May
2001 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
24 May
Royle's
Out ! Stepney
Out ! Hurst Out !
There has
been a Bob's 70-71 Pages culling at Manchester City !
Most of the football world was a little perplexed, if not
overly shocked at the sacking of one of Manchester City's
greatest managers, Joe Royle earlier in the week.
City's
Chairman, David Bernstein, (booooo hissssss) said that
the Club wanted a manager who would return them to the
Premier Division, and also that he believed that scouting
and coaching system at the club has not been strong
enough either - hence Alex Stepney (Manachester
United) the
goalkeeping coach, John Hurst (Everton - to be confirmed) the Cheif
Scout, Roy Bailey the physio and Ethel Sprogett the
on-board away trip hostess, have all been sacked. OK I
made the last one up. Good move David, after 8 managers
in 10 years sacking the only one that got the club
anywhere strikes me as a stroke of genius (not).
Even the
official website seems to be only slowly coming to terms
with the news as it has been running pro-Royle nostalgia
all week ! Most sites make the most recent ex-manager a
non-person for a month or two, so I believe that is a
good measure of the disappointment of many people.
Manchester City FC - I'll be
Back
reports:
"I must admit
I came in this morning with the idea of making plans
for next season but I sensed immediately that it
wasn't’t to be. It all ended amicably,"
explained Joe. "I spoke to the Chairman this
morning. It was a three minute meeting, I shook his
hand and left."
Both the Chairman
and Joe have stressed that the parting was done with
dignity and while the Chairman was quick to remind
everyone that what Joe had done for the club would
not be forgotten, Joe himself spoke warmly of his
time with the Blues.
"I would just
like to say a massive thank you to the fans for their
huge support. It has been three marvellous years.
City is and always will be a very big part of my life
and I have thoroughly enjoyed it, apart from the
disappointment of relegation and, of course, this
morning."
Joe is now jetting
off to Spain for a scheduled holiday but it will not
be a quiet retirement for the man who worked wonders
at Oldham, plotted the downfall of Manchester United
in the 1995 FA Cup Final when he was in charge of
Everton and of course won two back to back promotions
with the Blues.
"I will be
having a short break then we will see," he said.
"I have said before that I would retire at 55 so
I will have a holiday and then come back to two or
three good years which are left in me yet."
"I don’t
feel as though I have anything to prove but I want to
carry on working. I am proud of my record at City.
Perhaps we were victims of our own success and I
never received anything else but total support from
the board, until today!"
"As for
continuity, that is for other people to say, but
I’m not going out with any gripes."
Joe's long time
assistant Wille Donachie (Manchester City squad) has been asked to
stay on, but the Scot says he will need time to
consider his future.
See Manchester City FC - Joe sacked
!
Manchester City FC - David
Bernstein
Manchester City FC - The Royle
Years
BBC SPORT MAN CITY Man City sack
Royle
BBC SPORT MAN CITY Anger at
Royle departure
For the newspapers' response see Manchester City FC - other
papers
See Keegan
Returns ! - Kevin has been made Man City's
new manager today
11 May
Harry
Talks
West Ham
United's site has an interview with Harry
Redknapp in
which he declares his love for Murphy's. Seee West Ham United FC - Harry : I'm
Not Bitter ,
which reports the following...
HARRY: I'M NOT
BITTER
10 May 2001
20:30
Harry Redknapp
has opened his heart to the official website and says
that he will return to Upton Park one day - as a fan.
He insists that
there are no hard feelings following his departure
from Upton Park and reveals: "I would love to
come back and the chairman says there will always be
two seats for me in the Directors' Box.
"I will be
taking him up on that and I don't have any problems
with anyone at the club.
"I'm not going
to fall out with anybody at West Ham - I love the
club and I've got great respect for the people there.
"I'm certainly
not going to fall out with the chairman either, I get
on very well with him and everybody else at West Ham.
"But life
moves on and I genuinely wish everybody there all the
best.
"The only sad
part for me was that Frank left. I really was
disappointed about that.
"But that is
football and the most important thing is that I can
walk away knowing that I've done a good job.
"I was only an
employee at the end of the day, I'm not a bitter and
twisted person, and I don't want to have aggravation
with anybody.
"I think
people respect the job I've done - you've only got to
read the papers to see that."
