Bobby Robson - Im Dying

Charlie

I don't really get choked up by many things, but the fragility of Sir Bobby at the moment is difficult to watch. He's still braving those cold North East nights to take in Newcastle games, even though it clearly takes alot out of him.

There's little or no justice in this world when a man as kind, passionate, and giving as Sir Bobby, has had to battle cancer 5 times. Sadly, it looks like this one may be his last.

I would love to think that one day the club would name a stand after him, but with our present owner, I am not holding out much hope.

roryc

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I would love to think that one day the club would name a stand after him, but with our present owner, I am not holding out much hope.

Is Mike Ashley still the owner? I thought he came across as a nice enough bloke, I reckon there will be a statue/stand in newcastle when he passes...

_blank_

That snivelling little rat hanging him out to dry on Joe Duffy that time was one of the lowest acts I've ever seen or heard, not only in football, but in any walk of life.

I'm still angry at that. Bobby Robson didn't deserve it, and that spineless cretin should have been hung, drawn and quartered for it.

super_furry

Delaney should be strung up for what the way he hung that man out to dry.

jesus_thats_gre

It is good to see that Real Madrid were just as retarded then as they are now.

Extremely sad to see a great footballing mind reaching the end of the line. His attitude is about it all is inspiring.

jesus_thats_gre

super_furry wrote: »

Delaney should be strung up for what the way he hung that man out to dry.

I missed this it seems. Any links or ......?

Denis Irwin

It's sad to see one of the few remaining true gentlemen of the game suffering like this.

_blank_

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I missed this it seems. Any links or ......?

thread at the time

I was just as angry back then it seems

Des wrote: »

This is a disgrace actually.

The man is recovering from a stroke, he is 74 years of age.

This is the worst thing of the whole debacle. Treating this man like this.

Where the fúck is Delaney?

Where the fúck is Staunton?

Cowardly lowlifes to do this to a great elder statesman of the game.

Daysha

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I missed this it seems. Any links or ......?

http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2007/pc/pod-v-080207-54m55s-liveline.mp3

Charlie

roryc wrote: »

Is Mike Ashley still the owner? I thought he came across as a nice enough bloke

I would give this a facepalm, but really, it's too easy.

eagle eye

A great man and an excellent manager. He went through some tough times with cancer and also with the gutter press when he was manager of England. They tore him to shreds and then when he left they immediately about turned and starting praising him.

He never gave the media a hard time even after all of that.

With the fight the man has shown in the past, he might just beat it again. Its sad to hear that he has to suffer this again.

roryc

charlie mchugh wrote: »

I would give this a facepalm, but really, it's too easy.

Ah go ahead, you might get a few thanks for originality...

Forgive me for not following the Newcastle/Mike Ashley situation that much, why do you think he would never erect a statue or name a stand after him?

Charlie

roryc wrote: »

Forgive me for not following the Newcastle/Mike Ashley situation that much, why do you think he would never erect a statue or name a stand after him?

Because that would be doing the decent thing, and spending a few quid. Mike Ashley has shown himself to be so far out of touch with the Club/Fans/City, I have no reason to believe that he would 'get' what Bobby Robson means to both us, and the footballing community in general.

People lined the streets when Jackie Milburn passed away, and I honestly believe that the same will be done for Wor Bob when that tragic day arrives. As highly as Keegan is taught of by many of us, Sir Bobby is on a different level, he truly is 'one of us'. He watches every game, no matter how sh/t we are, because like the rest of us, he is hooked. It makes me proud to know that Sir Bobby supports my club.

Daysha

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Mike Ashley has shown himself to be so far out of touch with the Club/Fans/City

Didn't he bring back King Kev?

amacachi

deise59 wrote: »

Didn't he bring back King Kev?

Yeah, but he refuses to spend money that doesn't exist, which is completely unacceptable.


Always sad seeing anyone the way Bobby is now, sadder still when it's know what a gent he is.

Charlie

deise59 wrote: »

Didn't he bring back King Kev?

