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James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail (born 16 March 1954) is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer.

He has starred in numerous roles on television since 1983. He is 6 foot 3 inches tall and a Newcastle United F.C. supporter. He is most famous for his role as Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the hit television show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, his title role in Spender, and his 1992 number one single "Ain't No Doubt".

Biography[link]

Personal life[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2012)

Nail was born James Bradford in Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of Laura (née Johnson) and James Bradford. He had two sisters: Shelagh (who died in June 1967) and Val McLane, who starred with him in the second series of Auf Wiedersehen Pet playing Dennis Patterson's sister Norma.

Career[link]

Nail rose to fame playing Leonard Jeffrey 'Oz' Osborne in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in 1983, despite having no acting experience whatsoever (he had appeared as an extra in the film Get Carter). Nail has also starred in a number of films and had a long musical career, having been a singer before he was picked out at an audition to play Oz.

In 1985, he made a cameo appearance in the mini-series Master of the Game, based on Sidney Sheldon's novel, as the scheming errand boy Schmidt. In 1989, he appeared as head gamekeeper Rabbetts in the film adaptation of the Roald Dahl book Danny, the Champion of the World.^[1]

After the first two series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Nail found himself typecast before creating the detective series Spender, which he co-wrote with Ian La Frenais. The show ran for three series from 1990 to 1993 and also produced a tele-film and a novel. This was followed in 1994 by Crocodile Shoes, which he also created and starred as musician Jed Shepherd. After working with Madonna and Antonio Banderas in Alan Parker's Evita (1996), he co-starred in Clement & La Frenais' Sony movie 'Still Crazy' (1998). A song from the movie, The Flame Still Burns, sung by Nail, was nominated for a Golden Globe. In 1999 he began work on reviving the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series, this time for the BBC. It was filmed in 2001 and aired in 2002, garnering audience figures of over 12 million. Another series saw the brickies holed up in Cuba, and the final two-hour instalment, set in Thailand, aired over Christmas 2004 attracting over 7 million viewers.

He has released a number of albums of his own compositions, the first being Take It Or Leave It in 1986, 1991's Growing Up in Public (featuring among others Gary Moore, David Gilmour and George Harrison) and the last being Tadpoles In A Jar in 1999. His Crocodile Shoes album of 1994 sold over a million copies. Mark Knopfler plays guitar on some tracks, a compliment that was repaid with an important plot reference to Oz's being a fan of Dire Straits in the third (revived) series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002).

In 2001 Nail released an album of cover songs, Ten Great Songs and an OK Voice. The album contained different versions of songs such as "Walking on the Moon" (The Police), "Something" (George Harrison) and "Overjoyed" (Stevie Wonder).

His work has resulted in five Bafta nominations (three in total for A.W.P., one for Spender, one for Crocodile Shoes), a Golden Globe nomination (Best Original Song - "Still Crazy"), an Ivor Novello nomination (for "Ain't No Doubt") and numerous other awards and nominations.

In 2004, Nail successfully sued the News of the World for defamation (Nail v News Group Newspapers Limited, 20 December 2004) and subsequently received damages of £30,000.

In 2005, his autobiography, A Northern Soul, was published in the UK by Penguin Books.

In 2008 Nail created and starred as Phil Parker in Parents of the Band, a 6 x 30 mins series on BBC1, broadcast between November 2008 and January 2009. The series revolves around a group of teenagers who form a band just for their own enjoyment, and their parents, who fully expect them to be nothing less than the next Led Zeppelin. Ratings were disappointing, around the three million mark, and there are presently no plans for a second series.

Nail is currently^[when?] said to be developing projects with the BBC.

Nail was actively involved in the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, established to help young talent in North East England. To aid this, he participated in the Sunday for Sammy benefit concerts, until workload forced him to resign from the board.

Filmography[link]

Television Shows in which he has appeared include:

• Minder - (1984)... as Nathan Loveridge in the episode "The Car Lot Baggers"
• Auf Wiedersehen Pet - (1983–2004)... as Leonard Jeffrey "Oz" Ozborne
• Spyship - (1983) ... as Metcalfe
• Blott on the Landscape (1985)... as Edwards
• Master Of The Game (1985)... as Schmidt
• Raoul Wallenberg (1986)... as Vilmos Langfelder
• Nicking Kids (1986)...as Criminal 1
• Lenny Henry Tonite (1986) as Guest Star
• Shoot For The Sun (1986)... as Geordie
• Spender (1991–93)... as Freddie Spender
• Crocodile Shoes (1994, 1996)... as Jed Shepperd
• Parents of the Band (2008) ... as Phil Parker

Films in which he has appeared include:

• Get Carter (1971)... (uncredited extra)
• Morons from Outer Space (1985)... as Desmond
• Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf Bitch (1985)...as "Punk"
• Dream Demon (1987)... as Paul
• Just Ask for Diamond (1988)... as Boyle
• Crusoe (1989)... as Tarik
• Danny, the Champion of the World (1990)... as Rabbets
• Evita (1996)... as Agustín Magaldi
• Still Crazy (1998)... as Les Wickes
• The 10th Kingdom (2000)... as Clayface the Goblin

Own projects[link]

• Spender (1991–93)... Actor, writer, producer, creator.
• Crocodile Shoes (1994)... Actor, writer, executive producer, creator.
• Crocodile Shoes II (1996)... Actor, writer, executive producer, title music composer, creator
• Parents of the Band (2008–9)... Actor, creator, executive producer, title music composer.

