www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Sat Sep 05 21:47:23 GMT+00:00 1998
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. Jackie Blanchflower Personal Tribute
2. Cruyff&Jeppe
3. Giggs
4. Martin Buchan & son
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Daily RED Trivia Sat 5th September:
1903: Bob Bonthron made his debut against Bristol City. A robust Full-back, Bonthron
played in the side that gained promotion to the First Division in 1906. He made a total
of 134 appearances between 1903-07, scoring 3 goals. Bonthron was transferred to
Sunderland in May 1907.
1956: United beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in a Division 1 game watched
by 29,082. Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan scored for the Reds. Team was: Wood,
Foulkes, Byrne, Colman, Jones, Edwards, Berry, Whelan, Taylor, Viollet, Pegg.
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Next 4 games:
Index: http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899z.htm
Wed 9/9 Charlton (H) PL Wed 16/9 Barcelona (H) CL
Sat 12/9 Coventry (H) PL Sat 20/9 Arsenal (A) PL
Total: 133 voted
What do you think of the £12.6 Million deal for Dwight Yorke?
Very good 16 12.0%
Good 52 39.1% **************
Satisfactory 27 20.3%
Poor 28 21.0%
Very poor 10 7.5%
Barry comment:
So it looks like we all agree Fergie should have paid the high fee.
39+16 55% Say good or better
Interestingly 38% thought it was a poor or worse decision!
The proof of the pudding will be in the eating.
New survey:
Who will be UNITED's leading scorer this season?
Choices are: Cole Giggs Sheringham Solskjaer Yorke
Vote now at: http://www.red11.org/miva/survey.mv
You get an "INSTANT UPDATE" on how the vote is going
UNITED Stats v Barcelona are here:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/vsbarcelona.htm Url
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/vsbarcelona.xls Excel File
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Subject: Jackie Blanchflower Personal Tribute
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 21:33:05 +0200
I remember Jackie particularly well because he had a toffee shop on
Claremont Road, around the corner from where one of my aunties lived. So
when I was at her house I would spend a lot of time hanging around the shop
hoping to get a glimpse of the man and ask for his autograph (for the
thousandth time!).
As a footballer Jackie was someone I remember from the reserves perhaps
more than the first team. Big Mark Jones was the preferred choice really,
to play alongside Duncan in the heart of defense. In my opinion Jackie was
a better player than Mark, but perhaps not quite as strong.
In those days (WARNING - Old Fart Alert) centre forwards were even bigger
and bloody dafter than they are today (Shearer wouldn't have lasted five
minutes them days - ponce) and as a consequence centre halves had to be
very powerful. In that respect I think Mark Jones just shaded it over Jackie.
In some respects in my mind's-eye I would liken Jackie to Brian Greenhoff,
when Brian had that really good spell, firstly alongside Martin and then
Big Jim, in the centre of the defense (around '73 or '74). Jackie had a
similar 'mobility' to Brian Greenhoff (a good player was Brian - somewhat
underrated) and could actually play the game. Mark Jones, on the other
hand, was much more in the 'stopper' mode. Perhaps, had the unthinkable not
happened, Jackie would have come into his own by the early sixties, when
centre forwards were becoming much more mobile and speed and playing
ability were more important that sheer brute strength.
Anyway that is mere conjecture. The fact that Jackie has been taken at such
a young age is yet another tragedy. My only consolation is the knowledge
that he will now be in heaven, once again challenging Mark Jones for a
place in the Manchester United side. God bless him.
Keep the faith, Pete
Peter Hargreaves (United Kingdom)
http://www.cheswem.u-net.com/
Subject: Cruyff&Jeppe
I was at the game on Wednesday and was impressed with the pair of
them. It was only Villa reserves but Blomqvist showed enough of his
dribbling skills, good vision and quality passing to fully deserve
the standing ovation he got when he went off. He was absolutely
knackered when he was subbed and needs a few more games to get
anywhere near match fitness but I think (hope) he'll be a success
once he gets in the team.
I think the problem with Cruyff is that he's never had a good run in
the side. To the best of my knowledge, I don't think he's played more
than three or four consecutive games for us. You don't play for Ajax
or Barcelona (or United for that matter) if you can't play a bit, so
he's got ability, he needs a run of games to show what he can do,
then we can say if he's good enough for United or not.
