Mariner was a ‘diamond of a man’
BRYAN ROBSON led the tributes to Paul Mariner yesterday as English football mourned the passing of a ‘terrific player and a wonderful man’.
The former Ipswich and England striker died on Friday at the age of 68 after a battle with brain cancer.
Mariner was a colourful character who scored 135 goals in 339 games for Ipswich in a golden era in which they won the FA Cup in 1978 and UEFA Cup in 1981. He also played for Plymouth, Arsenal and Portsmouth and earned 35 England caps, scoring 13 goals, including one at the 1982 World Cup.
‘He had a terrific attitude to life,’ said Robson. ‘He was just a great, great laugh and will be so sadly missed.
‘I remember in the tunnel before England games I used to say “Come on boys, let’s go!’’ I’d turn round, then behind me I’d hear this huge roaring scream of “Come on!’’ And it would be Paul jumping up and down in the face of the opposition, often with Terry Butcher. You’d look at the other team and see they were scared half to death before they’d even gone out of the tunnel. Yet off the pitch, you could not meet a nicer guy.’
Former Liverpool and England captain Phil Thompson shared a similar memory. ‘We were at Hampden to play Scotland so it was vocal and feisty but Paul, who was 6ft 3in and Terry, at 6ft 4in, would take it to a new level. They’d be leaping and screaming down the corridor shouting “Let’s batter these’’. We were frightened and they were on our team.
‘We played Italy in the European Championship, up against Claudio Gentile, a hard defender, but Paul held his own. He loved the physical side but he was so good he could have easily fitted into our Liverpool team. He was a special guy. A proper player.’
Mariner’s friend Butcher added: ‘He was the most unbelievable man. Tough, very much a combination of Van Nistelrooy, Harry Kane and Van Basten. A big rocker, he loved Iron Maiden and Deep Purple, the singer Ian Gillan was a friend of his. He was wonderful. So caring, so lovable. Everyone he met was better for it. We are devastated.’
Mariner (right) struck up such a friendship with Gillan that he ended up on stage with Gillan’s band playing bongos at the Hammersmith Apollo.
He was also assistant to Peter Reid at Plymouth, a club he also managed. Reid described him as ‘a diamond of a man’. ‘I’d known him from his early days at Chorley,’ said Reid. ‘When Everton won the FA Cup semi-final in 1984, he ran across the players’ lounge and gave me the biggest hug, he was so pleased for me. I’m sick I never got the chance to say goodbye,’ he said.
Former Ipswich midfielder John Wark added: ‘He was my best mate. As a person, he was even better than he was as a player and that is saying something. We were roommates at Ipswich. He called me his brother. That’s how close we were.’ Former manager, the late Bobby Robson, once said: ‘I was lucky to work with great strikers. Lineker, Romario, Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Shearer, Figo and Paul Mariner at Ipswich.’ Mariner leaves behind his partner Val, mum Peggy, and sons George, Joe and Dan.