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Brian Labone (Everton)
I was very sad to find out via
emails to the website that Brian Labone
had died. Brian was number 114 in the 1970-71 FKS World
of Soccer Stars Album on which this site was originally
based.
Strangely until reading the BBC
obituary, I had no idea he retired in the 1970-71 season,
because for me his career was extended many years in
teams based on card collections I had. And, as anyone of
my generation would tell you, he was one of the coins in
the 1970 Esso World Cup Coin set. It was unimaginable to
me back then that a player immortalised in a coin, was
actually no longer playing.
Thinking back about it now, the
main memory I have of Brian as a player was being a part
of the that England team in Mexico 1970. He had replaced Jackie
Charlton from the '66 winning side, and played 3
games in the Finals tournament.. The game v West Germany
was the last of his 26 caps for England.
The other main memory is that he
went into the 70-71 season as a part of Everton's 69-70
Championship winning team. Brian won two Championships
with Everton, the other being 1962-63. He was also
captain of the 1966 FA Cup winning side.
Brian was a match day host at
Everton in recent years, so his loss will be felt all the
more by the club. May I send condolences to his family.
See BBC SPORT Football My Club Everton
Everton legend Labone dies at 66 which reports the following
Everton legend
Labone dies at 66
Labone is recognised as one of Everton's greatest
players
Former Everton captain Brian Labone has died at the
age of 66 after collapsing outside his Merseyside
home.
Labone joined Everton at 17, making 534 appearances
for the Toffees in a career in which he was only
booked twice.
Rated as one of the best central defenders of his
era, Labone won two Championship titles and an FA Cup
winner's medal with Everton.
He also earned 26 caps for England, playing in three
of England's four matches at the 1970 World Cup in
Mexico.
Labone joined Everton as a teenager in preference to
going to university and, although he was initially
part of England's 1966 World Cup squad, he withdrew
because of his impending marriage.
His playing career was ended during the 1970-71
season because of an Achilles tendon injury but he
remained with Everton, working for the club in a
commercial capacity.
Former Everton player and manager Howard Kendall was
a team-mate of Labone's for seven years at Goodison
Park, playing alongside him in the Toffees' 1969-70
Championship-winning side.
Kendall told BBC Radio Five Live: "He was a
great player and a great leader.
In the pantheon of Everton greats, Brian Labone is
right up there with the very best
Everton director of communications Ian Ross
"He didn't shout his way through the team, he
led by example and his performances on the pitch were
tremendous.
"He was an outstanding player and a gentleman,
it's a tragic loss."
Everton's director of communication Ian Ross
revealed: "Everyone at the club is devastated.
"In the pantheon of Everton greats, Brian Labone
is right up there with the very best.
"He was one of the club's favourite sons and a
hugely respected figure.
"He was regarded as a professional's
professional before that term was ever used.
"But not only was he a great footballer, he was
also a lovely bloke. He still worked at the club as
an ambassador on match days, showing guests around
the stadium.
"He loved to do that because it meant he was
still dealing with Evertonians."
Everton manager David Moyes revealed his appreciation
for the backing Labone had given him since succeeding
Walter Smith as manager.
Moyes told Everton's website: "He always had a
good word of support for myself and the team whenever
I was in his company.
"I was shocked to hear he had passed away and my
sympathies go out to all his family and
friends."
John Lyall (West Ham United 'Back Room Boy')
So soon after the death
of Ron Greenwood (West Ham United manager), comes the death of John Lyall
best known to us football fans as a Greenwood's successor
at West Ham in 1974, when the former became the General
manager. Lyall took over fully 3 years later when
Greenwood became the England manager, and remained in
post right the way through to 1989. The Greenwood/Lyall
dynasty stretched an amazing 28 years!
In his time as manager,
West Ham won the FA Cup twice in 1975 and 1980, and were
runners-up in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1976 and
the League Cup in 1981. Generally during his spell in
charge, West Ham were in the top division, but they were
relegated in in 1978, returning as Division Two Champions
in 1980-81.
John left West Ham
after their relegation in 1989, and moved on to Ipswich
Town where he was manager from 1990 to 1994. In 1991-92
Ipswich won the last ever Division Two Championship
before the formation of the Premiership, thus making them
founder members of the new League.
For me the most
remarkable personal memory of John lies in that he came
from an era when it was unusual for top managers to not
be famous first as a player, which current younsters will
no longer regard as unusual following the success of
Wenger, Eriksson, Mourinho, Houllier and the like.
Though John was a
successful youth player with West Ham - he was a winner
of the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup and a finalist of the
FA Youth Cup in 1957-58 - and was capped by England
youth, John played just 30 League games with West Ham
before injury ended his playing career aged 24. So when
he became West Ham manager most of us the time thought,
John who??? He went on to become the manager who won more
trophies for West Ham than any other!