In what transpired to be one big scam to sell a rake of jerseys, con people into buying 3 yr season tickets, and generally create a smokescreen for all the sh/t that was going on in the background.

Thank god Kev is a man of principal, and didn't allow himself to be a puppet for them. By walking out on a good contract, he sacrificed monetary gain, for the sake of revealing just how cnutish that lot are. I know Sir Bobby would have done the same.

Charlie

amacachi wrote: »

Yeah, but he refuses to spend money that doesn't exist, which is completely unacceptable.

No. He prefers to tell blatant lies, turn a profit on transfers, and spend literally zilch on a paper thin squad, even though prices have been raised across the board and the T.V money is at an all time high.

roryc

charlie mchugh wrote: »

Because that would be doing the decent thing, and spending a few quid. Mike Ashley has shown himself to be so far out of touch with the Club/Fans/City, I have no reason to believe that he would 'get' what Bobby Robson means to both us, and the footballing community in general.

People lined the streets when Jackie Milburn passed away, and I honestly believe that the same will be done for Wor Bob when that tragic day arrives. As highly as Keegan is taught of by many of us, Sir Bobby is on a different level, he truly is 'one of us'. He watches every game, no matter how sh/t we are, because like the rest of us, he is hooked. It makes me proud to know that Sir Bobby supports my club.

fair enough, no need to have a go at me because I don't know the entire situation that every club in the premiership is in.


No point in de-railing the thread, will be sorry to see the man go

Dave!

deise59 wrote: »

Sorry for dragging this up, but a friend of mine over England saw Sir Bobby at some book signing today and said he didn't look great at all. Here's a picture of him just a few days ago becoming an Honourary Freeman of Durham award.

,,,,

Horrible to see him like that. I'll say it again, one of the greatest characters in the history of British football.

Jayzus that's terrible reminds me of seeing Ronnie Drew not long before his death

therecklessone

charlie, I know why you feel so strongly about Ashley but it's a bit much to use Bobby's current state of health as an excuse to have another go.

How about waiting to see what if anything is done in the event of his passing away?

It's terrible to see a gentleman like that reduced by that horrible disease, my dad died nearly 9 years ago after a 2 year fight against it. I hope Bobby enjoys every minute he has left, and his family cherish that time with him.

Charlie

therecklessone wrote: »

charlie, I know why you feel so strongly about Ashley but it's a bit much to use Bobby's current state of health as an excuse to have another go.

How about waiting to see what if anything is done in the event of his passing away?

It's terrible to see a gentleman like that reduced by that horrible disease, my dad died nearly 9 years ago after a 2 year fight against it. I hope Bobby enjoys every minute he has left, and his family cherish that time with him.

Fair enough. Sorry for de-railing.

noodler

I GuanYin wrote: »

Sorry but that's no excuse. I've always liked Bobby but that whole fiasco sullied my opinion of him.

Just like your conduct in this thread has sullied mine of you.

Ronan|Raven

A TRUE footballing man. A real football man. He was one of a kind, a kind that is sadly lacking in the modern game. One of the most disgusting things to this day is how the FAI (SHOWER OF *****) let him take all the flack on that piece of **** Joe Duffy show that day, the way that talentless piece of **** Joe Duffy the mouth, a lowlife tosser talk to him the way he did. It was disgusting and disgraceful.

I hope his illness allows him to somehow enjoy his final times on this planet.

x in the city

when diego blagged his SECOND goal that fateful day at high noon in mexico 96 good old magee pouted another classic line...

'when they talk about the great players of world championship football, this man will be on a pedestal'

well ironically, sir bobby was the opposing manager that day and he now is high up on the pedestal of the great managers

Xavi6

noodler wrote: »

Just like your conduct in this thread has sullied mine of you.

Meh fair enough. There were no innocent bystanders in that regime, apart from maybe the players.

Bobby is a legend of the game and will be sorely missed and there's no denying that, but to overlook to sham that was his and Stan's tenure at the helm of Irish football is simply turning a blind eye.

mayordenis

I GuanYin wrote: »

Meh fair enough. There were no innocent bystanders in that regime, apart from maybe the players.