Discography[link]

• Main article: Jimmy Nail discography

References[link]

• Larkin, Colin. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 3rd edition, Macmillan, 1998.

External links[link]

• Jimmy Nail at the Internet Movie Database
• Jimmy Nail In New Zealand

Kevin Whately (born 6 February 1951) is an English actor.

Whately is known for his starring role as Neville Hope in the British television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, his role as Dr Jack Kerruish in the drama series Peak Practice, and as Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the crime dramas Inspector Morse and Lewis.

Early life[link]

Whately is from Humshaugh, near Hexham, Northumberland.^[2] His mother, Mary (née Pickering-^[3]), was a teacher and his father, Richard, was a Commander in the Royal Navy.^[4] His maternal grandmother, Doris Phillips,^[4] was a professional concert singer and his great-great-grandfather, Richard Whately, was Anglican Archbishop of Dublin.^[5] The BBC documentary Who Do You Think You Are?, broadcast on 2 March 2009, also revealed that Whately is a descendant, on his paternal side, of Thomas Whately of Nonsuch Park, a leading London merchant, English politician and writer who became a director of the Bank of England, and of Major Robert Thompson, a pioneer tobacco plantation owner in Virginia who was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause at the time of the English Commonwealth.^[4]

Whately was educated at Barnard Castle School,^[6] and studied drama at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1975,^[7] and was the patron for the school's Full House Theatre Company for 2011.^[8] His brother, Frank, is a drama lecturer at a London university.^[4] Before going professional, Whately was an amateur actor at the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne during the 1970s.

Career[link]

Before turning to professional acting Whately began his working life as a folk singer, and still plays guitar, performing for charity concerts:^[4] Along with other Auf Wiedersehen, Pet stars, he makes an appearance at the biennial benefit concert Sunday for Sammy in Newcastle. Before becoming an actor, he started training as an accountant.

His acting career includes several stage plays, among them an adaptation of Twelve Angry Men and film appearances in The Return of the Soldier, The English Patient, Paranoid and Purely Belter.

Whately's television appearances include episodes of Shoestring, Angels, Juliet Bravo, Strangers, Coronation Street, Shackleton, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Inspector Morse, Alas Smith and Jones, Look and Read, You Must Be The Husband, B&B, Peak Practice, Skallagrigg, The Broker's Man, Murder in Mind, 2003 Comic Relief Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Lewis, New Tricks, Who Gets the Dog?, The Children and Silent Cry (film). Whately provided one of the voices for the English language version of the 1999 claymation Children's television series Hilltop Hospital. He has also appeared in an advert for Water Aid doing a voice over.

In both one episode of Miss Marple ("A Murder Is Announced" - 1985) and in an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, (starring Jeremy Brett), Whately played a police Detective Sergeant, as he was to later do in Inspector Morse.

Perhaps his most memorable television appearances were as Detective Sergeant Lewis, the down-to-earth complement to the snobbishly intellectual Inspector Morse. He reprised the role in the spin-off series Lewis, in which Lewis returns to Oxford as full Inspector. With his new partner, the Cambridge-educated Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Inspector Lewis solves murder mysteries while trying to rebuild his life after his wife's sudden death in a hit-and-run accident, and to gain recognition from his sceptical new boss.

Richard Marson's book celebrating fifty years of Blue Peter comments that Whately auditioned as a presenter for the show in 1980 but lost out to Peter Duncan.

Personal life[link]

Whately lives close to Milton Keynes, with his wife actress Madelaine Newton, who starred in 1970s BBC drama When the Boat Comes In. (Ironically, she also played Inspector Morse's love interest in the 1990 episode "Masonic Mysteries," in which she becomes a murder victim.) The couple, who have been together since 1980,^[9] have two children: Catherine "Kitty" Whately, born in 1983, who appeared as Kevin's on-screen daughter in the series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet for the first two seasons, now an operatic mezzo soprano and winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award 2011; and Kieran, born in 1984.^[10]

Whately enjoys rock music and plays guitar; he has cited Pink Floyd and Dire Straits as bands he has particularly enjoyed,^[4] although he claims he listens to classical music more now.^[9] He is a fan of Newcastle United F.C.^[11][9] and Burnley F.C.^[9] on the football field, but says that he likes rugby better,^[11] and as a cricketer admitted to Inspector Morse writer Colin Dexter that he would like to have played cricket professionally for England. Dexter devised the storyline for the Inspector Morse episode "Deceived by Flight" (1989; season 3, episode 3) in which Sergeant Lewis had to go undercover in a cricket team to investigate drug smuggling.^[4]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Kevin Whately at the Internet Movie Database

