnsley they taught me to be a robust player".

After the war, Barson had a very public falling out with the Barnsley directors over travelling expenses and he joined Aston Villa in October 1919, for a fee of £2850. Barnsley were in financial difficulties, and the money was welcome to them. Despite their differences, Barson was generous enough to refuse to take his own share of the transfer fee from his old club.

Aston Villa (and England) : the glory years

When the league started again in 1919, the decision to extend the first division to twenty-two teams had made it likely that Barnsley would be automatically promoted from the second division. However, a ballot was instead called and Arsenal went up in their place (the Arsenal chairman later admitting to some underhand dealings but, given the circumstances by which United found themselves still in the top division, I won't make too much of that). The wish to play top-flight football may have figured in Barson's decision to leave Barnsley.

On the other hand, it is said that, strangely for such a self-confident man, Barson initially thought himself not good enough for the Villa, and had to be persuaded by their manager, Ramsay. Eventually, Barson moved to Villa in October 1919, making his debut in a 4-1 win at Middlesbrough.

In their book 'Aston Villa: A Complete Record, 1874-1992', David Goodyear and Tony Matthews say: "Despite several brushes with authority, Frank Barson was a truly great centre half, a fierce tackler and dominant in the air. He became a legend in football, probably serving more suspensions than any other English defender. He revitalised a flagging Villa team. His dynamic personality brought the best out of the players."

Whilst undoubtedly being a huge asset to Villa, he once again fell out with the powers that be at the club, this time over his refusal to re locate to Birmingham, due to business commitments in Sheffield.

This caused him particular problems on one occasion, when he and goalkeeper Sam Hardy, who lived in Chesterfield, were forced to walk seven miles to Old Trafford in bad weather after missing a rail connection. Naturally, in the best Barnsley tradition, Barson was the best player on the pitch that afternoon.

Barson's living arrangements caused further controversy on the opening day of the 1920-21 season, when he and Clem Stephenson missed a defeat at Bolton. Both were suspended by the Villa board for fourteen days for “refusing to play” and given a month to arrange to take up residence in Birmingham. (Times 24.09.20) Barson still refused to move house. Nevertheless, he was appointed Villa captain in succession to Andy Ducat, although there are suggestions that he merely decided he wanted the job and nobody dared argue with him.

He celebrated his appointment as captain by scoring with a header from thirty yards out against Sheffield United, for many years renowned as the longest headed goal ever scored.

On 9 February 1920, Barson was selected for an International Trial, ironically enough playing for “The South” against an England XI at West Brom (The Times, 3.2.20).

He clearly impressed the selectors for in due course, in March, he was selected for England alongside his Aston Villa club half-back colleague, Andy Ducat, a talented sportsman who also played county cricket for Surrey.

In fact, 15 March 1920, when he ran out for England against Wales at Highbury, was to be Barson’s one and only international appearance. In difficult conditions, with the ground cutting up badly after heavy rain, the Welsh won 2-1, the 44 year-old Billy Meredith featuring prominently for Wales. According to The Times, “delay in finishing attacks and uncertainty in defence accounted for England’s defeat”. But this was the first time Wales had beaten England since 1882. Although Barson, along with his fellow half-backs, was said to have “supported the forwards admirably and assisted in frequent attacks”, he never played for England again. (Times, 16/3/20)

Barson also featured prominently in Villa’s fine cup run that season. In the semi-final against Chelsea on 27 March 1920, he had to deal with their star player. “Cock was closely watched by Barson and it soon became apparent that the centre-half had the Chelsea player well under control. This was the first indication that Chelsea might be defeated, as the wing forwards appeared at a loss what to do with the pivot of the line ineffective”. Villa scored five minutes before the interval and never looked like losing after that, going on to win 3-1. (Times, 29.03.20)

On 24 April 1920, the first Cup Final since the end of the war took place at Chelsea’s ground at Stamford Bridge. The change of venue was lamented by The Times as eliminating the “beanfeast” atmosphere of Crystal Palace and its accompanying fairground, and making the game “just like any other cup-tie”. Aston Villa took on Huddersfield Town and won by the only goal of the game, scored in the first period of extra time. (Times 23.4.20)

Probably the most famous story about Frank Barson (apart from the gun legend)concerns this 1920 FA Cup Final. Inevitably, it seems, he was warned about his behaviour by the referee J.T. (Jack) Howcroft – but this time it happened in the dressing room before the match started. "The first wrong move you make, Barson, off you go" he was told.

It was a hard game in those days. Don Davies pointed out that, "Referees who had to handle man and crowds in those days were something more than referees; they were social reformers, purifiers of the public morals".

Howcroft of Bolton was the leading referee of the day and highly demonstrative in everything he did. "The complete master of the grand manner", said Davies. "To men like J.T. Howcroft refereeing was life; unceasingly he studied the part, rehearsed the part, acted the part;.... and one feels sure that he took no share in a game without believing that of twenty-five performers involved (including the linesmen) the greatest of these was Howcroft".

Perhaps Howcroft also had an eye to what might make a good story in the years to come, but in truth he was merely carrying to an extreme one of his cardinal principles, "Dive straight in and get a grip at the start". He repeated the pre-match threat to Barson a couple of years later when officiating another Villa game. Despite this, the two men are said to have always retained a healthy respect for each other.

Opposing crowds hated Barson, so much so that he was forced to defend himself publicly on the grounds that he had been "brought up to play hard and saw nothing wrong with an honest to goodness shoulder charge".

The Times pointed out, “A player like Barson …. is not loved by any but members of his own crowd, but ruthlessly and fearlessly he manages to break up attack after attack” (TT 5.3.21)

The beginning of the end to his time at Villa came following a match against Liverpool. Barson had invited a friend of his to wait in the dressing room while he got changed, and this drew a rebuke from a director. The disciplinarian Rinder became involved in the argument and when Barson refused to apologise, his Villa days were numbered. Even Frank Barson couldn't get the better of Fredrick Rinder. A seven day suspension was the result and Barson, his sense of justice offended, responded with an immediate transfer request.

Manchester United

It is more than possible there was also a financial element underlying this dispute with the club. Villa actually did offer Barson good terms to re-sign at the beginning of the following season, but he simply refused to play for the team again. He turned down offers from several clubs but eventually joined Manchester United in late August 1922. Villa had wanted £6,000 for his signature, then £5,500. United offered £4000 and Villa eventually settled for a reduced fee from United of £5,000, which was still a record fee for a defender.

Clearly, despite the maximum wage, there was also considerable discussion about "personal terms". Apart from anything else, Barson was apparently promised his own pub, so long as United gained promotion within three years. He also received permission from the Old Trafford board to live in Sheffield and to train at Rotherham.

At United, Barson expected special treatment. More precisely, he expected extra money, in an envelope, slipped into his pocket or left on a shelf for him to pick up. “Where’s the doin’s?”, he roared at the trainer before one match, when no package was to be seen. “I’m not taking my bloody coat off till I get it”.

The team he joined in the Second Division was not a typical United side. It had a solid defence, but the forwards were disjointed. As one of the team said, “When we were a goal down we knew we had had it”. Barson developed a fine understanding with his goalkeeper, Alf Steward, who took over from the veteran Jack Mew in 1923, exemplified by the way Barson would frequently head an opposing corner safely back to the keeper from close range. Behind him, Moore and Silcock were a fine pair of full-backs and his half-back partners were accomplished players. But the forwards rarely seemed to click.

Barson’s time at Old Trafford was plagued by injuries, but he was given the captaincy and immediately proved a commanding figure. Within the required three seasons, he led United to promotion back to the First Division. Coming into the last game of the 1924-25 season, United were lying second in Division Two, but could still be overtaken by Derby County. Fittingly for the great defender, it was a 0-0 draw with his old club Barnsley that earned United the necessary point to guarantee promotion. United conceded only 23 goals that season.

Despite the games he missed through injury, Barson was regarded as a hero in Manchester, although he didn't welcome undue flattery. Off the field, he was said to be a mild-mannered, considerate man. The story goes that when Frank opened the door of his new pub he was swamped in the rush and decided then and there that running a pub was not the life for him. In fact, he was so sick of such attention that he immediately gave the business to his head waiter.

The first season back in Division One was successful enough, certainly in terms of attendances. In February 1926, 56,661 saw United beat Sunderland 2-1 (albeit somewhat luckily, since Sunderland had an apparently good goal disallowed). The Manchester Guardian said of Barson, he “was a commanding figure; he held the side together at a critical time, and set the example of bold tackling, well-judged passing and not a little daring that was of incalculable value” (MG 25.02.26). Barson’s form led Arsenal to make enquiries about his availability befoe Christmas.

Sadly, one of his worst games came against City in the FA Cup semi-final, United’s first semi-final since the glorious pre-war days. City won 3-0 and Barson's mistake was responsible for their third goal.

United finished the season 9th. The change in the off-side law cannot have helped a team which had based itself on a resolute defence.

John Chapman, the manager who signed Barson, preceded him out of Old Trafford, "suspended forthwith from all involvement with football" by the FA in October 1926, because of alleged improper conduct whilst acting as the club’s Secretary-Manager. The full details of the charge were never made public, but United had little option but to dispense with their Manager’s services.

Barson’s injury plagued six years at Old Trafford ended after making 140 League appearances and scoring 4 goals for the Red Devils he joined Watford on a free transfer in May 1928

Later Years

Barson's notoriety reached a high in 1928. On September 29 he was sent off for allegedly kicking Temple, the Fulham outside right, while playing for Watford against Fulham. On October 16, the FA issued the statement that “F Barson of Watford is suspended from today from taking part in football until the end of the present season”, a draconian period of some seven months. (Times 17.10.28) Five thousand fans took up his cause by signing a petition, which was delivered to an unsympathetic Football Association by the mayor of Watford. The petition was ceremonially burned in the mayor's presence.

Barson didn't play again for Watford. Exactly a year after leaving Old Trafford he accepted the post of player coach at Hartlepool United. Strangely, within five months (October 1929) he had signed amateur forms for Wigan Borough. He became a professional for the club in July 1930 in what was to be was Borough’s last full season as a Football League club. He was 39 at the time, and at the end of his career, but he appeared 19 times in a Wigan shirt. His last appearance was against Accrington Stanley on Boxing Day 1930, when he got sent off in the 83rd minute for allegedly jumping on an opponent.

