Rob Lee: Help Needed

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I'm writing an article about Rob Lee. Would anyone like to share some Rob Lee memories or opinions as I haven't got far beyond its being symptomatic of how divided the club has become that United fans can't even agree on a player who, once over, would have been an unqualified hero. Thanks in advance.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Answers

Perhaps there's an analogy in there with the day he drove in circles outside the CLS training ground before going in. Or maybe it's a new superstition thing?

Or not. ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001


My best memory of Rob Lee, and remember I have been outside of England since 1980, was his goal against Chelsea in the semi final last year. There we were, me and Mrs PiC, in Seattle at the George and Dragon. I might add it was a lovely bar with 95% Chelsea fans, when Rob headed in the equalizer. I went nuts, the bar went nuts, any neutrals in the bar went nuts. Awesome. Just awesome. Then we lost, but that wasn't Rob Lee's fault.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

His goal for England on his debut. Made me proud.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

The day we signed him, I was on a field trip in Wales and I picked up the paper which had him and Keegan at the press conference. I spoke to a West Ham fan and casually asked him about Lee and he told me that he was class and was joining West Ham - His face was a picture when I showed him the paper.

One of Keegans best signings if not the best.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001


The week he scored the hat trick in Antwerp my wife was on a systems analsysis training course in London. She phoned me on the Tuesday night and heard nothing about the kids but loads about how well our first Keegan game in Europe had gone and how wonderful Robert Lee was.

The next morning at the coffee break she was chatting to one of the other girls onthe course about how funny her husband was and how wonderful I thought Robert Lee was, and how I was indoctrinating our little boy into football. Just off to the side of her was yer typical geeky guy trying to listen in.

At lunch the geek came and sat at her table and eventually plucked up courage to admit he was Robert Lee's brother. After a bit of embarrassment alround she joked that it would be great if he could get Robert to send Ben a couple of signed photos.

The next Monday two signed photos arrived with a Newcastle postmark. Nice guy.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001



The Mag had a few articles in the mid 90s including comments that his mum had bought "Robert Lee for England" tee-shirts from them.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

I was once in a hotel bar across the way from the players, who were playing a game. The game involved each player clapping twice and then each naming a capital of a country. It went well with Bez naming London and Steve Howey managing Paris and then it got to wor Rob who says Hamburg.

Fair enough if Rob wasn't sure whether the capital of West Germany as it was at the time was Bonn or Berlin but Hamburg ferrrchrissake. It just confirmed my darkest fears that Rob wasn't the sharpest knife in the box.

The Chelsea semi-final capped what has been an illustrious career for the Toon but I still can't see him without thinking of Hamburg

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001


Special Rob Lee Moment No.1

NUFC vs Brentford, promotion season. Me and Bake right behind the goal in the Leazes when Mr. Lee scored from about 60 yards. The ball went over the goalies head and bounced three times while the poor sod floundered after it with a look of pure desperaion on his face. We all went mental as the ball finally bounced over the line even though we were already 3 or 4 up. Then disbelief as the ref disallowed the goal and gave us a free kick because a Brentford player was off side at the other end of the pitch. The next day Rob said it was the worst decision he'd seen in 15 years in the game. A tad harsh but I can understand his disappointment.

Special Rob Lee Moment No.2

His headed hatrick in Antwerp was a perfect encapsulation of the Keegan period, gung-ho, up and at 'em, defenders overlapping forwards crazieness. When it worked it was magical, when it didn't....... well ya kna:-( I remember Venison being interviewed on Football Focus afterwards. Brooking says that everyone knows that in Europe you should play at a slower more cautious pace. Barry says Aye that was the plan, I don't know what went wrong. I was just about to call Rob Lee across and give him a bollocking for getting forward too much and he goes and scores. Fantastic night.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001


Rob Lee...not the best passer, not the best scorer, not even the best midfielder, but the kinda guy you'd want watchin yer back in a fight, because you are GUARANTEED 1000% all the time. Plays with his huge heart, he did this so many times last season alone for us. If anyone can remember a game where he slacked off or didn't give it his all. I'd rank him as one of the best to EVER wear the black and white. Exactly the kind of player YBR should be looking for.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

One of the very, very best - anyone who doesn't think he is an unqualified all-time Toon hero has serious pretensions to being a world-class tosser! (only jesting! ;-{))

Players like Rob Lee are now about as prevalent as rocking-horse shit.
Absolute diamond blerk, never ever gives less than his best - fantastic player. Forever "The General".

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001



1- that lob at home against Antwerp 2- playing against Middlesbrough on his own last season 3- best one though, that dinky Beardsley.esque chip against Leicester in the 7-1

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

oh another, the way he used to deal with 'fancy dan subs', my favourite was when that youngster 'Dani' was at West Ham. He had a big reputation, Bobby clattered him 3 times in his first 3 minutes on the pitch. He never saw the ball after that. And when Wanchope came on for Derby, Bobby clattered him so hard it was like he was Jason Leonard.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

Thanks everyone - can I quote you all directly as memories lose something in the translation?

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2001

Any more?

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Swift - was the Leicester one when it was disallowed? Half way line job?

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001


Dougal, First time I saw Rob Lee was at Soton the game where (takes deep breath):
Cole had been missing
Lee Clarke dissented and KK dragged him back from a walk into the night
Le Tissier got lucky against Hooper
Rob scored a brillant goal only to be disallowed under rule 13(13)

Under no circumstances do NUFC win at Soton


KK was accosted by a Soton fan as he walked(!) from the ground - only for 100 Geordies to come to his aid (including wor lass)
I was so impressed with Rob - good control, turned well, tackled well, good shot, distribution excellent, worked hard.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

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