Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager (2018) Movie Script
1
BOBBY: How's my hair? Alright, Gerry?
- GEBBY: Yep.
Hope you get the flowers in the garden,
get a bit of colour
just to show them the paradise
I'm living in.
Get the trees in, the grass,
the p/so/na, that's the swimming pool,
the /ard/n is the garden,
f/ores is the flowers...
GEBBY: I'rn recording.
- BOBBY: Come on, Gerry, let's go.
BOBBY: From my ear/y days
/ always knew what/ wanted to do.
/t was in my blood.
And it ain't gonna come easy, is it?
Ain't just gonna come out of the sky.
You gotta make things happen.
/ never knew where it would lead me.
It just says here, 'Wishing you
the best of luck against Paraguay.'
Burt Humphries, chimney sweep.
He's from Birmingham.
Where do / begin to tel/ the story
of a greater /ove than this?
AUDIENCE CHEERS
/ remember everything.
How long have you got?
/ came home when / was work/ng in Porta/ga/.
My wife said, '/'ve arranged for you
to see the doctor about your sinuses. '
The surgeon said,
'/'ve got some very grave news for you.
You have a malignant melanoma
in your nose inside your head.
You need an operation yesterday. '
They out me from the corner of my eye
around the contour of my nostri/
and through my /ip
which they completely severed.
Then they pinned the f/ap of my face
almost to my ear
took my teeth out
and went through the roof of my mouth.
HUW: Patients always want to know,
'How long have / got, Doc?'
But you can 'Z' predict.
For his diagnosis the vast majority
of the patients do not survive.
Two to three years would be good.
BOBBY:
What we suggest you do is you ret/re.
People with this don't go back to work.
Well, they didn't know Bob
the way I knew him.
REPOHTEHS SPEAK SPANISH
Muy different! Muches!
ELSIE:
/t was his dream to go to manage Barcelona.
We've come here to work hard,
we've come here to produce a winning team
to get results
and to play effective football.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
BOBBY:
I/Ve//, / had been to Barcelona before
because we had played against them.
So / knew the magnificence of the c/ub,
the expectations.
JOSE: /t was spot on when they chose
Mr Hobson to be the next one, spot on.
Barcelona was a really difficult moment
because it was the moment of the conflict
between the club and Johan Cruyff.
I follow a legend.
A legend!
Johan Cruyff was the most
influential person in Barcelona
in terms of the way we want to play,
the way we want to be.
PEP:
/t was a tough, tough task.
BOBBY:
/ went into a political storm.
The city was sp/it,
ha/f of them d/dh't want him
because he had been there eight years
and the /ast two years they'd won nothing
and the other he/f absolutely adored him.
How do you follow Johan Cruyff?
JOAN: The president of the club
was Josep L/we NU/792.
He had been president for 18 years.
JOAN:
There were supposed to be elections in 1998.
The board of directors sacked Cruyff
and they needed to win titles.
/z"s //ke any player of the world
coming after Messi.
I am not afraid to follow him.
When the President
of the United States leaves
they have to get another
President of the United States.
H UW:
He was just inc/'ed/b/e.
He takes over the most d/fHcu/t job
in the world, Barcelona.
/ was thrilled for him, ob vious/y,
because he wanted to do it
but we didn't know
how long he was go/ng to survive.
BOBBY:
/t didn't worry me. / was/7't afraid of it.
I've had a long /ife,
and so / am experienced
and / fe/t that / could handle it, you know?
STATIC CRACKLES
Eastern sport begins this week at the scene
of today's big story at Portman Road
the home of Ipswich Town Football Club.
This is a club of which former manager
Jackie Milburn said this weekend
'It's only got one way to go,
and that's down.'
This is the club that Bobby Robson
today took over.
Bobby, why?
Well, of course you've given me a lovely
controversial question to begin with.
I've come here because I'rn sure that
there's a great job to do here in football.
Many people have given impressions
about the state of the club here.
I personally wouldn't say that they're true.
This is a club which will allow me
to manage
and are prepared
to give me a chance.
Bobby Robson, we wish you good luck
as you start.
Thank you very much indeed.
BOBBY: Good morning.
It's Ipswich Football Club here.
It's Mr Robson.
BOBBY: /mean / didn't have any rea/
cred/b///ty as a manager.
That's bloody stupid.
No rea/ experience.
/ was a young greenhorn.
They were tak/ng a chance on me.
I'd like to bring the players
for a light snack, you know
before Norwich City today.
Well, all we want really, it's very simple
all we eat is tea and toast and jam.
When you take over /t's because something
has fa//ed to happen at the club.
Now, they play off two strikers.
That's their four, and that's their four,
the crosses are their four.
I'rn having a bad morning here.
Alright then, with an alternate jump then.
We're simply gonna go out and a rebound,
and out and a rebound
Let's do... let's do a dozen.
Stretch it again.
TERRY: When he first got the job
a /ot of people were say/ng
'We//, who is this guy
and /ook at his track record. '
Alright, fine, that'll do.
But Bobby Robson was well ahead
of his time in every football oapaoity
every football area.
He was miles ahead of his time.
We'll do a scene set here.
BOBBY:
/ ran the club.
And al/ the concepts, al/ the departments
l had a hand in and a say in
at /paw/'ch Town Football Club.
AUDIENCE CHEEFIS AND CLAPS:
Ipswich! Ipswich! Ipswich!
There was no money.
What's the play? What's the play?
Bloody hell.
/ knew that the policy
and the strength of the club
would be in the youth system,
so we worked on that very hard.
If there-'s half of the strikers on you,
accept it as such and knock it in.
Confidence and composure,
just a touch of Jimmy Greaves.
He was certainly a man of his time.
L\/lost managers will develop the first team
because it keeps them in a job
and it must have given him
an enormous satisfaction
to see these young players develop
into international players.
Let's have no regrets, no regrets
at the end of the match.
Now's the time. Do it now.
ALEX:
/t was a fantastic piece of management.
BOBBY:
/ had a very good team in '75
and then we got to the cup final in '78,
COMMENTATOR:
Here they come into the sunshine.
/t's the moment this 700,000 crowd
has waited for.
BOBBY:
Everybody in the who/e area was enraptured.
/ps wich Town /'n the final of the FA Cup,
they 're playing Arsenal.
And nobody gave us a chance.
COMMENTATOR:
Now for Wark. Driven in there!
Oh, he's gone past Nelson,
across the face of the goal.
That's got to be it and it is it.
And /pswich have won
for the first time in their history.
And Bobby Robson,
a sm//e /ight/ng up his face.
Bob, how does it feel to have done it
after waiting for a long time?
Well, it's the best feeling I think
in all the world.
CAF! HORN HONKS
BOBBY: Having won it,
we took it around the county.
/z' always had to have
po//ce protection, of course.
/ took it to some garden fete
and we didn't Hnish t/// ha/f past ten.
And the two po//cemen came back with me
and / slept with the FA Cup
under my bed.
MAN:
Well done, Bobby!
/ can prom/se you that.
Oh, no, no, no.
/ really did.
B O B BY:
Football is entertainment.
What we hope to br/ng to Baroe/ona
is good football.
And to do that we do need players
who can change the game.
The Pres/dent said to me,
'We need bums on seats, Bobby.
We need e top-c/ess striker,
do you know where there is one?'
/ said yes.
/ know there 's a young kid in PSV
that / //ke very much.
/ think he's terrific, but he's a risk.
This was the real Ronaldo,
19 years old from Brazil.
'// fenomeno. '
Ronaldo Nazario,
the best Ronaldo ever.
I never saw the same.
I never saw the same.
My manager calls me
and tells me that Bobby Robson
is crazy to have me in Barcelona.
And I say, 'Oh, my God,
this is a big challengef
FRANK: Bobby said, 'Frank, /have
to be sure he can de//ver. '
This is the most expensive player ever
in a big club as Barcelona.
I cannot go wrong here.
BOBBY:
We #na//y got him at 20 m////on.
The chairman of Barcelona
kept say/ng to me
'Boob y, you know your job depends
on this transfer. '
JOAN: S/r Babb;/'s official start in Barcelona
was the Super Cup against At/etico Madrid.
/Z' was also Fiona/do 's first match.
ANNOUNCER:
Fiona/do!
ANNOUNCER SPEAKS SPANISH
RONALDO:
There was a very big expectation.
L\/Ir Bobby Robson,
he make me feel so calm, so relaxed.
He told me, 'Enjoy yourself,
have fun and bring the cup!'
He was fast, intelligent.
He could do absolutely everything.
JOAN:
Barcelona won 5-2.
/t was a br////ant start
for Sir Bobby in Barcelona.
Ronaldo is special.
He has the physique of a
middleweight boxer.
You know, good shoulders, good biceps,
good body, fantastic legs.
And he is one of the quickest players
I've ever seen with the ball.
FRANK: / never forget the goa/ he scored
against Compostela.
It was unbelievable!
RONALDO:
The goa/ /tse/f was amazing.
But everyone who watched that goal
is surprised about Bobby Robson's reaction.
'Oh, my God. Unbelievable what he did.'
You know, the hands on the head.
'This is unbelievable, this is not real.'
PEP: He was running, running,
/ said, 'Pass the ba//. '
He don't pass the ball.
'Pass the ba//. ' He don't pass the ba//.
And after score a goal, I said,
'Well done, don't pass the ball.'
So that is perfect.
RONALDO: That goal is
one of the best memories / have.
Bobby's reaction for sure
is part of the goal.
Bobby Robson, from the first day,
we had a meeting in one hotel
and he came with a very young person
who was his assistant.
Mr I\/Iourinho.
We said, 'No, it's better that your assistant
would be someone from Barcelona, no?'
No, no, no, no, no.
He insists, he insists, he insists.
Please, please,
'If it's a question of money
part of the money that you give to me
you can give to hirn.'
Well, this is Bobby Robson, eh?
JOAN: When he comes to Barcelona,
Mourinho was Hobson 's right hand.
JOSE:
it was a bit difficu/z' in the beginning.
Mr Hobson cou/dn 't speak any Span/sh.
The penalty...
/ had to obviously he/p.
THEY SPEAK SPANISH
We lost the concentration...
BOBBY SPEAKS SPANISH
Then he was improving step by step.
BOBBY SPEAKS SPANISH
Dribble, dribble, dribble,
semi control, a/ber/on.
Speaks for itself.
JOSE:
The team was really, really good.
F/go, de /a P9/73, Sto/chko v...
BOBBY:
Laurent Blanc, Fernando Couto
J OS E:
G/ca Popescu.
Luis Enrique was playing everywhere.
JOAN: /n the midfield, e legend
of Barcelona, Pep Guerdio/a.
Top three of Barge history.
BOBBY SPEAKS SPANISH
I had already years of experience in football
but never at that level of responsibility.
JOSE: Without fee//ng his trust,
/ cou/dn 't have jumped so fast
to be working with the best players
in the world.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
Our relationship was phenomena/.
Service again!
Concentrate on the service!
Just wait, Mitch.
Don't get in too early, Mitch.
Don't get in too early!
Now you can go.
ALEX: What / always remember of Bobby
was how he was giving of his time.
I think he enjoyed helping
young managers.
/ loved going in to see hirn.
His approach to peep/e was different
from managers of my time.
That's the ball, Eric. Go on, punch it!
Set it up for him, good!
Set it up for him, that's good, again!
/ remember go/ng down to /pswich
before we played them
in the UEFA Cup game
and he invited me to a training session
and I am saying to myself,
'Wait a minute, what is he up to?'
But that was Bobby Robson.
He would have done it for
any young manager.
And I took a lot out
of what he did that day.
PHONE RINGS
Ipswich Town Football Club.
BOBBY: On Monday morning
/t's my turn, if you //ke
and / have to come in
and / have to whistle.
BOBBY WHISTLES
You know, and have the best face
in the club on a Monday morning
because everyone is /ook/ng at me
/ think, you know?
Who motivates the motivator?
ELSIE: Those years were
a great st/mu/ation for him
to get the maximum
out of each of his players.
So there was a tenderness there,
but there was also that drive.
I\/lillsy! l\/Iillsy!
- MAN: Millsy's boxing up again.
Hey, tell Millsy and Warky, man!
And that silly twat!
Come on, let's play football!
I want to voice my opinion
on performances.
Negative, bad play, that's a crap play!
Is that what you get paid for?
To wear a fuckin' shirt and tie out there?
TERRY:
He was tough.
And I hated that play at the end, Butch,
I'll say it again, hate it.
He wanted you to be the best
that you could be.
/f that meant just dangling something
there for you to work on
z'hat's what he did.
We've won a match
and we were very lucky to win it.
Scrapped.
He just had this aura about him.
The first ten minutes is very important.
Go on bite, bite!
That passion came across to us.
Come on, tighter, McCall! Tighter!
And we made it
our pass/on as we//.
The way that we played football,
he was building a fantastic reputation.
Not only in England,
but in Europe as we//.
Come on, you hold up play,
and the same again.
The UEFA Cup //7 '87
it was a step beyond English football.
All season rests on this one, all season!
/z' was a step into the unknown.
He made you fee/ so good
about yourself
and so good about your job.
You went out there
and wanted to do it for him.
BOBBY: We were voted
the best team in Europe.
Not the best team in England.
The best team in Europe.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
JOAN: /Z' was Barcelona 's best start
in the league for 33 years.
CHEMI: But the fans were not enjoying
the football we played at that time.
/ remember we won one game
8-7 at home
and the people, the fans whistled,
the people were not happy.