John died following a
sudden heart attack on 18 April. May I extend my
condolences on to John's family.
See BBC SPORT Football Former West
Ham boss Lyall dies
Jimmy Johnstone (Celtic)
This must be the
darkest few days ever for football in the UK, as the news
comes through of another soccer legend who has died.
Sadly this time it is Scotland's turn to mourn the
passing of a true legend.
Jimmy Johnstone was one
of the famous Lisbon Lions - who in 1967 became the very
first British team to ever win the European Cup. Jimmy
was a part of the Celtic side that dominated my childhood
by winning no less than 9 consecutive Scottish Division
Championships. His unbelievable pace and skills on the
ball earned him one of the most memorable nicknames in
football history, Jinky. And remarkably at 5'4'' he was
actually shorter than me! He was better on the wing, too.
Although an English
album, Celtic were featured in the FKS The Wonderful
World of Soccer Stars Gala Collection on which this
site is based because they reached the 1970 European Cup
final, beating Leeds United in a classic semi-final on
the way (hurumph - I'm a Leeds fan, Bob). On this
occasion though, they lost to Feijenoord of the
Netherlands. Jimmy's card was number 384, and his team
mates in that squad includes many of Scotland's greatest
ever footballers. (See Celtic)
In 2003 Jimmy was
diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and spent the last
years of his life promoting awareness of the disease, and
raising money. I would like to extend my my condolences
to his family.
BBC SPORT Football My Club
Celtic Celtic great Johnstone dies at 61 reports:
Celtic
legend Jimmy Johnstone has died at the age of 61
after a long battle with motor neurone disease.
Johnstone
was a member of Celtic's Lisbon Lions team, who
became the first British side to win the European Cup
when they beat Inter Milan in 1967.
Johnstone
scored over 100 goals for Celtic, won 23 caps for
Scotland and in 2002 was voted Celtic's greatest
player by supporters of the club.
He was
diagnosed with the motor neurone condition in
November 2001.
His son
James Johnstone, 35, said: "My dad passed away
at 6am this morning. It hasn't even begun to sink in
yet for the family."
Johnstone's
family later released a statement on Celtic's
website.
It said:
"Although Jimmy was one of the finest
footballers ever, he was also a great man off the
field as a husband, father and grandfather.
"Despite
serious illness, the courage, strength and appetite
for life which Jimmy showed was an inspiration to
everyone who met him.
"Jimmy
will be sadly missed by so many people but the
memories he gave us all will live on forever."
Born in
Viewpark, Lanarkshire, Johnstone made his debut for
Celtic in 1963.
His
dazzling dribbles earned him the nickname Jinky and
he became part of the team that won nine consecutive
Scottish League titles between 1965 and 1974.
The
highlight of his career came when Celtic came from a
goal behind to defeat Inter Milan in the European Cup
final.
His manager
Jock Stein, who died of a heart attack in 1985, said
Johnstone - with whom he had several run-ins - was
"better than Stanley Matthews".
After
leaving Parkhead, he played for San Jose Earthquakes,
Sheffield United, Dundee, Shelbourne and Elgin City
before retiring from football.
Johnstone
became an active campaigner for stem cell research
after he was diagnosed with the condition.
Motor
neurone disease affects the nerve cells that send
electrical signals from the brain, causing the
muscles to waste away.
About 1,200
people are diagnosed in the UK each year and
sufferers have a life expectancy of two to five
years.
Be sure to visit
Jimmy Johnstone -
Celtic's Greatest Ever Player, Jimmy official website, which
includes lots of footage of Jimmy playing and singing!
If you want to
contribute to Jimmy's charity visit Justgiving.com
NB See details of
Jimmy's funeral at Spring 2006
Peter Osgood (Chelsea)
It was a real shock to
hear the news that Peter Osgood had died. He was seen on
the Chelsea pitch on 'Match of the Day' only weeks
before, and could often been heard giving his opinion
about football. Born in Windsor, a town politically
twinned with the town I grew up in, Maidenhead, this
local interest meant that his football career always had
a bit more fascination for me than other strikers around
at the same time.
He scored for Chelsea
in the 1970 Cup Final replay (the season before I became
a Leeds fan !) and won the European Cup Winners' Cup in
the 1970-71 season. Though a part of the Mexico 1970
World Cup Finals, he only played 4 games for England,
which was always hard to believe.
Peter was in the
Chelsea team that was my very first top level football
match I ever saw - an otherwise dull 0-0 away to Arsenal
in November 1974 season. But the time I cheered him on
the most was in 1976 when he won his only other medal in
the famous FA Cup win for Southampton v Manchester
United.
Most recently I had
been keeping up to date with Peter's news at his
excellent website run by Geoff Leighson at www.peterosgood.co.uk. The tributes there have simply flooded
in and give testament to how he was a hero to us whatever
team we followed. May I extend condolences to his family.