Sir Bobby Robson

Bobby Robson at the Republic of Ireland versus Slovakia match in Croke Park, Dublin on 29 March 2007.
Personal information
Full name	Sir Robert William Robson
Date of birth	(1933-02-18)18 February 1933
Place of birth	Sacriston, County Durham, England
Date of death	31 July 2009(2009-07-31) (aged 76)
Place of death	County Durham, England
Playing position	Inside forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1950–1956	Fulham	152	(68)
1955	London	1	(1)
1956–1962	West Bromwich Albion	239	(56)
1962–1967	Fulham	192	(9)
1967–1968	Vancouver Royals	0	(0)
Total		583	(133)
National team
1957–1962	England	20	(4)
Teams managed
1968	Fulham
1969–1982	Ipswich Town
1982–1990	England
1990–1992	PSV Eindhoven
1992–1994	Sporting CP
1994–1996	Porto
1996–1997	Barcelona
1998–1999	PSV Eindhoven
1999–2004	Newcastle United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009)^[1] was an English footballer and manager, who managed seven European clubs and the England national team during his career.

His professional playing career as an inside-forward spanned nearly 20 years, during which he played for three clubs: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and, briefly, Vancouver Royals. He also made 20 appearances for England, scoring four goals.

After his playing career he found success as both a club and international manager, winning league championships in both the Netherlands and Portugal, earning trophies in England and Spain, and taking England to the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup. His last management role was as a mentor to the manager of the Irish national football team.

Robson was created a Knight Bachelor in 2002, was inducted as a member of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and was the honorary president of Ipswich Town. From 1991 onwards he suffered recurrent medical problems with cancer, and in March 2008, put his name and efforts into the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a cancer research charity. In August 2008, his lung cancer was confirmed to be terminal; he said: "My condition is described as static and has not altered since my last bout of chemotherapy...I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute". He died just under a year later.

Early life[link]

Born in Sacriston, County Durham, Robson was the fourth of five sons of Philip and Lilian Robson (née Watt).^[2] When he was a few months old, Robson's family moved to the nearby village of Langley Park where his father was a coal miner. As a boy, he was often taken by his father to watch Newcastle United at St James' Park, requiring a bus ride or a walk of several miles.^[3][4][5] Robson describes Jackie Milburn and Len Shackleton as his childhood heroes.^[4] Both played for Newcastle in the inside-forward position, the position Robson would later assume during his playing career.

Robson attended Waterhouses Secondary Modern School but the headmaster did not allow the school football team to join a league.^[6] Instead, he began to play for Langley Park Juniors on Saturday mornings at the age of eleven, and by the time he was 15, he was representing the club at Under-18 level.^[7] Robson played football whenever he possibly could but also worked as an electrician's apprentice for the National Coal Board in the Langley Park colliery.^[8] In May 1950, Bill Dodgin, the Fulham manager made a personal visit to the Robson household to offer Bobby a professional contract. Despite being offered a contract by nearby Middlesbrough, the offer made by Dodgin was too attractive to turn down, so he signed for Fulham and moved to London,^[9][10][11] playing as a wing-half and inside-forward.^[12] Robson had also interested his beloved Newcastle, but he opted to join Fulham as, in his opinion, "Newcastle made no appreciable effort to secure [my] signature".

Playing career[link]

Club playing career[link]

Although Robson had signed professionally, his father insisted he continue to work as an electrician. He spent the day working at the Festival of Britain site and trained three nights a week at Fulham.^[13] Eventually this took its toll on Robson and he gave up his trade for full-time football.^[14]

Robson made his debut in 1950 for Fulham, recently promoted to the First Division, in a match against Sheffield Wednesday.^[15] He came to regard Fulham as "a nice club, a social club..." but "never...a serious, championship-challenging club".^[16] Indeed, he and Fulham were relegated from the top-flight in the 1951–52 season,^[17] but he made his return to the First Division, four years later, when he signed for Vic Buckingham's West Bromwich Albion in March 1956.^[9] The transfer fee of £25,000 was a club record for Albion at the time.^[18][19]

He made his Albion debut in a 4–0 home defeat by Manchester City on 10 March 1956.^[20] In 1957–58 he was the club's top league goalscorer; his tally of 24 goals included four in a 5–1 win against Burnley.^[21][22] He went on to play 257 games and score 61 goals for West Bromwich Albion and captained the team for the 1960–61 and 1961–62 seasons.^[23] In August 1962, however, he returned to Fulham after a disagreement with Albion vice-chairman Jim Gaunt over his salary.^[24][25] The on-going dispute over both minimum and maximum wages in the game, instigated by Robson's team-mate Jimmy Hill and the Professional Footballers' Association, combined with the birth of Robson's second son, prompted Robson to demand a higher salary.^[26] Gaunt refused to negotiate Robson's contract, so Robson placed a transfer request and was sold to Fulham for £20,000 in a deal which doubled his salary.^[27] Soon after Robson joined Fulham, the club sold Alan Mullery and Rodney Marsh, meaning Robson's chances of securing any significant honour there were substantially reduced.^[28] Robson himself stated "In all my time as a footballer, I didn't win a thing."^[28]

