25-06-2022, 05:48 PM
Many moons ago, during one the darkest periods of our 'recent' history where the season long budget pot was almost empty with many games still to play, a group of supporters arranged a fund raiser in a City Centre curry house (now long gone). We needed a key note speaker to help draw in a crowd; finding one was an experience in itself, but in the end we were able to talk to Bobby Gould who readily agreed to come along. He had, at that time, managed the club up the road, but had a wealth of stories and anecdotes from his playing days and time managing Wales and of course The Crazy Gang. It was a good evening.
Why raise this now? I cannot claim to remember all of his stories but there is one that stuck in my mind as, at the time, it seemed so totally left field. Bobby was commenting on folk he thought would step up and make an impression on the game after their playing days had come to a close. He was very positive about Craig Bellamy. I don't think I'd have been the only one in the room who thought - what seriously? At the time he was for sure a talented player but his reputation was not exactly untarnished. Let's say it did not seem the obvious choice.
I read in the paper today that Craig has just been appointed to the coaching staff by Vincent Kompany at Burnley. I'd not known this, but he had also worked with each other at Anderlecht. Perhaps Bobby was onto something after all. It'll be interesting to see how it goes; their are many who'd suggest that as a young manager Vincent is very much 'one to watch'.
Why raise this now? I cannot claim to remember all of his stories but there is one that stuck in my mind as, at the time, it seemed so totally left field. Bobby was commenting on folk he thought would step up and make an impression on the game after their playing days had come to a close. He was very positive about Craig Bellamy. I don't think I'd have been the only one in the room who thought - what seriously? At the time he was for sure a talented player but his reputation was not exactly untarnished. Let's say it did not seem the obvious choice.
I read in the paper today that Craig has just been appointed to the coaching staff by Vincent Kompany at Burnley. I'd not known this, but he had also worked with each other at Anderlecht. Perhaps Bobby was onto something after all. It'll be interesting to see how it goes; their are many who'd suggest that as a young manager Vincent is very much 'one to watch'.