The man who knew what a club really is
FEW people are able to unite the usually divisive world of football as one. Sir Bobby Robson was one of those men.
It’s easy in hindsight to glorify the past, especially through the prism of rose-tinted spectacles, but the former England and Magpies’ boss was every bit the man his legacy depicts him to be, which is why two of his former clubs, Newcastle United and Ipswich Town, will again pay tribute to him at Portman Road today.
Few have sat in the St James’ Park hotseat and emerged with their reputation intact.
Sir Bobby not only achieved that, but left his job on Tyneside as the godfather of North East football – despite having won nothing during his time at the club.
So if he, like so many before and after him, failed to add to the trophy cabinet, why is he so loved and revered by the Geordie fans?
The answer is that while he didn’t win any silverware, he won the hearts and minds of the fans with his passion, commitment and, let’s not forget, footballing acumen.
It’s easy to look back on Sir Bobby now and remember him as a benevolent grandfather figure, with that famous twinkle in his eye, But he was a winner, first and foremost. When he arrived on the steps of St James’ Park in 1999, he came with a record that was almost unparalleled in football, not just in what he had won, but where he had won it. Success followed him wherever he went, from those early days at Ipswich Town, to Holland with PSV, Portugal with Sporting and Porto and the biggest of them all, Catalan giants Barcelona. While his time as England manager had as many highs as lows, he rode the roller-coaster with a grace that few since have matched – and he remains the only man to guide England to the World Cup semi-finals on foreign soil.
He inherited a Newcastle side in desperate need of an overhaul, but with precious little funds at his disposal.
Defeat at Chelsea in his first match in charge was narrow, but he won his first home game, against Sheffield Wednesday, 8-0. Alan Shearer scored five. A new era had been launched.
Contrary to popular belief, Newcastle fans don’t ask for much from the team they follow the length and
What is a club in any case? It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. Sir Bobby Robson