And he arrived in the locker room
and said 'The people is not happy.
What are they looking for?'
THUNDER CLAPS
BOBBY: The next day one paper said
that Baroe/ona didn't ,o/a y any footba//.
Can you imagine that?
It's a wonderfully huge club,
but it's... it's kind of bonkers.
It's a roadhouse.
The team is winning.
If I change it and we lose,
'Why do you change the team?'
THEY SPEAKS SPANISH
JOAN:
'O/d-fashioned man. '
That is the idea many
of them had of Sir Bobby.
HE YELLS IN SPANISH
They were used to Johan Cruyff
who was sophisticated, a modern guy.
If you write,
'No football, no football, no football.'
'No system, no system, no system!
Then the public will believe you.
In a giant club
l\/lr Flobson was in the middle
of politics and football together.
JOSE:
The people was not against Bobby Robson.
People were against NL?/iez.
PEP: it's not easy to handle Barcelona,
especially especially in that period.
/ /earned when / saw him
how /one/y the manager fee/s.
And in the bad moments,
how always with the typical smile.
For example, in my case, in that situation
it would have been impossible
to react the way he react.
THUNDER FUl\/IBLES
JOHN:
He was at his peak then at Barcelona.
And we wanted Bobby for manager
for Newcastle United.
January, 7997.
We f/ew out to Berce/one
on different routes.
We were doing an illegal approach.
We had to sort of hide our intent.
JOHN CHUCKLES
A delegation came over and talked
to Dad and said they wanted him.
So, incredible situation
of your hometown club.
MARK:
You 're managing Barcelona. What to do?
JOHN:
We met Bobby at the house.
Beautiful garden, /ove/y sunny da y
and E/sie came out with drinks.
We exp/e/ned that Ne wcest/e needed him
and everyone would welcome him back.
He agreed to come.
We were de//gh ted.
And when I rang him that night
and his voice was different.
'You are not corning?' I said. 'Erm...'
I said, 'You're not coming.'
'No, I'm not. I've changed my mind.'
BOBBY: /fl had been in any
other s/tue tion but Barce/one
that would have been for me
but / 'm at Barce/Ona
/ have a two-year contract
the president stood by me.
There was no way that / could
really leave the club.
MARK: What Dad didn't know at that time
was that in his contract
he could be after the first year
moved upstairs, as it were.
JOSE:
/ signed my two- year contract //ke he did.
I never thought that was the case.
JOAN: Bobby thought he was go/ng to be coach
for Baroe/ona for two years.
He didn't know that Barcelona
had planned
to br/ng Louis van Gaa/ in 1997.
He didn't know that at a//.
Well if he knew it,
he would have taken on the Newcastle job.
I think he probably would, yes, yeah.
Gracias.
ELSIE:
We grew up in a v///age called Langley Park
northwest of the city of Durham.
Very much in a mining community.
ALAN:
He was a typical boy from the northeast.
As soon as he could walk, in this area,
you just have to love football.
You just don't have a choice.
BOBBY:
/Z' was a ritual for me
when / was a young boy with my father.
We never missed a Ne wcast/e Un/ted
Hrst team game.
And/ have to tel/ you this.
We 'd be the first people at the gate
at 12 o'c/ook
almost three hours before the kick-off time.
Thank you very much. Enjoy your day.
A//y anvbit/'on was to ,Ola y
for Newcastle United
but the loce/ boy never seemed
to get e chance.
And / thought, 'Thaz"s not for me. '
/ need to go to a club where
/'m go/ng to be given en opportunity.
When he got on the train at Durham
to go to Fulham
and he was looking out the window,
you know, and he was waving
well, I just broke down
to think that...
Was he going to make the grade?
Was he going to be alright?
MAN:
C'mon, Bob! Your turn! Go, Bob, go, go!
BOBBY:
Good team player.
Harder! Go on, Bobby!
He//ab/e.
/ could ,Ola y a bit, yeah.
/ was at West Bromwich A/b/on
at the time.
Did you sign those lads?
And / remember buy/'ng
en evening paper
to f/'nd out what the England squad
would be.
And there / was.
/'m selected!
/'// never forget it.
COMMENTATOR:
/n the ninth minute, Bobby Hobson scored.
BOBBY: There was nothing in my //fe
better than we/k/ng out at Wembley.
What a source of pr/de that is, / tel/ you.
COMMENTATOR:
Douglas to Hobson. And z'hat's it.
A four-n// victory for England.
Just my cuppa, mate.
BOBBY: I've had no greater feeling
in football than that.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
Yeah, sure. I like your tie, James...
JAMES:
Well, we try.
Yeah, very nice.
- Got to try and compete with you.
Shirt's not too clever,
but the tie's lovely.
/ think the England job on/y comes
to you once in your //fet/me.
/z' is the most prestigious job
in my profess/on.
/ know the job has got
some imposs/b///t/es.
/ am go/ng to tackle the few problems
that it has.
Where are you off to now?
The Ideal Home Exhibition?
No.
- You're going home, are you?
Marks and Sparks.
You've just got to get it right.
And if you get it right for the country,
it must be utopia.
CROWD CLAMOUHS
COMMENTATOR:
As the England team /eff the ground
an angry crowd had gathered to vent
their feelings face-to-face.
GARY:
We were on the br/nk of go/ng out.
Bobby was on the br/'nk of losing his job.
We want our money back!
That was an absolute disgrace
That was abysmal!
Robson out! Robson out!
But just when it seemed
it was going to fall apart
Bobby would find something.
You are not out until you are out.
Now, if I surrender and throw
the white flag, everybody does
and I am not going to do that.
A change of system, a change of formula,
a change of personnel.
Whatever it may be, he'd find a way.
Go, pass, pass, pass, pass!
BOBBY:
We have to win against Poland.
We are still capable of doing that.
All is not lost, that's all I'm saying.
GARY:
He turned it round.
COMMENTATOR:
L/neker!
I was convinced I would be left out
because I had not had a great start
to the World Cup.
M/ynarczyk has m/sjuc/geo' it
and L/neker has a hat- trick!
Bobby made my career what it was.
For some reason he stuck with me
and I will be eternally grateful
to him for that
because my life would have been
nowhere near as good without that.
And here is Lineker onside, three-ni/
Argent/na await now.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
BOBBY:
Argent/na with the great Maradona.
/f he 'd played for us,
we wou/d have won the World Cup.
GARY:
Quarter Hna/ of the World Cup.
Two countries that were at war
in the not-too-distant past.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
How does this look?
- I\/IAN: Alright.
Bobby mentioned it.
Even amongst ourselves
you'd talk about it.
BOBBY: if we get deflected
or distracted from the situation
we 're in the middle of nowhere.
We 're go/ng to give it
everything we've got.
Feelings were heightened.
It was noticeable, it was in the air.
HE SIGHS
I haven't seen the television.
All I can go on is what I felt I saw.
COMMENTATOR:
Ma/'ac/one is there, rises above Sh//ton.
But is that goal go/ng to be allowed?
/Z' was a handball,
no question about that.
BOBBY:
Ma/'ac/Ona handled the ball into the goal.
D/dn 'T he ?
Didn't he?
We don't expect decisions
like that at World Cup level.
COMMENTATOR:
Ma/'ac/Ona turns //ke a //tt/e ee/.
He comes away from trouble.
The //tt/e squat man, comes /hs/de Butcher,
/eaves him for dead.
Outside Fenwick,
/eaves him for dead
than puts the ba// away
and that is why Maradona
is the greatest p/a yer in the world.
BOBBY: The first goa/ was
always going to be crucial.
The first goal was
go/ng to win the match.
MAN:
V/ve Argem'/na! V/ve Argentina!
He was raging after that garne,
raging like I've never seen him before.
If anybody is sorry at home
and a bit disappointed
come in the dressing room
come on with me in the dressing room.
GARY: To cheat so blatantly like that
and than take the glory afterwards
it went completely against
what Bobby stood for.
He was a gentleman.
BOBBY: He was at that time
the greatest p/a yer in the world.
He did have the chance to be
the best sportsmen in the world
but he refused it.
He said it was the hand of God.
/ said it was the hand of a rascal.
And /'m right.
Yesterday was the first time we didn't shoot
because yesterday
was the first time we had all 11 players.
Before that we had five players.
What attracted me to Bobby?
The way he walked, I think.
ELSIE: Footballers have a certain
characteristic way of moving.
ELSIE LAUGHS
We just spotted each other,
as peep/e do, as couples do.
JOSE: He was always say/ng
that his wife saved his //fe.
HUVV:
Before the season in Barcelona
she badgered him and he was made
to come for his appointment.
A malignant melanoma
is one of the worst diagnoses you can have
in the heed and neck.
When he first saw
what had happened to him
he burst into tears.
HEART MONITOR BEEPS
BOBBY:
/ had this obturator in my mouth.
/t's //ke a pe/ate which keeps
my face in position.
HUW:
Without that obturator
his face would have effectively
fallen in on the /eff hand side.
/n amongst a// the problems at Barcelona,
he wanted to see me.
/ scoped him and there was a slightly
suspicious area
within the original site.
But I remember him saying,
'Whatever it is, you've got to sort it
because there is no way
I'rn giving up this season!
BOBBY: For the worst coach in the world,
/t's go/ng really fantastic.
Because yesterday / read
that/ was the worst coach in the world.
I find that incredible.
No respect and I find that a disgrace.
That's the story.
And I am angry with you.
JOAN :
He suffered.
He had to fight a /ot in football
and in //fe.
/n that moment, / think the board of directors
would have //ked Bobby to go.
When you're driven like Bobby
and you have a bad time
it's not so much the number of times
you get knocked down
it's the number of times you get up.
Do something about it.
Your next morning
is your more important morning.
ALEX:
Tomorrow is your da y.
CHEMI:
March 12th, 7997.
Oh, my God.
One of the best nights in our lives.
A crazy, crazy night.
BOBBY:
/z' was two-two.
In Spanish Cup football,
the away goals count double.
Very //tt/e in it.
So we though z'.
SPANISH COMMENTARY
You are z'hree-n// down.
Do something.
Ano' / took off Laurent Blanc
and G/ca Popescu
my two most experienced players.
There 's 700,000 people in
that stadium and they are baying.
MARK: /z' was one of my worst feelings
I've had deep down.
How is he feeling wa/k/ng up the tunnel?
You know, that's my father.
And if he loses that match,
he-'s lost his job, he-'s sacked.
JOAN:
Louis van Gaa/ was in the crowd.
And they had taken the decision
to get rid of Sir Bobby.
I think so.
JOSE: Such a powerful club,
/os/ng z'hree-n// at ha/f time.
Would be hard to... to cope with it.
We were absolutely devastated.
PEP: Bobby said, 'We have to p/ay
the second ha/f with our pr/de.
We cannot give up until the end.'
He was talking to everyone
making us believe we could
change that result.
BOBBY:
/ didn't discuss the first ha/ii
/t's gone.
We 're al/ in this together.
The difference is the wil/ and the want
and the motivational force
that you can stir in your players
to go out and work to the bitter end.
Ano' if you oou/d convey that to your players
you 're on to a winner.
Three-two and a big chance.
And then the disaster of a goal.
Another three gee/s to win.
We were completely out of it.
Unless the players are special.
Are special.
You ta/k with them every da y,
you train with them every day
you mot/vate them every da y
for times //ke this
when you are in trouble
and they'// put something back for you.
SPANISH COMMENTARY
JOAN: The who/e Barge history
was there in one moment.
/t was a miracle.
I still have at home a VHS cassette
with this match.
I still have it.
My homage tonight is for the players.
I've been in football 45 years and...
I cannot remember 45 minutes like that.
The way he was talking to us, you know,
make us feel like we have to do it for him.
RONALDO:
He sa ved himself
PEP: /know for him it was
a tough, tough ,oer/od.
I learnt a lot, because in that period
I thought I want to become a manager.
And how he handled that situation,
it was incredible.
I admire him a lot.
/t doesn'z' matter what the media says
when everybody push him.
Always try to be ca/m.
REPORTER: /z"s not the announcement itse/E
but its timing which surprises.
Mr Hobson 's two- year contract
with PSV Eindhoven
has been the subject of we//-informed
speculation before.
The FA co/Wrmed that
the manager wil/ leave /mmediate/y
after the World Cup ends in Ju/y.
The FA have agreed to release Mr Robson
from his contract as manager
of the England team.
GLEN:
The truth Wes, Bobby had been to/d
that his contract would not
be renewed after the World Cup
and he was /ook/ng after his future interests
as you wou/d expect anybody to do.
'Bobby Robson: traitor!
TERRY:
That goes beyond football.
That means that
you've so/d your country out.
And z'hat's something he would
never, ever do.
REPORTER: Some newspapers
//nk news of Hobson 's resignation
with allegations about his pr/vate //fe.
There is absolutely no truth whatsoever
in all the spec...
Garbage!
They were barbaric.
ELSIE:
They used to sit outside of the house
just waiting for anything.
As a woman and as a wife of Bob
it was very, very hard.
It was very hard.
B O B BY:
Journalism changed.
/ was in that circulation war
between two tabloid papers
who fought against each other.
CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
I've got three sons who love football.
You know, probably getting abused
about the damn thing.
How do you think they feel?
MARK:
We wou/d suffer in s//ence, really.
/z' would hinder me go/ng to schoo/
or when / was at college.
It just puts you into a shell that isn't you.
And / remember seeing Dad
with two armed guards.