Against Villa, he was really good and had a hand in three (or four)
of the goals, linking up well with Blomqvist on occasions. Mark
Wilson was another who had a good game with two goals and a cracking
25 yarder which came back off the post. He was the one who
scored that cracker against United in the Munich testimonial.
Cheers, Stuart.
Subject: Giggs
Giggs aims to inspire Welsh dragons
Friday, September 4, 1998
Suggest to Ryan Giggs that being Welsh has cast him into
the international shadows and you will be met with an instant, icy stare.
While Manchester United team-mates like David Beckham,
Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes step into the media glare radiated
by an England call-up, Giggs inevitably finds himself on the support billing of a
Wales game.
Tomorrow night for 90 minutes, the fiercely passionate
winger from Cardiff knows an inspirational performance in a Wales shirt will
claim headlines throughout Europe - at least for one day.
Giggs, the man who has the pace and panache to breath fire
into a Welsh dragon which has decidedly run out of puff over the years,
faces Italy at Anfield in the European Championship.
It is the first test for new Italian manager Dino Zoff and
an examination Giggs cannot wait to provide because it brings him face to face
with two of his heroes.
'When I was young, Roberto Baggio was one of my heroes,'
revealed Cardiff-born Giggs. 'In fact he still is. I believe he is
still as good as ever. Then there is Alessandro Del Piero of Juventus. I have played
against him on a number of occasions for United. He is someone with so many
qualities.
There is talk within the Italian camp that both won't
play but, as far as I am concerned, they are both great players.'
Some observers of the game believe the fact that Giggs has
been denied a role on the major stage of a World Cup or European Championship
Finals has left his talent unfulfilled.
Even so, Wales boss Bobby Gould knows Giggs can be a
recipe for Italian disaster.
'We have to create a new positive attitude in our players'
minds,' said Gould.
'You are halfway there when Ryan turns up. Everyone
responds to him. He doesn't say a lot but the other players look up to him. He
is a lovely person and a fantastic ambassador for Welsh football.'
Newcastle United's £5.5million midfielder Gary Speed will
continue as skipper,despite his criticism during the summer over the make-up
of a below-strength squad which went to Malta and Tunisia at the end of last
season.
Gould said: 'Gary is a quite forthright young man.
'He is someone who has voiced his opinions and that's all
right by me.'
Speed added: 'There is a togetherness now and a desire to
stop the run of bad results. We have a desire to win back a bit of self-respect.
'It eats through me that we haven't done well.
'Starting against Italy gives us the chance to show people
everywhere that we're not such a bad team after all.'
Subject: Martin Buchan & son
Jamie Buchan is the most established of the new generation. Like his
father, Martin, who was captain of Aberdeen, Manchester United and
Scotland, he has been able to handle the top level at a tender age.
Young Buchan has been at Aberdeen since he left school, a first-team squad
man soon after and now an Under-21 regular. These days his father is a
football promotions manager for Puma, based in England and travelling
around the world. Buchan Senior considers his son has attributes he lacked
and said: "Jamie can do things with a ball that I never could. He is also
more laid back than me. I was very intense as a youngster; maybe too
serious about life as well as football. In that way Jamie is unlike me, as
he is a freer spirit and expresses himself on the pitch."
It is 19 years since Buchan won the last of his 34 caps for Scotland - he
went to the 1978 World Cup with Dalglish, during an era when the bloodline
was obviously at its strongest among Scottish footballers. Archie Gemmill's
son, Scot, is a full international; Bruce Rioch's son, Gregor, is now with
Hull City; while Lou Macari's lads, Paul and Mike, and Frank Gray's son,
Andy, have also made the grade at senior level.
__________________________________________________
Saw this blurb in the Independent - much of article talks of Paul Dalglish
and Gavin Strachan but tucked away at the end are these few lines about one
of my first United heroes. He always appeared so cultured and was known for
his sharp tongue. His "Man. United Blues" was a classic. Once, when a
journalist asked if could have a quick word, Martin replied, "Velocity"
If you are interested, the article is at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/stories/E0409801.html
Manchester United - The Legend - http://manunited.net