Bobby is a legend of the game and will be sorely missed and there's no denying that, but to overlook to sham that was his and Stan's tenure at the helm of Irish football is simply turning a blind eye.

come on - he had more or less no part in it,
there's actually a chance that it may not of been so shambolic had he been able to be more involved.

Xavi6

mayordenis wrote: »

come on - he had more or less no part in it,
there's actually a chance that it may not of been so shambolic had he been able to be more involved.

Correct me if I'm wrong but did he not continue in the position once it had been announced that he was very ill?

noodler

I'll turn a blind eye to the 70 year old with cancer then. He had to take on alot more than he otherwise would have had Stan been in some way competent.

Honestly I think its brave to undertake the role in his condition-its not like he needed the money. I like to think that the worsening of a condition like cancer would give you a degree of leighway.

Xavi6

Was he ill when he first accepted the job? Genuine question.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

Honestly I think its brave to undertake the role in his condition

Admirable to do so too.

Listening to the interview now. Joe Duffy is a real piece of work-that squeaky prepubescent voice pretty much attacking the good man.

Xavi6

It's not admirable to take a job if you may not have the capacity to do it.

If he wasn't ill beforehand then fair enough, but he should have stood down when the illness became known, for his own sake as well as that of the team.

noodler

If one of your relatives is ever suffering of cancer, god forbid, you wouldn't tell them they should never work again.

Bobby had been suffering from Cancer on and off for years-you can't say don't do any work (that you love by the way-it isn't a normal job, lets not pretend it is) in case your cancer fights back in a year or so.

Now I'm getting to the bit with this tosser ringing in and giving Bobby stick for a slip of the tongue. Some loser with a taxi plate. Like he is a bloody expert.
Really is awful "A British Style of Football...we should be playing a continental style". Where would these continental players come from?

Xavi6

But the fact is that a raw and untried manager in the form of Steve Staunton was relying on Bobby to help and guide him through what was going to be a very difficult settling in period. If Robson knew he hadn't the capacity to see it through then he should have turned down the job and let someone else do it.

I'm not going to say any more because I know a lot of people hold Robson dear and rightly so. He will be sorely missed by everyone in the game and that pic posted a few posts back really upset me. It's not nice to see anyone that way.

Daysha

I GuanYin wrote: »

It's not admirable to take a job if you may not have the capacity to do it.

If he wasn't ill beforehand then fair enough, but he should have stood down when the illness became known, for his own sake as well as that of the team.

From what I've read, Robson was in perfect health when he first accepted the role in January 2006.

In August 2006 he was operated on for a brain tumour and missed 4 matches, Holland, Germany, Cyprus and Czech Rep. Following his recuperation, in October 2006 he was given the all clear from the doctors to continue his role.

In May 2007 he was diagnosed with cancer for a 5th time. I would assume that he felt he would be ok to continue on, and deep down at that point he probably knew it would be unlikely for us to qualify, so he would've been leaving the job in 3/4 months anyway, which he did.

If those sequence of events are correct, then I see absolutely nothing wrong with what he did. As for his decision to stay on in May, surely you'd have to have faith in him to make the right decision on whether to continue or not. He had been through it 4 times before, he knew what it entailed.

Yet rather than leaving Stan in the lurch coming up to the crucial games against Slovakia and Czech Rep, he decided to see out his contract till the end of the year.

It may not have been his most successful of tenures in football, but I have nothing but admiration for the way he conducted himself while in the job, both in his commitment to the job and his willingness to go on Liveline and take the heat off Delaney and Staunton.

noodler

"Did you ring him on your mobile phone, your mobile phone, is he on speed dial". Obsessed with it.

Bloody disgrace.

witnessmenow

He's not an idiot, he knew he was going to die sooner or later, so why not die doing something you love.

Would he have been better off the spend his time in a hospital or an old folks home, maybe get another couple of years?

