Old Boys’ Club
‘POOR old Terry Venables. He phoned Peter Lorrimer, Norman Hunter and the rest of the Leeds old boys, but they all had other commitments, what with the pubs, the after-dinner speaking, the golf and the local radio.
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| Darren was happy to sign for Leeds – as long as Terry signed his cast |
So in desperation, he reached into his suit pocket, took out his trusty address book, and looked up ‘S’ for ‘Sicknote’. And lo and behold, Darren Anderton signalled that he was available, with the normal proviso that he would be covered for all accidents and medical emergencies, and would be driven everywhere with a qualified paramedic.
Then he looked under ‘G’ for ‘Good old Barmby’. And Nick said ‘Sure, boss’. And – if you believe the Star, which millions do – the two Spurs old boys are on their way to Elland Road.
How Leeds fans will react is anybody’s guess. Without wishing to disparage either player, both of whom have proved their quality down the years, this can’t be seen as a particularly progressive move.
Both players are getting towards the end of their careers, and won’t be figuring in the club’s long-term plans. It is a stop-gap measure at best, and will be seen by some as smacking of desperation.
Of course, sometimes these things work gloriously, and a blend of youth and experience, coupled with astute coaching and management, suddenly produces great results. But both players are notoriously injury-prone, and it’s a hell of a risk.
Meanwhile, Leeds still have Lee Bowyer on their hands. The ‘troubled’ midfielder refuses to sign a new contract because he is angry at comments made by Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale, who said that he would never have signed Bowyer if he had known more about him.
The Express reports that Bowyer believes Gerard Houllier was right to pull the plug on his transfer to Liverpool. He is now with his teammates in Australia on a pre-season tour, and presumably having a wonderful time.
Brits won medals at yesterday’s Commonwealth Games swimming events: a silver for Tony Ally and a bronze for Jane Smith in the diving. Smith, a former TV ‘Gladiator’, pronounced herself ‘over the moon’. ‘
Posted: 26th, July 2002 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
