RIP Gary Speed
No on-field spats with team-mates or public arguments with managers. No headlines for the wrong reasons. No extracurricular drunkenness and idiocy bringing shame upon an all too frequently shamed club.
Just a quietly dignified, level-headed man demanding and deserving of respect. A consummate professional who refused to be swayed by a slightly sticky start to his Tyneside career and soon won the hearts of Toon fans for his consistency, application and commitment. Someone who supported his colleagues and helped to nurture and mentor new talent. And someone who was well-liked throughout the world of football.
RIP.
Just a quietly dignified, level-headed man demanding and deserving of respect. A consummate professional who refused to be swayed by a slightly sticky start to his Tyneside career and soon won the hearts of Toon fans for his consistency, application and commitment. Someone who supported his colleagues and helped to nurture and mentor new talent. And someone who was well-liked throughout the world of football.
RIP.
Labels: old boys
posted by Ben at 9:11 pm
3 Comments:
Genuinely the best description and tribute I've read all day, well said!
been in Australia since '83.
Never saw Gary Speed live. Always looked a model player. Fantastic player for us. For a midfielder one of the best in the air. An absolute tragedy for football. Coming so soon after my own father's death and Peter Roebuck's passing I'm finding this hard emotionally.
Never met Roebuck but he voice was a constant during the summer here. Never met Speed but he was NUFC and an honest player in a period when there weren't too many who put in the work he did for the team and the club.
It's strange how the emotions roll in. Don't know why the deaths of two guys I'd never met affected me more than my own dad's passing.
RIP Gary Speed
A fine player and a Toon legend
I'm truly saddened by Speed's passing.
To remember him, I'm savouring my favourite of the goals he scored for us. In my case it was a typical Speed header from a corner (feint forward, loop round the back, leap and Bang!).
This onewas against PSV Eindhoven and was enough to see us win a UEFA Cup Quarter final in 2003-04. Ben and I were sat behind the Gallowgate goal into which Speed's decisive header flew.
You can read Ben's match report here: http://silentwordsspeakloudest.blogspot.com/2004/04/two-old-heads-are-better-than-one-were.html
(back in the days before this blog started).
I've been trying to find it on YouTube without any joy, but to be honest, my memory will suffice.
Gary Speed - a man I always thought would be a future manager of Newcastle. Legend.
RIP
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