Sir Bobby: I'm Dying

[La Parka]

We all love you Bobby.

 

Was so happy ( I was offered a job today) but now I feel sad

[EthiGeordie]

I luv Sir Bobby it is sad he has to the best English manager and perhaps the last one as well.

[pinkeye]

There are few people in football who are held in such esteem as Sir Bobby, I hope that he enjoys and relishes the remaining time he has left in the same manner as he has enjoyed all that went before.

 

Bobby, you are a true North East and National Legend, you will be remembered for a very very long time.

 

God bless you.

[Shak]

 

Tough to read that, can only hope that his last months are good to him.

[Ember]

The candle will burn out long before the Legend ever will.

 

Is the only reference I believe suitable for the situation.

[JH]

From a Telegraph article in Nov 2007:

 

Kevin Beattie

(Ipswich Town, 1971-82)

If it wasn't for the boss there would have been no Kevin Beattie. I came down to Ipswich from Carlisle as a 15 year-old and he took me under his wing and made me the player I was. He was a great coach. I've really got to thank him because he believed in me and gave me the chance and obviously I've never looked back. We both arrived at about the same time.

 

He'd just got the push from Fulham and I came a few weeks after that. I think I was his first signing. He taught me everything. I came as a forward, believe it or not; I was scoring goals for fun in the youth team. But he soon had me playing in his old position as a left half, where he'd played for England.

 

He taught me everything he knew about the position. No way am I surprised that he's kept going as long as he has. It's in his blood. I hope he doesn't pack it in and I am sure he will still be passing on his knowledge to other people as he's done in the past, for years to come. I can't see the boss not being involved in football. We know he's got his problems with his health, but he is such a strong man. Sometimes you feel sorry for his wife Elsie because he must be very hard to live with because of his football. But she must be used to it by now.

 

John Wark

(Ipswich Town, 1975-84)

He gave me my chance as a kid who'd come down from Glasgow and he threw me into the first team at 17. My debut was in the quarter-final of the FA Cup against the famous Leeds team of Giles and Bremner. That is what he thought of me. I'd played in the youth team on the Tuesday night and he called me in for the second replay at Filbert Street. He took me aside and said: "I wouldn't put you in the team if I didn't think you were good enough."

 

He was a father figure as well. Having come down from Glasgow to Ipswich he helped me off the field because I was homesick. I won trophies with him. I actually left a year after he got the England job because he'd gone and so had a few of the players and I couldn't see Ipswich being a force again. Thankfully I ended up at Liverpool. Thirty years ago coming to Ipswich was different to what it would be today. I actually thought you needed a passport. I didn't know where it was. It was completely different to what I was used to in Glasgow.

 

If it hadn't been for the boss I would have been straight back home. I know lads who have done that. But he looked after me on and off the pitch. Even now all the old players still call him 'boss'.

 

Arnold Muhren

(Ipswich Town, 1978-82)

He came to Holland to my house and he was trying to persuade me to come to England. Everything had to be arranged at very short notice because Ipswich had qualified for the European Cup-Winners' Cup and there was a deadline in a day or so's time. I went to Ipswich with my wife and he showed us everything: the houses, the shops. But I was waiting for my manager to help me so I made the right decision not only football-wise by financially as well.

 

I remember we had dinner the night before we left for Holland and I said 'no' at the time. He said: "If you change your decision you are always welcome here. It will be a great experience for you." When I got home I said to my missus I wanted to go. He made a great impression on us. He did everything right and was a real gentleman and a father figure for me. He was always interested in me. "How are you? How are you settling in? Have you found the right shops? Are your kids OK? I hope the missus isn't homesick." He realised that if he was making me at home I paid him back on the pitch. I said to him once: "The whole club is yours. You do too many things here." He was arranging buses, buying and selling players, always on the training ground, doing everything. Twenty-four hours in the day weren't enough for him. Well, he was laughing. He said: "That is my way of working. It is my life." He had a very busy life. I admired him for that. If he starts talking about football you can't stop him. As a coach, not everyone can work with first-class players, but he could and everyone was impressed with him.