Frank was inevitably the club’s highest paid player and in an effort to stabilise the club’s terrible finances he was off loaded to Rhyl Athletic in June 1931. It did Wigan no good. Finances were at rock bottom, and another League ultimatum of pay up or resign couldn't be met. A public appeal seemed to indicate the people of Wigan just didn't want a football team, and on 24 October 1931 Wigan Borough played their last League game at the Racecourse Ground, crashing 5-0 to Wrexham.

And Barson himself never played league football again; one story told in Wigan is that this was because the FA inquiry into his sending off adjourned itself sine die”, stopping him playing until it had reached a decision, which it had no intention of ever doing.

In May 1932 he became the player manager of Rhyl where he remained until his contract was terminated in March 1935. Within three months he re-surfaced as the manager of Stourbridge, but an offer to return to Aston Villa as youth coach in July 1935 meant he gave up the job as soon as a replacement was found. Three months after his appointment as youth coach he became the senior coach and head trainer at Villa Park until the outbreak of the Second World War.

After the war, Barson became the trainer at Swansea Town from June 1947 until February 1954. He finished his career in May 1956 after previously spending almost two seasons as the trainer at Lye Town.

Barson as a Legend

Percy Young, the historian of Manchester United, said of Barton, “To the thoughtless, who do not discriminate between toughness and roughness, he was a rough player. Nor did a dominant personality and an instinct for natural justice endear him to referees. He tackled ruthlessly, but cleanly, and used his weight, but fairly. He had the instinct of a duellist, to whom a contest is a personal issue between two combatants. If Barson was maliciously treated by an opponent he issued due warning of the wrath that was to come. He also frequently advised the referee. Nor was this confined to his own interests, for unfair tactics against a colleague roused him to fury, Thus he inspired admiration for his skill and affection in those who played with him."

In his book Soccer in the Blood, his fellow player Billy Walker (Aston Villa 1919-33) wrote of Barson "Perhaps the greatest of all the great characters in my album - he played with and against me - was the one and only Frank Barson.

"Frank was a Sheffielder, a truly great footballer and personality and a card. He was never ashamed of numbering amongst his friends the notorious Fowler brothers, who were hanged for murder."

The Fowlers were part of the Sheffield gang wars, strong-arm men working on behalf of one of the local bookmakers and other criminals. They were convicted of leading a group who killed a local man, in the culmination of an argument that had started over a barmaid, but then turned into an argument about their reputation.

In fact, the story has it that at the start of the 1925-26 season, when United were at last back in the top division, Frank received a good luck letter from the brothers, who at the time were in the condemned cell at Armley Prison, Leeds. On Wednesday 2 September, Barson scored the opening goal in United’s second game of the season, a 3-0 victory over his old club Villa at Old Trafford. After three years with the club, it was his first goal for United. Over the following two days, on the Thursday and Friday of that same week, first William Fowler and then Lawrence Fowler went to the gallows.

Walker claimed that Barson did more to make him the great footballer he became than did anyone else. However, that didn't stop Frank from behaving in his usual style when they were in opposition. When playing against Manchester United, Walker once laid on a goal and the latest of all late tackles then put him out of action for three weeks. In September 1925, on his first return to Villa Park, Barson unceremoniously dumped his friend Walker onto the cinder track. The United player commiserated with Walker in the dressing-room. “You know I would never hurt a hair on your head, lad,” he said. Certainly, off the field, Barson is always portrayed as a placid sort of man.

It is towards the end of his career that legend suggests Barson attended negotiations for a pay rise at one of his clubs carrying a gun, probably a shotgun, but the story isn’t precise even about which club. Some other sources even suggest this was whilst he was Villa, which would place it much earlier in his career.

There are records of at least 12 suspensions during Barson's career, although these seem to include club-imposed suspensions such as those at Villa.

Frank died in Winson Green, Birmingham on 13th September 1968. There are those who argue that returning to Birmingham to die shows that Barson’s true loyalty always remained with Villa.

In November 2004 Barson’s only tangible trophy, the medal presented to him after he helped Aston Villa win the FA Cup in 1920 was put up for sale at Christie's in London, valued at between £5,000 and £7,000. The 15 carat gold medal FA Cup winners' medal was up for sale again in March 2007, this time was expected to fetch up to £6,000.

Sources :

The Independent, (London), Sep 20, 1997
Wigan website
The Times, various
The Star (South Yorkshire) Mar 10 2007
The Hardest Man in History, Dave Woodhall (website)
Don Davies, An Old International, Jack Cox
Sport and the British, Richard Holt
Manchester United, Percy Young

Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode Nine *

2007-08-12T19:55:00.001-07:00

It was almost predictable. The only thing that didn't happen was our getting caught on the break by a muggins goal.

Coppell decided to use man-markers, certainly on our forwards and to some extent all over the pitch. But this sort of thing really shouldn't surprise us; one version or another of a massed defence is something we have been used to for years.

Of course, the loss of Rooney is much more serious than the loss of two points. He had had a decent summer rest for once and was looking in prime condition. He was injured in a nothing clash with Duberry, when he just managed to get in front of him, falling a bit awkwardly as he stretched. I am still convinced the number of foot injuries must be related to the boots one way or another.

He hobbled around until half-time, which could have been a mistake in itself, but that was it. It was later confirmed he had suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot : cue much reference to "the England striker" and the Euro 2008 qualifiers in September.

SAF bemoaned his loss as the reason we didn't finish it in the second half, which is probably true but hardly the point. We should be able to break down this sort of defence - we are going to get enough practice; we shouldn't need to be bringing on O'Shea as a striker. Mutter mutter.

Even though we appeared more threatening after half-time, it was largely illusory. Most of the attempts were from longish range, and born partly of desperation.

Kitson came on for Doyle towards the end, only to be sent off within a minute of his introduction for clattering Paddy into touch. It was an overdose of adrenalin from time on the bench and red hair, more than malice, but Rob Styles is rarely charitable in those situations.

And why have Sky decided to put the score and time-clock in the bottom corner of the screen, rather than the top?

United 0 Reading 0

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown (Fletcher, 78), Vidic, Ferdinand, Silvestre (O’Shea, 57); Carrick, Scholes, Evra; Ronaldo, Rooney (Nani, 46), Giggs.

Substitutes not used: Kuszczak, Pique.

Booked : None

Red shirts, white shorts, black stockings.

Reading: Hahnemann; Murty, Gunnarsson, Duberry, Shorey; Hunt (Bikey, 87), Harper, Ingimarsson, De la Cruz; Seol (Oster, 57), Doyle (Kitson, 72).

Substitutes not used: Federici, Cisse.

Sent Off: Kitson (73).

Booked: Ki-Hyeon, Oster.

Attendance: 75,655 Referee : Rob Styles

Roy of the Rovers

2007-08-05T17:14:00.001-07:00

I think the point at which I became disillusioned with Roy of the Rovers can be pinned down quite easily. It was in 1973 that Melchester Rovers changed from their traditional strip (red jersey with yellow sleeves and trim, blue shorts, red and yellow socks) to some "modern" red and yellow concoction.

It was also the year that Ben Galloway was pushed upstairs to become "general manager" (a device that I am convinced was based on Matt Busby's transformation, but which was rather more successdul).

I'm afraid it was never really the same again.

George Livingstone : Both Ends of All the Roads

2007-08-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

A remarkable character, George Livingstone not only played for both Manchester City and Manchester United but, like Peter Beardsley and John Gidman, he was also on the books of both Everton and Liverpool. However, Livingstone capped this by also playing for both Glasgow Rangers and for Celtic.

George Turner Livingstone

Born : 5 May 1876
Birthplace: Dumbarton, Scotland
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 11st 6lbs / 12 st

Dumbarton-born Livingstone started out with local sides Sinclair Swifts and Artizan Thistle before joining Parkhead FC. Over his career, he proved to be an adaptable player, at home as an inside-forward on either side of the field and also at right-half. From Parkhead he moved on to Dumbarton in 1895 and then to Hearts the following year.

He played for Hearts for four seasons, making 23 starts in all in competitive games (19 in the league and 4 in the Scottish Cup). His goal scoring seems to have been fairly prolific, with 28 goals in competitive games and a fair few more in friendlies, including four goals in one game, a 6-2 victory over Leith Athletic. In a public practice match, playing at centre-forward, at the beginning of his first season, he was singled out by the Edinburgh Athletic Times as the best player on the field. At the end of that season, Hearts were champions, but with only three league appearances, there was no medal for Livingstone. In 1898-99, he made more appearances, but Hearts were only runners-up, to a Rangers team that didn't drop a point all season. In April 1900, Livingstone played his last game for Hearts.

From Hearts he "crossed the Border" to Everton, but he didn't feature in the first team there, and it is possible he was only there on loan or trial. Certainly, it seems Hearts received a fee of £175 when he moved on to become a regular at Sunderland as they rebuilt the “Team of All the Talents” which had won the championship three times in the club's first decade. Prior to the start of the 1900-01 season, players such as Jimmy Millar and Livingstone (described as an "excellent acquisition" at the club's AGM) were bought to spice up the attack, along with defender Jim Watson, who would help the team only concede 26 goals in 34 league games. But if Roker Park was a fortress, the team were not as good on their travels and drew a lot of games. A home defeat against Liverpool in the run in ultimately cost Sunderland the title and they finished 2nd despite beating Newcastle 2-0 on the final day of the season. Livingstone was their top scorer with 11 league goals.

After that solitary season, Livingstone moved on to Celtic in 1901, where he played in the losing Scottish Cup Final side of 1902 before being transferred to Liverpool a week later on 30 May 1902.

He scored on his debut for Liverpool on the opening day of the season, 6 September 1902, in a 5-2 win against Blackburn Rovers. However, he only stayed at Anfield for the one season, playing 32 times and scoring three more goals. He also played in one cup match, a first round defeat at Manchester United in February 1903. George was said to have been a joker in the dressing room, but it isn’t clear if this had anything to do with the speed with which he changed from club to club (three clubs in three seasons at this point). At the end of the season, he moved to Manchester City, where he first linked up with the "Welsh Wizard", Billy Meredith.

Around the time he arrived at City the Athletic News said of him, “George Livingstone disdains style. He is all utility and a resolute thrusting forward who not only creates openings for Meredith but opens out the game by playing passes to the other wing …. He makes himself the hub of the game when he is on the ball.”