Despite press reports of interest from Arsenal,^[29] and the offer of a player-manager role by Southend United,^[30] Robson left Fulham in 1967 and accepted a three-year deal with Canada's Vancouver Royals. He was to be player-manager in their inaugural 1968 season in the North American Soccer League and believed it "...was a chance too good to miss".^[9][31] The position proved difficult; a long-distance joint-ownership agreement gave the Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás control over the San Francisco section of the squad,^[32] while Robson took care of the Vancouver squad. Robson was dissatisfied by this situation and when, in January 1968, Fulham offered him a contract as their manager, he accepted the position at Craven Cottage.^[33]

International playing career[link]

During his first spell at Fulham, Robson participated in two ambassadorial Football Association tours in the West Indies in 1955 and South Africa in 1956.^[15] However, it was during his time at West Bromwich Albion that he graduated to the full England squad, with his first call-up in 1956. His manager, Vic Buckingham, advocated the "push and run" approach to the game, a precursor to "total football",^[34] and playing this, Robson graduated to the full England squad in 1956,^[35] It was also at West Bromwich Albion that Robson met future England international and assistant coach Don Howe.^[36]

He went on to make 20 appearances for the England national team, making his debut in a November 1957 victory against France, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory.^[37] Although he made a successful debut, he was dropped for England's next game against Scotland, in favour of Bobby Charlton.^[38] He was, however, selected for the 1958 World Cup squad, ahead of Nat Lofthouse and Stanley Matthews but returned from Sweden disappointed, as England were defeated by the Soviet Union in a group play-off match.^[39]

Following the 1958 World Cup, Robson became an established member of the England squad, enjoying considerable success in a period between October 1960 and March 1961 when he played in six England victories, including scoring a goal in the record 9–3 defeat of Scotland at Wembley Stadium.^[40] He was selected for the 1962 World Cup finals in Chile but an injury to his ankle sustained in a pre-tournament friendly against a Chilean club side ruled him out of most of the tournament. As Robson recalled, "I never played for England again...my international career was unfulfilled".^[41]

Career statistics[link]

International goals[link]

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.^[42][43]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	27 November 1957	Wembley Stadium, London	France	2–0	4–0	Friendly
2.	27 November 1957	Wembley Stadium, London	France	4–0	4–0	Friendly
3.	15 April 1961	Wembley Stadium, London	Scotland	1–0	9–3	1961 British Home Championship
4.	10 May 1961	Wembley Stadium, London	Mexico	3–0	8–0	Friendly

Managerial career[link]

Early club management[link]

In 1959, the then England manager and the Football Association director of coaching Walter Winterbottom suggested to Robson that he take a coaching course at Lilleshall.^[36] Robson made his debut as a manager in January 1968 at his former club Fulham, against Macclesfield Town, then in the Cheshire League, in the third round of the FA Cup. Fulham were struggling with 16 points from 24 games.^[44][45] Despite the acquisition of the young Malcolm Macdonald, Robson could not save the club from relegation to the Second Division,^[46] and he left them in November,^[47] with the club sitting eighth in the Second Division. He discovered that he had been sacked, not from the club itself, but from the headline "Robson sacked" on an Evening Standard placard outside Putney station.^[48]

Statue of Robson at Portman Road

He moved on to Ipswich Town in 1969 and it was there that he established his reputation as a successful manager. He won the vacant job at the Suffolk club after a chance encounter with Town director Murray Sangster while scouting at Portman Road for Chelsea manager Dave Sexton.^[49] After four mediocre seasons, Robson led Ipswich to fourth place in the First Division and success in the Texaco Cup in the 1972–73 season.^[50] In the following nine seasons, Ipswich finished lower than sixth place in the First Division only once, in the 1977–78 season. However, that season was a success with a 1–0 victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup Final.^[51] His reign at Ipswich lasted 13 years, during which time the club twice finished as League runners-up, and made regular appearances in European competitions, capturing the UEFA Cup in 1981 with a 5–4 aggregate victory over Dutch side AZ 67 Alkmaar.^[52] During his thirteen year tenure, he brought in only 14 players from other clubs, relying instead on players developed through Ipswich's youth programmes.^[12]

In 2002, in recognition of his achievements with the club, a life-size statue of Robson was unveiled opposite the Cobbold Stand of Ipswich Town's ground Portman Road.^[53] On 7 July 2006, Robson was named as honorary president of Ipswich Town Football Club, the first since Lady Blanche Cobbold who had died in 1987.^[54]

England manager[link]