 

Gary Lineker

(England 1984-92)

Everyone loves Bobby Robson. He was an infectious personality, and that made you want to play for him. When he was England manager he was always fiercely loyal to his players, and was never swayed by the media or the fans. He knew who his best players were and he stood by them even when things didn't go right. The highlight of my time with him was obviously the 1990 World Cup finals when, aside from 1966, and that was at home, we gave the best performance by an England team.

 

Everyone had written us off before the tournament, and even more so after the first game, but we only went out in a penalty shootout to a brilliant German team in the semi-finals. My favourite story about him comes from that shootout. We were standing in the centre circle and he comes over and says: "Don't you let me down. There are 30 million people watching this back home." It was not necessarily the best thing to say to a group of nervous players, but it certainly relaxed us: Peter Beardsley and I just fell about laughing. It was a typical Bobby Robson-ism.

 

Bryan Robson

(England, 1980-91)

Bobby wore his heart on his sleeve. He loved to see his players having a laugh and a bit of banter. He was always asking me if the players were happy. He showed genuine concern for everybody. He was the manager who allowed us to bring our wives and partners out for a week during the preparation for major tournaments.

 

You could be away for a couple of months and I went on behalf of the players to ask if there was any chance of bringing the girls out for a few days. He said he had no problem with that and it became established practice. Bobby took the view that a happy team was more likely to be a successful team. We were always sure of a laugh with him. All those stories about Bobby being forgetful and mixing up names are spot on. He called Graham Rix Brian, while Mark Hateley was Tony, his dad's name.

 

Bobby's mind was always racing and I think that's why it happened so often. One morning when I came down to breakfast he was on the phone. He was deep in conversation but half caught a glimpse through the corner of his eye. "Morning, Bobby," he said. "You're Bobby," I had to tell him, "I'm Bryan."

 

Steve Staunton

(Republic of Ireland manager, 2006-07)

It was unfortunate that he had his illness during the period he was with me for Ireland as 'football consultant', but even so he was a very big help to me. I have learnt so much from him in the last two years. We've chatted through everything, and just talking and listening to the man you can learn. We talked about all the scenarios, team matters, discussing players and what to do. Just little things, football talk really. Because the press are so full-on in Ireland, he kept me sane and kept me focused.

 

I will continue to talk to him. We have got a very good relationship and I will continue to phone him and hopefully he will continue to phone me. It has been a pleasure to work with the man, and I'd like to think over the coming years he will have a big, steadying influence on my career.

 

Don Givens

(Republic of Ireland acting manager, Nov 2007)

Bobby's experience is immense. He has done it all over the world and been successful as a great manager. I've spoken to him almost every day, and you can't help but learn from somebody like Bobby Robson. He's been a little unfortunate during his time with Ireland with his health, and that was a disadvantage to Steve [staunton]. But while he is here, anything he can give I will take because he is a great football man.

[nufcmichael]

Tragic  :-[

 

A great personality in Newcastle, a manager that should never had been sacked and even after he was sacked, he still attended our games.

 

He will be missed...

[Guest Sniffer]

There'll be a hell of a turnout at his funeral, that's for sure.

[The QuichÃ]

Absolutely gutted when i read this at work today. Heres hoping to some good Booby songs at the game on Saturday.

[NG32]

 

 

Its always the good ones. 

 

 

 

 

[Guest JonnyH]

The word legend is banded around a lot these days but Sir Bobby Robson is a true legend of the game and his legacy will live on for decades to come.

 

 

[Jimburst]

Oh god, thats terrible news.

[Guest Geordie_Paul]

Bloody hell thats a proper kick to the guts, he will be dearly missed. An absolute legend in his own right, not just among toon fans, but to the the world with his constant and generous donations. His "don't let the bastards grind you down" mentality towards cancer is an inspiration for millions.