A report from the Bolton Evening News, Monday November 10, 1903, shows that press interest in football players’ off the field activities is not an entirely modern phenomenon. “Sam Frost, George Livingstone and John M'Mahon, three members of the Manchester City football team, were each fined five shillings and costs at the Manchester City Police Court this morning for behaving in a disorderly manner in Oxford Road last night. The evidence of police constables was to the effect that defendants were shouting and jostling passers-by. Frost explained to the Magistrates that it was "only a bit of fun." The Chairman, Mr W. J. Crossley, pointed out that it was at the expense of the public.”

In 1904, the City team reached their first FA Cup final, against Bolton Wanderers, at Crystal Palace.

The 1904 Cup Final

Saturday April 23rd 1904 dawned with a downpour and the prospects for a traditional sunny day for the final looked bleak but by the time the bulk of the fans arrived to do the early morning tours of London, the sun had burst through for an excellent spring day. The crowd was thought to be disappointing as fans found the cost of travel to London from the North West too much, but it’s estimated that 16.000 arrived by football specials during the night and eventually 61,000 did make the journey. It was a novelty for the two teams , as Bolton’s only previous final was held in Liverpool while Manchester City had never been beyond round two prior to this famous run. The players were also new to the occasion as, for the first time since the first ever final, none of the twenty-two players had previously played in the showpiece event of the season.

There was heartbreak for Bolton’s left half Boyd who failed a fitness test and was ruled out but things were even more dramatic in the Manchester dressing room where Doc Holmes threw a tantrum on being told that his place in the team was going to the amateur Sam Ashworth. Holmes threw his boots through a window.

Teams

Manchester City : Jack Hillman; John Mcmahon, Herbert Burgess; Sammy Frost, Tom Hynds, Sam Ashworth; Billy Meredith (Captain), George Livingstone, Billy Gillespie, Sandy Turnbull, Frank Booth

Bolton Wanderers : D Davies; W Brown, R Struthers; Robert Clifford, S Greenhalgh, A Freebairn; D Stokes, Sam Marsh, W Yenson, W White. R Taylor

The teams came out with City wearing royal blue as opposed to their customary sky blue to avoid a clash with Bolton’s white shirts in the sunshine.

Among the dignitaries in the stands were Prime Minister Balfour (an early patron of City in their Ardwick days), his colonial secretary the Honourable Alfred Lyttleton, himself a cup finalist in 1876, and the famous cricketer W G Grace, accompanied by his England colleagues, CB Fry, Rhodes and Jessop. Harry Lauder and George Robey represented the world of entertainment.

The winning (and only) goal of the game from Meredith was included in the PFA 100 goals to celebrate their centary (No.42) and described thus : "In keeping with much of the rest of his career, Meredith's goal that saw the Cup arrive in Manchester for the Cotton city's first major success was a controversial one and was argued about in Bolton for years afterwards. It was also rather eerily prefigured in a railway poster advertising trips to the capital to see the match. At the end of 20 minutes, George Livingstone, the City inside left, sent a long swinging pass out to the right where Meredith was lurking. There was a pause, as Bolton appeared to think the Welsh Wizard was offside but Meredith wasn't waiting to find out. A report of the day described the score thus 'Full back Struthers was left and Meredith forged ahead and scored practically without opposition. With only keeper Davis to beat, the deed was done quietly but effectively.' "

Billy Meredith duly collected the cup from the Colonial Secretary.

Later, Meredith was quite clear, “What was the secret of success of the Manchester City team? In my opinion the fact that the club put aside the rule that no player should receive more than £4 a week. From 1902 I had been paid £6 a week and Livingstone was paid ten shillings more than that in wages.” So Livingstone must have been some player, to be worth ten shillings more than the great Billy Meredith.

Later career

Livingstone was with City for over three seasons - a long time for him - before signing for Rangers in January 1907, in the great sell-off of the City team which followed their financial scandals. At the same time, of course, Meredith crossed town, together with Bannister and Turnbull, to play their parts in the first, great United team.

After two years at Ibrox, in January 1909, it was on to Manchester United for Livingstone as well, to rejoin Meredith and his other ex-City team-mates, and it was here he spent the remainder of his playing career.

His debut for United came on 23 January 1909 at Bank Street against his old club City, when Livingstone scored twice in United’s 3-1 victory. He played 11 league games, that season, scoring one more goal, and in two cup games. After that first season, most of Livingstone’s appearances were at half-back, rather than inside forward, which may partly account for the scarcity of goals.

The following season he played 16 league matches, without scoring. In the United championship season of 1910-11, Livingstone played 10 league games, again without a goal. These days, that would qualify him for a medal, but it wasn’t the case then and after that season, his appearances for United were no more than occasional.

In 1911-12, he played only once; in 1912-13, he played 2 games, scoring his last United goal against West Brom; in his final season 1913-14, he played 3 league matches and one in the cup, retiring in 1914 shortly before his 38th birthday. In all, he played 46 games for United, scoring the 4 goals.

Perhaps, George was unlucky, given the teams he played for, not to have accumulated more medals. Hearts won the title in 1896-97 and United won the League in 1910-11 but it seems he didn't play enough games to qualify for a medal in either season. And oddly enough the Old Firm teams won nothing during George's time with them.

His solitary FA Cup winner's medal with City seems scant reward for a player who served with the giants of Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester as well as with Hearts and Sunderland, when those clubs were successful.

George made his Scotland debut in the ill-fated game against England on 5 April 1902, whilst he was still at Celtic. This was the first Ibrox disaster when 26 spectators lost their lives after a part of the wooden terracing collapsed. Although, following a delay of 18 minutes, the match was restarted and played to a conclusion (a 1-1 draw), both football associations later declared it unofficial. For the latter part of the game, several of the players were clearly upset and, on occasion, impeded by the closeness of the crowd, The match for the British Championship was replayed later in the year.

So, for years George Livingstone's "international debut" was ignored and not shown in any official records. However, in 2000, following a debate with the recently-formed International Federation of Football History and Statistics, FIFA decided to acknowledge the official international status of the match, 98 years after it was played.

The IFFHS stated: "If a full international - for whatever reasons - was interrupted it will be registered as an official full international. No national football association [has] the right to liquidate such full internationals (category 'A') and to consider [them] as non-existent.... Under these circumstances the match of April 5th, 1902 between Scotland and England is registered as an official full international."

It is unclear, however, whether any other historical body, or either football association has followed that lead.

Livingstone was also unfortunate to receive just two official caps for Scotland - against England in 1906 (on 7 April Scotland won 2-1 at Hampden ) whilst he was playing for City, and against Wales the following year (4 March 07 , when Wales won 1-0) after he had moved to Rangers.

After retiring from playing, George set up a plumbing and gas-fitting business but he didn't sever his connections with the game. Following a brief spell as Dumbarton manager at the end of World War One he took up the Trainer's role with Rangers from 1920-27 then performed a similar task at Bradford City 1928-35.

George Livingstone died in January 1950, aged 73.

Sources :

Football Wizard, The Story of Billy Meredith, John Harding
red11.com
londonhearts.com
scottishleague.net
lfchistory.net
englandfootballonline.com

A Murderer out on Bail

2007-08-01T22:02:00.002-07:00

Neil Warnock has always had a way with words. "I felt really let down," Warnock apparently writes in his new book. "I've so much time for Sir Alex but he had said he'd play his best side against West Ham. And this was nowhere near his best side. And then Carlos Tevez, football's equivalent of a murderer out on bail, had scored the goal that kept West Ham up and put us down. So much for the integrity of the Premier League. So much for fairness and justice in English football."

Ghost written, no doubt, but that phrase "football's equivalent of a murderer out on bail" shines through as pure Warnock. And certainly Tevez, like Maradona, does look as if he could easily have turned out as a hitman for some drug cartel, if he hadn't had a talent for football.

Warnock's conversation with SAF the day Sheffield United went down is reported thus, "He [Ferguson] said he was sorry about what had happened at Old Trafford. 'We battered them, Neil,' he said. 'We had 25 shots. And the stats would back me up on that. The team was good enough to win'," Warnock writes. "'I know, Alex,' I said. 'It's just the psychological boost the other team gets when they see all those names not on your team sheet.' 'I can't tell you how sorry I am,' he said. He was quoted the next day saying everything was all right between us. But it's still difficult for me to digest what happened."

It is now clear that West Ham cleared Tevez for those last three games by this unilateral tearing up of contracts. The Premier League has said they offered West Ham various options for dealing with the situation, but that is the only option that freed the player for immediate appearances. And as part of the deal, West Ham were obliged to promise to defend their position if challenged legally, hence the current Court case. In due course, I fully expect the West Ham position to be proved untenable (although I'm intrigued by these current allegations of forgery they're making). When it is proved that West Ham couldn't unilaterally tear up the contract, it will presumably establish that Tevez shouldn't have been free to play the games. But by fighting the Court battle, they will presumably be held to have demonstrated "good faith" and will be let off. If good faith has to involve going to the Appeal Court if they lose the first time around, then we will certainly not see our new murderer until the New Year, at best. Unless, of course, the Court holds that he is a free agent, and not registered with any club, in which case I believe we are allowed to sign him outside any "window", because it wouldn't be a transfer.

Or, to adapt The Godfather, a man with a briefcase can steal much more money than a man with a football.

Source : The Guardian, Wednesday August 1, 2007

The Ends of Warwick Road

2007-07-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

In my younger days, I spent a lot of time at the other end of Warwick Road. Because of the nature of cricket, the players are less remote from the audience. There are large portions of any match when they are not actively involved and you are quite likely to come across them doing other things. At grounds other than Old Trafford (smaller opposition grounds, like Buxton and Chesterfield, or the out-grounds like Blackpool and Liverpool) this was even more true. And of course they didn't have a separate training ground.

The footballers by contrast seemed to sweep in for matches and then sweep out again. And the explosive nature of a football match is more like their being on a stage, apart from those watching. And of course the experience of watching football itself is shorter, more intense, whereas a cricket match, even a one-day game, unravels itself on a wholly different time-frame.

So I have never quite rid myself of this difference, that football is a performance, something that lifts you out of yourself, whereas cricket is part of the real world, entwined into its fabric. Maybe it is just the time a match lasts. After all, within the compass of a county championship match a man could be condemned, crucified and rise from the dead (and these days still have a day free to spend on the golf course).

Even before the amounts of money made footballers so separate, cricketers were much less remote as a species. Is is sad, perhaps, that it's no longer possible for players to pursue professional careers in both sports; Botham's little excusion with Scunthorpe was an eccentricity, no more. Even in my day, they were a dying breed. I saw Chris Balderstone play both games and Jim Cumbes.

