October/
November 2003
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
November
Todd
Returns
On 25
November 2003, Colin Todd (Sunderland) returned to football as
assistant manager to Bryan Robson (the
ex-England captain, not 'Pop' Robson !) at First Division
Bradford City.
Bradford
City are currently one off bottom, with equal points, but
a game in hand over Wimbledon. They sacked manager Nicky
Law on 8 November, 2003, and the appointment of Bryan is
considered quite a capture for the club, who hope his Man
U contacts may lead to a few choice loan players heading
their way.
Colin was
last in top flight as the manager of Derby County in
January 2002, but was barely given a chance before being
sacked and replaced by John Gregory. Early reports
suggested that Colin will be taking on 75 per cent of the
direct player role, leaving Bryan to deal more with the
club management.
BBC
SPORT Football My Club Bradford City Robson targets
survival
Webb
Returns
On 3
November 2003, David Webb (Chelsea) took over Southend as
caretaker manager, but ruled out taking over as the
permanent manager, for what would be his fourth spell at
the club.
David took
over following the sacking of Steve Wignall, who had been
manager for just 6 months.
The
Division Three club were placed 22nd in the League, just
one place above the drop into non-League football on
equal points with Darlington, the team immediately below
them. David did not believe he was the man to take
control of a side on a longer term basis.
On the
Official website www.southendunited.co.uk , David said:
'It’s
been terrific to have been back here. It was good
fun, particularly the first week, but it has become
harder for me since because I have totally and
utterly neglected my other business interests. As a
result these things have started to kick back at me
at the moment so tonight I will be straight back
across that and dive head first back into my other
business.
'First
thing in the morning tomorrow I have an appointment,
it’s that difficult that I have put things off
that I was supposed to be doing today. I can’t
do things on the phone as you have got to meet people
face to face and over the next couple of days I will
probably clock up easily fifteen hundred miles and
more just to catch up with meetings that I have been
putting off.
'Although
I would have loved to have stayed and done a little
bit more and probably at another time under different
circumstances I may have been able to. I would
genuinely try to find a way forward but before last
weekend I knew that the task was impossible for me.
The task here is a great one for somebody to come in
as the club is languishing in a position in the
league that it shouldn’t be and it musn’t
stay there.
'I
have explained to the club that I am too busy to get
involved at this point in time, maybe further on down
the road I will be able to look at things but as I
have said so many times I really cannot at the
moment. Unless you can give this 100 per cent
commitment it’s not fair.
'There
is talk of me coming here in different roles, maybe,
again, later on we can talk and even sort something
out but when I have made plenty more money.'
Click to www.southendunited.co.uk for the full article.
David's
last spells in charge were from 1986-87, 1988-92 and
2000-01. David's 70-71 team-mate, John Hollins (Chelsea) has also been a caretaker
manager this season at Stockport County.
Also see BBC SPORT Webb rules out fourth
spell
Eddie's
Back !
Just
months after being laid off by the management team of
Peter Reid at Leeds United, Eddie Gray finds himself back at the club
as the caretaker manager.
The tales
of woe at Leeds United grow and grow, as news filters
though of terrible mis-management of the finances and
player purchases using the football club equivalent of
exploiting credit-card opening offers we secretly know we
simply cannot afford to pay back unless we win the
lottery.
The club
is 80 million pounds in debt. A little experiment of
putting the words 'poisoned chalice Leeds United' into
the www.google.co.uk search engine received 261
results. The pick of which, Telegraph Sport Leeds' worst
nightmare
explains succintly Leeds United's decline and fall from
European Cup semi-finalists in 2001 to the Premiership
bottom place in 2003.
The final
straw for the Leeds United board was a 6-1 defeat at
Premiership new boys, Portsmouth on Saturday 8 November,
2003. Reidy, bless him, was sacked the following Monday,
and Special Bob 2000, Eddie Gray was asked to reprise his
role as the manager of Leeds United on the brink of
extinction, that he last played from 1982 to 1985.
As in
1982, Eddie's first move as manager has been to resore Peter
Lorimer to the number 10 position on the pitch,
and postman, David Harvey, may soon be
getting the letter he has waited for these past 18 years
! Let's hope Eddie himself will now come out of playing
retirement.(Ok I made up this paragraph - but I can dream
can't I ?)
Paul
Hart Speculation
Eddie is
hopeful of getting the full post, and current Special
Bob, Paul Hart (Stockport County), is once again a name that early speculation
considered a favourite to become the manager - due more
to his involvement on the management side than as a
player in the Eighties...
