SBR on Shepherd

[Ted Maul 0]

Bowyer:

 

The sands were shifting beneath my feet.

 

Towards the end of that season, Charlie Woods came into my office. "Bobby, you won't believe this, but David Pleat has been on and wants to know what's up with Lee Bowyer," he said. David was the director of football at Tottenham Hotspur.

 

"David Pleat's been on the phone asking what?" I replied incredulously.

 

Charlie ploughed on with his story. "David was asking whether Lee is injured or something. He said, "The reason I'm asking is that he's been offered to me."

 

"The kids worth 4 million," I erupted. "Who's offered him to Spurs?"

 

Charlie had the answer - "The chairman."

 

Freddy Shepherd had apparently rung David Giess, Bowyer's agent, saying, "Get him out of this club. I want him out. I'm not paying his salary," and so on and so on. He hadn't come to me for my opinion or asked, "Are you happy with Bowyer?"

 

I realised Bowyer wasn't playing very well and so did the chairman, but his response was to take the law into his own hands.

 

Support:

 

Despite all the aftershocks from Marseille, two days later, on 8 May, twenty-four hours before we drew 1-1 with Wolves, the chairman had been in my office expressing strong support. In my diary, I noted: "Wants me to stay for at least another year." He had said "Look, I'm an honourable man. Whatever happens, you've got at least another year."

 

That's how I remember what he said and I wrote: "What are the ramifications of that? He's showing strong support for me, at the moment." "Oh well," I thought, "if I do well, I've got a chance to stay on beyond the summer of 2005," but on 20 May, after a meeting, a much darker entry appeared in my Journal: "Told I will not be here beyond next season."

 

What Freddy Shepherd said that day was, "This is your last year, Bobby, you're going, and Charlie Woods will be going, too." Something had changed in those twelve days.

 

Undermined:

 

On the eve of what turned out to be my final month as Newcastle manager, Freddy Shepherd was asked by a football writer whether there was any chance of me staying on beyond the summer of 2005.

 

His answer had all the shocking clarity of a bullet being fired. “No”, he told the Guardian’s Michael Walker, and in that moment I became, in the eyes of some, a sitting target.

 

Sir Alex Ferguson had taught us all about the dangers of announcing an impending retirement too far in advance. The message it sends to the players, the staff and the supporters is that the boss is on his way out. Alex later reversed his decision to stand down and immediately began regaining his authority, which, some felt, had slipped in the weeks and months when Manchester United’s players were starting to look beyond him to the future.

 

My chairman’s declaration was published on 31 July – a fortnight before our opening game of the season. If I were still the Newcastle manager at seventy-three years old, Freddy Shepherd had joked, the club “would be in the Guinness Book of Records”. He also took a swipe at my transfer record.

 

“Bob’s spent about seventy million pounds,” he said, and that’s more than Wenger. We have always backed the manager. We have been big spenders but now we have got to make sure we get value for money – that’s a nice way of putting it. Carl Court didn’t make it, Hugo Viana didn’t make it, Christian Bassedas, the Argentine midfielder bought in 2000-01 season, didn’t make it. There comes a point where you say, “That’s enough. We must have value for money.” Were not going to be anyone’s mugs any more.”

 

This brutal and, I believe, wholly inaccurate summation of my record knocked my legs away. He didn’t mention the tens of millions of pounds I had brought in through sales. I wonder why he chose that moment, that point in the calendar, to confirm my departure. When I read his comments, I just wished he hadn’t said those things. With one cold word – a single “no” – he let the players know I would be gone in 10 months. That was bound to diminish my authority.

 

Naturally, I challenged the chairman. “Look,” I said, “I understand you telling me I’m in my last season here, but my understanding was that we would make some sort of announcement when my departure was imminent. We would do it together. We’d do it properly, make a joint statement,” but do it the right way.

 

The chairman merely belittled my position. I had deluded myself into thinking I would be asked to help with the succession. When the time was right, I could have helped the chairman chose the next Newcastle manager. That was my vision and I had told him so. “When the time comes for me to leave, I’ll help you find the next guy to keep this great club going.

 

Gary Speed:

 

Bolton did manage to poach Gary Speed from us, however, and therein lies another tale of how disjointed the manager-chairman relationship had become. On our tour of the Far East, John Carver suddenly informed me, “We’ve had an offer for Gary Speed from Bolton.” I knew nothing about it, so I went in search of the chairman for clarification. On no account did I want Gary Speed to leave.