This tribute appears at BBC SPORT Football Football mourns death
of Osgood. Click to the
site to see video footage of Peter.
Chelsea and
Southampton legend Peter Osgood has died at the age
of 59.
Osgood
collapsed while attending a family funeral service on
Wednesday at Slough crematorium.
Dubbed the
'King of Stamford Bridge' he made 380 appearances for
the Blues and scored 150 goals, helping them win the
1970 FA Cup and 1971 Cup Winners' Cup.
The forward
then joined the Saints in 1974 and guided the Second
Division club to victory over Manchester United in
the 1976 FA Cup final.
Osgood was
also a member of England's 1970 World Cup squad and
made four appearances for the national side.
A minute's
silence in remembrance of Osgood was held before
England's friendly against Uruguay at Anfield on
Wednesday.
"This
is very sad news. Peter Osgood made a wonderful
contribution to English football," said FA chief
Brian Barwick.
Both
Chelsea and Southampton also paid tribute to their
former star.
"Affection
and esteem for the man the fans titled the King of
Stamford Bridge could not be higher. Today is a very
sad day indeed," said Chelsea in a statement on
their website.
The Saints
plan to hold a minute's silence and players will wear
black armbands for Saturday's Championship game
against Coventry in recognition of both Osgood and
former striker Charlie Wayman, who also passed away
this week.
Tommy
Docherty, the manager who gave Osgood his Chelsea
debut in 1964, praised the player's bravery.
"He
was a great lad and brought a breath of fresh air
every time he came into the dressing room," he
told BBC News 24.
"Peter
had world-class skill. He was a big lad, great in the
air and as brave as a lion. He had all the skill in
the world and a great sense of humour."
Former
Chelsea defender Ron "Chopper" Harris paid
the ultimate tribute to Osgood.
"People
will always say the best player at Chelsea has been
Gianfranco Zola but I would say Peter was the
greatest," he said.
"He
was such strong player, a big fellow who scored goals
and scared defenders."
Another
Southampton legend, Mick Channon, compared him to
George Best.
"I
can't believe it. This is desperately sad news,"
Channon told the Saints website.
"He
was a great character and a fantastic player. He was
out on his own for a few years.
"Probably
the only one who could touch him was George Best - he
was that good."
Ex-Blues
captain Ray Wilkins, who came through the ranks at
Stamford Bridge just before Osgood joined
Southampton, said: "He was a massive
personality, he was quite daunting but we had good
times."
And Wilkins
is in no doubt that Osgood's ability would have
graced today's Premiership. "His first touch was
the first thing I noticed," Wilkins added.
"Balls
would come up from defenders and he would control it
instantly. He was magnificent to watch, sheer
elegance.
"Chelsea
have had many great footballers and Ossie ranks among
the best.
"In
the modern-day game he had the attributes required to
be a fantastic footballer, his technical ability was
second to none on quagmire pitches - on today's
bowling greens he would have been exceptional."
Former
Chelsea chairman Brian Mears told the BBC: "I
was deeply shocked to hear that Peter Osgood had
died.
"He
was a giant at Chelsea and his goals were legendary,
particularly when he scored precious ones in winning
the FA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup for the first
time in Chelsea's history.
"This
is a sad day indeed for all of us. He will never be
forgotten."
Osgood
signed amateur forms for Chelsea in 1964 at the age
of 17 before agreeing to a professional contract,
scoring twice on his debut against Workington in a
fifth-round League Cup tie replay.
The crafty
forward also scored in every round of the 1970 FA Cup
including the replay of the final that the Blues won
2-1 at the expense of Leeds.
The
following year Osgood's Chelsea beat Spanish giants
Real Madrid to win the European Cup Winners' Cup.
The
Windsor-born star also scored for the Blues in the
final of the 1972 League Cup final, but his side went
down 2-1 to Stoke City.
Osgood came
close to joining Stoke after talks with manager Tony
Waddington but Southampton boss Lawrie McMenemy
persuaded the 27-year-old to go to the south coast
after a transfer fee of £275,000 was agreed with the
Blues.
He enjoyed
more success in the FA Cup as the Saints overcame the
might of United 1-0 with a goal from Bobby Stokes.
Osgood
tried his luck in the United States with Philadelphia
Fury before coming back to Stamford Bridge for a
short second spell with Chelsea.
Many were
surprised that he appeared only four times for
England's senior squad.
His
international debut came against Belgium in 1970
before going on to make substitute appearances at the
World Cup.
After
hanging up his boots, Osgood was involved in
football-related media work and was well known on the
after-dinner speaker circuit.
He had also
been working for the club on the hospitality side of
things on match days.
Further
Spring 2006 news can be found at ...
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