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Real Madrid Have Never Been Too Good At Sharing The Spotlight With Their Neighbours Down In Butarque

2020-06-26T21:19:05Z

TiffinyRichie1: Created page with "Real Madrid have never been too good at sharing the spotlight with their neighbours down in Butarque. On both occasions that Leganes won promotion in the last five years..."

Real Madrid have never been too good at sharing the spotlight with their neighbours down in Butarque. On both occasions that Leganes won promotion in the last five years — they got out of the third division in 2013-14 and the second division in 2015-16 — Real lifted the [/sport/champions_league/index.html Champions League] after beating city rivals [/sport/teampages/atletico-madrid.html Atletico] Madrid. Ten miles separate Real's Santiago Bernabeu with Leganes' Butarque stadium and while [/sport/teampages/real-madrid.html Los Blancos] fans may have long patronised their neighbours in the south of Madrid, the Pepineros — the cucumbers as they are nicknamed, given their rich agricultural history for producing the vegetable — have more than proven they can hold their own at [/news/spain/index.html Spain]'s top table now. Scroll down for video Leganes emerged from potentially bankruptcy to rise from the third division and into LaLiga Real Madrid overshadowed Leganes' recent promotions by winning the Champions League 'The secret? The secret is to believe you can do it, work really hard and I think you need a bit of luck in this life, too,' lifelong supporter and now head of communications Victor Marin tells Sportsmail. It hasn't always been this way, Leganes fans seeing the game's finest talents descend on their house and people asking for the club's secret to success. There was a time, 10 years ago when, slumped in the third division, the club was on the precipice; there were those who were scared the club could disappear for [http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/ronaldo-family-history footballncrickethub.website2.me] good. RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7605283/Real-Madrid-eyeing-audacious-January-Bayern-Munich-superstar-Robert-Lewandowski.html Real Madrid 'eyeing audacious January move for Bayern Munich...] [/sport/football/article-7604307/Barcelona-face-NIGHTMARE-run-fixtures-thanks-arranged-Real-Madrid-derby.html REVEALED: Barcelona face NIGHTMARE run of fixtures thanks to...] [/sport/football/article-7600885/Real-Madrid-sell-Brahim-Diaz-YEAR-signing-Manchester-City-22m.html Real Madrid 'inform Brahim Diaz they want to sell him'......] [/sport/football/article-7580301/Mallorca-CEO-believes-club-midgets-land-giants-theyve-beaten-Real-Madrid.html Mallorca CEO believes club are 'midgets in the land of...] Share this article Share 57 shares It was Parquesur, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe, or the street named after heavy metal stars AC/DC that was synonymous with Leganes for a long time, not the football team. Club president Ruben Fernandez had left players without wages and a debt of €500,000 had been built up. Local media DLeganes later reported a number of irregularities with Fernandez's behaviour with finances and simply put, the club was being driven into financial oblivion. When Atletico Madrid's 'B' team came to play at Butarque in December 2008, Leganes famously kicked the ball out of play from kick off and every member of the team dropped to one knee, refusing to play as a protest for not being paid. The strike was a watershed moment for the whole club. Players took to one knee during a game in December 2008 as a protest against unpaid wages Felipe Moreno (left) and Victoria Pavon (right) came in weeks later to save the stricken club There was no sponsor for the shirt or the stadium and for Fernandez, a lack of income streams had the club on the brink before a local family felt compelled to do their duty for the city and save the side. Husband and wife Felipe Moreno and Victoria Pavon, a wealthy couple from Leganes who made their money in real estate, stepped forward on December 24, 2008, to give supporters an early Christmas present. The debt of €500,000 was cleared instantly, playing and non-playing staff were paid and with Moreno and Pavon holding a majority 51 per cent stake in the club, in an instant, optimism returned and fears of extinction vanished. It remains one of the biggest turning points in the club's 91-year history. The financial gap to those at the Bernabeu was never more obvious than when their more famous neighbours would go on to flaunt their extreme wealth months later with the £80million world record signing of Cristiano Ronaldo. At the time the Portuguese's transfer fee was more than double the entire value of Leganes. Nobody on the streets of Leganes would have believed a decade on that the sides would meet as equals in La Liga. 'When I was a child I used to think "We'll never play on La Liga,"' Hugo Ghetto, a lifelong Leganes fan, confessed to Sportsmail. Optimism returned to the terraces and the side began to connect with the local community Success soon followed as an away win at CD Mirandes saw them win promotion to LaLiga 'Leganes was a humble team with just 2000 supporters. Nobody expected the rise to La Liga. In fact, after 10 long seasons in Second division B (Spanish third division), everybody thought that we'll never come back to second division. 'The day we got promoted in Hospitalet (to reach the second division) is considered as the end of a long nightmare for Leganes supporters.' A lot has changed in Butarque, the changing rooms have had a total makeover, the number of VIP boxes has increased ten-fold and the teams Leganes take on these days are known across the world. But plenty has remained the same as when Moreno and Pavon, now the club's president, arrived to pick up the pieces of a club on its knees. There is a sign every player sees when they walk out of the home changing room on a match day which reads: 'El talento depende de la inspiracion, pero el esfuerzo depende de cada uno'. Talent depends on inspiration, but effort depends on every one. And there really is a sense that from the ground staff to the scouts trawling through footage of matches in China and South Africa 'in search of the next Messi,' effort and spirit is what got them to the top tier, and effort is the minimum they can give to try and stay there. Take Marin, he started volunteering in the third division days to help grow the club's presence online and in the local community where he would see most people walking round in Real Madrid and Barcelona shirts. There were big celebrations after the match as the club reached the top flight for the first time Players held up one finger to represent the first division as the small club defied the odds <div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatLHS sport" data-version="2" id="mol-66b2ffb0-fa2d-11e9-9b55-2b8d4ea6fd83" website REPORT: Leganes' remarkable rise from third division to LaLiga