Now we just wonder how good a cricketer Phil Neville might have been. He has, of course, had a successful football career and made himself a very rich man, but he has never really been the stuff of legend, even if he has been there whilst they we were being made.

I sometimes wonder if he might not have sacrificed a good part of his football career for one match winning performance in a Test match against Australia.

Although I doubt if he would have sacrificed any of it for the chance to bring the county championship back to Lancashire, much more important though that might be to an awful lot of people, who still hope to see it in their lifetimes.

His Time Had Gone

2007-07-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

In Alex Ferguson's recent interview in Macau with the assembled press, one passage struck me in particular. Asked how Arsenal would cope without Henry, he said,

"They lost him in December. I don't think they'll suffer too much. His time had gone and I think Arsene knew that."

One of the perverse attractions of sport, and of sporting heroes, is the brevity of that "time", the "pity that youth does not last".

They talk about the brevity of a sporting career (usually it seems these days as some facile justification for relatively mediocre talents being paid more in a year than, say, a nurse in a lifetime), but that window of "time" may be just a fragment of a career. In some cases, it seems it may be little more than one afternoon, to be in the right place at the right time. So much of it is luck.

You are never quite sure when a player's time has gone, when even the finest of players is no longer tuned to a team's subtle dynamic, or has started down the far side of his career.

I think Eric sensed it himself, but there are not that many who do "go out at the top", and indeed, there never have been. But in earlier days, a footballer had little choice but to ply his trade as long and wherever he could, because he had rarely been able to put that much money by. The pub and the Soreen factory lay in wait. Nowadays, a player with even a few seasons at the top should be comfortably insulated against a poverty-stricken old age.

Some players, obviously, just want to keep playing as long as they conceivably can, invent new and different roles and careers for themselves, which do not detract from what went before. Paul McGrath at Aston Villa; Dwight Yorke, for example, with his holiday in Australia, his World Cup and now his time at Sunderland; Sheringham, at West Ham and wherever he's now off to; Irwin and Ince at Wolves. Presumably, they are not driven entirely by money, unless they have gambled it all away, as much as by fear of what life may hold for them when they have to stop. They must all have heard those old players saying that nothing else is ever as good.

"Probably this is my fourth team — you could even say it's my fifth — but it's certainly my fourth, so there are moments when you have to make decisions regarding players' futures, which isn't easy because you get attached to them. You can't keep them forever and give them a pension. There comes a point where they have to move on. We did that and it was hard. But it was for the right reasons. We had to evolve and I knew that."

And I think supporters become even more attached to players. For myself, I think I retain a soft spot for anyone who has ever played for United, which is probably becoming obvious. Even Prunier and Taibi had their solitary moment in the sun and were endearing in the monstrosity of it all. If I had my way, we'd probably never get rid of anyone (well, Kieran going was probably the right move for all concerned, and the same will go for Smudger when he finally goes). And whatever SAF says, I think Ole's last contract was partly a pension, and the knowledge that keeping him at the club kept the memory of 1999 fresher, and that he could do good work behind the scenes.

Learned friends of Mr Watkins : Number One

2007-07-26T01:43:00.000-07:00

The recent Argentinian cases highlight the number of lawyers that must now making a good living out of football, and becoming increasingly influential in the game. Maurice Watkins is not the only solicitor out there (although it feels like it sometimes).

Jan Levinson

Jan Levinson is a leading sports litigation lawyer at Beachcroft LLP in Manchester. Beachcroft’s specialist sports litigation practice handles "the full range of commercial law and dispute resolution issues and opportunities that face clubs, sporting bodies, officials, competitors, spectators, sports goods manufacturers, stadia and insurers".

Levinson moved to Beachcroft as a partner in 2003. After leaving the University of Newcastle upon Tyne with a 2:1 he had started as a trainee solicitor with Hammonds in 1990, qualified and worked himself up to a partnership in 1999.

He is variously described in the legal industry's own trade journals as a "brilliant litigator" and as having "a real talent for thinking laterally and creatively".

Beachcroft say Levinson now specialises in commercial dispute resolution, with a particular emphasis on IT disputes, property claims, sports law and defamation. He also heads their licensing team, which has advised Manchester United and Lancashire County Cricket Club on various issues.

Injury Time

Jan Levinson has found himself in the forefront of the continuing attempt to establish legal liability (and compensation) for players whose careers are ended or affected by injury.

Although even the football authorities gave up attempting to assess whether a foul was deliberate or not, when they removed the term "intentionally" from Law 12 (which concerns "fouls and misconduct") the Courts are still being asked to determine questions or intent or, more commonly, recklessness and negligence.

Levinson is currently acting for ex-Manchester United footballer, Ben Collett, against footballer Gary Smith and Premiership football club Middlesbrough FC in a case which is expected to result in substantial damages.

This case follows a challenge by Smith on Collett in May 2003, which resulted in a double fracture of his leg. After successfully resolving the issue of liability, Levinson is continuing to act for Collett to establish the level of damages to be paid to the player with a trial likely to be listed for later this year.

Speaking about the case, Levinson commented, "Ben was one of Manchester United’s most talented young footballers, but the seriousness of this injury ended his prospects of a promising future in the Premier League at the age of just 18. We expect that the damage to his career and loss of earnings will result in significant compensation."

This is the second time this year that an ex-MUFC footballer has been involved in a legal battle as a result of a career-ending injury. Earlier in the year, Michael Appleton was awarded £1.5m in damages against his consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Mr El-Safty, following an unnecessary operation to repair his knee after a training ground accident. (Although, on appeal, the surgeon successfully resisted a similar action brought by West Brom, on the basis his duty lay only to his patient, not to the club).

The Collett hearing will include high profile witnesses such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Neville, who also gave evidence at the Appleton case.

Levinson previously represented former Manchester United player, Chris Casper, who secured undisclosed damages for a career-ending injury from Cardiff City FC in an out-of-court settlement. Casper was playing for Reading at the time of the incident, on Boxing Day 1999. A tackle by Richard Carpenter left him with a broken fibula, tibia and cruciate and ankle ligament damage. Casper underwent a series of operations and doctors inserted five metal screws into his left leg. The case was settled in 2003 on the day it was due to go to trial when Carpenter admitted liability.

And in the early days of this sort of litigation, Levinson acted for Gordon Watson in his successful court action against an opponent whose dangerous tackle ended his career in top-level football.

In a three-day hearing at Newcastle in 1999, Watson sought damages against Huddersfield Town FC and defender Kevin Gray following a Division One game in 1997. The tackle left Watson with a double fracture which required five operations and the insertion of a six inch metal plate. Jimmy Hill, who gave evidence, claimed that the tackle was the worst he had seen in fifty years of football. Commenting in court he said, "It was clearly reckless and wild. It offended against both the unwritten as well as the written code of the game." Watson was awarded over £950,000 by Mr Justice Taylor - the highest ever award by a Court at the time to be given in such a case.

According to Watson's solicitors, Hammond Suddards, the payout made him only the second player in football history to prove negligence against another player, and liability against that player's club. (The first was in 1997 when Stockport County's Brian McCord was awarded £250,000 in damages after his career was wrecked by a high tackle from Swansea's John Cornforth).

Watson himself said, "At the end of the day I go to work. If you get injured at work things like this have to be taken into account and this is what this judgement is about today."

After the Casper case, the PFA said it would like to see players offered an alternative to the courts. A spokesman said: "Any member should know football is a highly-competitive game, but there are boundaries they should not step over. Perhaps football should have something in place which would remove the need to go to court, maybe a fund for a player who suffers from a challenge that falls outside what you would consider reasonable."

Until then there will continue to be employment for Jan Levinson and his learned friends.

Sources

Beachcroft LLB Press Release 17.05.07 and their website.
'Hard Cases' in Court, by Martin Roderick, Centre for Research into Sport and Society, University of Leicester
Telegraph & Argus, first published Saturday 8th May 1999.
Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Tuesday 1st Jul 2003.

Kieran Country : Where are they now?

2007-07-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

The interesting thing about Kieran moving to Sunderland is that I'd always assumed he was high on the list of players Keane had in mind when he made his criticisms. The fact that Keano is prepared to take him on (and perhaps that Robbo was so anxious to get him back) clearly indicates that he isn't the arrogant wastrel that he appears to be. Various websites do say that he's a decent bloke off the pitch, although his demeanour on the field belies this. Whether Keano can get him to play with his mouth closed, literally or figuratively, I doubt, but given a chance of a more central role, he may yet come through.

And think how pleased cousin Charley will be to come out and find herself related to a famous Sunderland player (I am told that when this piece of news was announced in the "house" Charley didn't appear to know where Sunderland was).

It proves again that you're lucky if a couple of players from even the best youth teams make it as first-team regulars, especially at United.

Flicking around some of the archived blog threads from 2002, the names most frequently mentioned as youngsters likely to break through into the first team squad were Richardson, Mads Timm (see below) and, perhaps surprisingly, the Scottish player.

So the stars of the 2003 FA Youth Cup winning side are gradually diminishing at Old Trafford and there are now only three left. David Jones (the captain) could probably have stayed longer, but decided to leave last year, and won promotion with Derby. Phil Bardsley may yet stay at Old Trafford, but is clearly free to go if a decent offer emerges (and I have even seen him proposed as an England right-back of the future). Chris Eagles will have at least one more season in the first-team squad, to see if he can kick on, particularly after a couple of goals on the Asian tour. Tom Heaton is still on the books, although goalkeepers are always a bit different.

For the whole squad :

Luke Steele (GK) : at one point left as United's second-choice keeper, departed in 2006 for West Brom, as part of the deal that brought Tomas Kuszczak to United, although he has spent most of his time with them on loan at Coventry.

Phil Bardsley (DF) : lived in the shadow of The Cliff, and joined the United academy at 8 years old; still at Old Trafford, had a colourful loan spell at Rangers, more recently on loan to Villa and now strongly rumoured to be on his way to Everton.

Paul McShane (DF) : spent a successful season on loan at Brighton in 2005-06,where he was Player of the Season, before United sold him to West Brom along with Luke Steele; successful international debut for Republic of Ireland last season; recently bought by Keano for Sunderland and will join Kieran there this season.

Lee Sims (DF) : can't really find out what happened to him, after a trial at Cardiff in 2004 (although that same year on Championship Manager one bloke brought Sims in for Gary Neville, pushed up his value to £7 million and had him playing for England -amazing where Google will take you and, sadly, probably the closest Lee Sims will ever come to fame).