Robson's achievements with Ipswich earned him a job offer from the Football Association for the position of national coach, and he declined an offer of a ten-year contract extension from Ipswich director Patrick Cobbold.^[55] On 7 July 1982, two days after England were knocked out of the 1982 World Cup, he succeeded Ron Greenwood as coach of the English national football team,^[9] selecting former West Bromwich Albion team-mate Don Howe as his chief coach.^[56]

Robson's first game in charge saw immediate controversy, as he dropped Kevin Keegan for the match against Denmark.^[57] On 21 September 1983, Robson suffered his only loss in the 28 qualifying matches he was to undertake as England manager.^[58] The defeat, once again to Denmark, ultimately led to England's failure to qualify for the 1984 European Championships,^[59] and resulted in Robson offering to resign in favour of Brian Clough.^[60] The resignation was rejected by the FA chairman, Bert Millichip (primarily down to his and the FA's disdain for Clough), and Robson went on to lead the England team to qualify for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.^[61]

England began the competition poorly and captain Bryan Robson was injured with a recurrence of a dislocated shoulder.^[62] Bobby Robson changed the team's tactics for the final match of the first round, selecting Peter Beardsley ahead of Mark Hateley as a striking partner for Gary Lineker.^[63] The team won its next two matches, against Poland and Paraguay, 3–0 and qualified for the quarter-finals.^[64] England were defeated in the last eight by Argentina with a brace of goals from Diego Maradona; the infamous "Hand of God" goal, and the "Goal of the Century" he scored five minutes later.^[64] Robson was unimpressed by Maradona's claim of divine intervention:^[65]

Robson's England dropped only one point in qualifying for Euro 1988 which included an 8–0 defeat of Turkey.^[59] However this was followed by failure at the tournament itself, held in West Germany, where England were knocked out in the group stage. They finished bottom of their qualifying group, succumbing to defeats against Ireland, Holland and the USSR.^[66] Robson was vilified by the British press, and after a draw in a friendly with Saudi Arabia, one newspaper demanded: "In the name of Allah, go".^[67] Once again Robson submitted his resignation, and once again it was rejected by Millichip (again Brian Clough is often cited as a reason).^[68]

Robson led England without conceding a goal through the six-match qualification for the 1990 World Cup where they were one of six seeded teams.^[69] Once again they were placed in a group with Holland and Ireland, with Egypt the fourth side.^[70] As in the 1986 World Cup, Robson was denied the service of his captain, Bryan Robson, who suffered an achilles tendon injury which prevented him playing in the latter stages of the tournament.^[71] England topped their qualifying group, accumulating four points from their three games.^[72] However their progress was not without controversy. England changed formation from their traditional 4–4–2 to incorporate a sweeper, with some sources suggesting this was due to player revolt after the 1–1 draw in the first match with the Republic of Ireland.^[73] Robson denies this claim:^[74]

This was followed by victories over Belgium and Cameroon in the knock-out stages, to set up a semi-final with West Germany.^[72] England lost the match on a penalty shoot-out, after the score had been tied at 1–1 following extra time.^[75] Robson said afterwards that "not a day goes by when [he] does not think about the semi-final and other choices [he] might have made".^[9]

Continental management[link]

Before the 1990 World Cup, the FA told Robson that they would not renew his contract as England manager, so he moved on to the Netherlands to coach PSV of Eindhoven,^[9] who sought a manager capable of instilling discipline into a fractious squad.^[76] Robson described the move as "a culture shock" but felt "...a sense of adventure."^[77] The Dutch penchant for tactical debate surprised Robson. In an interview with Voetbal International he lamented: "An English pro accepts the manager's decision. After every match here, the substitutes come and visit me."^[78] Another of his challenges at PSV was handling the Brazilian international Romário. Robson became frustrated with the Brazilian's work ethic, although admitted "...in some matches he would be scintillating."^[79] Robson arranged showdown talks with Romário, with Frank Arnesen, Robson's assistant, acting as a translator. The talks proved unsuccessful, with Romário unwilling to change his lifestyle.^[80] Despite this, PSV won the Dutch league in both the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. However, the team did not make the progress expected by the board in European competitions and Robson was informed that he would be leaving the club at the end of the 1991–92 season.^[81]

Robson moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal in July 1992, where his Portuguese interpreter was a young José Mourinho, future Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Real Madrid C.F. manager. Robson guided the club to a third place finish in his first season in charge while admitting the club was in "...a terrible state". He described the club's president as a "loose cannon", who frequently signed players without Robson's consent.^[82] Robson was sacked in December 1993 with the club sitting at the top of the league table. The club President, Sousa Cintra, cited the club's early exit from the UEFA Cup at the hands of Casino Salzburg as the reason for his dismissal.^[83]

League finishes for clubs managed by Robson (* indicates Robson left the club before the end of the season)

