BY Jonathan Harwood Tue 22 Sep 2009 Yesterday's memorial service at Durham Cathedral for former England manager Bobby Robson commemorated the man and allowed the football fraternity to pay their respects. It also acted as a memorial to the hypocrisy of football. Since his death, Robson has been eulogised as a 'true gentleman' of the game and praised to the rafters by fans of Newcastle United, the club he supported and later managed, and Ipswich. He was indeed a gentleman, but football and its followers have their own way of rewriting history. Back in 1982, Geordie fans hurled abuse and spat at Robson for having the temerity to drop their hero Kevin Keegan from his first squad after being appointed England manager. It was a rude introduction to the job, but set the tone for his eight years in charge. Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/people-news/20763/bobby-robson-hypocrisy-behind-headlines#ixzz3cXxzQgWo
It's what's generally known as 'proof' and 'backing up what you've said'. You're basing your entire argument on your recollections as a 10 year old. " ...... the majority of Newcastle fans I knew were shocked and gutted at the time when Robson was sacked." Majority Come on man, you can't be serious, how many Newcastle fans can a 10 year old possibly know? What happened, did you all have a sit down protest at playtime
It's a bit academic this argument to be fair, let me point you all in the direction of Arsene Wenger. Ask any Arsenal fan who the best manager is in their history and they'll tell you it's Arsene Wenger, yet every March when they are smashed out of the Champions League and Premier League race, as a collective, they'll call for the head of Arsene Wenger "It's time for Wenger to go", "He's done all he can". It's perfectly acceptable for a team's fan base to want change, even if they have to move on certain people at the club who are 'heroes'. Newcastle fans wanted Bobby Robson sacked, as a result of them getting above their station. They wanted more, they were ditched out of the ECL by a minnow essentially and they vented their frustrations in the same way any other team's fans would. The buck stops with the manager every time. I wonder what Sunderland fans were saying about Niall Quinn during his short spell as manager before Keane was brought in, I highly doubt they were singing his praises. It's undeniable how Newcastle fans hounded Bobby Robson, but just because of the man he was, it doesn't excuse him from criticism.
There are 4 Newcastle fans in my office. (I'm the only SAFC supporter.) All middle aged men, not over excited young'uns. All of them wanted him sacked!
There were about 15 that I used to talk to in the factory where I worked with about 10 season ticket holders (mind I think the other 5 were on the waiting list!). I would say 12 of them wanted him out (I was in my mid 40's not a 10 year old)
Can't argue with any of that but the debate wasn't if he deserved to go ......... just the manner of his sacking and the denial of history. In fact, what am I talking about, the thread's about the statue of another Newcastle idol who only won things with other clubs. Possibly the only thing Robson & Shearer have in common tbh.
Yeah it had gone off topic a bit, I think it's fair to say everybody loved Sir Bobby Robson though. I'd agree with you, he had earned a more dignified way to be released by Newcastle, I'd attribute it more to their slimy **** of an owner and their pathetic playing squad than anything else If they'd given him the respect he deserved, I'm confident the fans would have never got on his back. Denying it is ridiculous, even I remember the way they wanted him out of the club, they were angry but their fan base seem to lose perspective very quickly, there's examples of that littered throughout their recent history.
To be fair to the Newcastle supporters, and I include some relatives in this, they were whipped up by Shepherd who used them as an excuse to sack Robson. He'd been unsupportive of the manager and kept talking to the media about whether Robson had 'taken the club as far as he could'. That phrase was then repeated a million times outside SJP, in supporters letters & in conversation. Then they got what they deserved .......... please log in to view this image
I remember that day as if it was yesterday, my pal from Newcastle telling me that Owen had chosen Newcastle over United and Liverpool and it was 'Shearer all over again'. I have to admit, I thought at the time 'Why the **** has he done that?'. Turned out they offered him and Real Madrid double what Liverpool were prepared to offer and United were never interested. Freddy Shepherd's face in that picture already tells the story '**** knows how I'm gonna pay for this'.
They should have a statue of Owen laying on his back on the physio's couch with Freddie giving him a nosh. Very fitting.
He spent half his time there in the treatment room, which wouldn't be so bad if the other half wasn't spent in his stables.