Describing the
events of the last 36 hours, he says: "I don't
really know what happened, to be fair - but something
obviously did!
"I think if
I'm honest about it, one or two things that I said at
the weekend, the chairman wasn't happy with, but
you've got to take it on the chops and get on with
life.
"It all came
out of the blue to be truthful, but these things
happen."
He admits that
waking up on Thursday morning no longer manager
of West Ham was "very strange" and shows he
has lost none of his old humour by adding: "But
now I don't have to worry about trying to find
someone to play on the left hand side!
"I had one or
two terrific players lined up that I would like to
have brought to the club in the summer but someone
else can get on and do that now."
He says his
thoughts are with the fans and admits: "The most
important people at the football club are the
punters.
"I opened the
doors at the training ground to everybody and I think
it was important that everybody could watch training.
"It's their
club - if you haven't time to talk to people and sign
autographs then you shouldn't be in this game.
"You are only
in it because of the people who pay your wages - and
that's how I always saw it."
Harry adds that
there is no chance of the parting being reversed and
he stresses: "That is not for me to consider,
it's for others - it is done and dusted and things
move on.
"I don't know
what I will do next - I will wait and see what
happens and make a decision from there."
He feels the legacy
he leaves behind is a strong youth policy and some
valuable assets, pointing out: "Where will you
find four young kids like Ferdinand, Lampard, Cole
and Carrick?
"No
disrespect, but it might be a long time before
another bunch come in like that.
"But I hope
the youth policy keeps coming through and I just want
to see the club do very well next year.
"The club is
now sitting on a fortune in terms of players and if
they want to sell them, they could make mega
money."
"We took
chances in the transfer market and made some great
signings, you only have to look back at people like
Di Canio, Kanoute and Sinclair.
"Some of them
didn't come off of course, but that's football - we
were dabbling at the cheap end of the market.
"I was just so
lucky that I worked with some fantastic people and
made so many great friends - I'm getting too old to
be bitter about anything."
by Khris Raistrick
Brother-in-Law
Frank Out, Too.
I couldn't
get on to the site when it was first announced due to the
interest in the story, but I see that Frank
Lampard
resigned along with his brother-in-law, Harry. Frank
(senior) was Harry's coach. See West Ham United FC - Harry
departs
Kember
Hero !
Steve
Kember (Crystal Palace) was lifted aloft on to the
shoulders of the Crystal Palace players following his
side achieving what many thought impossible - staying in
Division One. Steve took over from Alan Smith with just
two games to go. Palace needed two away victories, whilst
results elsewhere had to go their way, too ! A mid-week
4-2 win against relegation rivals, Portsmouth, set up a
fascinating final day's matches.
Palace did
their bit - a 1-0 victory against Stockport County meant
it was up to results elsewhere. Portsmouth won their home
match comfortably 3-0 against mid-table Barnsley. But
Huddersfield Town slipped up at home to Birmingham, and
Palace celebrated!
See also The Official Crystal Palace
Website - Match Report Portsmouth 2-4
The Official Crystal Palace
Website - Match Report Stockport County 0-1
9 May
'Arry's Out !
Surprise
news of the day, is Harry Redknapp has been sacked 'by mutual
consent' as manger of West Ham United. West Ham started
poorly, had a great middle to the season, but dropped
like a brick since March, since when they have won only 1
game in the last 10. Thankfully, they are no longer
involved in a relegation battle. Nevertheless, West Ham,
who have had only 8 managers in its 100 year history,
were not expected to take it out on Harry. Wither Frank
Lampard ???
See BBC SPORT WEST HAM UTD Redknapp
leaves West Ham
8 May
Royle
Relegated
Last night Joe
Royle's
Manchester City went back to Division One following a 2-1
away defeat to Ipswich Town. City were 1-0 up, but
Ipswich Town stand a good chance of getting into the
Champions League, so there was a lot at stake for both
teams.
It is
quite common for the new boys in the Premiership to be
relegated, but many people believed Joe had too good a
side to do so. Still, look on the bright side, this gives
Man City a chance of being the team that's won Division
One (the old Division Two) more than any other club.
Presently they tie with Leicester City on 6 each.
Presently
there's no talk of Joe losing his job.
See Manchester City FC - Joe Royle
video
Manchester City FC - Man City v
Ipswich
See more May 2001 news at the following
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