/ didn't know what had happened
/ thought he 'd been attacked
or there had been a fight.
No, I haven't seen the papers,
I don't intend to.
POLICE OFFICER: Do you want to go
into our office for a while?
Yes, I think that might be a good idea.
And basically nothing had happened.
They had just drawn a game 1-1.
BOBBY:
Wa/k/ng awa y, easy to do that.
Unless you've got that res///ence
and that physical courage
and mental stab/'//'ty
it could crack you.
I just see bastards, to be fair.
'Robson must go.'
A load of bollocks.
BOB BY:
Pau/ Gascoigne.
Some guy.
Crazy as he//.
/ ca// him daft as a brush, and he was.
Daft as a brush.
Yeah, you can't beat that.
So l had to wait until
he was absolutely ready
unti/ we fe/t we could really re/y on him.
He says, 'You play well,
I'm going to pick you for the World Cup.'
COMMENTATOR:
Gascoigne.
Thank you very much.
PAUL:
/ set up three and scored one.
And I always remember him...
'That was fantastiof
I'rn going to spend two hours
with him tomorrow
to try and restore a bit of confidence
you know, he-'s lacking in confidence,
isn't he, the boy.
In the dressing room he went,
'So you guys!
He says, 'We need two footballs.
One for Gazza and one for the rest of you.'
And that was it.
I knew I was the dog's bollocks.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
GARY: The re/at/onsh/Q0 between
Bobby and Gazza was extraordinary.
They had that kind of lovely relationship
that was a lot of joy and a lot of love
but also a lot of frustration
and a lot of tellings-off.
ONLOOKERS LAUGH AND CHEER
I just love chocolate!
/t was worth the risk because
to go and do wel/ in a World Cup
you need something a //tt/e bit different
a //tt/e bit...
something above the normal
and Bobby knew that.
BOBBY:
You've gotta /o ve him and cherish him
and you've got to treat him
slightly different
and not be too strong with him,
because you wil/ /ose him.
PAUL:
You ta/k about a father figure
the guy was phenomena/ for me.
Under Sir Bobby I knew I was safe.
I was safe.
BOBBY:
He just wanted the ba//.
He wanted to make every pass
in the book.
COMMENTATOR:
Gascoigne is behind it...
A chip in there
and P/att has scored!
BOBBY: He loves the big stage,
he's a big match player.
JIM: We didn't think there would be anything
more dramatic than the Be/g/um game
but tonight really was extra special.
COMMENTATOR:
Gascoigne picking it up for England
he's got L/neker forward!
That 's another penalty!
I hate flying, Jim, petrified of flying.
I thought there is no way I'rn going yet.
PAUL: / always remember,
/ ran over to Sir Bobby.
'Thanks for picking me.
Thanks for giving me
the opportunity to become
one of the best players in the world.'
Which I was.
I wish I was home because they tell me
everybody is dancing in the streets.
And, you know, I'd like to be home
to be dancing in the streets
with a lot of our supporters tonight.
LONG BEEF'
GERMAN COMMENTARY
MAN: Can you make sure
somebody is recording?
/ need a shot on this /ine.
They'/'e standing by.
LOU D FOOTBALL OHAN Bobby, he said to us
'England World Cup winners in '66
are immortal, still irnrnortal.'
TERRY: And he wanted us
to be just //ke that.
We wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Just go out there and be immortal.
PAUL:
Remember who is watching you.
England, the Queen, the fans
and your family back at home.
Phew. I went, 'Alright'
BOBBY:
This is the pinnacle, this is the climax
this is what we've worked for.
WHISTLE BLOWS
l had a beautiful job,
worked for beautiful people
and / gave it al/ up
to try to win the World Cup.
You ca/7't do that unless
you've got many qua//ties.
COMMENTATOR: Pau/ Parker,
the man who is go/ng to attack the ba//
it comes off Parker and /t's a goal!
BOBBY:
Cop/ng with pressure.
Not being afraid of pitching yourself
in against the best players in the world.
P/ay/'ng on white hot /7/Qghts.
You need discipline.
Good temperament.
Courage.
You've got to be//eve in yourse/ri
COMMENTATOR:
Here it comes to L/neker. Goa/!
BOBBY:
Be//eve in yourse/ri
You train, you coach, you mot/vate,
you ta/k tactics.
Once that game starts
/ cannot he/p you.
Thaz"s my fear.
That it somehow goes wrong.
COMMENTATOR:
Here 's Gasco/gne...
WHISTLE BLOWS
BOBBY: My heart sank the moment
the referee took out the yellow card.
That kid won 'Z' ,Ola y in the final.
Now listen, listen to nve.
We know you can't p/ay in the f/na/.
But what you can do, son,
is make sure everybody e/se does.
Get them into the f/na/.
WHISTLE BLOWS
We knew it might come to pene/ties.
We practiced it.
/ was vary confidant about the players
we had on the pitch.
L/neker. ..
CROWD ROARS
Beards/e y...
CROWD ROARS
David P/att...
Stuart Pearce...
Good character, tough /ad...
Didn 't think he cou/d miss.
WHISTLE BLOWS
COMMENTATOR:
Sa ved! Oh, no./
The Germans with a chance
to go 4-3 ahead.
And they have!
BOBBY:
Chrissy Wada'/e...
He could take penalties in tra/ning
with his eyes closed.
Things get to you, / guess.
WHISTLE BLOWS
COMMENTATOR:
Oh, he's missed it!
West Germany go into the f/na/!
And England sad, sad, sad/y are out!
BOBBY:
There wasn 't any doubt in my mind
that had we beaten West Germany
on that particular day
we wou/d have won the World Cup
for the second time.
ELSIE:
Oh, so close, so close.
But...
There we are.
PAUL: He just sa/o', 'Look, you've done
yourself proud, your fam//y proud
England proud and you've made me proud.
And when you get back to home
you've gotta remember
that all you's are gonna be legends.'
BOBBY: Where do you go
after you've /eff the England job?
/ decided / 'd //ke to work abroad.
FANFARE PLAYS ON TRUMPE MUSIC:
Band plays "Ol, Ol, Ol"
FRANK: Normally, the England coaches
stayin England.
They don't go out of their comfort zone,
because of new languages, new mentality.
Bobby was the opposite.
WOMAN SPEAKS DUTCH PHRASE
BOBBY BEPEATS DUTCH PHRASE
BOBBY BEPEATS DUTCH PHBASES
He was never afraid of e challenge.
Two years he was in PSM
two times champion.
PLAYERS SING
He was really enjoying work abroad.
JOSE: Different places, different culture,
different way of living.
BOBBY:
/ went to Lisbon, it was a magnificent city.
Another country, another philosophy,
another form of footbe//.
Rui, Hui, Rui, Hui, Rui!
BOBBY YELLS IN POBTUGUESE
/ soon got a job up in Porto.
Wonderful club,
wonderful p/ace to /ive in.
I won the Portuguese Cup
and two championships
and I loved every minute of it.
He was a guy, Sir Bobby,
he loves to eat
and I remember the buffet
in Catalonia, in Spain
the food is different than here.
And, wow, every time he says,
'Wow, this is so good, that is so good.'
Like a little boy,
you discover something new.
JOSE: / was always fee//ng
he had friends everywhere.
/n Lisbon he was a Lisbon man.
/n Porto he was a Porto man.
In Barcelona he become a Catalan.
MAN:
Hey, Sir Bobby!
CHURCH BELL CHll\/IES
BOBBY: When you win here
et the biggest club in the world
and you are making 110,000 people
who sit in the stadium very happy
and the who/e of Catalonia,
which is their country, very content
it's a very rewarding feeling.
Football here is the only sport.
They don't really have golf
or tennis or rugby
or cricket or badminton
or canoeing or rock climbing
you know or trampolining.
They don't have sports like that,
they have football.
Footba// to them is a way out.
Ano' footballers here are heroes.
Footballers and matadors.
SPANISH COMMENTARY
RONALDO:
/ was so young
and Mr Bobby Robson,
he was he/p/ng me a /ot
with al/ the sk///s and movement.
/ was so happy to be there with him.
BOBBY YELLS IN SPANISH
I think it was the best year ever
of Ronaldo.
JOSE:
He was //ke a dad to him
understand/ng
the Braz///an kid personality
at the same time giving him the freedom
to be Fiona/do on the pitch.
RONALDO:
/ was playing my best
with people who / love.
He trusted me a /ot.
That was everything / wanted.
BOBBY:
And you know something about Fiona/do?
When we beat Paris Sa/nt-Germain
that is the first pr/ze that
he's won in football.
JOAN: The best th/ng of the match
was the atmosphere.
Between the crowd, players
and Bobby Robson.
They were in /ove with him.
JOAN:
He knew he was doing we//.
The team is W/nn/ng.
/ deserve to keep the job.
JOSE: The rumours about Mr Hobson
is go/ng to leave at the end of the season
didn't affect him at a//.
He was the idea/ person
to keep doing his job
and with my personality I never hide
my feelings and I was very open.
THEY SPEAK IN SPANISH
JOAN:
The boaro' of directors were telling Bobby
that if he did a good job
you are go/ng to be
our coach for two years.
They were not 100 per cent
honest to Bobby.
JOAN GASPART:
/ must tel/ you one thing.
I never said a lie to Bobby.
THEY SPEAK SPANISH
CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK
Errn...
BOBBY: /t was co/Wrmed to me that
the /ong- term future of the club
wil/ be in hands of Louis van Gaa/.
The president decides to use me
for nice things and bad things, no?
When he decides to tell Bobby,
'Next year we will have another trainer,'
he say, 'Joan, tell hirn.'
JOAN GASPART:
/z' was not a nice day for me.
I worked in a situation in Barcelona
which had no patience.
No patience.
You understand patience? Understand?
Wait, espera, give us a chance!
PEP:
People forget how tough was everybody
in this year and how he react.
Even in that moment, he was focused.
JOAN: Bobby knew that it was his final match
as coach.
He was desperate to win that match.
PEP:
We p/ay in Bernabu.
And of course winning in Madrid,
for a Barcelona team, is spec/a/.
L/Wth him / understood
how important are the relations
the communication
and the feedback with your players.
That / /earned from Sir Bobby.
WHISTLE BLOWS
SPANISH COMMENTARY
CROWD ROARS
MUSIC: "El Cant del Barqa"
JOAN: For the first time
in the history of football
the Barge anthem sounded
at the highest volume in Bernebeu.
Barcelona won titles
in the last 20 years
but before, not too much regularly.
The season was amazing.
BOBBY:
No, it's probably the first time in history
so I've made history.
BOBBY:
/f /ast August / said to the president
'Look/ wil/ give you this
and/ wil/ give you this
and/ wil/ give you th/s,'
he wou/d have said, 'You W///?'
We've had a fantastic season,
a m//'ac/e of a season.
Visca /a Barge! V/sca Catalunya!
JOAN: E/ect/ons to presidency
should be taken in 1998
but NU/792 brought them forward to 1997
because of the success that Hobson
had brought the club.
And NU/792 won those elections easily.
CH EM I:
Finally Bobby became an adviser
and van Gaa/ became the first team coach.
Bobby accepted that situation
as ,oart of football
which not always is fair.
BOBBY:
Barcelona wil/ always be in my heart.
If you 're a fantastic painter,
you 're never rich unti/ you 're dead
and / think it happens with managers.
You 're never appreciated
unti/ you've gone.
The season started
and / wasn'z' in charge of a football club.
/ remember say/ng to my wife,
'/ don't //ke this, E/sie.
And /'m not go/ng to go to the supermarket
on a Saturday afternoon ever again. '
REPORTER:
You to/d me Barcelona is going to be...
The /est job, is go/ng to be the end.
BOBBY:
But I've been saying that for 20 years
so thaz"s not a change.
/ ca/7't give up the drug.
HUW:
He was addicted.
Stress in itself hes been
/inked to cancer
but for him it was essential.
He wou/dn 't function properly
without his football drug.
BOBBY: Do l need the hassle
of what football does to you?
Yeah, I need it, yeah, 'cause I love it.
As long as / fee/ this way
/ want to keep working.
/ am immersed in football.
/t's my god!
ALEX: His father tak/ng him 25 mi/es
to watch Ne wcast/e p/a y.
The team he was brought up with
his team that he /oved.
Eventually getting back to his hometown
that was his greatest moment I think.
REPORTER;
He's coming in.
If you're listening, gallery, Flobson's coming
into the press conference.
It's like completing the circle.
We just got back to our roots.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
FREDDY: / am de//ghted to introduce
the new manager of Newcastle Un/ted
Bobby Robson.
Bobby, welcome home to Newcastle.
APPLAUSE
REPORTER:
How about the age factor, Bobby?
A lot of people have been mentioning
your 66 years of age?
Yeah. You fancy a run of 100 metres?
AUDIENCE LAUGHS
You are either 66 years old
or 66 years young, aren't you?
You know, you have a choice.
ALAN:
Ne wcast/e were in turmoil.
The dress/ng room was broke.
And there is one guy
that could come and save Newcastle United.
BOBBY: My background,
knowing what the Geordie pass/on is
what football means to the Northeast
/ had a feeling for the club
and a des/re for the club
that no other manager had.
So when / came here,
/ just knew / cou/dn 't fa//.
JOHN LAUGHS
Magnificent, wonderful, mind boggling.
COMMENTATOR:
Shearer!
JOHN: /z' was everything that the fans
could have wanted.
COMMENTATOR:
Shearer, a ha z'- trick!