Sporting's rivals, F.C. Porto, quickly hired Robson, with Mourinho appointed as his assistant manager. Living in the same apartment block at the time was another future Porto and Chelsea manager, the young André Villas-Boas, who, aged 16, introduced himself to Robson. Robson subsequently appointed Villas-Boas to work in the Porto observation department and helped him gain his UEFA 'C' coaching badge in Scotland, despite him technically being ineligible as he was aged 17.^[84][85] Porto were in a poor state when Robson arrived and the average attendance had dwindled to 10,000.^[86] The club promptly went on to beat Robson's former club, Sporting, in the Portuguese Cup final,^[9] following that achievement with successive League titles in the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.^[87]

Such was the impact of Robson at Porto, he became known to the locals as "Bobby Five-O" in honour of the number of matches Porto won 5–0,^[88] and he signed a new contract with the club in 1995.^[88] Suffering from malignant melanoma and missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season, Robson still successfully led Porto in defence of their league title.^[89]

A phone call during the summer of 1996 from Barcelona's vice-president Joan Gaspart to discuss Luís Figo resulted in an offer of employment with the Spanish club.^[90] Robson took over in July 1996, where once again his assistant was Mourinho; Robson had made Mourinho's move with him to the Camp Nou a condition of his employment.^[89] One of the key decisions Robson made during his brief tenure at Barcelona was the US$19.5 million signing of Ronaldo,^[91] who was influential in a season when Barcelona won the Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup.^[92] Robson himself was voted European Manager of the Year for 1996–97, while Ronaldo stated, "as a trainer without doubt [Robson] is one of the greatest in the world".^[93]

The 1997–98 season saw Robson moved "upstairs" to the position of General Manager by Barcelona, with Louis van Gaal taking over the managerial reins,^[9] but he stayed in this position for only one season before returning to manage PSV on a short-term deal for the 1998–99 season.^[94] PSV missed out on the league title, finishing third behind Feyenoord and Willem II,^[95] but Robson still led the club to qualification for the Champions League on the last day of the season.^[96]

Return to England[link]

After Robson's contract expired, he returned to England to take up a position in the Football Association's technical department,^[97] but following the resignation of Ruud Gullit at Newcastle United, Robson moved to St James' Park in September 1999.^[98] Robson was disappointed with the club's opening salary offer, stating "...it was miles below the going rate", but negotiated a one year, £1 million deal.^[99]

In his first home match in charge, Newcastle (at the bottom of the league) faced second bottom Sheffield Wednesday, thrashing them 8–0. In his first season in charge, 1999–2000, Robson led the club to an 11th place finish, with 14 wins from his 32 games in charge.^[99][100] In late 2000, following the resignation of Kevin Keegan as England manager, the Football Association asked Newcastle Chairman Freddy Shepherd to permit Robson to take over in a part-time caretaker capacity but the request was refused.^[101] Robson guided Newcastle from bottom of the Premier League to a fourth-place finish in the 2001–02 season.^[102] The following season, Newcastle finished third, ensuring qualification for the Champions League for the second consecutive year.^[103] Despite the qualification of third place however, Robson was unable to guide Newcastle through the Champions League qualifying rounds and the club was pushed back into the UEFA Cup for the 2003–04 season.^[104] At the end of the 2003–04 season, Newcastle United finished fifth in the table, five points short of the Champions League qualifying fourth place but reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup before losing to Marseille.^[105]

He held the Newcastle post until 30 August 2004, when he was dismissed by Freddy Shepherd, after a poor start to the Premier League season and alleged discontent in the dressing room.^[106] Robson's dismissal followed publication of his off the record observation of his disappointment that only 5,000 fans stayed to see the traditional lap of honour made by the players at St James' Park at the end of the previous season.^[107] However, he remains held in the highest esteem by the fans;^[108] he was granted the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne on 2 March 2005.^[109]

His autobiography, entitled Bobby Robson: Farewell but not Goodbye was released in 2005.^[110] The title is based on one of his quotes upon leaving the England job in 1990: "I'm here to say goodbye—maybe not goodbye but farewell".^[111] In the book, Robson was critical of Shepherd, claiming that while manager he was denied information regarding the players' contracts and transfer negotiations. He also criticised Shepherd and the club's deputy chairman Douglas Hall, for their focus on the first team and St James' Park, causing them to neglect less glamorous issues, such as the training ground, youth development and talent scouts.^[112] The club's training ground was later blamed by Graeme Souness, Robson's successor, for a series of injuries to first team players.^[113]

Football consultant[link]

On 7 June 2005 he declined the invitation to become Director of Football of Heart of Midlothian because he wanted to stay in the Newcastle area.^[114] On 13 January 2006, Steve Staunton was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland national team, with Robson named in a support role as International Football Consultant.^[115] Robson stepped down from his role of consultant on 17 November 2007, after the Republic's final match in their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for Euro 2008.^[116] Robson was a former Vice President of the League Managers Association, a non-executive role.^[117]

Life outside football[link]

Personal life[link]

Robson was married to Elsie from June 1955 until his death;^[118] they have three sons: Andrew, Paul and Mark, all of whom survived him.^[3][119] Since 1991, Robson was repeatedly diagnosed as suffering from cancer. He had several operations and, in 2006, was operated on for on a brain tumour.^[120] This, on occasion, impacted on his work; while at Porto for example, Robson suffered from malignant melanoma, which resulted in him missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season.^[121][122] Following the brain surgery, Sky Sports News reported that Robson had had an adverse reaction that had caused slight swelling of the brain, which had in turn caused the loss of feeling in his left side.