Lee Lawrence (DF) : loaned to Shrewsbury in 2004, released by United when the Pontins League side was discontinued, played for Livingston in Scotland but current whereabouts unclear.

David Jones (MF) : see above, sold to Derby County for £1 million, which Billy Davies reckoned was one of his best bargains ever, saving some £3\4 million on his real value; left-footed and eligible to play for both England and Wales; will be interesting to see how he manages in the Premiership.

Kieran Richardson (MF) : see above, sold to Sunderland for something that may presumably amount to £5.5 million if Sunderland reach Europe and Kieran scores a hat-trick for England.

Chris Eagles (MF) : see above, still at United, some eye=catching goals in Asia and is being talked up by SAF at the moment.

Eddie Johnson (FW) : after various loan spells, one of seven players released by United at the end of 2005-06, and moved to Bradford City.

Mads Timm (FW) (above) : once the most glittering of the young prospects, ("seasoned observers like Bryan Robson were left in awe by the FA Youth Cup semi-final performance of Manchester United's Danish star" - "different class" says Barry Fry), sent to a YOI for 12 months in 2005 for dangerous driving after racing another United youngster on public roads, was supported by United and returned to the club on release, but one of seven players released by United at the end of 2005-06 and returned to OB, one of his previous Danish clubs.

Ben Collett (MF) : young player of the year in 2003, another victim of the loss of a reserve team in 2005, adventurously moved first to New Zealand Knights and then on to Dutch club Apeldoorn. Currently involved in a claim for damages against Middlesbrough FC and Gary Smith, for a leg-breaking tackle in May 2003. According to his lawyer, "Ben was one of Manchester United’s most talented young footballers, but the seriousness of this injury ended his prospects of a promising future in the Premier League at the age of just 18. We expect that the damage to his career and loss of earnings will result in significant compensation."

Tom Heaton (GK) : loaned to Swindon last season, still at United and in the squad touring Asia.

Mark Howard (MF) : one of seven players released by United at the end of 2005-06 season, moved to Danish club Brondby.

Phil Picken (DF) : loaned to Chesterfield in 2005 and subsequently moved there permanently; recently had an operation for a double hernia but should be fit for the start of the new season.

Ramon Calliste (FW) : Welsh youth international who, strangely, in view of all the current fuss, was one of two United youngsters who quietly moved to Liverpool in 2005; he could have moved to Colchester instead, but according to their manager in July 2005, "Ramon won't be staying with us. I liked what I saw in the games he played and worked hard to negotiate a contract with him, but it came down to us having to make him our best paid player to get him here....Ramon's agent asked me where his fee was coming from and if he wasn't getting it, Ramon would be going elsewhere. At that stage, I knew it was unlikely the deal would go through" - obviously Liverpool offered more than the £450 a week Colchester put on the table; released after a season in Liverpool reserves, moved to Scunthorpe but broke an ankle, failed to make their team and was released at the end of last season.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (FW) : another of those Liverpool fans that creep through at United, he did at least score a goal for United (in the Carling Cup), broke a leg in 2005 but recovered well and sold to Plymouth in 2006, where he's had a fair degree of success.

David Poole (MF ) : moved to Yeovil in 2005, but then loaned by them to Stockport County in 2006 and sold to County later last season for £100,000.

Sources

mostly Wikipedia I'm afraid, with some digging around on Google
Beachcroft LLP Press Release
I see Sarah Winnerburn on Football365 has been following some similar searches, with little more success, although for some reason she has skipped over Mads Timm

Limp Along Leslie

2007-07-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

'Limp Along Leslie' is another character who originally emerged in the DC Thomson story-papers, in his case The Wizard from 1951-1955. The stories were reprinted in the early 60s and then reproduced in picture-story form in other Thomson comics (I think The New Hotspur), in the late 60s/70s. He also featured in the first issue of Buddy another Thomson launch of 1981 (along with other recycled heroes like The Wolf of Kabul, Captain Bill Sampson, who fought for the empire in the east, along with his faithful companion Chung - a splendid native chap who smashed in bad people's skulls with an old cricket bat). Thomson were clearly convinced that, for normal people at least, the comic reading "window" was about five years and that they could recycle a story after that sort of period.

Leslie Tomson is a creative footballer, an inside-forward, and captain of a team called Darbury Rangers. Due to a childhood car accident, in which both his parents were killed, his left leg was shorter than his right, and he walked with a slight limp, hence the nickname. "Leslie could not move as fast as other players, but what he lacked in speed he more than make up for in skill and craft". Amongst his skills is an amazing ability to bend the ball, something which in those days was largely limited to foreign players (I remain convinced that there are more connotations to "banana shot" than just the shape of the fruit).

As so many characters in comics have to have a second life, if only to vary the plot and to produce situations of conflict, Leslie spends his time running Low Dyke Farm, a sheep-farm in the Peak District (well in "Peakshire") outside Dalestone for his widowed aunt.

"Leslie’s brilliant hat-trick had put the Rangers into the semi-finals of the cup. Dad Moss, the team manager, was flushed with excitement as he watched the players come in. “Les, two England selectors have been watching the game,” he said. “I reckon you’ll be well in the running for an international Cap against Scotland at Hampden Park.” “I don’t know that I want to be picked for England,” muttered Leslie. “You don’t want a Cap?” gasped Moss. “Of course I do!” snapped Leslie. “But the Hampden Park match is on the same day as the National Sheepdog Trial, and I’ve entered Pal.” Leslie referred to his small black and white sheepdog. Leslie’s father, the late John Tomson, had won an International Trial with his famous dog, Skipper. He had also been captain of the Rangers and an England internationalist. Les wanted to follow in his footsteps. Now it looked as if Leslie might have to sacrifice one ambition for the sake of the other."

Limp Along Leslie 18 episodes in The Wizard issues 1302 – 1313 (1951)
Limp Along Leslie 37 episodes in The Wizard issues 1333 - 1369 (1951 – 1952)
Limp Along Leslie 35 episodes in The Wizard issues 1386 - 1420 (1952 - 1953)
Limp Along Leslie in Summer 3 episodes in The Wizard issues 1429 - 1430 (1953)
The Wild Man of the Rangers 34 episodes in The Wizard issues 1439 - 1472 (1953 - 1954)
He Never Said a Word 20 episodes in The Wizard issues 1490 - 1509 (1954 - 1955)
Limp Along Leslie 9 episodes in The Wizard issues 1541 - 1549 (1955)

Limp Along Leslie 52 episodes (Reprint of two series) in The Wizard issues 1740 – 1791 (1959 - 1960)
Mister Ninety Minutes 34 episodes (Reprint of The Wild Man of the Rangers) in The Wizard issues 1854 – 1887 (1961 - 1962)

Source : http://www.britishcomics.20m.com/home.htm Vic Whittle's marvellous site.

A World of Brighter Colours

2007-07-20T19:10:00.001-07:00

"Defence is negation; attack, as we saw it, perfectly executed, is life, and on Saturday we were taken by the hand and led into a world where the colours were a bit brighter and the outlines sharper."

Geoffrey Green, The Times : match report of the 1948 Cup Final

The Unbeatable Manny Critch

2007-07-20T19:09:00.001-07:00

This story was in the Rover in 1966, to fit in with the World Cup finals.

It featured the ultimate giantkillers, a small island nation (somewhere in the Pacific I fancy) who enter the World Cup and get to the finals, because they have a goalkeeper who never concedes a goal. The rest of the team are pretty much there to make up the numbers, although I think there is one chap who occasionally scores a goal so they can win 1-0.

In fact, the team get all the way to the final of the World Cup and, eventually, lose on the toss of a coin, because no-one can break the deadlock. Manny Kritch, the goalkeeper, gets to call the toss and gets it wrong.

The historical interest, of course, is that in 1966, there was clearly no provision for a penalty shoot-out. If there had been, one must assume that a small Pacific island would have been world cup winners, and Kenneth Wolstenholme, Sir Geoff Hurst et al would never have had their moment of fame.

Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode Two

2007-07-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

Caught the result against FC Seoul on the BBC website. So far, none of the new players has got a game and no-one has returned from injury. Very much last season. Nothing wrong in that of course.

Also viewed some fairly shaky video footage of the goals over the web.

Anyway, Manchester United were convincing 4-0 winners over FC Seoul in the second leg of their promotional tour of Asia. Clearly, United are generating more enthusiasm in Asia than Chelsea are managing in the USA. Unless the Becks effect is miraculous, it seems MUFC will be looking at other markets, so roll-on the pre-season tour of Africa. After all, the Glazers already have vehcles for draining money from the US sports market and the NY Yankees tie-up never seemed to produce anything much (apart from free beanie hats for some of the players).

There was a sell-out home crowd of 60,000 or so, many of them wearing United's colours (although it would be interesting to know what proportion of the shirts were authorised club versions) : a banner draped over the stand behind one of the goals read - "Welcome to Korea - Here's Another Old Trafford." United were playing in their white change kit (unclear if there is a new black kit on the way).

The most interesting feature of the team was that Evra started on the left wing (his usual position when picked as full-back, of course). The first goal started from his throw in with Ronaldo topping it off with a low, powerful shot from outside the penalty box. Admittedly, the keeper seemed slow going down.

Evra again was at the heart of the second goal, starting it from the centre of the park, with a neat backheel on by Ronaldo onto the path of Eagles, who showed decent composure to finish it off from the edge of the box.

The third goal was the result of a Rooney-Ronaldo interchange, Rooney going past a Seoul defender and shooting in off the hands of the goalkeeper at the near post. Again, the keeper Kim should have done better, if only to discourage this obsession with blasting the ball at the near post.

The cameras focused every so often on the local favourite Park Ji-Sung, who had earlier carried the Premiership trophy onto the pitch, and then acknowledged the crowd again during half time. He seems very popular in Korea and noise levels rose every time he appeared on the big screen. Hopefully he returns sometime soon in our next campaign, and isn’t just reserved as another marketing ploy.

Scholes, Giggs and Smith came on in the second half, Scholes picking up his customary booking. The home side failed to test Edwin van der Sar in the first period but stepped up a gear after the break, coming close when a header by Kwak Tae-hwi, from a free kick, went narrowly wide.

But it was United who struck again on the hour when Giggs advanced into the Seoul penalty box to set up Evra for the goal he deserved with a finish from a narrow angle. Rooney and Ronaldo were the headline grabbers, but from all reports Evra was good on the left wing and so was Eagles.

Also, going from all reports, Rooney looks very very hungry to be back playing again, after his longest summer break in years.