ALAN: /got #ve goals,
we scored eight as a team.
And that was it,
we were back on the right track.
And it was all thanks to Sir Bobby.
BOBBY:
/t's beyond my W//dest dreams
and beyond expectations
/ wou/o' have thought.
So... not a bad start.
PEP:
/'m go/ng to explain something secret.
After the period in Barcelona,
he went to Newcastle
and I sent him a mail to offer me
to go with him to play with Newcastle.
And one of my dreams
would have been to play in England.
He answers me and say,
'It is not possible
because I have a lot of qualities,'
and I say, 'You are right'
But even in the tough moments,
he was always so kind.
He writes e s/mp/e /etter
that sometimes means more.
It's beautiful... It's like he was...
You know?
Bobby is one of the nicest, nicest persons
/ ever met in my //fe.
BOBBY:
Left and right! Left and right!
Pass, good pass, quality, good.
When I see Bobby Robson
I think about that word 'enthusiastic.'
So, come on, Thom, play, play, play!
Yeah!
When I got to my mid-60s
it's very difficult to keep your enthusiasm.
Niki for Roy! Niki for Roy!
SHOUTS AT PLAYERS
People ta/k about what makes
a great manager.
Well, we-'ve got other things
to do now.
Other things to do now.
You've got to forget about that.
That's football.
Someone who can create
en energy source for as /eng as he's done
/z"s something special.
Talk, talk!
Talk for it, go on, like I'm talking to you!
It's like a bloody mouse sometimes!
You can't go down the chem/st's
and buy that.
FRANK: At PSV where we were
in our tra/ning ground
it's surrounded by trees,
it's a beautiful place.
When we have two or three /eps,
he stopped
and said, 'Liste-n, guys, look around,
take a look.
Is it not beautiful?
You could have been now,
it's now 10 o'olock
you could have been now in the factory
from seven o'clock to five o'olock
and you wouldn't
you wouldn't experience this.'
That was Bobby.
That foundation he got
through his parents
mining district, working-class people
those values never /eff him.
JOHN:
They are very much soc/a/ist values.
When you /ive in a mining village,
you /ive in a community.
/z"s never about yourse/ri
/t's always about other people.
ALAN: /fit wash 't for him,
then / would have /eft the football club.
I wasn't getting on with
the previous management.
I didn't know where to go,
I didn't know what to do
what I was doing right,
what I was doing wrong.
He knew stra/ghta way
what made me tick.
He saved Newcastle
and he also saved my career.
COMMENTATOR:
Shearer!
He took e football o/ub
from the bottom of the Premier League
into Champions League football.
COMMENTATOR:
And a chance for Ameobi!
What a story that is!
JOHN:
The times in Europe were so exciting.
COMMENTATOR:
/t's Kieron Dyer... Past van Wonderen...
Be//anvyl /t's in!
Has there ever been a more dramatic night
in the Champions League?
Looking at Newcastle
I think they had something like
14 managers in my time at United.
He was the one manager
who brought stability.
Want to win it, want to pass it,
want to get it.
Good luck, eh. Come on.
Battle, eh, battle!
ALEX: At that point
it could have been a great club.
ANNOUNCER:
Bobby Hobson!
CROWD ROARS
BOBBY: /t's the fu/f/'/ment of my //fe
to be manager of Newcastle United.
/ don't want to overstay
my welcome here.
You know, the moment the pub/io
or the ,o/ayers or the board
think, 'Bobby, you are getting a bit old,
and it's about...'
I'll know and I'll jack it in.
CROWD CHANTS:
Robson,Robson,Robson,Robson!
ALAN:
Bobby was a showman.
REPORTER:
Can you do something for level, Bobby?
Yes. No breakfast, but lunch.
That's nice.
- Thank you.
With peas?
- No, beans.
Very good.
I used to think to myself,
'Is this guy all there?'
Yeah, but if you ask me rude questions
I'll kill you on screen,
so come on, let's go!
He was funny
and he didn't mean to be funny.
Sometimes he didn't know he was funny.
Oh!
But d'you know what,
it was all part of him.
Right, do you want me autograph?
KIDS CHEEH
Yes, he was likeable and all that,
but boy he had an edge.
REPORTER: Sir Bobby you took the job
in 1983 as England manager.
What were your feelings...
- No, actually, '82 actually.
'82.
- Get it right.
Start again, eh? '82.
BOBBY:
/ tel/ you what.
If you're not bright,
if you don't know answers
if you don't know football,
they will bury you.
And they haven't buried me.
Not yet.
Bye bye.
REPORTER: Does your wife Elsie
approve of your continual work/ng
at this most demanding /eve/?
BOBBY: Off the record,
she thinks /'m bloody stupid.
She thinks /'m crazy.
ELSIE: He would always talk to anybody
about football, always.
Did you ever see Bobby Moore play?
When he was in position,
he always could plant it
and he could always drop into the hole.
Nothing was as urgent as just speaking
to someone about the game.
And he's a great penalty taker, you know?
'Cause he knows...
He always makes up his mind what he's
gonna do and never deviates from it.
That was the urgency.
If you hit that well,
you'll be out in the next parish, yeah.
BOBBY: My wife keeps say/ng to me,
'You must take time for you/'se/ii '
A/ex Ferguson said that to me.
What, three is the right club?
For me.
'Take time for you/'se/Ji
Take time to smell the roses. '
I hope you got that.
I hope you got that! By Christ!
ELSIE:
We had this kind of agreement
that when he was at home,
we didn't ta/k a /ot about football.
He didn't talk to me intimately
about those thoughts
that were going round in his head.
MARK:
Dad was immersed in it.
We don't see him much, if at a//.
And we were al/ passionate about football
but we never had the chance to ta/k.
He didn't want to be separated,
but he was.
That was a shame
because lots of people say to /779,
you know
'What was it like talking to your dad
about certain players or matche-s?'
And I say, 'Well, I never did,
literally never did.'
BOBBY: Are there any times
when / don't //'ke Bobby Robson?
/ spent maybe too much time
at the club
when / should have been home
e bit earlier.
/ fee/ that / have been removed
from my fam//y
and / didn't give my family the time
that most husbands do, / think.
CROWD ROARS
JOHN:
/z' was the sem/-Hna/ of the UEFA Cup.
We /ost and e depression
came over the club.
We al/ took it bad/y
and the fans took it bad/y.
There? Other side? OK.
ALAN:
/t was becoming a very d/fHcu/t per/od.
There were young players
who had issues.
You won't get much out of me,
it's a wasted question.
REPORTER 1: Well, I just think
we look silly if we don't ask it.
You can, but it's a wasted question.
- OK, fine.
REPORTER 2: Can you clear up all the talk
of a training ground bust-up?
BOBBY:
It's a storm in a teacup.
No, I never say I'd settle for nil-nil.
When did I say I'd settle for nil-nil?
I'rn not prepared to comment
about the incident.
The incident is closed,
it's been dealt with.
We will speak to him today,
obviously, firmly.
And we don't have a single second
of problems.
ALAN:
Players were on so much money
and not showing him
and the football club respect
which he found very d/fHcu/t.
FREDDY: Many times players
were out of order with him.
He said, 'No, we '// give
them another chance. '
He cou/d never find the dark side
of anybody.
How's my hair, alright?
Alright? Just come off
the training ground. OK?
First team players approached
Freddy Shepherd
and said, 'You're going
to have to do something.
There's problems in the dressing room,
problems with the players.'
But Bobby still felt he could do it.
REPORTER:
Good luck, Sir Bobby.
Thank you.
BOBBY:
/'m Hghting attitudes.
And if / ha Ve 2"O fight if, /'// f/Qght it.
REPORTER 1: Newcastle Un/ted
are tonight stepping up their Search
for a new manager.
REPORTER 2: Newcastle Un/ted manager,
Sir Bobby Robson, is sacked.
REPORTER 1: closing the book on one
of football's greatest characters.
What I've come out for is to show
you a bit of courtesy.
Because you could stay here
for seven hours
and I don't want you to do that.
You've got a home and a family
to go to I should think
and I would suggest
that you do that.
FREDDY:
/z' was //ke shooting Bambi.
But as chairman of the club,
/ had to do it.
I don't think there was a person
in this world who could understand it.
ALEX:
/ cou/drl'z' be//eve it.
JOHN:
/ was bas/ca//y in favour.
If you cannot pull
your dressing room together
then you've got a problem
and management get paid
for making these decisions.
/t actually didn't start from us,
it started with the players.
They were cruel in many, many ways.
They were responsible
for getting Bobby the sack.
ALEX:
/t was a club of confusion.
They should have been say/ng
'Bobby, I want you to bring the man
who is gonna replace you
to continue with someone who believes
in what you've done here
and make it an institution.
JOHN: DeHnite/y, we wanted
him to go upstairs
and to be an ambassador for the club
and to do what he's good at.
That was the difference of opinion
between Freddy and Bobby at the time.
ALAN:
When you /ook at Newcastle Un/ted now
and over the years once he had left
you certainly rea//se
what an incredible job he had done.
I think it was a hasty decision, yeah.
I've had five fabulous years
here with everybody.
BOBBY:
And / wil/ be their biggest fan after this.
Not been easy for me today,
but that's football
and I have to get on with my life.
He was very heartbroken
when he was guillotined.
He didn't recover
from that very quickly, at all.
REPORTER: Will you be going on to
manage another olub in the future?
Well, I have nothing to say about that.
I'm just...
Getting over the situation
and I'll think about
what I have to do for the rest of my life
when it all settles down.
Thank you very much.
- REPORTER: Thanks very much.
MARK: That was the Crue//est cut
to him in his who/e career.
His world fel/ apart.
We can't be/ie ve it st///.
Brute/.
PAUL:
He was obsessed with football.
Totally obsessed with football.
This is what I'd have been doing
if it wasn't for Sir Bobby.
Cheers, Sir Bobby.
I'd have been like that,
wheelin' a barrow.
I guarantee if you named a player,
any player in the world
he would know what he had for breakfast,
what number his house was
what country he comes from,
how old he is, the whole lot.
He was obsessed.
When he got sacked, he rang us up
and he said, 'What you do/ng?'
/ said, 'Noth/ng, /'m sitting here bored. '
He went, '/'m coming to pick you up. '
I've had my troubles
and my bad ways in me //fe but...
Bobby Hobson
was on the phone tw/ce a week:
'Are you OK? Do you want help?
Where are you? Can I come and see you?'
It got to the stage where strangers
would come up to us
when I was in Newcastle
and I had to say, 'Has Sir Bobby sent you?'
'Yeah.' Tell him I'rn OK today.
I don't know about tomorrow.
The guy that could have done anything
to spend most of his time
worrying about me
was so, so, so unbelievable.
Sand, earth, Sir Bobby.
ELSIE: He did what he wanted to do
with his own /ife.
No one e/se stopped him,
nothing curtailed him
not even /ack of hee/th.
BOBBY:
Out of the b/ue
somebody is te///ng me
I've got a ma//gnant tumour on the brain.
'Was it dange/'ous?' / said.
They said yes.
'Was it //fe-th/'eaz'ening?'
They said yes.
HUW: The dec/s/on was taken
to have brain surgery.
More deposits appeared in his lung,
which meant it was term/na/.
HEART MONITOR BEEPS
And once you've got /L/ng involvement
the timescale shortens dramatically.
But he never asked me that
and / never to/d him.
REPORTER: He has always been a fighter,
as a manager
and as a men who is battling cancer
for the Hfth time in 75 years.
That's why he /aunoheo' the Sir Bobby Hobson
Foundation this morn/ng.
Get the 20,000 in, won't you?
Never mind my face,
get the 20,000 in!
ELSIE:
/t was a great challenge for him
and / think z'hat's what drove him
so much in his //fe.
The next challenge.
He considered himself
at the he/m of a team again.
Yeah, beautiful day.
BOBBY:
We have fundraisers all over the country.
It's a remarkable story.
ELSIE:
He didn't have a be//ef in God
but he did have an inner strength.
He found it very hard
when his father died.
He sew his father as being immortal.
/ think a /ot of men are //ke that.
They don't accept that they can be ill.
That was Bob 's way
of dealing with things.
Maybe that's a good, you know,
armour.
BOBBY:
/ love //fe and / want to //ve.
/ can't sw/ng the club anymore
and / can't cross ba//s
with my /eff foot
but /'nv alive.
REPORTER: How has it been
for yourself this time around?
Oh, a thrill a minute.
I can't wait for the next one.
Well, you have to fight.
/f you give up, you are Hn/shed,
you 're dead.
This, ladies and gentleman,
is Fabio's next team.
I said I would do it for my first year,
but it looks as though I'rn here to stay.
I've got longer than
a football league manager.
LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
/t gives me great pleasure
to ofHc/a//y declare
the S/r Bobby Hobson Cancer
Trials Research Centre
wel/ and tru/y opened.
APPLAUSE
ALAN: He was always go/ng
to do something specia/
and /ee ve something special behind.
Follow the guys in the white coats!
HUW: Healthcare, /z"s very expensive,
you need money
and he was the primary mover in raising
that money for the Foundation.
/z"s one of the foremost un/ts
now in Europe.
BOBBY:
Cancer doesn't discriminate.
No one is immune from it.
Whilst I will be remembered
because of my life through football
the legacy that / would prefer
to be remembered by
is the fact that / ra/sed some money
which in time and in turn wil/ save //ves.