 

First I caught up with the player himself. “Gary, what’s all this about you wanting to go to Bolton Wanderers? I know nothing about it. The chairman hasn’t mentioned it to me. When John Carver told me an hour ago I was aghast. What do you want to go to Bolton for?”

 

“The club are going to let me go,” Gary said. “If you don’t know anything about it, you’d better see the chairman.” “As far as I’m concerned, you’re not going to Bolton Wanderers,” I told him. “You’re staying here.”

 

That Saturday night, the day of our game, I tried the chairman’s room, reception, the restaurant and bar. Eventually, I was told he was out. I was so angry I sat in the foyer, waiting, for half an hour.

 

Finally, the chairman’s figure appeared in the doorway and I confronted him there and then.

 

Under cross-examination he denied all knowledge of Gary’s impending move. It was heading into the realms of farce.

 

The next step, naturally, was to go back to Gary. I spoke to him on our flight from Hong Kong. “The chairman says he knows nothing about this Bolton thing,” I said and left it there.

 

We arrived back in Newcastle on the Monday morning and, early that afternoon, the chairman called me. “Gary Speed is here with me, he wants to see you. He wants to say goodbye,” he said.

 

“What?” I exclaimed.

 

The deal had been completed that morning. Fifty years in the game had taught me that you cannot construct a transfer in four hours. The idea that a player of Gary Speed’s calibre can be sold in four hours is absurd and yet I was being told throughout the weekend that the club knew nothing of Bolton’s interest in one of our most valued players.

 

Hello and Goodbye:

 

The discussion would come soon enough, I thought, and on the August bank holiday Monday, I rose earlier than usual, setting off for the training ground to be in before nine. When my mobile rang, the voice of Tony Toward, one of the club's administrators, came down the line: "Russell Cushing called and said the chairman wants to see you in his office at nine thirty this morning.”

 

“I’ve just passed the club and I’m on my way to the training ground,” I told Tony, “but don’t worry. I’ll carry on to the training ground, have a cup of coffee with my staff and be at St James’ by nine thirty.” Being so close to work, I thought the best plan was to get my staff together and give them their instructions for the day.

 

“Just keep the fires burning until I get back from meeting the chairman,” I told my coaches. “I’ve just had a call. We’re trying to get a centre-half in – it’s probably about that. If I’m not back, make sure the players are on the pitch by ten thirty.”

 

Not for one second did I entertain the possibility that the gallows were being erected for me up at the old stadium. In retrospect, there was one disquieting aspect of the chairman’s summons. Why had Russell Cushing called Tony to get him to ring me? That was odd. The chief operating officer didn’t have the courtesy to ring me himself to tell me the chairman wanted to see me? I assumed it was merely a failure of manners, and pulled into the club car park in a businesslike frame of mind. I strode into Freddy Shepherd’s office to find Joy, his secretary, the chairman and Russell Cushing, which again was somewhat strange, given that it was a bank holiday. Even then, I was not apprehensive as I took my seat.

 

“Good morning, chairman,” I said, opening the batting. “Any thoughts about the centre-half?”

 

Freddy Shepherd’s face turned red. Then he uttered a single sentence.

 

“I’m relieving you of your position.”

 

Silence descended. No words could come.

 

“Why?” I said at last.

 

“Results.”

 

This makes me feel sick to my stomach because it's worse than I thought it would be. Everything above is the reason why we'll never get a world class manager and pull ourselves out of this tailspin with Freddy at the helm. Bobby's well respected by almost everyone in world football and if we offered the job to Hitzfeld, Van Gaal, Hiddink, Scolari etc. I have no doubt they'd tell Freddy where to stick it after reading this.

Edited October 24, 2006 by Ted Maul

[peasepud 59]

bloody fancy dan with your fancy books

 

 

 

 

 

[Jimbo 133]

Just as i always suspected

[Ted Maul 0]

bloody fancy dan with your fancy books

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twocked it from Skunkers tbh

[Guest Patrokles]

Can't stand people like that. No spine.

[Chaser 1073]

Is that from SBRs final chapter in his book? Or is that another book he has written? Ive never read that before and find it a very interesting insight into FFS and how he acts like the director of Football that SJH has been talking about today. An absolute disgrace that someone with the international pedigree of SBR would be treated in this way by a fat scrap dealer.

[@yourservice 67]

“Good morning, chairman,” I said, opening the batting. “Any thoughts about the centre-half?”

 

Freddy Shepherd’s face turned red. Then he uttered a single sentence.

 

“I’m relieving you of your position.”

 

Silence descended. No words could come.

 

“Why?” I said at last.

 

“Results.”