Paul -
presently the manager of Nottingham Forest in Division
One - was the Director of Youth Football at Leeds United
from 1992/3 to 1997 and Eddie was his assistant from
1995/6. The team won the FA Youth Cup twice (1993 and
1997), the Northern Intermediate League Cup (1996) and
the Intermediate League (1997) . The players included
many of the home grown talent that was later considered
the club's 'Crown Jewels' - Paul Robinson, Jonathan
Woodgate, Harry Kewell, and Alan Smith.
In the
Summer of 1997, Paul left Leeds due to disagreements with
the new manager, George Graham, and took
over the same role at Nottingham Forest in the Summer of
1997. Eddie's role changed also, as he took over the
Reserves and won the Pontin's League Championship in his
first season !
Lucky
Finally,
may I join the chorus of fans saying, bring back the
lucky-goldfish !
See BBC SPORT Leeds sack Reid , which includes a clip of
Eddie talking about his new role.
Kember
Sacked !
On 3
November 2003, Steve Kember was sacked by the club for
which he had been the nearly-manager for so many times.
The season has started as badly as ever for Crystal
Palace, but the 5-0 defeat at Division One leaders, Wigan
Athletic, left the club in 20th place, just 2 points
clear of the relegation zone.
Steve was
a Palace player back in 70-71 and has been their
caretaker manager 3 times, however, he kept the full post
for less than 5 months, and this was his first season in
charge.
See BBC SPORT Palace sack Kember
Mick Mills in FA Cup Draw
Anyone
tunned into the FA Cup second round draw on 9 November,
2003, following Conference League Accrington Stanley's
1-0 victory over Division Three's Huddersfield Town,
would have seen Mick Mills (Ipswich
Town) drwing
the away team's numbers. Viv Anderson drew the home team
numbers.
October
Gould
Resigns
On 19
October 2003, Bobby Gould (Wolverhampton
Wanderers)
resigned as manager of Cheltenham Town following a spell
of six defeats in seven games. The 2-0 home defeat to
Rochdale was the last straw. The club were left in 19th
position by the defeat, but just 3 points clear of full
League status relegation. Cheltenham were in the Southern
League First Division (below a Premier Division) back in
70-71 and this is their 5th season in the Football
League.
N.B. John
Ward takes over Cheltenham Town, see November
2003
See BBC SPORT Gould quits Cheltenham
Hollins
Steps Down for McIlroy
Sammy
McIlory made a surprise move when he resigned as
coach of Northern Ireland and took over at Second
Division Stockport County on 15 October, 2003. At the
time Stockport were 20th in the League a place above
relegation. The permanent post became available when
Carlton Palmer was sacked as player-manager.
Sammy is
very likely a Manchester United apprentice from the 70-71
season, though as I have no means of confirming this at
the moment he has not yet been added to the site.
Sammy's
arrival means that the temporary reign of John
Hollins (Chelsea) as the caretaker manager ends.
John took over on 18 September 2003 and was manager for
10 games in which he won 3 lost 4 and drew 3.
Sammy's
record at Northern Ireland was one he would sooner
forget. In 28 matches he won just 4, lost 17 and drew 7.
More frustrating was the 11 match run of failing to even
get a goal. To be fair Sammy has not generally been
blamed for this terrible run and his move to Stockport
County is regard more as an escape for him, than a
sacking.
Sammy was
previously manager of Macclesfield from August 1997 to
January 2000, as well as Northwich Victoria and Ashton
United. He won 88 caps as a Northern Ireland
international.
John
Hollins had previously been manager of Chelsea, QPR,
Swansea and Rochdale.
See BBC SPORT Football McIlroy quits
NI for Stockport
Robson
Tribute
Sir Bobby
Robson turned 70 this year and Radio Five did a birthday
tribute, which can still be heard on the website archive
at www.bbc.co.uk-fivelive
Emlyn Hughes Operation
In late
August of this year, Emlyn Hughes (Liverpool) required an operation to
remove a brain tumour. Emlyn was found collapsed at his
Sheffield home and was taken for emergency sugery at the
Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. Most of the
tumour was removed , and subsequently Emlyn has received
radio therapy.
Emlyn is
now a presenter on Yorkshire's Real Radio 106 to 108 fm
where he takes calls from listeners between 6 and 7 one
day each week, on a sports phone-in.
Incidentally,
whilst searching for information on Emlyn, I came across
this interesting interview from www.shankly.com, see The Emlyn Hughes interview,
November 1999,
See LeagueManagers.com Emlyn Hughes
BBC NEWS England Emlyn Hughes
fights tumour
Also see Real Radio Yorkshire -
Presenters
Commentators
Further October / November
2003 news can be found at ...
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