United next play matches in China against Shenzhen FC and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical. The club confirmed that the squad will be joined by Dong Fangzhuo on Sunday, presumably to fulfill the Park role, rather than actually play.

FC Seoul 0 Manchester United 4 (Ronaldo 6, Eagles 18, Rooney 21, Evra 61)

FC Seoul: Kim (Kim, 82), Kwak, Adilson, Lee (Kim, 45), Kon (Koh, 73), Choi, Ki (Song, 82), Lee Chung-Yong, Ricardo (Ahn, 73), Lee, Jung (Shim, 45)

Manchester Utd: Van der Sar (Kuszczak, 45), Bardsley (Simpson, 45), Ferdinand, Vidic (Evans, 77), Silvestre, Eagles, Carrick (Scholes, 45), O'Shea, Evra, Rooney (Smith, 45), Ronaldo (Giggs, 45)

Goals: Ronaldo06, Eagles 18, Rooney 21, Evra 60

Attendance: 60,000

Wally Brand : the Ball of Fire

2007-07-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Too much attention has been given to the wrong characters when talking about footballers in comics, fond though I was for a long time of Roy Race.

So I would like to celebrate some of the other characters I remember from my eternal childhood.

Wally Brand

Wally Brand was a centre-forward who first featured in the DC Thomson story papers in the early 1950s. The stories were reprinted at intervals and later (like so many Thomson characters and stories) recycled in illustrated form in the picture-story The Victor or The New Hotspur in the later 1960s, when story papers had gone the way of The Magnet and The Gem.

Brand was naturally a trouble-maker, one of those men who rankled with authority by his "plain-speaking" and won few caps for England because of his "attitude". I believe his nickname, "the ball of fire" also referred to his red hair and the fact he wasn't that tall. Of course, these were the days when the England manager was given a team by his selection committee rather than picking it himself, so Brand doesn't get nearly as many caps as his ability deserves.

I recall one story when Brand finds himself, by various accidents, wearing a bowler hat and carrying a tightly rolled umbrella. He is seen by an England selector, who is so impressed by his smartness that Brand finds himself back in the England team.

In the series "Wanted : Men with two right feet", Brand finds himself as captain of a struggling league side, and trying to rebuild it by bringing in young, untried players. As this is a comic, he spots a winger ("Twisty" Topham, I think) in a spiv, street trader running away from the police; he spots a goalkeeper unloading bricks from a wagon.

But the stories are larded with a particular philospophy of football : "never apologise" (we know you were trying to do your best); "the best way to beat a man is pass the ball".

As always with Thomson, the identity of the authors isn't given. Pity.

The Ends of the East Lancs Road

2007-07-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Nine senior players have made the direct move between Anfield and Old Trafford, although several others have played for both clubs.

And of course Matt Busby was still on Liverpool's books as a player at the time he agreed to take the job of manager of Manchester United.

These are players who have seen both ends of the East Lancs Road.

Liverpool to Manchester United

1912 Tom Chorlton (1882 - 1952)

Born in Heaton Mersey, Stockport, Tom Chorlton played for County and Accrington Stanley before moving to Liverpool in 1904. He played 121 games for them as a defender, scoring 8 goals (mostly penalties). A regular starter from 1908 -11, he then lost his place and transferred to United in August 1912.

He stayed two seasons with United, but only played four league games at right-back, in 1913-14, before moving to Stalybridge Celtic.

His career ended with World War I.

23 September 1920 Tom Miller (£2,000) (1890 - ?)

Born in Motherwell, 30 June 1890, inside forward Tom Miller was brought to Anfield in 1912 for £400. He scored 56 times in 146 Liverpool games, appearing in their first FA Cup Final in 1914 (they lost 1-0 to Burnley in front of King George V, the first monarch to attend a final and the man responsible for the traditional singing of Abide with Me).

Miller was suspended from football for his part in the great 1915 match-fixing scandal involving Liverpool and Manchester United (see below), but he was reinstated after the war and then moved to Old Trafford in September 1920.

He made his United debut at Old Trafford against Tottenham on 25 September and scored his first goal against Oldham two matches later. He played 25 league games that season, scoring 7 goals, and 2 games in the FA Cup, scoring once (against Liverpool at Anfield).

Miller moved back to Scotland with Hearts in July 1921, for £550 plus Arthur Lochhead. Miller played three times for Scotland.

1929 Tommy Reid (1905- ?)

Born in Motherwell, Reid started his career with Liverpool. He scored thirty times in just 55 Liverpool games. After being loaned out to Oldham Athletic, he transferred to Manchester United in 1929. He scored 14 goals in 17 appearances that season and went on to score 67 goals in just 101 games, before being transferred back to Oldham in 1933.

December 1937 Robert (Ted) Savage

Right-half Ted Savage was born in Louth in Lincolnshire. He left Anfield for Old Trafford in December 1937 after 105 Liverpool games following his arrival from Lincoln City in May 1931. He made his debut for Liverpool as a forward, netting twice in a 4-0 defeat of Grimsby Town at Anfield that September, but never scored for them again.

He played only 5 games for United (4 League, one FA Cup) before moving on to Wrexham in November 1938.

1938 Allenby Chilton (1919 - 1996)

see separate profile

Manchester United to Liverpool

November 1913 John (Jackie) Sheldon (1888 - 1941)

Born in Clay Cross, Derbyshire, 11 February 1888. Jackie Sheldon played for Nuneaton as an amateur before signing for United in November 1909. He was part of the team that won United's second Championship in 1912. An outside right, he was mainly used as cover for Billy Meredith. As a result, he only played 26 first team games in four seasons before being transferred to Liverpool in November 1913. He remained at Anfield (except for his absence during the war) until he retired nine years later, after scoring twenty times in 147 games.

Sheldon was alleged to be the ringleader of the 1915 match-fixing scandal, perhaps because of his contacts with both clubs.

The 1915 match-fixing scandal

On 2 April 1915, Good Friday, Liverpool visited Old Trafford for a First Division match. United were struggling against relegation, while Liverpool were comfortable in mid-table. It was generally assumed that football would be halted at the end of the season for the remainder of the Great War, so many of the players probably believed their careers were effectively at an end.

Liverpool lost 2-0, George Anderson scoring a goal for United in each half. Sheldon missed a penalty late on in the match, and there were suspicions that several Liverpool players were hardly trying.

After the match handbills started to appear, alleging that a large amount of money had been bet at odds of 7/1 on a 2-0 win to United. The bookmakers decided not to pay out on the result and offered a £50 reward for information that would unmask the conspirators. The Sporting Chronicle took up the story and claimed that they discovered evidence that players on both sides had got together to concoct a 2-0 scoreline. The newspaper also argued that some of the players had large bets on the result.

An investigation by the FA concluded that players from both sides had been involved in rigging the match: Sandy Turnbull (the goal scoring hero of the 1909 FA Cup final), Arthur Whalley and Enoch "Knocker" West of United, and Jackie Sheldon, Tom Miller (see above), Bob Purcell and Tom Fairfoul of Liverpool. Suspicion attached to several other players as well, although nothing was proved. Some players, such as Liverpool's Fred Pagnam and United's George Anderson (who scored both goals) apparently refused to take part in the scheme (although Anderson was convicted and imprisoned in 1918 for his part in another match-fixing comspiracy). Pagnam claimed he had threatened to score a goal to ruin the result, and indeed hit the bar late in the game, after which several of his team-mates were seen to argue with him. He later testified against his team-mates at the FA hearing and for the FA in West's libel action.

All seven players were banned from playing for life, and even banned from entering football grounds. Knocker West, the only convicted United player who actually took part in the game, vociferously protested his innocence, even going so far as suing the FA for libel. However, he lost the case (twice) and the ban stood. Sandy Turnbull was killed in 1917 serving in World War I. All the other players, except West, had their bans lifted by the FA in 1919, in recognition of their service to the country during the War, and after they had apologised. For continuing to protest his innocence, and possibly for spending the war in a factory rather than fighting, West had to wait until 1945 for his ban to be lifted in a general amnesty, by which time he was 59 and an embittered man. He refused to enter Old Trafford ever again.

The investigation had found that it had been a conspiracy by the players alone - no official from either club was found guilty of any wrong-doing, and neither club was fined or had points deducted. However, although the players' motives for the match-fixing were financial, rather than to save United from relegation, the two points United won from the game were enough to earn them 18th place and safety, one point ahead of Chelsea in 19th place, who were nominally relegated. But the intervention of the World War meant that the Football League did not resume until 1919-20. Before the 1919-20 season started, the League decided to expand the First Division by two teams; Chelsea (along with Arsenal) were elected back into the First Division and thus spared the drop.

His ban lifted, Jackie Sheldon made a further 72 appearances for Liverpool before a serious injury ended his career in 1922, and he was even given a benefit by the club.

He died in Manchester on 19th March 1941.

May 1921 Fred Hopkin (1895 - 1970) (£2800)

Born in Dewsbury on 23 September 1895, Fred Hopkin first played football for Darlington in 1912, his career there spanning World War 1.

An outside left, he moved to United in 1919. He scored his first goal for United in the Manchester derby (a 3-3 draw) and also scored in United’s first ever visit to Highbury on Saturday 21 February 1920 (when two goals from Joe Spence and one from Hopkin gave United a 3-0 victory). He played two full seasons for United (70 League games - scoring 8 goals - and 4 FA Cup games). In six games for United against Liverpool, he was never on the winning side (4 draws, 2 defeats).

During his time at Old Trafford, United were fined £350 by the FA for the crime of paying Fred more than the maximum wage and for promising to give him a percentage of his transfer fee, which was also illegal.

This showed how much United thought of Hopkin, but he left Old Trafford for £2,800 in May 1921 (Liverpool's record fee at the time) and helped Liverpool to consecutive League titles. He was an ever present during the first title winning season, 1921-22, and missed just 2 of the 42 league matches in the second in 1922-23. However, he was best known as the man whose goal set the Anfield Road end on fire. He was a rare goalscorer, and when he finally struck against Bolton Wanderers in 1923, there were great celebrations. Seconds later, flames rose from the stand, which had to be evacuated.

Hopkin scored a total of twelve goals in 360 Liverpool games, before moving back to Darlington in 1931. He died on March 5 1970, the last survivor of the Liverpool double championship team of the 1920s.