CROWD CHEERS
PAUL:
/t was a charity game
and he was getting
pushed along in the wheelchair.
All I could hear him say was,
'Where's Gazza? Where's Gazza?'
I went, 'lt's me, Sir Bobby, it's Gazza.'
And he looked up...
He just said...
'Play well.'
That's all he said.
He said, 'Play well, Gazza.'
ELSIE:
/ know he didn't want to die.
/ know for a fact he did not want to die.
Some people will accept death
but he felt he was being robbed.
BOBBY:
Yeah, I can hear you, Ian, yes.
JOSE:
/ miss him.
But / remember him.
I can hear him perfectly actually.
- MAN: Can you?
Perfectly.
The most dramatic thing for me at the time
was to lose a football matoh.
This isn't live, is it?
He was saying, 'Be happy,
because around the corner
the other guys were happy.'
He was always trying to find a reason
to be happy
even in the difficult moments.
Jimmy, after what I've handled
over the last three days
I can handle you.
TERRY:
He always used to say to me
Butcher. ..
Whenever / pick you,
you never /et me down. '
And if someone says that to you,
wow, it's just...
You'd go through
hell and high water for them.
You can always have a few days
in Majorca, Butch.
I can always take you
to the Costa del Sol.
I would put him alongside
Muhammad Ali in football words.
He was more than a manager, more.
More than anything.
JOAN GASPART:
Barcelona is more than a club.
Bobby Robson was more than a coach.
JOAN GASPART SPEAKS SPANISH
RONALDO: We have so many people
that has /earnt a /ot from him.
His legacy is still alive
and he gonna stay alive forever.
BOBBY SPEAKS DUTCH
- CHEEBS
PEP: To win titles in Holland,
in Porta/ga/, in Spain.
To survive in different places
and have success...
That is why Bobby is spec/a/.
GARY:
/f you consider what he's done
I would say the best
English manager of all time.
ALEX: / remember one day /'m sitting
in my house and my phone goes.
'Alex, it's Bobby here-.'
'Hi Bobby,' I said, 'where are you?'
He says, 'I'm outside your door.'
So he comes outside my door
and I says,
'Well, you better come in!'
I didn't like you Saturday,
but I like you tonight.
He had that wonderfu/ nature about him.
You always think, oh, he helped me
when / was a young coach.
I don't forget that.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
Eric, your right foot's gone
like your left!
I remember him every day
and I tell stories about him.
JOSE: We laugh with the stories,
we remember him in the right we y.
A person only dies
when the last person
that loves him dies.
BOBBY:
/ tel/ you.
/ tel/ you.
/t was a //fe of pressure...
A great deal of tension...
A great dee/ of emotion...
But there was a/so
a great dee/ of excitement.
You can't /ose that thrill
'cause let me ask you this...
How many people get that chance?
The guy in the street?
Or the fe//a you are gonna
sit next to on the train?
Or the taxi dr/ver?
Do they have that chance?
You have that chance.
CROWD ROARS
You 're lucky.
BOBBY: How's my hair? Alright, Gerry?
- GEBBY: Yep.
Hope you get the flowers in the garden,
get a bit of colour
just to show them the paradise
I'm living in.
Get the trees in, the grass,
the p/so/na, that's the swimming pool,
the /ard/n is the garden,
f/ores is the flowers...
GEBBY: I'rn recording.
- BOBBY: Come on, Gerry, let's go.
BOBBY: From my ear/y days
/ always knew what/ wanted to do.
/t was in my blood.
And it ain't gonna come easy, is it?
Ain't just gonna come out of the sky.
You gotta make things happen.
/ never knew where it would lead me.
It just says here, 'Wishing you
the best of luck against Paraguay.'
Burt Humphries, chimney sweep.
He's from Birmingham.
Where do / begin to tel/ the story
of a greater /ove than this?
AUDIENCE CHEERS
/ remember everything.
How long have you got?
/ came home when / was work/ng in Porta/ga/.
My wife said, '/'ve arranged for you
to see the doctor about your sinuses. '
The surgeon said,
'/'ve got some very grave news for you.
You have a malignant melanoma
in your nose inside your head.
You need an operation yesterday. '
They out me from the corner of my eye
around the contour of my nostri/
and through my /ip
which they completely severed.
Then they pinned the f/ap of my face
almost to my ear
took my teeth out
and went through the roof of my mouth.
HUW: Patients always want to know,
'How long have / got, Doc?'
But you can 'Z' predict.
For his diagnosis the vast majority
of the patients do not survive.
Two to three years would be good.
BOBBY:
What we suggest you do is you ret/re.
People with this don't go back to work.
Well, they didn't know Bob
the way I knew him.
REPOHTEHS SPEAK SPANISH
Muy different! Muches!
ELSIE:
/t was his dream to go to manage Barcelona.
We've come here to work hard,
we've come here to produce a winning team
to get results
and to play effective football.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
BOBBY:
I/Ve//, / had been to Barcelona before
because we had played against them.
So / knew the magnificence of the c/ub,
the expectations.
JOSE: /t was spot on when they chose
Mr Hobson to be the next one, spot on.
Barcelona was a really difficult moment
because it was the moment of the conflict
between the club and Johan Cruyff.
I follow a legend.
A legend!
Johan Cruyff was the most
influential person in Barcelona
in terms of the way we want to play,
the way we want to be.
PEP:
/t was a tough, tough task.
BOBBY:
/ went into a political storm.
The city was sp/it,
ha/f of them d/dh't want him
because he had been there eight years
and the /ast two years they'd won nothing
and the other he/f absolutely adored him.
How do you follow Johan Cruyff?
JOAN: The president of the club
was Josep L/we NU/792.
He had been president for 18 years.
JOAN:
There were supposed to be elections in 1998.
The board of directors sacked Cruyff
and they needed to win titles.
/z"s //ke any player of the world
coming after Messi.
I am not afraid to follow him.
When the President
of the United States leaves
they have to get another
President of the United States.
H UW:
He was just inc/'ed/b/e.
He takes over the most d/fHcu/t job
in the world, Barcelona.
/ was thrilled for him, ob vious/y,
because he wanted to do it
but we didn't know
how long he was go/ng to survive.
BOBBY:
/t didn't worry me. / was/7't afraid of it.
I've had a long /ife,
and so / am experienced
and / fe/t that / could handle it, you know?
STATIC CRACKLES
Eastern sport begins this week at the scene
of today's big story at Portman Road
the home of Ipswich Town Football Club.
This is a club of which former manager
Jackie Milburn said this weekend
'It's only got one way to go,
and that's down.'
This is the club that Bobby Robson
today took over.
Bobby, why?
Well, of course you've given me a lovely
controversial question to begin with.
I've come here because I'rn sure that
there's a great job to do here in football.
Many people have given impressions
about the state of the club here.
I personally wouldn't say that they're true.
This is a club which will allow me
to manage
and are prepared
to give me a chance.
Bobby Robson, we wish you good luck
as you start.
Thank you very much indeed.
BOBBY: Good morning.
It's Ipswich Football Club here.
It's Mr Robson.
BOBBY: /mean / didn't have any rea/
cred/b///ty as a manager.
That's bloody stupid.
No rea/ experience.
/ was a young greenhorn.
They were tak/ng a chance on me.
I'd like to bring the players
for a light snack, you know
before Norwich City today.
Well, all we want really, it's very simple
all we eat is tea and toast and jam.
When you take over /t's because something
has fa//ed to happen at the club.
Now, they play off two strikers.
That's their four, and that's their four,
the crosses are their four.
I'rn having a bad morning here.
Alright then, with an alternate jump then.
We're simply gonna go out and a rebound,
and out and a rebound
Let's do... let's do a dozen.
Stretch it again.
TERRY: When he first got the job
a /ot of people were say/ng
'We//, who is this guy
and /ook at his track record. '
Alright, fine, that'll do.
But Bobby Robson was well ahead
of his time in every football oapaoity
every football area.
He was miles ahead of his time.
We'll do a scene set here.
BOBBY:
/ ran the club.
And al/ the concepts, al/ the departments
l had a hand in and a say in
at /paw/'ch Town Football Club.
AUDIENCE CHEEFIS AND CLAPS:
Ipswich! Ipswich! Ipswich!
There was no money.
What's the play? What's the play?
Bloody hell.
/ knew that the policy
and the strength of the club
would be in the youth system,
so we worked on that very hard.
If there-'s half of the strikers on you,
accept it as such and knock it in.
Confidence and composure,
just a touch of Jimmy Greaves.
He was certainly a man of his time.
L\/lost managers will develop the first team
because it keeps them in a job
and it must have given him
an enormous satisfaction
to see these young players develop
into international players.
Let's have no regrets, no regrets
at the end of the match.
Now's the time. Do it now.
ALEX:
/t was a fantastic piece of management.
BOBBY:
/ had a very good team in '75
and then we got to the cup final in '78,
COMMENTATOR:
Here they come into the sunshine.
/t's the moment this 700,000 crowd
has waited for.
BOBBY:
Everybody in the who/e area was enraptured.
/ps wich Town /'n the final of the FA Cup,
they 're playing Arsenal.
And nobody gave us a chance.
COMMENTATOR:
Now for Wark. Driven in there!
Oh, he's gone past Nelson,
across the face of the goal.
That's got to be it and it is it.
And /pswich have won
for the first time in their history.
And Bobby Robson,
a sm//e /ight/ng up his face.
Bob, how does it feel to have done it
after waiting for a long time?
Well, it's the best feeling I think
in all the world.
CAF! HORN HONKS
BOBBY: Having won it,
we took it around the county.
/z' always had to have
po//ce protection, of course.
/ took it to some garden fete
and we didn't Hnish t/// ha/f past ten.
And the two po//cemen came back with me
and / slept with the FA Cup
under my bed.
MAN:
Well done, Bobby!
/ can prom/se you that.
Oh, no, no, no.
/ really did.
B O B BY:
Football is entertainment.
What we hope to br/ng to Baroe/ona
is good football.
And to do that we do need players
who can change the game.
The Pres/dent said to me,
'We need bums on seats, Bobby.
We need e top-c/ess striker,
do you know where there is one?'
/ said yes.
/ know there 's a young kid in PSV
that / //ke very much.
/ think he's terrific, but he's a risk.
This was the real Ronaldo,
19 years old from Brazil.
'// fenomeno. '
Ronaldo Nazario,
the best Ronaldo ever.
I never saw the same.
I never saw the same.
My manager calls me
and tells me that Bobby Robson
is crazy to have me in Barcelona.
And I say, 'Oh, my God,
this is a big challengef
FRANK: Bobby said, 'Frank, /have
to be sure he can de//ver. '
This is the most expensive player ever
in a big club as Barcelona.
I cannot go wrong here.
BOBBY:
We #na//y got him at 20 m////on.
The chairman of Barcelona
kept say/ng to me
'Boob y, you know your job depends
on this transfer. '
JOAN: S/r Babb;/'s official start in Barcelona
was the Super Cup against At/etico Madrid.
/Z' was also Fiona/do 's first match.
ANNOUNCER:
Fiona/do!
ANNOUNCER SPEAKS SPANISH
RONALDO:
There was a very big expectation.
L\/Ir Bobby Robson,
he make me feel so calm, so relaxed.
He told me, 'Enjoy yourself,
have fun and bring the cup!'
He was fast, intelligent.
He could do absolutely everything.
JOAN:
Barcelona won 5-2.
/t was a br////ant start
for Sir Bobby in Barcelona.
Ronaldo is special.
He has the physique of a
middleweight boxer.
You know, good shoulders, good biceps,
good body, fantastic legs.
And he is one of the quickest players
I've ever seen with the ball.
FRANK: / never forget the goa/ he scored
against Compostela.
It was unbelievable!
RONALDO:
The goa/ /tse/f was amazing.
But everyone who watched that goal
is surprised about Bobby Robson's reaction.
'Oh, my God. Unbelievable what he did.'
You know, the hands on the head.
'This is unbelievable, this is not real.'
PEP: He was running, running,
/ said, 'Pass the ba//. '
He don't pass the ball.
'Pass the ba//. ' He don't pass the ba//.
And after score a goal, I said,
'Well done, don't pass the ball.'
So that is perfect.
RONALDO: That goal is
one of the best memories / have.
Bobby's reaction for sure
is part of the goal.
Bobby Robson, from the first day,
we had a meeting in one hotel
and he came with a very young person
who was his assistant.
Mr I\/Iourinho.
We said, 'No, it's better that your assistant
would be someone from Barcelona, no?'
No, no, no, no, no.
He insists, he insists, he insists.
Please, please,
'If it's a question of money
part of the money that you give to me
you can give to hirn.'
Well, this is Bobby Robson, eh?
JOAN: When he comes to Barcelona,
Mourinho was Hobson 's right hand.
JOSE:
it was a bit difficu/z' in the beginning.
Mr Hobson cou/dn 't speak any Span/sh.
The penalty...
/ had to obviously he/p.
THEY SPEAK SPANISH
We lost the concentration...
BOBBY SPEAKS SPANISH
Then he was improving step by step.
BOBBY SPEAKS SPANISH
Dribble, dribble, dribble,
semi control, a/ber/on.
Speaks for itself.
JOSE:
The team was really, really good.
F/go, de /a P9/73, Sto/chko v...
BOBBY:
Laurent Blanc, Fernando Couto
J OS E:
G/ca Popescu.
Luis Enrique was playing everywhere.
JOAN: /n the midfield, e legend
of Barcelona, Pep Guerdio/a.
