Lovely report in today's Sunday Sun about Sir Bobby's feeling for his job.
He admits that the problems he has faced would have driven him out of any other Club by now, and that only his sheer love for The Toon has seen him through a troubled 18 months at SJP.

He is quoted "Sometimes I think - why aren't I on that first tee in Hawaii for 3 months and hitting it down the middle - not that I could hit it down the middle, but at least I could be there. But I'm here - because I want to be, I love it very much. And because I love it so much I've sat tight even with all the problems I've had. I've never stopped solvng problems since I cam here, one after another.
There's a smell of the north East and a smell of black & white in me. So I stick at it because it's the Club I love, and there's a big, emotional tender feeling about it.
If my mood is right I want to stay until we are challenging at the top."

What a lovely, classy man this guy is, and how very fortunate we are that he came back to rescue us from certain oblivion. A dying breed, a man of pride and honour - we are so very, very fortunate to have him.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

Answers

absolutely spot on. I've said before - he reminds me so much of my dad it's unbelieveable.

In a much bigger sense i think that's what he is to all of us: a father figure who has earned all our respect and admiration. He shares something that only a few previous managers have: an absolute LOVE of all things Newcastle United. To use the word CLASS does the man a dis-service. He's so far above and beyond it. We're very fortunate indeed clarky...

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

>>>A dying breed<<<

Hmm Clarky, not exactly the best phrase to describe Young Bobby R ;-)

Min - me Ma knaas yer Da! How was Jersey??? Were you there or just yer folks?

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

you ARE having me on aren't you, Screacher?! Who's your mam???

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

Bobby never ceases to amaze. Long may he live!

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

With the game postponed, Sky showed a series of mini-interviews with Bobby that were fabulous.
He talked about how much support he had from GG, SAF, & TSM - joked about them all being Scotish - when he was England Manager, and how important it is for England that SGE get's the same from today's top Managers. Naturally, he promised NUFC would support him to the hilt.
Another piece had him talking about getting the right players into a Club. He argued that first and foremost you have to get good "people" around you, it isn't good enough to just be good players - they must have the right character, work ethic and values. His question - "how do you get young millionaires to sweat?" was priceless.
The last piece was similar to the S/Sun piece - about his love for the Club and how it was the only job he would continue doing. He relayed a recent conversation with "young" SAF (!) about his impending retirement, and how Taggart had told him to "make sure he kept some time for himself", and how that caused him to think deeply about the future.
He finished by saying how he had watched the 3 Toon FA Cup Finals in the 50's with his Dad, and how desperately he wanted to help them to win something again before finally hanging up the boots. You just couldn't help but feel for him, while sharing his biggest dilemma, when he said - "however, it might take another 2 or 3 years, and I just don't know whether I've got that long left in me - but right now I'm still enjoying it, and will keep going while that's the situation".

Open, honest, straight as an arrow - love the man. My nagging concern is that the Club and the job he loves so much doesn't consign him to an early grave before he "has taken some time for himself". He so richly deserves it.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

Similar sentiments from a mild,wet south coast.

Its clear Bobby has set clear targets for the development of the club and I suspect the MINIMUM he wants is to leave HIS club with a good squad and in safe hands. Ideally he wants to be in charge and despite the attractions of a well deserved retirement, I feel he may well be around for a tad longer.He is just so good its hard not to be selfish. Im sure he'll go when he knows he had enough.

If Freddie has any sense he will support Bobby and ensure that when the time comes to hand over the reigns, its done so with a minimum of fuss, a cracking squad and some element of continuity - ie an enormous input from the departing manager.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

The game was off so what did Bobby do ? Yep that's right - not go home in the blizzard before it got dark like any sane person - nope he went round all the restautant/hostility suites and met people. Sky reckoned he'd do them all !!

What a man

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

Shame he didn't get into the Strawbeery - he'd have got a great welcome!

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

No Min, I'm serious. Doesn't the Jersey reference (Reverence??) tell ye?

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001

Screacher - check your mail!

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001