‘CARING ROEDER WILL BE GREATLY MISSED’
TRIBUTES have been paid to Glenn Roeder, the former Gillingham, Watford and Norwich manager who died last Sunday aged 65.
Roeder recovered after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2003, but suffered a relapse and died after what the LMA described as a lengthy illness.
A cultured defender, Roeder played over 550 games in the Football League, winning the Second Division title at QPR and Newcastle.
He later moved into management, guiding West Ham to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League before achieving a similar feat with Newcastle, where he also won the Intertoto Cup in 2006.
Most recently, Roeder worked as an advisor to Darren Sarll at Stevenage, leaving in 2018.
“My heart goes out to his family,” said Glenn Hoddle, who was assisted by Roeder during his three-year stint as England
manager. “He was a lovely guy and a really good coach.
“I will always remember the wonderful times we had together. He had a real love for the game and the players respected him immensely.”
Former England keeper David James was a young goalkeeper at Watford when Roeder, then 33, joined the club from Newcastle in 1989.
James, now 50, said: “He was funny at times, serious at others and knew how to get that mix right. He was a wonderful human being and he’ll be greatly missed.”
Those thoughts were echoed by Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson, who worked as assistant to Roeder at Newcastle.
“Glenn was a sensitive, caring man who didn’t always have as high a regard for himself as others had for him,” he said. “He was loved and admired by those who worked with him.”