Solari Plots Premier League Move After Chelsea Scouting Mission

2020-06-26T19:30:09Z

TiffinyRichie1: Created page with "When [/sport/teampages/chelsea.html Chelsea] hosted [/sport/teampages/crystal-palace.html Crystal Palace] last weekend, Santiago Solari watched on from the stands and allowed..."

When [/sport/teampages/chelsea.html Chelsea] hosted [/sport/teampages/crystal-palace.html Crystal Palace] last weekend, Santiago Solari watched on from the stands and allowed his mind to wander. He imagined starting afresh with his family in England and standing in a dugout overlooked by a stadium packed with fans roaring his team on to victory. Frank Lampard needn't have worried, he wasn't dreaming of replacing him at Chelsea. Solari had flown to [/news/london/index.html London] earlier that day as a fan to indulge in his love of Premier League football, but the thought of managing in England has become a very real ambition during his eight-month sabbatical following his exit from [/sport/teampages/real-madrid.html Real Madrid] in March after a five-month spell in charge. 'I'd love to coach in England,' he tells Sportsmail. 'I watch a lot of Premier League football. It's a top league enjoying a great moment in its history. There are many amazing players and some of the best coaches. There are many different nationalities, [http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/ronaldo-family-history http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/ronaldo-family-history] styles of play and four teams in the two European finals last year.' Santiago Solari says he'd 'love to coach in England' as he prepares for his return to football The Argentinian says he's keen to bring his 'attacking, aggressive style' to England RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7685123/La-Liga-claim-fairer-financial-rules-helped-make-Spanish-flight-competitive.html 'It's harder for the top teams to win matches now': La Liga...] [/sport/football/article-7684565/Luka-Modric-tempted-offer-join-David-Beckhams-Inter-Miami.html Luka Modric 'tempted' by offer to join David Beckham's Inter...] [/sport/football/article-7692963/Robbie-Keane-challenges-Republic-Ireland-players-look-seal-Euro-2020-qualification.html 'Be a hero': Robbie Keane challenges Republic of Ireland...] [/sport/football/article-7692917/Cyprus-1-2-Scotland-Goals-Ryan-Christie-John-McGinn-hand-Tartan-Army-hard-fought-victory.html Cyprus 1-2 Scotland: Goals by Ryan Christie and John McGinn...] Share this article Share 1.1k shares Solari's love affair with English football began when he played against David O'Leary's Leeds United in the 2001 Champions League. 'They had a great side - Viduka, Ferdinand, Dacourt, Smith,' he recalls. 'I also played against Manchester United in the 2002-2003 quarter-finals - they were two beautiful games with many goals.' More recently, Solari has become transfixed by the opposing styles of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. 'Guardiola has a very defined style and was able to build a team around his ideas and win the Premier League,' says Solari. 'His influence is obvious in many teams around the world. 'Klopp is such a charismatic coach, with an expansive personality. He builds fast, aggressive teams with a winning mentality. I loved watching his Borussia Dortmund side and I enjoy watching his Liverpool now.' Solari's visit to Stamford Bridge was part of an ongoing period of self-education as he prepares to return to football armed with new knowledge. 'I've profited from the time off,' he says. 'I've watched more games, followed other leagues, such as those in South America, and attended summits and courses that interest me. 'I can never break away from football. It's been at the core of my existence since I was a child. It's not a job, it's a way of life.' Solari spent five years at Real Madrid as a player where he was part of the 'Galacticos' side Solari (second from left back row) won the Champions League with Madrid in 2002 The former winger won the Champions League and two La Liga titles in his five years at Madrid That life began in Santa Fe, Argentina, where Solari was born into a football family. His father, Eduardo, managed 14 teams in five countries, and owned a collection of 3,000 videos of opposition teams and players. That meant young Santi, as he's known to those closest to him, spent his childhood growing up in Colombia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Tenerife. His brothers, David and Esteban, became professional footballers, but it was young Santi who was the most gifted of the three and he eventually made his first-team breakthrough at River Plate in the mid-1990s. 'We had an unforgettable side,' he recalls. 'I was a young boy playing with [Enzo] Francescoli, [Marcelo] Gallardo and [Marcelo] Salas among other greats. In football you can only reach as far as your team-mates take you.' Greatness has followed Solari for much of his 43 years. Like most of South America's finest talents, he followed the well-trodden path to Europe to join Atletico Madrid in 1999, where he spent a season before moving to city rivals Real. He was part of the club's famous side of 'Galacticos' and won the Champions League and two La Liga titles between 2000 and 2005. Solari says his time working under Vicente Del Bosque taught him much about management 'It was an incredible time,' he recalls. 