 

 

Well i suppose you could always change "results" with "your after a centre-half" which just does not happen here does it.

[Tom 13915]

Leazes?

[@yourservice 67]

Leazes?

 

He's being well stalked this one

[East Stander 0]

And this is why O'neill had a change of heart and decided not come despite agreeing his contract. He was told that buying and selling players would NOT be in his remit so he told fatso where to stick his job (although not as abruptly as that)

 

So we are left with fatso and his son deciding that Kluivert, Butt, Luque, Martins etc etc will be our purchases.

 

There is no chance of any top class manager coming to Nufc with that fat git in control and the manager's authority being so undermined.

[ewerk 26802]

And this is why O'neill had a change of heart and decided not come despite agreeing his contract. He was told that buying and selling players would NOT be in his remit so he told fatso where to stick his job (although not as abruptly as that)

 

Source?

[Renton 18044]

FFS. That is shocking and depressing in equal measure. I am beginning to detest that fat cunt more by the day. Only a complete and utter moron could defend him after reading that.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

FFS. That is shocking and depressing in equal measure. I am beginning to detest that fat cunt more by the day. Only a complete and utter moron could defend him after reading that.

 

You wouldn't be fishing for a reply from anybody in particular there now would you?

 

Tbh though whether it be message boards, in the pub, at the match, at work or talking to friends i haven't heard from anyone who defends Fat Fred now, there is literally nobody left who can't see him for what he is and how he is fucking this club up from top to bottom.

[Bizza 105]

Jesus, The bloke really is a fucking joke.

[Renton 18044]

FFS. That is shocking and depressing in equal measure. I am beginning to detest that fat cunt more by the day. Only a complete and utter moron could defend him after reading that.

 

You wouldn't be fishing for a reply from anybody in particular there now would you?

 

Tbh though whether it be message boards, in the pub, at the match, at work or talking to friends i haven't heard from anyone who defends Fat Fred now, there is literally nobody left who can't see him for what he is and how he is fucking this club up from top to bottom.

 

 

How very dare you suggest such a thing!

[TheInspiration 1]

If you're interested, this was also in it I believe.

 

Nobby:

 

We'd had the best of him.

 

He was on a big salary and for that reason the chairman was delighted to move him on.

 

It was good housekeeping. Add the transfer fee to Nobby's salary and his move to Aston Villa was worth £2 to £3 million to the club. I don't care how big the organisation, if you have a large squad of highly paid players, a duty exists to spend the money wisely and to make economies where surgical cuts are not harmful to the team.

 

This one wasn't because we no longer needed Nobby Solano.

 

Where the chairman let me down was in failing to support me when the criticism started rolling in.

 

He was happy to take the money from Aston Villa but rather less eager to defend the sale in public, when some people on Tyneside began insisting that I had made a mistake.

[Shearergol 0]

Wait till Souness comes out with the story that he was hours from signing Boa Morte when FS pulled the plug and told him to get Luque.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Oh dear Leazes, you're right, the it's the manager who decides who comes and goes and not the chairman.

 

If any of this is true, then we truly do have the spawn of satan running our club.

[Gemmill 35492]

I guarantee that Leazes will not post in this thread in any reference to the initial post.

[Tom 13915]

Hes shying from it

[Bombadil 0]

I guarantee that Leazes will not post in this thread in any reference to the initial post.

 

5th best club, England internationals.

[Craig 6321]

I'm appalled that a man who could treat one of the greatest English managers there's been with total contempt is in charge of the club I support.

 

If what has been posted is true then it's absolutely disgusting and totally confirms my opinion of him.

 

Newcastle United truly is a laughing stock and I'd be interested, if Shepherd does go, to hear the opinions of people such as Carver, Shearer, Speed & Sir John to see where they stand on what Sir Bobby has written.

 

LeazesMag called Souness a cancer, he was a mere summer cold in comparison to Shepherd.

[Tom 13915]

Leazes wont comment on this thread though, will he?

[Craig 6321]

No doubt SBR (who he's always gone on record as saying is the one that Freddy got right) will be a compulsive liar in the eyes of LM.

[Optimistic Nut 9]

Despite all the aftershocks from Marseille, two days later, on 8 May, twenty-four hours before we drew 1-1 with Wolves, the chairman had been in my office expressing strong support. In my diary, I noted: "Wants me to stay for at least another year." He had said "Look, I'm an honourable man. Whatever happens, you've got at least another year."

 

 

And yet in that summer when Shepherd said he'd be leaving at the end of the 2004-5 season, he was rollocked for it, and Robson said it was the first he'd heard of it!