1954 Tommy McNulty (£7,000) (1929 - 1979)

Tommy McNulty was born in Salford on 30 December 1929. McNulty made his senior debut for United against Portsmouth in April 1950 and played 7 games in the remaining part of the season. He played 22 league games in 1951 -52, winning a League Championship medal and 24 the season after. Altogether, the right -back made 59 appearances (57 League, 2 FA Cup - both lost) and one in the Charity Shield, before moving on to Liverpool for £7,000 in February 1954.

He stepped down a division in the process, as Liverpool were in Division 2 at the time. He went on to play 36 times for Liverpool before being offloaded to Hyde United four years later. He died in April 1979.

1964 Phil Chisnall (£25,000)

see separate profile

Played for both clubs

George Livingstone (Liverpool 1902-03; United 1908-1914)

See separate profile.

Neil McBain (United 1921-23; Liverpool 1928)

Scottish international half-back Neil McBain, played for United from 1921-23. He was bought for a fee of £6,000 from Ayr United in November 1921, and was in the team relegated at the end of the 1921-22 season. He played 43 games in all, scoring twice (both in Division 2) before moving to Everton in January 1923. He arrived at Anfield in March 1928, but only stayed eight months, playing twelve times.

Jimmy McInnes (Liverpool 1938-40; United wartime guest)

Scottish left-half Jimmy McInnes made 51 Liverpool appearances after signing from Third Lanark in March 1938 for £5,500, but didn't play for them again after the war. He guested with United during the war, and later became Club Secretary at Anfield from 1955-65. However, he hanged himself in the turnstile area of the Kop in 1965, just four days after Liverpool had won the FA Cup for the first time.

Ted MacDougall (Liverpool 1966-67; United 1972-73)

Ted MacDougall never made the Liverpool first team, but he was on their books in 1966-67, before moving to York City and then Bournemouth. He had an unhappy spell with United, signed by Frank O'Farrell from Bournemouth in September 1972 for £200,000. He played 11 league games for O'Farrell, scoring 4 goals, before the manager was sacked. He played another 7 games under Tommy Docherty, scoring one more goal, before being unloaded on West Ham in March 1973 for £170,000. He then moved on to Norwich, Southampton and subsequently back to Bournemouth.

John Gidman (Liverpool youth; United 1981-86)

Gidman played for Liverpool youth teams before the club released him and he joined Aston Villa in 1971. He was signed by Everton in 1979 for £650,000. A right-back, he then became Manchester United's new manager Ron Atkinson's first signing as he moved to United in 1981 as part of a £450,000 swap deal, with Mickey Thomas moving to Everton. He helped United win the FA Cup in 1983 and 1985. After scoring 4 goals in 120 appearances for United (including 4 substitute appearances), he left the club for rivals Manchester City in 1986. During his two seasons at City, the club was relegated to the Second Division. So Gidman was actually on the books of Liverpool, Everton, United and City.

Stephen Pears (United 1979-85; Liverpool 1995-96)

Keeper Stephen Pears was understudy to Gary Bailey at United, and played 5 games in the 1984-85 season. He then moved to Middlesborough, where he spent 10 successful years. His testimonial match was the final game at Ayresome Park. Liverpool signed him on a free transfer in August 1995 and he sat on the bench five times as understudy to David James, without getting on the pitch.

Peter Beardsley: (United 1982-83; Liverpool 1987-91)

United bought Peter Beardsley from Vancouver Whitecaps in September 1982 for £300,000. He spent a season with them without making much impact, only making one appearance in the League Cup victory against Bournemouth on 6 October 1982. He moved back to Vancouver Whitecaps on 1 March 1983 on a free transfer. Newcastle brought him back from Canada within a few months in a successful move. He arrived at Anfield from Newcastle for £1.9m in July 1987, and scored 59 times in 175 Liverpool games, helping them to claim two League titles and the FA Cup. He was sold to Everton in 1991.

Paul Ince: (United 1989-95; Liverpool 1997-99)

Paul Ince made his United debut against Millwall on 16 September 1989, after his controversial transfer from West Ham for £1 million. He helped them to two League titles, two FA Cups, the European Cup Winners’ Cup, European Super Cup and a League Cup. He played 281 games for United, scoring 29 goals. His last game was the defeat to Everton in the 1995 Cup Final. Over the summer he was sold to Internazionale for £8 million. He joined Liverpool in July 1997 in a £4m deal from Inter, going on to make 81 appearances, and scoring seventeen goals, including the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with United at Anfield, which he celebrated in that somewhat over-dramatic manner. However, he was past his best and Houllier sold him to Middlesbrough for £1m in July 1999.

Michael Nardiello

Michael Nardiello is a teenager from Torquay who moved to Anfield from Manchester United in summer 2005. It's unclear if he was offered a contract renewal by United or not; some rumours say he was sacked for fighting. He was in the Liverpool side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2006, but joined West Brom on 29 June 2006 after impressing Brian Robson in a successful trial. He has played for England U16 and U17 sides .

Ramon Calliste

Oddly, another youngster from Old Trafford, Ramon Calliste, also moved to Liverpool in 2005. The Welsh Under-21’s international was released by United at the end of the season. He spent a season in the Liverpool reserves before they released him as well.

Sources :

Red11
Red News
wikipedia
lfchistory.net
ynwa.tv (Liverpool fan site)
The Times 25 July 2007

Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode One

2007-07-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

It was whilst listening to a United game on the radio a few years ago that I first heard the commentator speak about "anxious listeners in Manchester".

I imagine there were a lot of hollow jokes from non-United fans about the use of the word "Manchester". But no-one can deny the banks of accumulated anxiety throughout the world, or the passion that is put into the listening and viewing (or sometimes even just the waiting) that goes on whenever United play. The intensity of the experience of the armchair supporter is often denigrated. Many armchair supporters are no less passionate than those who attend games (and looking at the Old Trafford crowds, often considerably more so). It is time someone stood up for them and their experience of supporting, an experience that has, after all, changed the game fundamentally through the TV money.

At the moment, of course, I am only a slightly anxious newspaper reader as United embark on their pre-season campaign. I occasionally debate with myself about subscribing to MUTV, but so far stick to my post-Glazer resolution not to put any more money in their pockets than absolutely necessary. In any event, I haven't even got digital TV yet.

So my experience of United's 2-2 draw with the Japanese champions Urawa Red Diamonds is limited to some newspaper reports and this fine photograph by Junko Kimura of Rooney bursting between two Japanese defenders (seen in full in some papers, but dreadfully cropped in others).

(Photo: Junko Kimura\Getty Images)

Some major concerns seem to be

Is Edwin still a reliable goalkeeper (at least two more major mistakes, it seems)?

Will the introduction of Tevez (if it ever happens) upset the Rooney \ Ronaldo combination that was so potent last season?

Have we defensive depth when we need it?

Can Ronaldo continue to get away with scoring goals just by blasting shots at the near post , like Kanchelskis used to do?

Is Wayne Rooney going bald?

And the Scottish player scores our first goal of the new season.

Urawa RD 2 ( Uchidate 25, Ono 77 ) Manchester United 2 (Fletcher 47, Ronaldo 52)

Team : Van de Sar; Brown, Ferdinand (Evans h-t), Vidic (Simpson h-t), Evra (Silvestre h-t); Fletcher, Carrick (O'Shea 68), Scholes, Ronaldo; Rooney, Giggs (Smith 68)

Subs not used : Kuszczak, Heaton, Bardsley

Phil Chisnall : “I’ve become the answer to a quiz question in recent years,”

2007-07-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

Before Phil Chisnall loses his main claim to fame, here is a summary of his career.

(John) Philip Chisnall

Born: 27 October 1942 Park Hospital, Davyhulme, Manchester

Height: 5' 7" Weight: 11st 13lbs

Phil Chisnall took a traditional route to the United first team. As a boy he played for English Martyrs School in Urmston and St Mary's in Stretford, as well as a local team called Dover Park, before representing Stretford Boys, Lancashire Boys and England Boys (six caps).

He was 15 at the time of the Munich air-crash and remembers his mother coming out of the front-door to meet him, to give him the news. "I used to go and watch United one Saturday, City the next" says Chisnall, "but was always a United supporter because we lived so close. I watched Duncan Edwards and the rest of that great team, and the next minute they were gone. It was so sad."

Chisnall and his father had already been courted by United scout Joe Armstrong before Munich and Phil became a part of United's rebuilding. He left school in April, two months after the crash."I left school and went straight to Old Trafford, and at the end of that season I was in the club party which went down to Wembley for the FA Cup final, when we put out a scratch team, with the likes of Ernie Taylor, Bobby Charlton and Alex Dawson. I was straight out of school, but at that age you don't think about things too deeply."

He signed professional forms at 17, and made his first-team debut on December 2, 1961 at Goodison Park. "I remember it well - they had Alex Young and Roy Vernon, and we were hammered 5-1!" said Chisnall.

He is usually described as an inside-right, and mostly wore 8 for United (30 appearances at 8, 14 at 7 and 4 at 10). He insists he was "a midfielder" and was certainly never a major goalscorer.

Over the next three seasons Chisnall played 47 games for United, scoring 10 goals. His first goal was at Maine Road in United's 2-0 win over City in February 1962. He played 13 games that season, 5 in 1962-63 (including his first goal at Old Trafford, against Arsenal).

He was one of three young players who started the first game of the 1963-64 season in place of three members of the Cup-winning side of the previous season. Chisnall, Ian Moir and David Sadler, surprisingly replaced David Herd, Johnny Giles and Albert Quixall. Quixall and Giles left the club soon afterwards.

Chisnall played 28 times that season and scored 8 goals, including his first in Europe (against Willem II) and his first cup goal (in a 5-1 defeat of Sunderland). George Best, then also playing as an inside-forward, who made his debut that season, certainly saw himself as behind Chisnall in the scheme of things. "I couldn't see much hope", Best is quoted as saying by Eamon Dunphy. Perhaps it was Chisnall's part in the humiliating second-leg defeat by Sporting Lisbon in the European Cup quarter-final that changed things. United were 4-1 up from the first leg, but lost 5-0 in Portugal. "Two players, Maurice Setters and Phil Chisnall, a clever skilful inside-forward of whom Busby held a high opinion, were doomed by this dismal performance", is Dunphy's opinion.

In fact, Chisnall played just one more game for United after the Lisbon debacle. His last game was against Wolves at Old Trafford on 28 March 1964.

In 1964 he reckoned the highlight of his time at United was scoring against Real Madrid at Old Trafford in United’s 3-1 victory, but I'm at a loss to know when the game took place .

Certainly, although Chisnall also played four times for the England U-23 side, it seemed he couldn’t establish himself as a regular at Old Trafford.