Top three of Barge history.
BOBBY SPEAKS SPANISH
I had already years of experience in football
but never at that level of responsibility.
JOSE: Without fee//ng his trust,
/ cou/dn 't have jumped so fast
to be working with the best players
in the world.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
Our relationship was phenomena/.
Service again!
Concentrate on the service!
Just wait, Mitch.
Don't get in too early, Mitch.
Don't get in too early!
Now you can go.
ALEX: What / always remember of Bobby
was how he was giving of his time.
I think he enjoyed helping
young managers.
/ loved going in to see hirn.
His approach to peep/e was different
from managers of my time.
That's the ball, Eric. Go on, punch it!
Set it up for him, good!
Set it up for him, that's good, again!
/ remember go/ng down to /pswich
before we played them
in the UEFA Cup game
and he invited me to a training session
and I am saying to myself,
'Wait a minute, what is he up to?'
But that was Bobby Robson.
He would have done it for
any young manager.
And I took a lot out
of what he did that day.
PHONE RINGS
Ipswich Town Football Club.
BOBBY: On Monday morning
/t's my turn, if you //ke
and / have to come in
and / have to whistle.
BOBBY WHISTLES
You know, and have the best face
in the club on a Monday morning
because everyone is /ook/ng at me
/ think, you know?
Who motivates the motivator?
ELSIE: Those years were
a great st/mu/ation for him
to get the maximum
out of each of his players.
So there was a tenderness there,
but there was also that drive.
I\/lillsy! l\/Iillsy!
- MAN: Millsy's boxing up again.
Hey, tell Millsy and Warky, man!
And that silly twat!
Come on, let's play football!
I want to voice my opinion
on performances.
Negative, bad play, that's a crap play!
Is that what you get paid for?
To wear a fuckin' shirt and tie out there?
TERRY:
He was tough.
And I hated that play at the end, Butch,
I'll say it again, hate it.
He wanted you to be the best
that you could be.
/f that meant just dangling something
there for you to work on
z'hat's what he did.
We've won a match
and we were very lucky to win it.
Scrapped.
He just had this aura about him.
The first ten minutes is very important.
Go on bite, bite!
That passion came across to us.
Come on, tighter, McCall! Tighter!
And we made it
our pass/on as we//.
The way that we played football,
he was building a fantastic reputation.
Not only in England,
but in Europe as we//.
Come on, you hold up play,
and the same again.
The UEFA Cup //7 '87
it was a step beyond English football.
All season rests on this one, all season!
/z' was a step into the unknown.
He made you fee/ so good
about yourself
and so good about your job.
You went out there
and wanted to do it for him.
BOBBY: We were voted
the best team in Europe.
Not the best team in England.
The best team in Europe.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
JOAN: /Z' was Barcelona 's best start
in the league for 33 years.
CHEMI: But the fans were not enjoying
the football we played at that time.
/ remember we won one game
8-7 at home
and the people, the fans whistled,
the people were not happy.
And he arrived in the locker room
and said 'The people is not happy.
What are they looking for?'
THUNDER CLAPS
BOBBY: The next day one paper said
that Baroe/ona didn't ,o/a y any footba//.
Can you imagine that?
It's a wonderfully huge club,
but it's... it's kind of bonkers.
It's a roadhouse.
The team is winning.
If I change it and we lose,
'Why do you change the team?'
THEY SPEAKS SPANISH
JOAN:
'O/d-fashioned man. '
That is the idea many
of them had of Sir Bobby.
HE YELLS IN SPANISH
They were used to Johan Cruyff
who was sophisticated, a modern guy.
If you write,
'No football, no football, no football.'
'No system, no system, no system!
Then the public will believe you.
In a giant club
l\/lr Flobson was in the middle
of politics and football together.
JOSE:
The people was not against Bobby Robson.
People were against NL?/iez.
PEP: it's not easy to handle Barcelona,
especially especially in that period.
/ /earned when / saw him
how /one/y the manager fee/s.
And in the bad moments,
how always with the typical smile.
For example, in my case, in that situation
it would have been impossible
to react the way he react.
THUNDER FUl\/IBLES
JOHN:
He was at his peak then at Barcelona.
And we wanted Bobby for manager
for Newcastle United.
January, 7997.
We f/ew out to Berce/one
on different routes.
We were doing an illegal approach.
We had to sort of hide our intent.
JOHN CHUCKLES
A delegation came over and talked
to Dad and said they wanted him.
So, incredible situation
of your hometown club.
MARK:
You 're managing Barcelona. What to do?
JOHN:
We met Bobby at the house.
Beautiful garden, /ove/y sunny da y
and E/sie came out with drinks.
We exp/e/ned that Ne wcest/e needed him
and everyone would welcome him back.
He agreed to come.
We were de//gh ted.
And when I rang him that night
and his voice was different.
'You are not corning?' I said. 'Erm...'
I said, 'You're not coming.'
'No, I'm not. I've changed my mind.'
BOBBY: /fl had been in any
other s/tue tion but Barce/one
that would have been for me
but / 'm at Barce/Ona
/ have a two-year contract
the president stood by me.
There was no way that / could
really leave the club.
MARK: What Dad didn't know at that time
was that in his contract
he could be after the first year
moved upstairs, as it were.
JOSE:
/ signed my two- year contract //ke he did.
I never thought that was the case.
JOAN: Bobby thought he was go/ng to be coach
for Baroe/ona for two years.
He didn't know that Barcelona
had planned
to br/ng Louis van Gaa/ in 1997.
He didn't know that at a//.
Well if he knew it,
he would have taken on the Newcastle job.
I think he probably would, yes, yeah.
Gracias.
ELSIE:
We grew up in a v///age called Langley Park
northwest of the city of Durham.
Very much in a mining community.
ALAN:
He was a typical boy from the northeast.
As soon as he could walk, in this area,
you just have to love football.
You just don't have a choice.
BOBBY:
/Z' was a ritual for me
when / was a young boy with my father.
We never missed a Ne wcast/e Un/ted
Hrst team game.
And/ have to tel/ you this.
We 'd be the first people at the gate
at 12 o'c/ook
almost three hours before the kick-off time.
Thank you very much. Enjoy your day.
A//y anvbit/'on was to ,Ola y
for Newcastle United
but the loce/ boy never seemed
to get e chance.
And / thought, 'Thaz"s not for me. '
/ need to go to a club where
/'m go/ng to be given en opportunity.
When he got on the train at Durham
to go to Fulham
and he was looking out the window,
you know, and he was waving
well, I just broke down
to think that...
Was he going to make the grade?
Was he going to be alright?
MAN:
C'mon, Bob! Your turn! Go, Bob, go, go!
BOBBY:
Good team player.
Harder! Go on, Bobby!
He//ab/e.
/ could ,Ola y a bit, yeah.
/ was at West Bromwich A/b/on
at the time.
Did you sign those lads?
And / remember buy/'ng
en evening paper
to f/'nd out what the England squad
would be.
And there / was.
/'m selected!
/'// never forget it.
COMMENTATOR:
/n the ninth minute, Bobby Hobson scored.
BOBBY: There was nothing in my //fe
better than we/k/ng out at Wembley.
What a source of pr/de that is, / tel/ you.
COMMENTATOR:
Douglas to Hobson. And z'hat's it.
A four-n// victory for England.
Just my cuppa, mate.
BOBBY: I've had no greater feeling
in football than that.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
Yeah, sure. I like your tie, James...
JAMES:
Well, we try.
Yeah, very nice.
- Got to try and compete with you.
Shirt's not too clever,
but the tie's lovely.
/ think the England job on/y comes
to you once in your //fet/me.
/z' is the most prestigious job
in my profess/on.
/ know the job has got
some imposs/b///t/es.
/ am go/ng to tackle the few problems
that it has.
Where are you off to now?
The Ideal Home Exhibition?
No.
- You're going home, are you?
Marks and Sparks.
You've just got to get it right.
And if you get it right for the country,
it must be utopia.
CROWD CLAMOUHS
COMMENTATOR:
As the England team /eff the ground
an angry crowd had gathered to vent
their feelings face-to-face.
GARY:
We were on the br/nk of go/ng out.
Bobby was on the br/'nk of losing his job.
We want our money back!
That was an absolute disgrace
That was abysmal!
Robson out! Robson out!
But just when it seemed
it was going to fall apart
Bobby would find something.
You are not out until you are out.
Now, if I surrender and throw
the white flag, everybody does
and I am not going to do that.
A change of system, a change of formula,
a change of personnel.
Whatever it may be, he'd find a way.
Go, pass, pass, pass, pass!
BOBBY:
We have to win against Poland.
We are still capable of doing that.
All is not lost, that's all I'm saying.
GARY:
He turned it round.
COMMENTATOR:
L/neker!
I was convinced I would be left out
because I had not had a great start
to the World Cup.
M/ynarczyk has m/sjuc/geo' it
and L/neker has a hat- trick!
Bobby made my career what it was.
For some reason he stuck with me
and I will be eternally grateful
to him for that
because my life would have been
nowhere near as good without that.
And here is Lineker onside, three-ni/
Argent/na await now.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
BOBBY:
Argent/na with the great Maradona.
/f he 'd played for us,
we wou/d have won the World Cup.
GARY:
Quarter Hna/ of the World Cup.
Two countries that were at war
in the not-too-distant past.
HE SPEAKS SPANISH
How does this look?
- I\/IAN: Alright.
Bobby mentioned it.
Even amongst ourselves
you'd talk about it.
BOBBY: if we get deflected
or distracted from the situation
we 're in the middle of nowhere.
We 're go/ng to give it
everything we've got.
Feelings were heightened.
It was noticeable, it was in the air.
HE SIGHS
I haven't seen the television.
All I can go on is what I felt I saw.
COMMENTATOR:
Ma/'ac/one is there, rises above Sh//ton.
But is that goal go/ng to be allowed?
/Z' was a handball,
no question about that.
BOBBY:
Ma/'ac/Ona handled the ball into the goal.
D/dn 'T he ?
Didn't he?
We don't expect decisions
like that at World Cup level.
COMMENTATOR:
Ma/'ac/Ona turns //ke a //tt/e ee/.
He comes away from trouble.
The //tt/e squat man, comes /hs/de Butcher,
/eaves him for dead.
Outside Fenwick,
/eaves him for dead
than puts the ba// away
and that is why Maradona
is the greatest p/a yer in the world.
BOBBY: The first goa/ was
always going to be crucial.
The first goal was
go/ng to win the match.
MAN:
V/ve Argem'/na! V/ve Argentina!
He was raging after that garne,
raging like I've never seen him before.
If anybody is sorry at home
and a bit disappointed
come in the dressing room
come on with me in the dressing room.
GARY: To cheat so blatantly like that
and than take the glory afterwards
it went completely against
what Bobby stood for.
He was a gentleman.
BOBBY: He was at that time
the greatest p/a yer in the world.
He did have the chance to be
the best sportsmen in the world
but he refused it.
He said it was the hand of God.
/ said it was the hand of a rascal.
And /'m right.
Yesterday was the first time we didn't shoot
because yesterday
was the first time we had all 11 players.
Before that we had five players.
What attracted me to Bobby?
The way he walked, I think.
ELSIE: Footballers have a certain
characteristic way of moving.
ELSIE LAUGHS
We just spotted each other,
as peep/e do, as couples do.
JOSE: He was always say/ng
that his wife saved his //fe.
HUVV:
Before the season in Barcelona
she badgered him and he was made
to come for his appointment.
A malignant melanoma
is one of the worst diagnoses you can have
in the heed and neck.
When he first saw
what had happened to him
he burst into tears.
HEART MONITOR BEEPS
BOBBY:
/ had this obturator in my mouth.
/t's //ke a pe/ate which keeps
my face in position.
HUW:
Without that obturator
his face would have effectively
fallen in on the /eff hand side.
/n amongst a// the problems at Barcelona,
he wanted to see me.
/ scoped him and there was a slightly
suspicious area
within the original site.
But I remember him saying,
'Whatever it is, you've got to sort it
because there is no way
I'rn giving up this season!
BOBBY: For the worst coach in the world,
/t's go/ng really fantastic.
Because yesterday / read
that/ was the worst coach in the world.
I find that incredible.
No respect and I find that a disgrace.
That's the story.
And I am angry with you.
JOAN :
He suffered.
He had to fight a /ot in football
and in //fe.
/n that moment, / think the board of directors
would have //ked Bobby to go.
When you're driven like Bobby
and you have a bad time
it's not so much the number of times
you get knocked down
it's the number of times you get up.
Do something about it.
Your next morning
is your more important morning.
ALEX:
Tomorrow is your da y.
CHEMI:
March 12th, 7997.
Oh, my God.
One of the best nights in our lives.
A crazy, crazy night.
BOBBY:
/z' was two-two.
In Spanish Cup football,
the away goals count double.
Very //tt/e in it.
So we though z'.
SPANISH COMMENTARY
You are z'hree-n// down.
Do something.
Ano' / took off Laurent Blanc
and G/ca Popescu
my two most experienced players.
There 's 700,000 people in
that stadium and they are baying.
MARK: /z' was one of my worst feelings
I've had deep down.
How is he feeling wa/k/ng up the tunnel?
You know, that's my father.
And if he loses that match,
he-'s lost his job, he-'s sacked.
JOAN:
Louis van Gaa/ was in the crowd.
And they had taken the decision
to get rid of Sir Bobby.
I think so.
JOSE: Such a powerful club,
/os/ng z'hree-n// at ha/f time.