'We had Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Hierro, Raul, McManaman and many others. That was a very healthy dressing room; mature, composed and talented. Big egos? Yes, but mainly at the service of the same cause, our team. 'I learnt a lot from the way [Vicente] Del Bosque handled certain situations and I'm sure it wasn't easy for him, as it isn't for anyone coaching Real Madrid, but we had a winning mentality and everybody understood the role each one had to play in the team.' At international level, Solari won 11 caps for Argentina and shared a dressing room with Diego Simeone, who he says was always destined for the dugout. 'If there was a team-mate that I knew for certain he was meant to become a coach, it was Cholo Simeone,' he continues. 'He had it all: the temperament, the leadership, obsessiveness, the sense of place, the voice, the tactical knowledge, the competitiveness, the sense of team, etc. It wasn't a surprise he started coaching at Racing Club before he retired.' Solari says he knew Diego Simeone would become a manager when they were team-mates Simeone was just 36 when he accepted his first managerial role and was part of a new wave of young coaches in charge of high-profile clubs across Europe, though Solari believes age is an irrelevance for the modern manager. 'It's the person that matters,' he says. 'Roy Hodgson has to feel very young at heart to keep on going and connect with and guide a team. [Maurizio] Sarri is at the peak of his career. Julian Nagelsmann is 32 and he's been coaching in the Bundesliga since he was 28. 'Coaching is as much about developing talent and studying as it is about leadership, energy and passion for the sport. These aren't limited by age.' At 43, Solari had no previous managerial experience at first-team level when Madrid appointed him as Julen Lopetegui's replacement in October 2018, but while others were surprised at his appointment, the Argentine wasn't one of them. 'I was ready,' he adds. 'Real Madrid had formed me for 11 years. I played for Madrid for five years and then coached for another six years at almost every age group from under-14 level upwards and enjoyed every minute of it. Coaching youngsters is more difficult than senior players, but very rewarding.' Solari spent five years as a coach in Madrid's academy prior to being given first-team job The 43-year-old promoted a host of younger players, including Vinicius Jnr (left) Despite a positive start, Solari was eventually sacked in March after five months in charge His knowledge and experience of working with Madrid's best young talent saw him promote Vinicius Junior, Marco Llorente, Brahim Diaz and Sergio Reguilon to the first team and dispense with Marcelo, Gareth Bale and Isco in a bid to reinvigorate a struggling side. 'I love to see young players unleash their talent at the top level,' he explains. 'It's not easy and it takes a lot to break that barrier, and they should not be rushed but neither should they be stopped when they are ready.' Solari admires Jurgen Klopp's style and football and achievements at Liverpool The youngsters impressed but it wasn't enough to halt Madrid's slide and Solari was eventually sacked in March after just five months at the helm, though he harbours no bitterness towards the club and still lives in the city he calls home. 'When you coach Real Madrid you are not only a football manager, you represent a centenary institution with its history and its values that should be honoured and respected. I gave the club my absolute best, but Real Madrid has markedly shaped who I am too. I'm forever grateful.' His thoughts have now turned to the future and whether football is on the cusp of seismic change. 'Five years ago only 25 games in the Premier League ended with a team having 70 per cent possession or more,' he says. 'Last year there were more than 60 games like that. Will the rest of the clubs build teams to try to fight for possession? Will they build teams to defend or counter attack? Will we end up watching games with the possession dominated almost exclusively by one team? Is this the future?' Football's tactical future is uncertain, but Solari is in control of his own and is intent on bringing his attacking philosophy to his next club. 'I love aggressive, fast, attacking football, where my team is a protagonist every game, but coaching is not about what the coach needs, it's about what the team needs, the players' qualities and the club's objectives. You have to harmonise all that to get the best results - that's the job.' Solari is ready and waiting for his next one. RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7685123/La-Liga-claim-fairer-financial-rules-helped-make-Spanish-flight-competitive.html 'It's harder for the top teams to win matches now': La Liga...] [/sport/football/article-7684565/Luka-Modric-tempted-offer-join-David-Beckhams-Inter-Miami.html Luka Modric 'tempted' by offer to join David Beckham's Inter...] [/sport/football/article-7692963/Robbie-Keane-challenges-Republic-Ireland-players-look-seal-Euro-2020-qualification.html 'Be a hero': Robbie Keane challenges Republic of Ireland...] [/sport/football/article-7692917/Cyprus-1-2-Scotland-Goals-Ryan-Christie-John-McGinn-hand-Tartan-Army-hard-fought-victory.html Cyprus 1-2 Scotland: Goals by Ryan Christie and John McGinn...] Share this article Share 1.1k shares [ ]

Sportsmail Campaign - Jimmy Greaves Deserves To Be Honoured

2020-06-25T15:21:21Z

TiffinyRichie1:

Let us begin with the goals because the weight of those scored by Jimmy Greaves deserves formal recognition. It is almost 49 years since the end of his professional playing career and nobody has come close to his record for goals scored at the top level of English football. Greaves did go on to make valuable contributions in other areas of public life, as an award-winning TV presenter, a newspaper columnist and a public speaker. Jimmy Greaves was born to score goals and goes down as one of England's most prolific RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/cricket/article-7988239/David-Willey-agony-ditched-Englands-victorious-Cricket-World-Cup-winning-squad.html 'I'd been a part of that group of lads for four years so it...] [/sport/football/article-7986779/The-thrilling-race-Premier-League-Golden-Boot-Jamie-Vardy-leads-way.html Just THREE goals separate the Premier League's six top...] [/sport/sportsnews/article-7986535/Tottenhams-Dele-Alli-facing-suspension-FA-making-joke-coronavirus-outbreak.html Tottenham's Dele Alli facing suspension by the FA after...] [/sport/football/article-7988185/Manchester-United-Arsenal-tabs-Hartlepool-goalkeeper-Brad-Young.html Manchester United and Arsenal 'keep tabs on Hartlepool...] Share this article Share 2.7k shares He enthralled audiences from the moment he broke into the Chelsea team as a teenager until a severe stroke curtailed a sell-out theatre tour and ended his working life nearly five years ago. But let us begin with the goals because Greaves was a master of the art. Indeed, many argue he was the greatest finisher of all. Greaves scored 357 goals in the top tier of English football and nine in Italy's Serie A. The modern icons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, are the only players to surpass his 366 across Europe's five elite leagues. By comparison Alan Shearer, who is by a distance the leading scorer in the Premier League era, has 283 top-flight goals. As he prepares to turn 80, Sportsmail calls for the national hero to be given recognition Greaves reached 100 League goals before he was 21. On a record six occasions he finished the season as the top scorer in the old First Division. He played for 14 seasons from 1957-58 to 1970-71 and retired at 31. Throw in his goals in various domestic and European competitions, plus 44 for England, and he scored a total of 464 goals in 659 senior appearances; an average of more than 33 per season for club and country. He scored 34 hat-tricks, including a record six for England. He was the nation's iconic striker going into the 1966 World Cup on home soil, but was injured in the final group game against France and, although fit for the final against West Germany, he missed out as Sir Alf Ramsey stuck with a winning formula. Ask his peers and they all start from the same place. ‘One word, genius,' said Alan Mullery. ‘Just a genius,' said Harry Redknapp. ‘A genius in the art of scoring goals,' said Sir Geoff Hurst. And then, given the chance, they will go on to eulogise about his natural ability, his instinct and awareness. And what a ‘smashing fella' he was. Laid back and down to earth. ‘One of the laziest players I've seen,' said Mullery. ‘He would drive me mad at times but he would score you 30-odd goals a season and I would rather have him on my side than not. ‘We could be playing on mud or ice — and quite often we were — and Jimmy Greaves would still score goals. He was born to score goals. He went through his career scoring goals for every club he represented and he scored some fabulous goals. He was the best of his time, just like Lionel Messi in the modern day.' Greaves started with a goal at Tottenham on his Chelsea debut at the age of 17, spent four years in the first team and finished by scoring four in a 4-3 win against Nottingham Forest in April 1961. He left Stamford Bridge after 132 goals in 169 games. He is seventh in the club's list of all-time scorers, though his popularity at Chelsea took a turn for the worse when he joined their London rivals Spurs after eight months at AC Milan. Greaves scored 357 goals in the top tier of English football and 44 for the national team Chelsea, in fact, sold him because they needed the money and they could not afford to re-sign him from Italy, despite the charade of flying manager Tommy Docherty out for talks. ‘We went to negotiate under the instruction from our chairman Joe Mears not to bring him back,' Docherty told Sportsmail in 2017. ‘We couldn't afford him. It was just to make it look good for the punters. We'd have won the championship three or four times if Greavsie had stayed.' Tottenham paid £99,999 and Greaves marked his debut with a hat-trick against Blackpool, with a teenage Redknapp in the crowd at White Hart Lane. ‘Time seemed to stop when Jimmy was on the ball,' said Redknapp. ‘His control was amazing. He'd receive the ball in the box and a defender would slide in and he would move the ball and they'd go sliding by. ‘Someone else would slide in and Jimmy would move it to his other foot, there would be bodies flying everywhere and he seemed to have all the time in the world as he rolled it into the corner of the goal.' Greaves scored 266 goals for Spurs as they won the FA Cup twice and the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup. He had arrived after their Double win in 1961, but is synonymous with the glittering success of Spurs in the 1960s. ‘Pat Jennings hit the ball up the middle and Alan Gilzean headed it,' said Mullery, recalling a goal against Manchester United which for him encapsulates the brilliance of Greaves. ‘Jimmy pulled it down on his chest and started running. He went past one player and then another and they were all trying to kick him. And then he went round the goalkeeper Alex Stepney and put his foot on the ball. ‘Looking down the pitch, there were bodies scattered all over and there was Jimmy with his foot on the ball. It was as though he was saying, "I am the bullfighter, I am the matador, come and get me". Then he back-heeled it into the net.' Immediately noticeable as a talent, Greaves began his trade in English football with Chelsea It was a move to Tottenham which saw Greaves become a superstar and the trophies built up There was an outpouring of affection for Greaves after the stroke which almost took his life in 2015. He is disabled down one side of his body and will not recover. He cannot walk, his vision is impaired, his speech is limited and he requires professional medical care four times a day. This deterioration in his health did serve to strengthen bonds with Tottenham which have not always been tight since 1970, when he felt forced out by Bill Nicholson to join West Ham as a makeweight in a £200,000 deal for Martin Peters. Greaves, having rejected the invitation on several occasions, was inaugurated into the club's