https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2021/may/11/david-squires-on-alan-mcloughlin-my-first-football-hero A tribute to Alan McCloughlin
Following on from that Yeovil player who appeared to have taken his own life a few weeks back, a non-league player James Dean was reported missing on the 5th and a few days later huis body found. It's not been mentioned yet officially however I suspect this is another such death. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-57055578
Another young death. Ex Middlesbrough and WBA goalie Alan Miller died aged just 51. https://twitter.com/WBA?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Ex Plymouth , Ipswich and England striker Paul Mariner dies 68. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/sport/football/57788208.amp
Very sorry to hear this. Some will remember him as a typical traditional English centre-forward but he was much more than that in the great Ipswich team of the late 70s/early 80s. RIP
I was down the guest suite after a Pompey reserves game in the late eighties, and there was this strange bedraggled man standing next to the sandwich table. Everyone was wondering who he was, and not because he looked like someone they were sure they knew, but more in the "Do you think we should give him a bag of sandwiches, a bottle of pop, and get security to send him on his way?" Everyone was discreetly asking everyone else if they knew him. When he left, one of the players said "F-ing hell, that was Paul Mariner!" There was an air of disbelief, because if people had known, they would have been all over him. It was a bit like Gali sitting on his own in the old East stand (probably wandering what the hell he was doing there) with loads of fans sitting around, not even having a clue he was a Watford player.
That Ipswich side played lovely football. Should have won more silverware than they did. Well known over there due to his stint with ESPN. Proud Lancastrian. Was there a moments silence at Wembley ? Missed the kick off. Should have been.
I agree he was, a higher profile and I guess better version of our very own Ross Jenkins, always a good sport and knew how to score goals, R.I.P. Sir another taken too early!
One part of Coventry’s FA cup winning management team has died. George Curtis , aged 82. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....curtis-coventry-defender-fa-cup-winning-coach
I was at that Final, having won a ticket in a ballot for Watford season ticket holders. Great day for Coventry and football during Tottenham’s ‘quite good at winning the Cup’ phase.
Another Leeds United legend of the 60s and 70s passes away aged 77. This time Terry Cooper . They have certainly had a tough run of losing great players. https://mobile.twitter.com/LUFC/status/1421557538332585985
Indeed, and imho, it was the loss of Cooper to a terrible injury that sealed the England teams fate and failure to qualify for the World Cup in 1974. In the early 70s Cooper was head and shoulders the best left back in the UK.
German goal scoring legend Gerd Muller has died 75. Think he had been ill for sometime ? https://mobile.twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1426871674759168007
Der Bomber ist tote. Unbelievable goalscoring record at club (487 in 555 games) and international level (68 in 62 games). "In his book, Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football, author David Winner writes, "Muller was short, squat, awkward-looking and not notably fast; he never fitted the conventional idea of a great footballer, but he had lethal acceleration over short distances, a remarkable aerial game, and uncanny goalscoring instincts. His short legs gave him a strangely low center of gravity, so he could turn quickly and with perfect balance in spaces and at speeds that would cause other players to fall over. He also had a knack of scoring in unlikely situations."[citation needed] The impression that Gerd Muller was not very fast may stem from his short appearance. He did not run very much, but this is rather typical of people with fast-twitch muscle fibers – they rely on short bursts of speed. Speed and agility were always Gerd Muller's greatest assets – and this enabled him to reach an extreme acceleration and be first to the ball. He also regularly soared higher than much taller defenders while jumping for the ball. His teammate Franz Beckenbauer has emphasized Muller's unusual speed: "His pace was incredible. In training I have played against him and I never had a chance." I can't think of one British striker (past or present) with a similar style. He was the ultimate "sniffer" goalscorer. A goal machine.
A " squat little man" long before Peter Jones used the phrase to describe Maradona. Exceptional goal scorer. RIP.
Muller, i will never forgive him for exposing the frailty of Peter Bonetti in the 1970 quarter final. That said what a fabulous player, and another sufferer of degenerative brain disease. When live football on TV was restricted, International tournaments and European cup competitions dominated the coverage, and GurdMuller was a player everyone knew in the playground. RIP
Wasn't it Beckenbauer's long shot that Bonetti disastrously let under his body? Muller was unmarked in the 6-yard box for the winner - no chance for the keeper.
Crikey. Accident? Car crash? That's tragically young. Slightly off topic but how sad and brave to see Rob Burrows at the Leeds Rhinos match yesterday. What a hideous disease MND is. So cruel.
Hearing more and more of these stores of young players suffering cardiac arrests whilst playing and passing away . https://westbridgfordcolts.com/club-statement-2/ Very sad.
39 years in a coma after a simple operation went wrong. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58463792 Such courage shown by the family to not give up and care for him.
As you'll guess from my username I have some connections to this sad story. My son played for the West Bridgford Colts at various age groups during the 90s and early 2000s and I operated as the linesman for his team for several years too. There are a really great club to be associated with and as I would have expected, a dignified statement issued by them with plans for a pitchside tribute and online book of remembrance. I'm sure these things will provide a little comfort for poor Dylan Rich's family, friends and teammates. RIP Dylan.
Yes and no, I'm sure that the family were told at some point that he would never wake up therefore life support should really have been withdrawn many years ago. I think more could have been achieved by donating his organs, particularly as he was a relatively young athlete. It's very sad regarding the circumstances of how he ended up like that though.
If there is an all time British XI not just and England XI Greaves would be the first choice. Left foot, right foot or head he was clinical with an exceptional turn of pace, good close control. An utter menace to any defence. It's very sad to see he did not get a WC medal which injury denied him not to mention his personal problems off the field. A lovely character and raconteur he is simply the best. What he would be worth in today's mad market would be off the scale. It's pretty sad that Tottenham where his exploits are legendary have not seen fit to name a stand after him. They have had plenty of great players. Ardiles, Mackay, Gilzean for example but he was their best ever player. https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...t-finisher-england-produced-tottenham-chelsea The Roar of the Crowd - The Enigmatic Mr Greaves (BBC TV Documentary about Jimmy Greaves) 1969
RIP Jimmy. A hero of your time on and off the pitch and a staple for modern footballers of today to live up to. Wishes to friends and family xx