Decision

“I played for England Under-23s against Germany at Anfield and we won 4-2. I’m not sure whether Shankly was there but it was just before Liverpool came in for me. I remember Matt Busby calling me into his office and saying Bill Shankly was putting in an offer for me. He told me I didn't have to go, but at the time Liverpool were top of the league, on their way to winning it, and United were second.

"The way I looked at it was that Liverpool was just down the road, they were top of the league and I was about to get married. There was a big rivalry in those days in football terms, but there was no battling in the streets. Liverpool had only been in the First Division for two years before they won the league in 1964. They were only just establishing themselves in the top division and the rivalry between United and Liverpool fans wasn’t as strong then as it is now. Liverpool’s real rivals were Everton, while United’s were Man City.

"In fact Matt and Shanks were good mates, or maybe more like father and son. Shanks used to come to Manchester every week for a chat with Matt. When the two teams played, (the players) would have a few pints together afterwards, with no ill will.

"Liverpool was a vibrant place with the Beatles making it big and Shankly reviving Liverpool FC, so I decided to go for it."

Chisnall’s wife suffered more disruption than he did. “The only person who was bothered was the missus,” he said. “I told her I was going to play for Liverpool and it meant she had to take all the curtains down, pack up and move down the East Lancs Road. She wasn’t too pleased.

“No one else said much, even though I was moving between two big teams. Back then it was just a footballer moving from one club to another. I was able to go to Old Trafford and play for Liverpool and get a good reception from the crowd."

Liverpool took 47 points from their last 30 games of the season, after a slow start, to secure their sixth championship title, on 57 points, and qualify for their first European Cup campaign. United were second, four points behind them.

Liverpool Career

Chisnall made his debut for Liverpool as a substitute in the Charity Shield against West Ham, played at Anfield on 15 August 1964.

Ian St John was missing after an appendix operation and his deputy Arrowsmith was carried off the field after ten minutes, with a twisted knee. Roger Hunt moved to centre-forward and Chisnall substituted for Arrowsmith but, according to a contemporary report, “on this display lacked the sharpness and guile to be creative". The match ended 2-2.

Chisnall kept his place for Liverpool’s next game, wearing the number 9 shirt in their first ever European Cup tie against KR Reykjavik in Iceland. A poor clearance of his shot led to Liverpool’s first goal and he then scored their third, in the 57th minute, tapping in after the keeper fumbled a cross from Callaghan. Liverpool won 5-0, Roger Hunt and Gordon Wallace getting two goals each.

In his League debut for Liverpool on 22 August 2004, against Arsenal, Chisnall became the answer to another quiz question when he kicked off the first game ever to be shown on Match of the Day. The programme was shown on BBC2 at 6.30 pm, with highlights of just the one game. As BBC2 at the time was only available to those with 625 line sets living in the London area, the estimated TV audience was 20,000, less than half the attendance at Anfield. The game was introduced by Kenneth Wolstenholme, standing on the side of the pitch, with “expert” comments before and after the game from former Wales international Walley Barnes. Liverpool won 3-2.

Chisnall’s next game for Liverpool was at Elland Road, against Don Revie’s newly-promoted Leeds side. The Leeds side contained Sprake, Reaney, Bremner, Charlton, Giles, the black winger Johanneson and their captain, Bobby Collins who, according to the Yorkshire Post, "made Milne, the current England right-half, look a plodder”. Chisnall was still wearing 9 and “taking St John’s customary deep-lying role”. This was the game when Leeds really announced themselves as a force, beating the champions 4-2. St John returning to fitness, Chisnall was dropped and never really established himself in the Liverpool side again.

He came back into the side only for the last 4 League games of the season, although these included a return to Old Trafford (“I can’t remember getting any stick – it wasn’t like that back then”) and a 2 - 0 win over Chelsea at Anfield (when he scored his only League goal for Liverpool, after 9 minutes ).

The following season, he played only once, although that was in the first leg against Celtic in the semi-final of the European Cup-Winners Cup. Chisnall replaced the injured Roger Hunt in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat at Parkhead.

“Things didn’t really work out for me but I didn’t regret joining Liverpool,” says Chisnall. “It was just circumstance really - I didn’t hit it off. It was a great side with players like Ian St John, Ian Callaghan, Peter Thompson, Roger Hunt, Willie Stevenson, Gordon Milne and Tommy Smith so it was always going to be tough to get into the side.”

Later Career

In August 1967 Chisnall was transferred to Southend United for £12,000. Over the next few seasons he played 161 games for Southend, scoring 32 goals. Southend spent all his time with them in Division 4, and quite a bit of it in the lower half of that Division.

Chisnall (extreme left of middle row) in his last season at Southend

He remained at Southend until September 1971, when he took the opportunity to return to the North-West and signed for Stockport County, thus missing the first promotion in Southend’s history at the end of the 1971-72 season. (County, on the other hand, had to apply for re-election).

Chisnall played 30 League games for County, scoring 2 goals, before retiring at the end of the season. "My knees weren't that clever - I still need a new kneecap now," he said in 2005.

Managers

“In the space of a year I played under Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Alf Ramsey, who was manager of England Under-23s at the time. There was something about managers whose name ended in the letter `Y'. At United we had Busby, who was the quiet type, and Jimmy Murphy who was the passionate Welshman. At Liverpool it was the other way around, with Shankly the passionate one and Bob Paisley the calming influence. Ramsey was different again, quite prim and proper. He wouldn't be like Sven-Goran Eriksson, letting players tell you about this and that. He was a loner and everyone knew he was in charge. He was like a military man, all smart and talking posh, not like Busby, Shankly, Murphy and Paisley who came out of the shipyards or the coalmines."

And incidentally the manager at Southend at the end of the period when Chisnall was there was Arthur Rowley (see above). Also ending in Y, and the younger brother of United legend Jack Rowley.

Of course, it isn't true - as I've read - that Phil Chisnall was the only player ever managed by both Busby and Shankly, there was at least one other. Denis Law was managed by Shankly whilst he was at Huddersfield, and persuaded by him to sign his first professional contract with them when he was 17. Not bad company all the same.

After Football

"Football was a game to me," Chisnall says. "I played for fun and was given a few quid for it. It's a bit more intense today. We had no agents, apart from my wife, mind you, she used to take 80 per cent, not just ten!"

As was the norm in those days, he travelled to work on an ordinary service bus. "Fans would come up and say 'why did you do that and you should have done that'. I used to think 'bloody hell, a window cleaner's telling me my job' but you felt privileged to be a footballer and had to keep your mouth shut," he recalled. "There were a lot of nice people on the bus though; supporters and players were much closer then. It was fun."

He obviously didn't make a fortune. In the notes for fans produced at the start of the season after he signed for Liverpool, Chisnall listed his "hobbies" as "horse and dog racing, and playing or watching all kinds of sports". Not surprisingly, after retiring, he ran a couple of betting shops, but they didn't really work out: "After tax and overheads you were working for nowt". So he ended up back alongside some of his old school mates, working in Trafford Park. Rumour had it at one time that he was working at Asda, but in fact he worked on the production line at Soreen.

Soreen, makers of the sweet, sticky malt loaf "beloved of sports people", has been based in Trafford Park since 1958. The factory, hidden behind a giant supermarket, apparently employs over 110 people who produce 70% of the malt loaf sold in Britain.

Chisnall retired from there in about 2004, on steroids for rheumatoid arthritis and troubled by his knee and a mild heart attack.

“These days I live close to Old Trafford in Urmston and I like to see both United and Liverpool do well" he says diplomatically, and attends ex-players events at both clubs.

The Heinze saga has recently given Chisnall another little flurry of attention and interviews. However, when The Times contacted him about the Heinze saga, he admitted things had changed since his day. "It is so different now. If Heinze turns up at Old Trafford in a Liverpool shirt, there will be hell to pay.”

Adam Saville, one of his 11 grandchildren, is a winger in the United Academy. "He's a left-footer, so that might help," said Chisnall. Another grandson, Thomas Guest, was on Everton's books and then trained with Stockport.

If I was a Liverpool fan, I wouldn't put too much trust in his diplomacy.

Sources :

IV Stuart Brennan, Manchester Evening News, Sept 17 2005
IV James Pearce, Liverpool Echo, Jul 6 2007
IV Alex Murphy, The Times, Jul 25 2007
IV Louise Taylor, The Guardian, Jul 26 2007
Eamon Dunphy, A Strange Kind of Glory

Other info and stats nicked from various places, including Southend, Liverpool and Leeds web-sites. Sadly, I could find no decent info on any Manchester United or Stockport County websites.

Argentina

2007-07-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Of course, Argentina failed miserably against Brazil. It always worries me when I see attacking talent stifled, caught on the counter-attack and becoming increasingly frustrated and bemused at an inability to create anything significant. It reminds me all too forcefully of our bad days.

Now let's be clear, the United supporters' chant of Ar-gen-tina never had much to do with Veron or Heinze, but was an assertion of what all supporters know to be true, club is much more important than country ever can be. Players, of course, can have a different perspective.

Even without the folk memory of the chant , supporting Argentina was inevitable, with Heinze, Tevez and Veron involved (and Anderson not moving off the Brazil bench). All were supposed to have had good tournaments, with words like "revitalised" and "inspirational" being used in reports. As it turned out, Tevez appeared lost, Veron reminded us only of his peerless ability to lose the ball in a crucial position and Heinze, whilst not as impulsively kamikaze as at the end of last season, still didn't convince. Since his return from injury, he appears to have lost his outstanding ability to head the ball, as well as being increasingly reluctant to press over the half-way line, perhaps because he's not as confident of getting back.

Although his form may return, it's not surprising the club is unwilling to offer him a new contract at this stage (particularly now Ronaldo appears fully committed to staying - until then I'd have offered Heinze a new contract simply on the basis he was Ronaldo's best friend - "attention to detail" you see).

And Argentinian players at present do seem to come with a disconcerting amount of baggage, relatives, agents, companies, which seems likely only to fill the pockets of Maurice Watkins and his learned colleagues.

Of course, no-one wants Gaby to go to Liverpool, although I can see the attraction from his point of view, particularly if he's settled in the North-West.

But it would hardly be fair to Phil Chisnall, to rob him of his fame in his retirement. As Phil says, “I’ve become the answer to a quiz question in recent years”, and that is something that should not be sacrificed wantonly, and I'm sure it is the main reason the club is being obstructive.

2001-07-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

New seasons