Hall of Fame in 2016 and returned with his family to spend time at the old White Hart Lane before it was demolished. He loved football for the game it was and valued the link to supporters. Nicholson encouraged his players to spend time with fans and they would drink after games in the Corner Pin and the Bell and Hare on Tottenham High Road. At West Ham, Greaves, Redknapp, Bobby Moore and others would meet for a kickabout in Hainault in the late afternoon with coats for goalposts before an evening in the Retreat pub, Chigwell. Perhaps it was no surprise that in later years he preferred to immerse himself in non-League football, or cricket and rugby. He did not care for the pretensions around the top of professional football. His disregard for authority and flippant humour put him at odds with the establishment. As with George Best, his attitude probably played a part in the lingering absence of any official recognition. There are statues in honour of Best at Old Trafford in Manchester and in his home town of Belfast. There are also 90 football figures represented in sculpture around the UK, yet not one statue of Greaves. This century, in supposedly more enlightened times, he might be lionised for his courage in the fight against alcoholism as it threatened to tear apart his family life when he stopped playing. Greaves with Ian St John on their ITV show Saint and Greavsie which ran from 1985 to 1992 He dared to face the public, admit to mistakes and confess he was flawed, telling all in a newspaper interview, a book and a television documentary. He reinvented himself and forged a career on TV, first as a strident pundit and then, in tandem with Liverpool and Scotland striker Ian St John, capturing the hearts of a new generation of football lovers with Saint and Greavsie. It was a forerunner for Fantasy Football and Soccer AM and proved Greaves had not lost his quick wit or his gift for connecting with ordinary people. The hit ITV show ran from 1985 to 1992, sprinkling humour on football during a dark decade and conjuring the catchphrase, ‘It's a funny old game', which went viral in an '80s way with Saint and Greavsie even commanding puppets among the politicians on Spitting Image. He really ought to be hailed as an inspiration to others in the quest for a better appreciation of mental health. Greaves has not touched alcohol since 1978 and helped others beat their demons, including former Spurs team-mate Cliff Jones, with no demand for fanfare. Most of his England caps and medals have been quietly donated to charitable causes. ‘Jim saved my life, no doubt about that,' said Jones. ‘We had great times together and he helped me along when I had my problems. It was all down to Jim. He's a great pal and what a player he was. Greaves was inaugurated into Spurs' Hall of Fame in 2016, having rejected the invite before ‘All he ever wanted to do was score goals. He would be happy to have a stinker if he could toe-poke one over the line in the last minute. When it came to scoring goals, he was the best ever. One of England's greatest ever strikers. One of Tottenham's greatest ever strikers. One of Chelsea's greatest ever strikers.' All of this and still no formal honour in recognition of his achievements. No knighthood. No CBE. No OBE. No MBE. ‘If we're talking about services to football you can't fault him,' said Jones. ‘And he has conducted himself well. He is a recovering alcoholic and has done a lot of work helping addicts. He should be recognised.' Denis Law is in agreement. ‘He should be Sir Jimmy Greaves,' said Law, in the splendid new film Greavsie, which will be screened on BT Sport after Tottenham's Champions League first leg against RB Leipzig. Sir Geoff Hurst wrote in the foreword to Natural, a biography of Greaves published last year, how there were five world-class players in England's 1966 World Cup squad: captain Moore, keeper Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, left back Ray Wilson and Greaves. Moore received an OBE in 1967 and Banks received one three years later. Bobby Charlton was knighted in 1994. Wilson was belatedly awarded an MBE in 2000, along with four other players who appeared in the final. ‘That England squad never got the recognition they deserved,' said Redknapp. ‘It was years before Geoff Hurst got his knighthood. Bobby Moore should have had a knighthood and never did. It was years before some in the team were honoured. Unfortunately, Jimmy's one who didn't get the recognition he should have.' After recovering from a stroke, Greaves was invited back to Spurs in 2017 at the old stadium Alf Ramsey was knighted in 1967, Hurst in 1998. Jack Charlton received an OBE in 1974, Martin Peters an MBE in 1978. Others from the squad were honoured over time: George Eastham (OBE), Ian Callaghan (MBE), Terry Paine (MBE) and Jimmy Armfield (CBE). Dozens of gongs have been scattered among footballers, managers and others connected to the sport since its gentrification this side of Italia 90. Among them great keepers Peter Shilton and Pat Jennings; great captains Bryan Robson and Tony Adams; great midfielders Steven Gerrard and David Beckham; great wingers Ryan Giggs and John Barnes. And great strikers Shearer, Gary Lineker, Ian Wright, Teddy Sheringham and Harry Kane. Still, nothing for Greaves. Nothing for the finest goalscorer we have seen on these shores. It really is a funny old game. The only public screening of 'Greavsie: The Jimmy Greaves Story' will be at Stevenage FC on February 20, his 80th birthday, as part of a stage show featuring Spurs legends Pat Jennings, Ossie Ardiles, [http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/ronaldo-family-history footballncrickethub.website2.me] Micky Hazard and others. Tickets from £30 from [ RELATED ARTICLES][# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/cricket/article-7988239/David-Willey-agony-ditched-Englands-victorious-Cricket-World-Cup-winning-squad.html 'I'd been a part of that group of lads for four years so it...] [/sport/football/article-7986779/The-thrilling-race-Premier-League-Golden-Boot-Jamie-Vardy-leads-way.html Just THREE goals separate the Premier League's six top...] [/sport/sportsnews/article-7986535/Tottenhams-Dele-Alli-facing-suspension-FA-making-joke-coronavirus-outbreak.html Tottenham's Dele Alli facing suspension by the FA after...] [/sport/football/article-7988185/Manchester-United-Arsenal-tabs-Hartlepool-goalkeeper-Brad-Young.html Manchester United and Arsenal 'keep tabs on Hartlepool...] Share this article Share 2.7k shares data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links"> Read more: [ Home | Book Celebrity Speaker For Speaking Engagements, Television & Media, Corporate Events & Public Appearances | A1 Sporting Speakers] DM.later('bundle', function() DM.has('external-source-links', 'externalLinkTracker'); );