Would be hard to... to cope with it.
We were absolutely devastated.
PEP: Bobby said, 'We have to p/ay
the second ha/f with our pr/de.
We cannot give up until the end.'
He was talking to everyone
making us believe we could
change that result.
BOBBY:
/ didn't discuss the first ha/ii
/t's gone.
We 're al/ in this together.
The difference is the wil/ and the want
and the motivational force
that you can stir in your players
to go out and work to the bitter end.
Ano' if you oou/d convey that to your players
you 're on to a winner.
Three-two and a big chance.
And then the disaster of a goal.
Another three gee/s to win.
We were completely out of it.
Unless the players are special.
Are special.
You ta/k with them every da y,
you train with them every day
you mot/vate them every da y
for times //ke this
when you are in trouble
and they'// put something back for you.
SPANISH COMMENTARY
JOAN: The who/e Barge history
was there in one moment.
/t was a miracle.
I still have at home a VHS cassette
with this match.
I still have it.
My homage tonight is for the players.
I've been in football 45 years and...
I cannot remember 45 minutes like that.
The way he was talking to us, you know,
make us feel like we have to do it for him.
RONALDO:
He sa ved himself
PEP: /know for him it was
a tough, tough ,oer/od.
I learnt a lot, because in that period
I thought I want to become a manager.
And how he handled that situation,
it was incredible.
I admire him a lot.
/t doesn'z' matter what the media says
when everybody push him.
Always try to be ca/m.
REPORTER: /z"s not the announcement itse/E
but its timing which surprises.
Mr Hobson 's two- year contract
with PSV Eindhoven
has been the subject of we//-informed
speculation before.
The FA co/Wrmed that
the manager wil/ leave /mmediate/y
after the World Cup ends in Ju/y.
The FA have agreed to release Mr Robson
from his contract as manager
of the England team.
GLEN:
The truth Wes, Bobby had been to/d
that his contract would not
be renewed after the World Cup
and he was /ook/ng after his future interests
as you wou/d expect anybody to do.
'Bobby Robson: traitor!
TERRY:
That goes beyond football.
That means that
you've so/d your country out.
And z'hat's something he would
never, ever do.
REPORTER: Some newspapers
//nk news of Hobson 's resignation
with allegations about his pr/vate //fe.
There is absolutely no truth whatsoever
in all the spec...
Garbage!
They were barbaric.
ELSIE:
They used to sit outside of the house
just waiting for anything.
As a woman and as a wife of Bob
it was very, very hard.
It was very hard.
B O B BY:
Journalism changed.
/ was in that circulation war
between two tabloid papers
who fought against each other.
CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
I've got three sons who love football.
You know, probably getting abused
about the damn thing.
How do you think they feel?
MARK:
We wou/d suffer in s//ence, really.
/z' would hinder me go/ng to schoo/
or when / was at college.
It just puts you into a shell that isn't you.
And / remember seeing Dad
with two armed guards.
/ didn't know what had happened
/ thought he 'd been attacked
or there had been a fight.
No, I haven't seen the papers,
I don't intend to.
POLICE OFFICER: Do you want to go
into our office for a while?
Yes, I think that might be a good idea.
And basically nothing had happened.
They had just drawn a game 1-1.
BOBBY:
Wa/k/ng awa y, easy to do that.
Unless you've got that res///ence
and that physical courage
and mental stab/'//'ty
it could crack you.
I just see bastards, to be fair.
'Robson must go.'
A load of bollocks.
BOB BY:
Pau/ Gascoigne.
Some guy.
Crazy as he//.
/ ca// him daft as a brush, and he was.
Daft as a brush.
Yeah, you can't beat that.
So l had to wait until
he was absolutely ready
unti/ we fe/t we could really re/y on him.
He says, 'You play well,
I'm going to pick you for the World Cup.'
COMMENTATOR:
Gascoigne.
Thank you very much.
PAUL:
/ set up three and scored one.
And I always remember him...
'That was fantastiof
I'rn going to spend two hours
with him tomorrow
to try and restore a bit of confidence
you know, he-'s lacking in confidence,
isn't he, the boy.
In the dressing room he went,
'So you guys!
He says, 'We need two footballs.
One for Gazza and one for the rest of you.'
And that was it.
I knew I was the dog's bollocks.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
GARY: The re/at/onsh/Q0 between
Bobby and Gazza was extraordinary.
They had that kind of lovely relationship
that was a lot of joy and a lot of love
but also a lot of frustration
and a lot of tellings-off.
ONLOOKERS LAUGH AND CHEER
I just love chocolate!
/t was worth the risk because
to go and do wel/ in a World Cup
you need something a //tt/e bit different
a //tt/e bit...
something above the normal
and Bobby knew that.
BOBBY:
You've gotta /o ve him and cherish him
and you've got to treat him
slightly different
and not be too strong with him,
because you wil/ /ose him.
PAUL:
You ta/k about a father figure
the guy was phenomena/ for me.
Under Sir Bobby I knew I was safe.
I was safe.
BOBBY:
He just wanted the ba//.
He wanted to make every pass
in the book.
COMMENTATOR:
Gascoigne is behind it...
A chip in there
and P/att has scored!
BOBBY: He loves the big stage,
he's a big match player.
JIM: We didn't think there would be anything
more dramatic than the Be/g/um game
but tonight really was extra special.
COMMENTATOR:
Gascoigne picking it up for England
he's got L/neker forward!
That 's another penalty!
I hate flying, Jim, petrified of flying.
I thought there is no way I'rn going yet.
PAUL: / always remember,
/ ran over to Sir Bobby.
'Thanks for picking me.
Thanks for giving me
the opportunity to become
one of the best players in the world.'
Which I was.
I wish I was home because they tell me
everybody is dancing in the streets.
And, you know, I'd like to be home
to be dancing in the streets
with a lot of our supporters tonight.
LONG BEEF'
GERMAN COMMENTARY
MAN: Can you make sure
somebody is recording?
/ need a shot on this /ine.
They'/'e standing by.
LOU D FOOTBALL OHAN Bobby, he said to us
'England World Cup winners in '66
are immortal, still irnrnortal.'
TERRY: And he wanted us
to be just //ke that.
We wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Just go out there and be immortal.
PAUL:
Remember who is watching you.
England, the Queen, the fans
and your family back at home.
Phew. I went, 'Alright'
BOBBY:
This is the pinnacle, this is the climax
this is what we've worked for.
WHISTLE BLOWS
l had a beautiful job,
worked for beautiful people
and / gave it al/ up
to try to win the World Cup.
You ca/7't do that unless
you've got many qua//ties.
COMMENTATOR: Pau/ Parker,
the man who is go/ng to attack the ba//
it comes off Parker and /t's a goal!
BOBBY:
Cop/ng with pressure.
Not being afraid of pitching yourself
in against the best players in the world.
P/ay/'ng on white hot /7/Qghts.
You need discipline.
Good temperament.
Courage.
You've got to be//eve in yourse/ri
COMMENTATOR:
Here it comes to L/neker. Goa/!
BOBBY:
Be//eve in yourse/ri
You train, you coach, you mot/vate,
you ta/k tactics.
Once that game starts
/ cannot he/p you.
Thaz"s my fear.
That it somehow goes wrong.
COMMENTATOR:
Here 's Gasco/gne...
WHISTLE BLOWS
BOBBY: My heart sank the moment
the referee took out the yellow card.
That kid won 'Z' ,Ola y in the final.
Now listen, listen to nve.
We know you can't p/ay in the f/na/.
But what you can do, son,
is make sure everybody e/se does.
Get them into the f/na/.
WHISTLE BLOWS
We knew it might come to pene/ties.
We practiced it.
/ was vary confidant about the players
we had on the pitch.
L/neker. ..
CROWD ROARS
Beards/e y...
CROWD ROARS
David P/att...
Stuart Pearce...
Good character, tough /ad...
Didn 't think he cou/d miss.
WHISTLE BLOWS
COMMENTATOR:
Sa ved! Oh, no./
The Germans with a chance
to go 4-3 ahead.
And they have!
BOBBY:
Chrissy Wada'/e...
He could take penalties in tra/ning
with his eyes closed.
Things get to you, / guess.
WHISTLE BLOWS
COMMENTATOR:
Oh, he's missed it!
West Germany go into the f/na/!
And England sad, sad, sad/y are out!
BOBBY:
There wasn 't any doubt in my mind
that had we beaten West Germany
on that particular day
we wou/d have won the World Cup
for the second time.
ELSIE:
Oh, so close, so close.
But...
There we are.
PAUL: He just sa/o', 'Look, you've done
yourself proud, your fam//y proud
England proud and you've made me proud.
And when you get back to home
you've gotta remember
that all you's are gonna be legends.'
BOBBY: Where do you go
after you've /eff the England job?
/ decided / 'd //ke to work abroad.
FANFARE PLAYS ON TRUMPE MUSIC:
Band plays "Ol, Ol, Ol"
FRANK: Normally, the England coaches
stayin England.
They don't go out of their comfort zone,
because of new languages, new mentality.
Bobby was the opposite.
WOMAN SPEAKS DUTCH PHRASE
BOBBY BEPEATS DUTCH PHRASE
BOBBY BEPEATS DUTCH PHBASES
He was never afraid of e challenge.
Two years he was in PSM
two times champion.
PLAYERS SING
He was really enjoying work abroad.
JOSE: Different places, different culture,
different way of living.
BOBBY:
/ went to Lisbon, it was a magnificent city.
Another country, another philosophy,
another form of footbe//.
Rui, Hui, Rui, Hui, Rui!
BOBBY YELLS IN POBTUGUESE
/ soon got a job up in Porto.
Wonderful club,
wonderful p/ace to /ive in.
I won the Portuguese Cup
and two championships
and I loved every minute of it.
He was a guy, Sir Bobby,
he loves to eat
and I remember the buffet
in Catalonia, in Spain
the food is different than here.
And, wow, every time he says,
'Wow, this is so good, that is so good.'
Like a little boy,
you discover something new.
JOSE: / was always fee//ng
he had friends everywhere.
/n Lisbon he was a Lisbon man.
/n Porto he was a Porto man.
In Barcelona he become a Catalan.
MAN:
Hey, Sir Bobby!
CHURCH BELL CHll\/IES
BOBBY: When you win here
et the biggest club in the world
and you are making 110,000 people
who sit in the stadium very happy
and the who/e of Catalonia,
which is their country, very content
it's a very rewarding feeling.
Football here is the only sport.
They don't really have golf
or tennis or rugby
or cricket or badminton
or canoeing or rock climbing
you know or trampolining.
They don't have sports like that,
they have football.
Footba// to them is a way out.
Ano' footballers here are heroes.
Footballers and matadors.
SPANISH COMMENTARY
RONALDO:
/ was so young
and Mr Bobby Robson,
he was he/p/ng me a /ot
with al/ the sk///s and movement.
/ was so happy to be there with him.
BOBBY YELLS IN SPANISH
I think it was the best year ever
of Ronaldo.
JOSE:
He was //ke a dad to him
understand/ng
the Braz///an kid personality
at the same time giving him the freedom
to be Fiona/do on the pitch.
RONALDO:
/ was playing my best
with people who / love.
He trusted me a /ot.
That was everything / wanted.
BOBBY:
And you know something about Fiona/do?
When we beat Paris Sa/nt-Germain
that is the first pr/ze that
he's won in football.
JOAN: The best th/ng of the match
was the atmosphere.
Between the crowd, players
and Bobby Robson.
They were in /ove with him.
JOAN:
He knew he was doing we//.
The team is W/nn/ng.
/ deserve to keep the job.
JOSE: The rumours about Mr Hobson
is go/ng to leave at the end of the season
didn't affect him at a//.
He was the idea/ person
to keep doing his job
and with my personality I never hide
my feelings and I was very open.
THEY SPEAK IN SPANISH
JOAN:
The boaro' of directors were telling Bobby
that if he did a good job
you are go/ng to be
our coach for two years.
They were not 100 per cent
honest to Bobby.
JOAN GASPART:
/ must tel/ you one thing.
I never said a lie to Bobby.
THEY SPEAK SPANISH
CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK
Errn...
BOBBY: /t was co/Wrmed to me that
the /ong- term future of the club
wil/ be in hands of Louis van Gaa/.
The president decides to use me
for nice things and bad things, no?
When he decides to tell Bobby,
'Next year we will have another trainer,'
he say, 'Joan, tell hirn.'
JOAN GASPART:
/z' was not a nice day for me.
I worked in a situation in Barcelona
which had no patience.
No patience.
You understand patience? Understand?
Wait, espera, give us a chance!
PEP:
People forget how tough was everybody
in this year and how he react.
Even in that moment, he was focused.
JOAN: Bobby knew that it was his final match
as coach.
He was desperate to win that match.
PEP:
We p/ay in Bernabu.
And of course winning in Madrid,
for a Barcelona team, is spec/a/.
L/Wth him / understood
how important are the relations
the communication
and the feedback with your players.
That / /earned from Sir Bobby.
WHISTLE BLOWS
SPANISH COMMENTARY
CROWD ROARS
MUSIC: "El Cant del Barqa"
JOAN: For the first time
in the history of football
the Barge anthem sounded
at the highest volume in Bernebeu.
Barcelona won titles
in the last 20 years
but before, not too much regularly.
The season was amazing.
BOBBY:
No, it's probably the first time in history
so I've made history.