From whatever post I've seen of yours you seem like a sound guy but your basically leading a one man personal vandeta against one of the most loved characters in football, good luck trying to get people to share your opinion. Doesn't matter if your point is a valid one or not, once people here you speak negatively about people just wont want to listen

I'm sorry if this was posted earlier in thread i might have missed it, but he was such a ledge, remember the shola ameobi thing?

Journalist: "So Shola, do you have a nickname at the club?"

Ameobi: "Not really no."

"What do the lads call you?"

"Shola."

"What does Bobby Robson call you?"

"Carl Cort."

Xavi6

witnessmenow wrote: »

From whatever post I've seen of yours you seem like a sound guy but your basically leading a one man personal vandeta against one of the most loved characters in football, good luck trying to get people to share your opinion. Doesn't matter if your point is a valid one or not, once people here you speak negatively about people just wont want to listen

Wow now hold on. There's no 'vendetta' of any sort.

I 100% agree with everything said about Delaney and Liveline by the way. One of the most dispicable things I've ever heard.

Daysha

I don't personally think you're leading a vendetta either Xavi, but reading back on the topic, you did say that his final battle with cancer was almost as sad as his job with the FAI, and that it stained his reputation for taking a job you believed he shouldn't have.

Now that the facts are clearer and that he was in fact in perfect health when he took the job, do you still hold that same negative opinion on him?

noodler

Woman at the end is a legend.

Xavi6

deise59 wrote: »

I don't personally think you're leading a vendetta either Xavi, but reading back on the topic, you did say that his final battle with cancer was almost as sad as his job with the FAI, and that it stained his reputation for taking a job you believed he shouldn't have.

Now that the facts are clearer and that he was in fact in perfect health when he took the job, do you still hold that same negative opinion on him?

I still hold a negative opinion yes because I feel he should have left when the illness came back and he wasn't able to perform his role to the expected standard, i.e. attending every game.

When Robson was ill Staunton was left effectively high and dry. Surely that's not fair on a rookie manager.

noodler

Maybe he thought quitting would be hanging him out to dry?

Daysha

noodler wrote: »

Maybe he thought quitting would be hanging him out to dry?

And to add to that, attending matches was never Sir Bobbys no1 priority in that position. If he was to sit on the bench, it would be different, but that wasnt the case. He was there to help him with tactics, with team selection, to guide him along where he needed help. But from the 1st to 90th minute, there was nothing Bobby could do.

Bobby was still capable of interacting with Stan, with making a few training sessions, with staying in close observence of the players and theyre form and then expressing his thoughts to Bobby, either on the phone or in person.

So in that case, unless he felt his health would hinder his ability to do this, I see no reason why he should've stepped down in May 2007.

And what would have been the alternative? Had Bobby quit in May, he would've been cheating Steve, cheating the Irish supporters, and most of all, cheating himself, because he still would have known deep down that he still could have been a help to Staunton.

Xavi6

I've made my point, rightly or wrongly, and I don't expect many people, if anyone, to agree.

On that interview, comments such as "that Liverpool player" when forgetting Finnans name, "Nigel Crouch" and "Czechoslovakia" are reminders of what an old skool legend he is.

Hobart

I GuanYin wrote: »

Was he ill when he first accepted the job? Genuine question.

Yes, he has been ill for the last number of years. Was his cancer in remission at the time? Yes it was. Was he asked not to resign when he became unwell, probably, and by Delaney for selfish reasons. Has your point got SFA to do with his actual achievments to football and will it be last on the list for most football fans when it comes to looking at this guys epitath? Yes. Should you just shut up about Bobby and stop digging that hole? Yes.

Xavi6

Hobart wrote: »

Yes, he has been ill for the last number of years. Was his cancer in remission at the time? Yes it was. Was he asked not to resign when he became unwell, probably, and by Delaney for selfish reasons. Has your point got SFA to do with his actual achievments to football and will it be last on the list for most football fans when it comes to looking at this guys epitath? Yes. Should you just shut up about Bobby and stop digging that hole? Yes.