Bruno Fernandes Arrived At The Lowry Hotel On Wednesday Night As He Prepared To Complete His £67

2020-06-24T22:05:52Z

TiffinyRichie1: Created page with "Bruno Fernandes arrived at The Lowry Hotel on Wednesday night as he prepared to complete his £67.8million move to Manchester United. Fernandes jumped on a flight to Manche..."

Bruno Fernandes arrived at The Lowry Hotel on Wednesday night as he prepared to complete his £67.8million move to Manchester United. Fernandes jumped on a flight to Manchester as soon as United and Sporting Lisbon had put the final touches to the transfer that will cost the Premier League club an initial £46.6m plus up to £21.2m in add-ons. The 25-year-old midfielder will undergo a medical on Thursday and could be available to make his debut against Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday before United take a 16-day winter break that includes a warm-weather training camp in Marbella. Bruno Fernandes (obscured from view) and his entourage arrive at The Lowry on Wednesday Fernandes arrived at Lisbon Airport on Wednesday afternoon to fly by private jet to Manchester to complete his move to United The Portugal international was filmed boarding a private plane heading for Manchester The plane took off at 5.36pm Portuguese (and [http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/ronaldo-family-history footballncrickethub.website2.me] UK) time on Wednesday bound for Manchester Fernandes (left) pictured alongside his agent (right) on the private plane to Manchester Manchester United have reached agreement with Sporting Lisbon to sign Bruno Fernandes "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them". Obrigado Capitão. Para sempre Leão 🦁 [ ][ ] RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/sportsnews/article-7940359/Manchester-United-fans-launch-fireworks-smoke-bomb-Ed-Woodwards-2m-Cheshire-mansion.html Police guard Manchester United chief Ed Woodward's £2m...] [/sport/football/article-7941647/Bruno-Fernandes-smiles-flies-Manchester-ahead-medical-Old-Trafford.html Bruno Fernandes is all smiles as he prepares to fly to...] [/sport/football/article-7939553/Manchester-United-set-finally-sign-Bruno-Fernandes-breakthrough-Sporting-Lisbon.html Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United is ON: Red Devils...] [/sport/football/article-7938165/Barcelona-confident-signing-Sporting-Lisbons-Bruno-Fernandes.html Could Bruno Fernandes now be off to Barcelona? Spanish...] Share this article Share 17k shares <div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS sport" data-version="2" id="mol-fa7979c0-42aa-11ea-b172-f5a0a7088741" website United reach agreement to sign Bruno Fernandes

Sportsmail Campaign - Jimmy Greaves Deserves To Be Honoured

2020-06-24T21:50:16Z

TiffinyRichie1:

Let us begin with the goals because the weight of those scored by Jimmy Greaves deserves formal recognition. It is almost 49 years since the end of his professional playing career and nobody has come close to his record for goals scored at the top level of English football. Greaves did go on to make valuable contributions in other areas of public life, as an award-winning TV presenter, a newspaper columnist and a public speaker. Jimmy Greaves was born to score goals and goes down as one of England's most prolific RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/cricket/article-7988239/David-Willey-agony-ditched-Englands-victorious-Cricket-World-Cup-winning-squad.html 'I'd been a part of that group of lads for four years so it...] [/sport/football/article-7986779/The-thrilling-race-Premier-League-Golden-Boot-Jamie-Vardy-leads-way.html Just THREE goals separate the Premier League's six top...] [/sport/sportsnews/article-7986535/Tottenhams-Dele-Alli-facing-suspension-FA-making-joke-coronavirus-outbreak.html Tottenham's Dele Alli facing suspension by the FA after...] [/sport/football/article-7988185/Manchester-United-Arsenal-tabs-Hartlepool-goalkeeper-Brad-Young.html Manchester United and Arsenal 'keep tabs on Hartlepool...] Share this article Share 2.7k shares He enthralled audiences from the moment he broke into the Chelsea team as a teenager until a severe stroke curtailed a sell-out theatre tour and ended his working life nearly five years ago. But let us begin with the goals because Greaves was a master of the art. Indeed, many argue he was the greatest finisher of all. Greaves scored 357 goals in the top tier of English football and nine in Italy's Serie A. The modern icons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, are the only players to surpass his 366 across Europe's five elite leagues. By comparison Alan Shearer, who is by a distance the leading scorer in the Premier League era, has 283 top-flight goals. As he prepares to turn 80, Sportsmail calls for the national hero to be given recognition Greaves reached 100 League goals before he was 21. On a record six occasions he finished the season as the top scorer in the old First Division. He played for 14 seasons from 1957-58 to 1970-71 and retired at 31. Throw in his goals in various domestic and European competitions, plus 44 for England, and he scored a total of 464 goals in 659 senior appearances; an average of more than 33 per season for club and country. He scored 34 hat-tricks, including a record six for England. He was the nation's iconic striker going into the 1966 World Cup on home soil, but was injured in the final group game against France and, although fit for the final against West Germany, he missed out as Sir Alf Ramsey stuck with a winning formula. Ask his peers and they all start from the same place. ‘One word, genius,' said Alan Mullery. ‘Just a genius,' said Harry Redknapp. ‘A genius in the art of scoring goals,' said Sir Geoff Hurst. And then, given the chance, they will go on to eulogise about his natural ability, his instinct and awareness. And what a ‘smashing fella' he was. Laid back and down to earth. ‘One of the laziest players I've seen,' said Mullery. ‘He would drive me mad at times but he would score you 30-odd goals a season and I would rather have him on my side than not. ‘We could be playing on mud or ice — and quite often we were — and Jimmy Greaves would still score goals. He was born to score goals. He went through his career scoring goals for every club he represented and he scored some fabulous goals. He was the best of his time, just like Lionel Messi in the modern day.' Greaves started with a goal at Tottenham on his Chelsea debut at the age of 17, spent four years in the first team and finished by scoring four in a 4-3 win against Nottingham Forest in April 1961. He left Stamford Bridge after 132 goals in 169 games. He is seventh in the club's list of all-time scorers, though his popularity at Chelsea took a turn for the worse when he joined their London rivals Spurs after eight months at AC Milan. Greaves scored 357 goals in the top tier of English football and 44 for the national team Chelsea, in fact, sold him because they needed the money and they could not afford to re-sign him from Italy, despite the charade of flying manager Tommy Docherty out for talks. ‘We went to negotiate under the instruction from our chairman Joe Mears not to bring him back,' Docherty told Sportsmail in 2017. ‘We couldn't afford him. It was just to make it look good for the punters. We'd have won the championship three or four times if Greavsie had stayed.' Tottenham paid £99,999 and Greaves marked his debut with a hat-trick against Blackpool, with a teenage Redknapp in the crowd at White Hart Lane. ‘Time seemed to stop when Jimmy was on the ball,' said Redknapp. ‘His control was amazing. He'd receive the ball in the box and a defender would slide in and he would move the ball and they'd go sliding by. ‘Someone else would slide in and Jimmy would move it to his other foot, there would be bodies flying everywhere and he seemed to have all the time in the world as he rolled it into the corner of the goal.' Greaves scored 266 goals for Spurs as they won the FA Cup twice and the 1963 European Cup Winners' Cup. He had arrived after their Double win in 1961, but is synonymous with the glittering success of Spurs in the 1960s. ‘Pat Jennings hit the ball up the middle and Alan Gilzean headed it,' said Mullery, recalling a goal against Manchester United which for him encapsulates the brilliance of Greaves. ‘Jimmy pulled it down on his chest and started running. He went past one player and then another and they were all trying to kick him. And then he went round the goalkeeper Alex Stepney and put his foot on the ball. ‘Looking down the pitch, there were bodies scattered all over and there was Jimmy with his foot on the ball. It was as though he was saying, "I am the bullfighter, I am the matador, come and get me". Then he back-heeled it into the net.' Immediately noticeable as a talent, Greaves began his trade in English football with Chelsea It was a move to Tottenham which saw Greaves become a superstar and the trophies built up There was an outpouring of affection for Greaves after the stroke which almost took his life in 2015. He is disabled down one side of his body and will not recover. He cannot walk, his vision is impaired, his speech is limited and he requires professional medical care four times a day. This deterioration in his health did serve to strengthen bonds with Tottenham which have not always been tight since 1970, when he felt forced out by Bill Nicholson to join West Ham as a makeweight in a £200,000 deal for Martin Peters. Greaves, having rejected the invitation on several occasions, was inaugurated into the club's Hall of Fame in 2016 and returned with his family to spend