On 17 October 2006, it was revealed that Robson had been given the all-clear and was set to see out his contract as consultant to the Irish team.^[123] Robson revealed on 6 May 2007 that he had been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time.^[124] On Saturday 17 May 2008, Sir Bobby was the guest of honour at the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium when Portsmouth beat Cardiff City 1–0. He presented the trophy to the victorious captain, Sol Campbell.

Other activities[link]

Robson made a number of product endorsements, including an appearance in Carlsberg's "Best Pub Side" television commercial.^[125] He also acted as a pundit for ITV during the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 European Championship.^[126][127] In 2004, following the death of Brian Clough, Robson briefly stood in for Clough as a columnist at FourFourTwo magazine, and from 2004 onwards wrote a weekly column for The Mail on Sunday.^[128]

Bobby Robson Foundation[link]

Robson defeated bowel cancer in 1992, a malignant melanoma in 1995, and a tumour in his right lung and a brain tumour, both in 2006. Treatment of these conditions had left him partially paralysed due to a stroke caused by the brain tumour, and also with a partially prosthetic upper jaw after the melanoma was surgically removed. His fifth diagnosis of cancer in 2007, consisting of cancerous nodules in both lungs, was diagnosed as terminal in February 2007, and as of December 2008 was being controlled through bouts of chemotherapy.^[129] After these experiences, and following his fifth diagnosis with cancer, Robson devoted the remaining years of his life to helping fight the disease. On 25 March 2008, he launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. By November 2008, the Foundation had raised £1 million.^[130] The money raised by the Foundation funded equipment for the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, and would go on to fund other cancer projects in the North East of England.^[131]

In aid of the Foundation, Robson's 1990 World Cup semi-final 4–3 loss after penalties against West Germany, was replayed on 26 July 2009 as the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match at St James' Park, featuring players from the original 1990 World Cup squads and other special guests.^{[132][133][134]} Robson was given a guard of honour before the game, which finished 3–2 to the England side.^[135]

At the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6 million.^[136] Donations totalling £156,000 were received by the Foundation in the 18 days following his death,^[137] and on 15 October 2009, it was announced that the Foundation had raised over £2 million, and that at the request of Robson's family, Alan Shearer would take over Robson's role as the Foundation's patron.^[138] It passed the £2.5 million mark in September 2010.^[139] Three other patrons were added in 2010, Steve Gibson, Mick Mills and Niall Quinn.^{[140][141][142]}

Death[link]

On 31 July 2009, Robson died of lung cancer at his home in County Durham,^[143] aged 76, after a long battle with the disease.^[1] After the news of his death, leading figures from the world of football and politics paid tribute to him. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called him a "great friend, a wonderful individual and tremendous football man." UEFA president Michel Platini said: "He will be remembered not only for his playing career and his outstanding managerial career at both club and international level, but also because he was a truly warm and passionate human being." Gary Lineker said: "It is a sad day and a great loss. He was a wonderful man and will be deeply missed by everybody in the country. I never played for a more enthusiastic man. He gave so much to the game."^[144] Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, described Sir Bobby as a "real Geordie gentleman."^[145] According to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Robson "epitomised everything that is great about football in this country."^[145] His friend, the broadcaster Michael Parkinson, said: "Robson will be remembered long after the present lot are old bones. By his decency, his humour, his love of the game's traditions and origins and confusion at what it had become, he made present day football look what it is – shabby by comparison. I can think of no more fitting epitaph."^[146]

Robson's funeral, a private family ceremony, took place on 5 August 2009. The location remained undisclosed at the request of his family until the funeral had taken place. It was later revealed to be Esh, County Durham.^[147] A thanksgiving service for Robson was held on 21 September 2009 at Durham Cathedral. One thousand invited guests attended the service, which was also broadcast live on national television, and to Newcastle United's St James' Park, Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground, and Fulham's Craven Cottage.^[148]

Honours[link]

Bobby Robson was awarded a number of honours for his contributions to football. In 1990, at the end of his eight-year reign as England manager, he was awarded a CBE and in 2002, he was knighted; both awards were for services to football.^[149][150]

In 2002 (during his time as Newcastle manager), the 69-year-old Robson was awarded the freedom of Newcastle upon Tyne and the UEFA President's Award for 'services to football'.^[11][20] He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003 in recognition of his impact as a manager.^[151] Following his time as Newcastle United manager in 2005, Robson was made an Honorary Freeman of Newcastle,^[109] which, in his autobiography, he described as being "the proudest moment of my life".^[152] Robson also won the 1992 Football Writers' Association Tribute Award for an outstanding contribution to the national game,^[153] and the 2001 British Sports Writers' Association Pat Besford Trophy for Outstanding Achievement.^[150] In 2005 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Sports Coach UK Awards,^[154] and was also awarded the Eircom International Personality of the Year in 2006.^[149] On 9 December 2007, Robson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year show in recognition of "his contribution as both player and manager in a career spanning more than half a century".^[155]