What hole? I didn't realise that certain people in football are exempt from any sort of criticism. Maybe you should do up a list and I'll sticky it at the top of the forum so no one steps on any toes in future.

Hobart

I GuanYin wrote: »

What hole? I didn't realise that certain people in football are exempt from any sort of criticism. Maybe you should do up a list and I'll sticky it at the top of the forum so no one steps on any toes in future.

You are focusing on the meerest minutia of his career, and appear to be trying to defend your memory of him, based on a few months where he had sfa to do with football, but was a puppet to add some "weight" to "team Ireland" under Delaney and Stan. If that's what your abiding memory of him would be, belt ahead.

The vast majority of people will recognise him for the gent that he was/is, his achievments with Ipswich. His time in Spain, his time with England and his love for Newcastle.

It's not about stepping on toes at all, belt ahead. It's about taken a position, realising too late that you are focusing on the completely wrong area, and then doing your best to defend that erroneous position, hence the "hole" analagy. But you belt ahead with your FAI blah blah bla......

Xavi6

Did you even bother to read the fucking thread?

I have said in at least 5 posts that the guy is a legendfor his overall contribution to the game and deserves to be remembered as one. I happened to mention his failure with Ireland, which is the experience most relevant to most of us btw, and I was effectively hung drawn and quartered.

If people want to overlook that then fair enough but the most shambolic regime in Irish football in my lifetime is still very much fresh in the memory, and like it or not, he was very much involved.

Hobart

I GuanYin wrote: »

Did you even bother to read the fucking thread?

I have said in at least 5 posts that the guy is a legendfor his overall contribution to the game and deserves to be remembered as one. I happened to mention his failure with Ireland, which is the experience most relevant to most of us btw, and I was effectively hung drawn and quartered.

If people want to overlook that then fair enough but the most shambolic regime in Irish football in my lifetime is still very much fresh in the memory, and like it or not, he was very much involved.

I did read the fucking thread. "You happened to mention"???WTF You have not stopped going on about it FFS. It was the most shambolic episode in recent Irish Fotballing history, but so fucking what? What has it got to do with this guy. To describe him as on the sidelines of it, would be to over empasise his contribution to it. He defended Stan and tried to mentor him, so fucking what? That was his fucking job.

As for hung, drawn and quartered, grown up FFS. I know you said you were only 23, but you are goning on like a fucking 3 yo at this stage. If you cannot take a bit of critiscism, when people disagree with you, get a thicker skin, or fuck off.

Xavi6

Hobart wrote: »

I did read the fucking thread. "You happened to mention"???WTF You have not stopped going on about it FFS. It was the most shambolic episode in recent Irish Fotballing history, but so fucking what? What has it got to do with this guy. To describe him as on the sidelines of it, would be to over empasise his contribution to it. He defended Stan and tried to mentor him, so fucking what? That was his fucking job.

I made a point and was questioned on it. Would you prefer if I didn't defend it and back it up?

How you can say "So what?" to the whole fiasco is unbelievable. We were 1 minute of injury time away from being the laughing stock of Europe and your response is "So what?". What the hell is that about?

As for hung, drawn and quartered, grown up FFS. I know you said you were only 23, but you are goning on like a fucking 3 yo at this stage. If you cannot take a bit of critiscism, when people disagree with you, get a thicker skin, or fuck off.

Hypocrite much? It's alright for you to tell me to fuck off because I question Robson? Where's your thick skin? Seems I've gotten under it quite easily.

As for your patronising bollox with regard to my age and being 'only 23', it bares no relevance to the conversation and shows up your character rather nicely if you have to resort to petty jibes.

Draupnir

The world of football owes Bobby Robson a debt of gratitude for many things, what I think he should be thanked for can be summed up in a single word:

Ronaldo.

Without the influence of Bobby Robson I am not sure we would ever have seen the best of Ronaldo who was easily the best striker in the world at his peak and could well be the best striker of all time.