Archive for December, 2011
Flowers to Send Off Gary Speed respectfully
The sad death of the Welsh national team manager Gary Speed a few weeks ago sent shock waves around the football world. Since that sad day, football fans from all around the country have been paying tribute to the former Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United midfielder in a series of moving moments of applause. As well as an overwhelming number of replica shirts and scarves, some fans took the decision to send flowers to be left in front of the statue of Leeds legend Billy Bremner outside Elland Road.
Last week I was at Celtic Park for the Europa League tie against Atletico Madrid and, even there, during the minute’s applause, the enormous respect fans of both Celtic and Atletico had for Speed was clear for all to see. Football fans are often given a bad press – and a lot of times this is fully merited – but in terms of the genuine warmth of feeling they have shown for the late Wales manager they cannot be commended enough.
As a player, Speed was part of the title-winning Leeds United side of the 1991-1992 season. That season was the last league championship before what we now know as the English Premier League came into existence, and Speed played a pivotal role in United’s success. Forming a formidable midfield alongside Gary McCallister, Gordon Strachan and the combative David Batty, Speed played in 41 out of 42 league fixtures that season, and chipped in with a handy seven goals.
After his spell at Leeds, Speed got a dream move to his boyhood heroes Everton in the summer of 1996, and he went on to become club captain the following season. After his relationship with manager Howard Kendall soured, Speed was signed by Kenny Dalglish in a mid-season transfer to Newcastle United in February of 1998. The move enabled the Welshman to appear in two FA Cup Finals and a UEFA Champions League campaign.
The later years of his professional career were played out at Bolton Wanderers (2004 – 2008) before a loan move to Sheffield United at the start of 2008 that ultimately become permanent.
Speed was a committed, classy and consistent footballer, and his career stats show this. With 85 caps for Wales spanning 14 years, he was their most capped outfield player. His superb total of 535 Premier League appearances is only bettered by his compatriot Ryan Giggs and David James, and he scored in every Premier League campaign he took part in. Impressive stuff.
Although his managerial career started at Bramall Lane in the early weeks of the 2010-2011 season, it was to be a brief spell in charge as in December of 2010, Speed took control of the Welsh national side. Despite a difficult start that included heavy defeats to the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, he had presided over four impressive wins in his last five matches in charge. All the signs were that Wales were a national team very much on the up. Playing a high-energy, up-tempo game, Speed looked to be getting the most out of a promising crop of young players, led by Tottenham’s Gareth Bale and his new young captain, Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal.
The fact that he was doing such a remarkable job as Wales manager makes the sad news of his death even harder to comprehend, but the incredible outpouring of sympathy and warmth from football fans all over the country just shows the high regard all football fans, regardless of their allegiances, had for Gary Speed. You only need to look at how many people left their scarves and football tops, or even some fans living abroad chose to send flowers to the UK to show their respect. All these acts only show how much Speed will be missed.