time at the old White Hart Lane before it was demolished. He loved football for the game it was and valued the link to supporters. Nicholson encouraged his players to spend time with fans and they would drink after games in the Corner Pin and the Bell and Hare on Tottenham High Road. At West Ham, Greaves, Redknapp, Bobby Moore and others would meet for a kickabout in Hainault in the late afternoon with coats for goalposts before an evening in the Retreat pub, Chigwell. Perhaps it was no surprise that in later years he preferred to immerse himself in non-League football, or cricket and rugby. He did not care for the pretensions around the top of professional football. His disregard for authority and [http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/ronaldo-family-history footballncrickethub.website2.me] flippant humour put him at odds with the establishment. As with George Best, his attitude probably played a part in the lingering absence of any official recognition. There are statues in honour of Best at Old Trafford in Manchester and in his home town of Belfast. There are also 90 football figures represented in sculpture around the UK, yet not one statue of Greaves. This century, in supposedly more enlightened times, he might be lionised for his courage in the fight against alcoholism as it threatened to tear apart his family life when he stopped playing. Greaves with Ian St John on their ITV show Saint and Greavsie which ran from 1985 to 1992 He dared to face the public, admit to mistakes and confess he was flawed, telling all in a newspaper interview, a book and a television documentary. He reinvented himself and forged a career on TV, first as a strident pundit and then, in tandem with Liverpool and Scotland striker Ian St John, capturing the hearts of a new generation of football lovers with Saint and Greavsie. It was a forerunner for Fantasy Football and Soccer AM and proved Greaves had not lost his quick wit or his gift for connecting with ordinary people. The hit ITV show ran from 1985 to 1992, sprinkling humour on football during a dark decade and conjuring the catchphrase, ‘It's a funny old game', which went viral in an '80s way with Saint and Greavsie even commanding puppets among the politicians on Spitting Image. He really ought to be hailed as an inspiration to others in the quest for a better appreciation of mental health. Greaves has not touched alcohol since 1978 and helped others beat their demons, including former Spurs team-mate Cliff Jones, with no demand for fanfare. Most of his England caps and medals have been quietly donated to charitable causes. ‘Jim saved my life, no doubt about that,' said Jones. ‘We had great times together and he helped me along when I had my problems. It was all down to Jim. He's a great pal and what a player he was. Greaves was inaugurated into Spurs' Hall of Fame in 2016, having rejected the invite before ‘All he ever wanted to do was score goals. He would be happy to have a stinker if he could toe-poke one over the line in the last minute. When it came to scoring goals, he was the best ever. One of England's greatest ever strikers. One of Tottenham's greatest ever strikers. One of Chelsea's greatest ever strikers.' All of this and still no formal honour in recognition of his achievements. No knighthood. No CBE. No OBE. No MBE. ‘If we're talking about services to football you can't fault him,' said Jones. ‘And he has conducted himself well. He is a recovering alcoholic and has done a lot of work helping addicts. He should be recognised.' Denis Law is in agreement. ‘He should be Sir Jimmy Greaves,' said Law, in the splendid new film Greavsie, which will be screened on BT Sport after Tottenham's Champions League first leg against RB Leipzig. Sir Geoff Hurst wrote in the foreword to Natural, a biography of Greaves published last year, how there were five world-class players in England's 1966 World Cup squad: captain Moore, keeper Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, left back Ray Wilson and Greaves. Moore received an OBE in 1967 and Banks received one three years later. Bobby Charlton was knighted in 1994. Wilson was belatedly awarded an MBE in 2000, along with four other players who appeared in the final. ‘That England squad never got the recognition they deserved,' said Redknapp. ‘It was years before Geoff Hurst got his knighthood. Bobby Moore should have had a knighthood and never did. It was years before some in the team were honoured. Unfortunately, Jimmy's one who didn't get the recognition he should have.' After recovering from a stroke, Greaves was invited back to Spurs in 2017 at the old stadium Alf Ramsey was knighted in 1967, Hurst in 1998. Jack Charlton received an OBE in 1974, Martin Peters an MBE in 1978. Others from the squad were honoured over time: George Eastham (OBE), Ian Callaghan (MBE), Terry Paine (MBE) and Jimmy Armfield (CBE). Dozens of gongs have been scattered among footballers, managers and others connected to the sport since its gentrification this side of Italia 90. Among them great keepers Peter Shilton and Pat Jennings; great captains Bryan Robson and Tony Adams; great midfielders Steven Gerrard and David Beckham; great wingers Ryan Giggs and John Barnes. And great strikers Shearer, Gary Lineker, Ian Wright, Teddy Sheringham and Harry Kane. Still, nothing for Greaves. Nothing for the finest goalscorer we have seen on these shores. It really is a funny old game. The only public screening of 'Greavsie: The Jimmy Greaves Story' will be at Stevenage FC on February 20, his 80th birthday, as part of a stage show featuring Spurs legends Pat Jennings, Ossie Ardiles, Micky Hazard and others. Tickets from £30 from [ RELATED ARTICLES][# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/cricket/article-7988239/David-Willey-agony-ditched-Englands-victorious-Cricket-World-Cup-winning-squad.html 'I'd been a part of that group of lads for four years so it...] [/sport/football/article-7986779/The-thrilling-race-Premier-League-Golden-Boot-Jamie-Vardy-leads-way.html Just THREE goals separate the Premier League's six top...] [/sport/sportsnews/article-7986535/Tottenhams-Dele-Alli-facing-suspension-FA-making-joke-coronavirus-outbreak.html Tottenham's Dele Alli facing suspension by the FA after...] [/sport/football/article-7988185/Manchester-United-Arsenal-tabs-Hartlepool-goalkeeper-Brad-Young.html Manchester United and Arsenal 'keep tabs on Hartlepool...] Share this article Share 2.7k shares data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links"> Read more: [ Home | Book Celebrity Speaker For Speaking Engagements, Television & Media, Corporate Events & Public Appearances | A1 Sporting Speakers] DM.later('bundle', function() DM.has('external-source-links', 'externalLinkTracker'); );

User:TiffinyRichie1

2020-06-24T21:50:13Z

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