On 5 May 2008, during the 30th anniversary celebrations of Ipswich Town's 1978 FA Cup win, Robson was granted the Freedom of Ipswich by the Lady Mayor.^[156] On 8 December 2008, he earned another such accolade when he was given the Freedom of the City of Durham.^[157] In March 2009, UEFA awarded Robson the Emerald UEFA Order of Merit award, awarded to "individuals who have dedicated their talents to the good of the game".^[158] The award was presented to Sir Bobby at St James' Park on 26 July 2009, prior to the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match, and just five days before his death.^[135]

Posthumous honours[link]

In December 2009, Robson was posthumously awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award, for the "gentlemanly qualities he showed throughout his career as a player and coach".^[159]

The Football League gave Newcastle United and Ipswich Town special dispensation to wear special commemorative kits for their Championship match on 26 September 2009 at Portman Road, in aid of Sir Bobby's Foundation. At half-time during this match, the North Stand of Portman Road was renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.^{[160][161][162][163]}

The first anniversary of Robson's death on 31 July 2010 was marked with a ceremony and pre-season friendly match at Newcastle's St James' Park, between two of his former clubs Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven, involving Robson's PSV captain Stan Valckx presenting a PSV shirt to the club.^[164]

In July 2010, plans were unveiled for a memorial garden to Robson to be built in Newcastle. It was to be created by the city council in partnership with the regeneration company NE1Ltd, and located on Gallowgate street close to the Newcastle United stadium St James' Park. Work began on the site in November 2010, with an expected completion of Spring 2011. The garden is to cover 400 square meters, and feature a tiered seating area and sculpted stone plinths reflecting aspects of his life and work. The area is also to host a 400 square metre memorial garden to Sir Bobby Robson, with work beginning in November 2010, to be opened in Spring 2011.^[165][166]

With a keen interest in cricket as well as football, Robson was to have replaced Mike Gatting as President of the Lord's Taverners charity and cricket club in 2007, but this was prevented by his ill-health. After his death, the club held a dinner in his honour, as the "The best President we never had".^[167]

In March 2011, the East Coast train operating company named one of its Class 91 electric locomotives Sir Bobby Robson, unveiled at Newcastle Central Station by his widow Elsie and Alan Shearer.^[168][169] Similarly, in December 2011, the Port of Tyne Authority named its new work boat the Sir Bobby Robson.^[170]

On 6 May 2012, a statue of Robson created by sculptor Tom Maley was unveiled at St James' Park.^[171]

Managerial statistics[link]

Performance by club[link]

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
G	W	D	L	Win %
Fulham		January 1968	November 1968	&1000000000000003600000036	&100000000000000060000006	&100000000000000090000009	&1000000000000002100000021	&1000000000000001667000016.67
Ipswich Town[172]		January 1969	August 1982	&10000000000000709000000709	&10000000000000316000000316	&10000000000000173000000173	&10000000000000220000000220	&1000000000000004457000044.57
England[173]		July 1982	July 1990	&1000000000000009500000095	&1000000000000004700000047	&1000000000000003000000030	&1000000000000001800000018	&1000000000000004946999949.47
PSV Eindhoven		July 1990	June 1992	&1000000000000007600000076	&1000000000000005200000052	&1000000000000001700000017	&100000000000000070000007	&1000000000000006842000068.42
Sporting Lisbon		July 1992	December 1993	&1000000000000005900000059	&1000000000000003400000034	&1000000000000001300000013	&1000000000000001200000012	&1000000000000005763000057.63
Porto		January 1994	July 1996	&10000000000000120000000120	&1000000000000008600000086	&1000000000000002300000023	&1000000000000001100000011	&1000000000000007167000071.67
Barcelona		May 1996	June 1997	&1000000000000005800000058	&1000000000000003800000038	&1000000000000001200000012	&100000000000000080000008	&1000000000000006551999965.52
PSV Eindhoven		July 1998	June 1999	&1000000000000003800000038	&1000000000000002000000020	&1000000000000001000000010	&100000000000000080000008	&1000000000000005263000052.63
Newcastle United		September 1999	August 2004	&10000000000000255000000255	&10000000000000119000000119	&1000000000000006400000064	&1000000000000007200000072	&1000000000000004667000046.67
Total				&100000000000014460000001,446	&10000000000000718000000718	&10000000000000351000000351	&10000000000000377000000377	&1000000000000004964999949.65

Managerial honours[link]

Further reading[link]

References[link]

• Career statistics: Robson, Bobby. National Football Teams. http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=20526. Retrieved 11 February 2011