A gentleman, a fighter*, and a true local hero in my native region. He managed Newcastle, England, and Vancouver.
I'm glad he managed to hold on for the game held in his honour at the hallowed grounds of St James' Park last Sunday. But he will be sorely missed, in Newcastle and elsewhere.
RIP, Sir Bobby, and thank you for all the good times.
My all-time favourite quotes from the great man:
"He's got his legs back, of course, or his leg - he's always had one but now he's got two"
"We can't replace Gary Speed. Where do you get an experienced player like him with a left foot and a head?"
"There will be a game where somebody scores more than Brazil and that might be the game that they lose"
and, of course, "I would have given my right arm to be a pianist".
More here if anyone else is trying to cheer themselves back up after this sad news.
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*From the BBC:
Robson, who was first diagnosed with cancer 18 years ago in 1991, fought a brave battle against the disease. He beat bowel cancer in 1992, a malignant melanoma in 1995 and a tumour in his right lung and a brain tumour, both in 2006. In 2007 he vowed to "battle as I've always done" following the start of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time.
Hm, this quote from him seems apposite:
ReplyDelete"If you're a painter, you don't get rich until you're dead. The same happens with managers. You're never appreciated until you're gone, and then people say: 'Oh, he was OK'. Just like Picasso"
I would argue that he has always been appreciated, especially in Newcastle and Ipswich. Like a lot of Newcastle fans I was devastated when he was fired after a short downturn in the team's performance. I think he would have turned it around given the chance. The club lost a lot of respect that day.
ReplyDeleteNo words can describe the integrity of the man, not to mention all the talent within the football world he helped to uncover and nurture!
ReplyDeleteA legend amongst legends, there'll never be another...Sir Bobby Robson, you shall be missed!
Gone but not forgotten
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, as Alan Shearer said, "It was the way he man-managed players - he had a knack of getting on with them and getting the best out of them - the experienced and younger players."
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