 

Hope they pay further tribute to him in some way shape or another.

 

 

[kirkwdavis2001]

Should there not be "Sir" at the start of this thread?

Respect he fully deserves.

 

 

Can rename it "The Sir Bobby Robson Stadium" for me.

 

Me too, love the guy, absolutely love him - it'll be a sad sad day when he goes, that's for sure.

[afar]

I will never hold him is as high esteem as KK for what he's done for this club and there were times when I was totally against some of his decsion making, the dropping of KK from the England team and the sale of Nobby are just 2 examples that spring to mind.

 

But he's a very special man, with a deep love of the game and Newcastle in particualr, he gave us back the pride which had been lost when KK left. He deserved a better end at the club than he got. One of the most deserving knighthoods ever given out IMO.

 

Just a thoroughly decent human being, who stuck to fingers up at the press, for what he achieved in the game after the abuse he got as England manager.

 

Will be a simply awful day for football when the light goes out on his life.

[mrmojorisin75]

wow, epitaphs before he's gone

 

tells the story really

 

other than my immediate family & friends i never bat an eyelid when a celebrity dies...when bobby goes i'll be crying for sure

 

NE5 it may have been made in the last 6 pages i don't know, but when bobby goes i hope freddy chokes on his millions the cunt....fuck everything else he disgraced that man, so much so i'm not sure he ever recovered from it

[Lowndsy]

horrible news!

 

the east stand should be named after him!!

 

sir john hall

jackie milburn..

 

and now sir bobby robson

 

he is going to be missed by so many!

[Kanji]

I remember when I came up watch Newcastle vs Southampton in 2002 (I am based in London), and my Dad mentioned that he might be able to get me Bobby's signature as he once reported an England tour with him. Bobby remembered his name and face, strode out to say hello to my Dad again and shook my hand, a shaky 16 year old Newcastle fan. He could have just left it there, but not Bobby - he signed my ticket, took me and my Dad to a complimentary dinner in the club and anytime a player was near he bolted up to get them and bring them over to say hello to me and sign my ticket - I met Shearer, Dyer, Speed, Bellamy, Nobby, Andy O'Brien, Shay Given, Aaron Hughes and  Hugo Viana. He talked to us for a good hour, asking me about my school and ambitions in life and stuff, it was just incredible. The next time I saw him was at Brian Clough's memorial (Brian Clough being my Godfather, another friend of Dad's) and he'd just been sacked. The man even remembered my face, and stopped his conversation to come up and see how I was doing. I said sorry about the decision and that I really didn't agree with it. He just smiled and said "it's football, and don't lose your love for that great club". He even asked me the score of a low-key Newcastle European match later that night after the service. I told him we won 1-0 with a Shearer goal. He just smiled and said "Who else but Alan?". I'll never forget him and the two amazing memories he provided me personally, and the years of great memories with what he did to my team. I'll be so, so gutted when the worst happens, I wouldn't be surprised if I never met a nicer person.

 

one of the best posts i've ever read on this forum.

[Guest thenorthumbrian]

Its odd but when Diana and the Queen mother died it meant nothing at all to me.

But when Booby goes I will feel really emotionally affected.

[Tooj]

Its odd but when Diana and the Queen mother died it meant nothing at all to me.

But when Booby goes I will feel really emotionally affected.

 

Not isn't.

[Guest Brewcastle]

Sir Bobby, legend.

The football-world supports you. 

[catmag]

Stop acting like he's dead and gone for fuck's sake. If he was to read this he'd berate the lot of you for your premature misery. He's living every day and we should be right there with him until such a time when the inevitable will happen. He'd be extremely disappointed that you're all eulogising.

 

He's not given in yet and neither should we!

[Parsley]

[Guest Jawesome]

Im sposed to be moving in next to him soon as well.

[Optimistic Nut]

Wish I could find the photo of him talking to the full squad in the Nou Camp. Fantastic photo. Just looked so proud and all the players were in a line just paying attention to him. Great pic.