April
/ May 2004
News
This is the latest news
of all the players who appeared in the 1970-71
FKS Publishers Ltd
Wonderful World of Soccer Stars Album
Gray
Sacked (in all but name)
Eddie Gray
10
May, 2004 Eddie Gray was relieved of his
caretaker-managerial duties at Leeds United rather
surprisingly before the season was completed, and before
a full-time replacement had been found. Assistant coach Kevin
Blackwell takes over as the caretaker's
caretaker for the final match of the season against
Chelsea. Eddie has been offered a year's contract in a
consultancy capacity, but without coaching
responsibility.
Eddie had
taken over from Peter Reid as manager
mid-season following the team's 6-1 defeat against
Portsmouth. After a brief rally on Eddie's appointment,
it soon became clear that the club were unrescuable.
Ironically, another defeat to Portsmouth - this time 2-1
at home - made the task of surviving all but a
mathematical certainty, and Eddie's job became even more
clearly that of helping the club and fans to face
relegation with dignity.
It has
been a bitter few years for Leeds fans, who have seen a
fall from European Champions League semi-finalists to
their first Premiership relegation, in just three years.
Financial mis-management on a scale that boggles the mind
has gone entirely unpunished at board level, but left the
supporters of the club, who had no idea what was going
on, and whose money it was in the first place, wondering
what the hell they had done to deserve the decline.
The
security of the financial situation still remains a
little in doubt. The 'judge us by our actions' board have
already sacked Eddie - the fan's hero- and sold off the
England number 2 goalie, Paul Robinson
for a pittance. Leeds United have never yet been lower
than the old Division Two, but last time the club were
relegated it took 8 years to regain top flight status.
Hence the fear among the fans is that it isn't all over
yet and there may be further to fall ...
N.B.
Further to this story, another Bob 70-71 Player to lose
his job at Leeds United, as the new board clear out all
the jobs, is Bryan 'Pop' Robson, who has been putting in
excellent work as the Under-19 Coach. Eddie's son, Nick
Gray was a member of the Under-19 squad last
season.
See BBC SPORT Football My Club Leeds
United Gray leaves Leeds post, which has an audio clip of a
squirming Peter Lorimer explaining the sacking
Quickfire
BBC SPORT Kidd has
cancer surgery reports that Brian Kidd
(ManU) has had surgery for
prostate cancer, and is hoping to recover in time
for Euro 2004, as he is a part of England
back-room staff. See BBC SPORT Football Kidd
has cancer surgery
Sir Bobby
Charlton is presently being seen in television
adverts for Mastercard
According
to the Yorkshire Evening Post 23 April 2004, Jack
Charlton is due to receive an honoury degree
from Leeds University.
14
April 2004 - George Best was
divorced from Alex on the ground
of adultary. They had been married 9 years. See BBC NEWS UK Bests
granted 'quickie' divorce for more details.
Bobby Moore's widow, Stephanie
Moore, is looking for heroes to join her
on a trek. She has set up a fund to finance
research into bowel cancer, and hopes to raise
100,000 pounds from Trek Patagonia in Chile.
Anyone over 18 can join - contact 0870 606 0016.
4
March 2004 (ahem, ok a little late) Pelé
was in
London celebrating the 100 years of FIFA. He was
to choose 100 top players from a list of 300, but
finally chose 125. Only living players were
included so that current photographs could be
included in a book to be launched in June. During
the opening gala he spoke with Gordon Banks and
talked about THAT famous save in Mexico 1970...
See Telegraph Pele open to
ridicule over top hundred for more including the
list.
Big Ron - Final Broadcast
20
April 2004 began like any other for Bob 70-71
star Ron Atkinson. By the end of the next day, he
had resigned as expert commentator for ITV live matches,
which reportedly earned him 200,000 pounds a year, lost
his regular column in the Guardian daily
newspaper, and been dumped by the advertisers of both the
soft drink makers 7-Up and the West Bromwich Building
Society.
During his
commentry for the Champions League semi-final first leg,
Monaco v Chelsea, Ron lost his temper with the Chelsea
player, Marcel Desailly following the
side's 3-1 defeat.
Ron
believed he was off-mike and began to rant against Raneri's
decision to bring on Next Generation star, Juan Sebastián
Verón. Ron had not realised that in some parts
of the World the microphone was still broadcasting, and
the bemused watchers will have heard a string of 7 'f'
words, and rather over-forthright opinion.
Thus far a
simple apology would have sufficed. But worse was to
follow.
Ron then
reportedly called Desailly, 'a f****** lazy thick
n*****'. This was one white man who had to jump, before
he was pushed. The speed at which his resignation was
agreed to showed the distance ITV wanted to keep from Big
Ron's use of the 'n' word.
The rest
of the week was packed with phone-in debates on racism,
and many had little sympathy for Ron, so it is hard to
see where he'll go from here until the dust has well and
truely settled.
Most
reports kept away from reporting the actual offending
outburst, so for anyone that didn't see/hear it, this is
how it was reported in the Daily Mirror on 23
April 2004.
Ron:
What in heaven's name was f****** Ranieri thinking in
bringing Veron on ?
2nd
voice: He'll get savaged in the press.
Ron:
Oh and f****** rightly so. And I'm sorry, but I
f****** think that f****** Desailly is a cheating
f***. That was wrong. He's f****** been gone for two
and a half years ! And instead of playing like an old
man and saying all right I'll f****** stay where I
can't get exploited...
Muffled
voice
Ron:
I've always thought that he a has no awareness of
danger. He is what is known in some schools as a
f****** lazy thick n*****. That is a f******
disgusting performance. Full marks to them though.
They were a f****** different class,
Further April / May 2004
news can be found at ...
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