BOBBY:
/f /ast August / said to the president
'Look/ wil/ give you this
and/ wil/ give you this
and/ wil/ give you th/s,'
he wou/d have said, 'You W///?'
We've had a fantastic season,
a m//'ac/e of a season.
Visca /a Barge! V/sca Catalunya!
JOAN: E/ect/ons to presidency
should be taken in 1998
but NU/792 brought them forward to 1997
because of the success that Hobson
had brought the club.
And NU/792 won those elections easily.
CH EM I:
Finally Bobby became an adviser
and van Gaa/ became the first team coach.
Bobby accepted that situation
as ,oart of football
which not always is fair.
BOBBY:
Barcelona wil/ always be in my heart.
If you 're a fantastic painter,
you 're never rich unti/ you 're dead
and / think it happens with managers.
You 're never appreciated
unti/ you've gone.
The season started
and / wasn'z' in charge of a football club.
/ remember say/ng to my wife,
'/ don't //ke this, E/sie.
And /'m not go/ng to go to the supermarket
on a Saturday afternoon ever again. '
REPORTER:
You to/d me Barcelona is going to be...
The /est job, is go/ng to be the end.
BOBBY:
But I've been saying that for 20 years
so thaz"s not a change.
/ ca/7't give up the drug.
HUW:
He was addicted.
Stress in itself hes been
/inked to cancer
but for him it was essential.
He wou/dn 't function properly
without his football drug.
BOBBY: Do l need the hassle
of what football does to you?
Yeah, I need it, yeah, 'cause I love it.
As long as / fee/ this way
/ want to keep working.
/ am immersed in football.
/t's my god!
ALEX: His father tak/ng him 25 mi/es
to watch Ne wcast/e p/a y.
The team he was brought up with
his team that he /oved.
Eventually getting back to his hometown
that was his greatest moment I think.
REPORTER;
He's coming in.
If you're listening, gallery, Flobson's coming
into the press conference.
It's like completing the circle.
We just got back to our roots.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
FREDDY: / am de//ghted to introduce
the new manager of Newcastle Un/ted
Bobby Robson.
Bobby, welcome home to Newcastle.
APPLAUSE
REPORTER:
How about the age factor, Bobby?
A lot of people have been mentioning
your 66 years of age?
Yeah. You fancy a run of 100 metres?
AUDIENCE LAUGHS
You are either 66 years old
or 66 years young, aren't you?
You know, you have a choice.
ALAN:
Ne wcast/e were in turmoil.
The dress/ng room was broke.
And there is one guy
that could come and save Newcastle United.
BOBBY: My background,
knowing what the Geordie pass/on is
what football means to the Northeast
/ had a feeling for the club
and a des/re for the club
that no other manager had.
So when / came here,
/ just knew / cou/dn 't fa//.
JOHN LAUGHS
Magnificent, wonderful, mind boggling.
COMMENTATOR:
Shearer!
JOHN: /z' was everything that the fans
could have wanted.
COMMENTATOR:
Shearer, a ha z'- trick!
ALAN: /got #ve goals,
we scored eight as a team.
And that was it,
we were back on the right track.
And it was all thanks to Sir Bobby.
BOBBY:
/t's beyond my W//dest dreams
and beyond expectations
/ wou/o' have thought.
So... not a bad start.
PEP:
/'m go/ng to explain something secret.
After the period in Barcelona,
he went to Newcastle
and I sent him a mail to offer me
to go with him to play with Newcastle.
And one of my dreams
would have been to play in England.
He answers me and say,
'It is not possible
because I have a lot of qualities,'
and I say, 'You are right'
But even in the tough moments,
he was always so kind.
He writes e s/mp/e /etter
that sometimes means more.
It's beautiful... It's like he was...
You know?
Bobby is one of the nicest, nicest persons
/ ever met in my //fe.
BOBBY:
Left and right! Left and right!
Pass, good pass, quality, good.
When I see Bobby Robson
I think about that word 'enthusiastic.'
So, come on, Thom, play, play, play!
Yeah!
When I got to my mid-60s
it's very difficult to keep your enthusiasm.
Niki for Roy! Niki for Roy!
SHOUTS AT PLAYERS
People ta/k about what makes
a great manager.
Well, we-'ve got other things
to do now.
Other things to do now.
You've got to forget about that.
That's football.
Someone who can create
en energy source for as /eng as he's done
/z"s something special.
Talk, talk!
Talk for it, go on, like I'm talking to you!
It's like a bloody mouse sometimes!
You can't go down the chem/st's
and buy that.
FRANK: At PSV where we were
in our tra/ning ground
it's surrounded by trees,
it's a beautiful place.
When we have two or three /eps,
he stopped
and said, 'Liste-n, guys, look around,
take a look.
Is it not beautiful?
You could have been now,
it's now 10 o'olock
you could have been now in the factory
from seven o'clock to five o'olock
and you wouldn't
you wouldn't experience this.'
That was Bobby.
That foundation he got
through his parents
mining district, working-class people
those values never /eff him.
JOHN:
They are very much soc/a/ist values.
When you /ive in a mining village,
you /ive in a community.
/z"s never about yourse/ri
/t's always about other people.
ALAN: /fit wash 't for him,
then / would have /eft the football club.
I wasn't getting on with
the previous management.
I didn't know where to go,
I didn't know what to do
what I was doing right,
what I was doing wrong.
He knew stra/ghta way
what made me tick.
He saved Newcastle
and he also saved my career.
COMMENTATOR:
Shearer!
He took e football o/ub
from the bottom of the Premier League
into Champions League football.
COMMENTATOR:
And a chance for Ameobi!
What a story that is!
JOHN:
The times in Europe were so exciting.
COMMENTATOR:
/t's Kieron Dyer... Past van Wonderen...
Be//anvyl /t's in!
Has there ever been a more dramatic night
in the Champions League?
Looking at Newcastle
I think they had something like
14 managers in my time at United.
He was the one manager
who brought stability.
Want to win it, want to pass it,
want to get it.
Good luck, eh. Come on.
Battle, eh, battle!
ALEX: At that point
it could have been a great club.
ANNOUNCER:
Bobby Hobson!
CROWD ROARS
BOBBY: /t's the fu/f/'/ment of my //fe
to be manager of Newcastle United.
/ don't want to overstay
my welcome here.
You know, the moment the pub/io
or the ,o/ayers or the board
think, 'Bobby, you are getting a bit old,
and it's about...'
I'll know and I'll jack it in.
CROWD CHANTS:
Robson,Robson,Robson,Robson!
ALAN:
Bobby was a showman.
REPORTER:
Can you do something for level, Bobby?
Yes. No breakfast, but lunch.
That's nice.
- Thank you.
With peas?
- No, beans.
Very good.
I used to think to myself,
'Is this guy all there?'
Yeah, but if you ask me rude questions
I'll kill you on screen,
so come on, let's go!
He was funny
and he didn't mean to be funny.
Sometimes he didn't know he was funny.
Oh!
But d'you know what,
it was all part of him.
Right, do you want me autograph?
KIDS CHEEH
Yes, he was likeable and all that,
but boy he had an edge.
REPORTER: Sir Bobby you took the job
in 1983 as England manager.
What were your feelings...
- No, actually, '82 actually.
'82.
- Get it right.
Start again, eh? '82.
BOBBY:
/ tel/ you what.
If you're not bright,
if you don't know answers
if you don't know football,
they will bury you.
And they haven't buried me.
Not yet.
Bye bye.
REPORTER: Does your wife Elsie
approve of your continual work/ng
at this most demanding /eve/?
BOBBY: Off the record,
she thinks /'m bloody stupid.
She thinks /'m crazy.
ELSIE: He would always talk to anybody
about football, always.
Did you ever see Bobby Moore play?
When he was in position,
he always could plant it
and he could always drop into the hole.
Nothing was as urgent as just speaking
to someone about the game.
And he's a great penalty taker, you know?
'Cause he knows...
He always makes up his mind what he's
gonna do and never deviates from it.
That was the urgency.
If you hit that well,
you'll be out in the next parish, yeah.
BOBBY: My wife keeps say/ng to me,
'You must take time for you/'se/ii '
A/ex Ferguson said that to me.
What, three is the right club?
For me.
'Take time for you/'se/Ji
Take time to smell the roses. '
I hope you got that.
I hope you got that! By Christ!
ELSIE:
We had this kind of agreement
that when he was at home,
we didn't ta/k a /ot about football.
He didn't talk to me intimately
about those thoughts
that were going round in his head.
MARK:
Dad was immersed in it.
We don't see him much, if at a//.
And we were al/ passionate about football
but we never had the chance to ta/k.
He didn't want to be separated,
but he was.
That was a shame
because lots of people say to /779,
you know
'What was it like talking to your dad
about certain players or matche-s?'
And I say, 'Well, I never did,
literally never did.'
BOBBY: Are there any times
when / don't //'ke Bobby Robson?
/ spent maybe too much time
at the club
when / should have been home
e bit earlier.
/ fee/ that / have been removed
from my fam//y
and / didn't give my family the time
that most husbands do, / think.
CROWD ROARS
JOHN:
/z' was the sem/-Hna/ of the UEFA Cup.
We /ost and e depression
came over the club.
We al/ took it bad/y
and the fans took it bad/y.
There? Other side? OK.
ALAN:
/t was becoming a very d/fHcu/t per/od.
There were young players
who had issues.
You won't get much out of me,
it's a wasted question.
REPORTER 1: Well, I just think
we look silly if we don't ask it.
You can, but it's a wasted question.
- OK, fine.
REPORTER 2: Can you clear up all the talk
of a training ground bust-up?
BOBBY:
It's a storm in a teacup.
No, I never say I'd settle for nil-nil.
When did I say I'd settle for nil-nil?
I'rn not prepared to comment
about the incident.
The incident is closed,
it's been dealt with.
We will speak to him today,
obviously, firmly.
And we don't have a single second
of problems.
ALAN:
Players were on so much money
and not showing him
and the football club respect
which he found very d/fHcu/t.
FREDDY: Many times players
were out of order with him.
He said, 'No, we '// give
them another chance. '
He cou/d never find the dark side
of anybody.
How's my hair, alright?
Alright? Just come off
the training ground. OK?
First team players approached
Freddy Shepherd
and said, 'You're going
to have to do something.
There's problems in the dressing room,
problems with the players.'
But Bobby still felt he could do it.
REPORTER:
Good luck, Sir Bobby.
Thank you.
BOBBY:
/'m Hghting attitudes.
And if / ha Ve 2"O fight if, /'// f/Qght it.
REPORTER 1: Newcastle Un/ted
are tonight stepping up their Search
for a new manager.
REPORTER 2: Newcastle Un/ted manager,
Sir Bobby Robson, is sacked.
REPORTER 1: closing the book on one
of football's greatest characters.
What I've come out for is to show
you a bit of courtesy.
Because you could stay here
for seven hours
and I don't want you to do that.
You've got a home and a family
to go to I should think
and I would suggest
that you do that.
FREDDY:
/z' was //ke shooting Bambi.
But as chairman of the club,
/ had to do it.
I don't think there was a person
in this world who could understand it.
ALEX:
/ cou/drl'z' be//eve it.
JOHN:
/ was bas/ca//y in favour.
If you cannot pull
your dressing room together
then you've got a problem
and management get paid
for making these decisions.
/t actually didn't start from us,
it started with the players.
They were cruel in many, many ways.
They were responsible
for getting Bobby the sack.
ALEX:
/t was a club of confusion.
They should have been say/ng
'Bobby, I want you to bring the man
who is gonna replace you
to continue with someone who believes
in what you've done here
and make it an institution.
JOHN: DeHnite/y, we wanted
him to go upstairs
and to be an ambassador for the club
and to do what he's good at.
That was the difference of opinion
between Freddy and Bobby at the time.
ALAN:
When you /ook at Newcastle Un/ted now
and over the years once he had left
you certainly rea//se
what an incredible job he had done.
I think it was a hasty decision, yeah.
I've had five fabulous years
here with everybody.
BOBBY:
And / wil/ be their biggest fan after this.
Not been easy for me today,
but that's football
and I have to get on with my life.
He was very heartbroken
when he was guillotined.
He didn't recover
from that very quickly, at all.
REPORTER: Will you be going on to
manage another olub in the future?
Well, I have nothing to say about that.
I'm just...
Getting over the situation
and I'll think about
what I have to do for the rest of my life
when it all settles down.
Thank you very much.
- REPORTER: Thanks very much.
MARK: That was the Crue//est cut
to him in his who/e career.
His world fel/ apart.
We can't be/ie ve it st///.
Brute/.
PAUL:
He was obsessed with football.
Totally obsessed with football.
This is what I'd have been doing
if it wasn't for Sir Bobby.
Cheers, Sir Bobby.
I'd have been like that,
wheelin' a barrow.
I guarantee if you named a player,
any player in the world
he would know what he had for breakfast,
what number his house was
what country he comes from,
how old he is, the whole lot.
He was obsessed.
When he got sacked, he rang us up
and he said, 'What you do/ng?'
/ said, 'Noth/ng, /'m sitting here bored. '
He went, '/'m coming to pick you up. '
I've had my troubles
and my bad ways in me //fe but...
Bobby Hobson
was on the phone tw/ce a week:
'Are you OK? Do you want help?
Where are you? Can I come and see you?'
It got to the stage where strangers
would come up to us
when I was in Newcastle
and I had to say, 'Has Sir Bobby sent you?'
'Yeah.' Tell him I'rn OK today.
I don't know about tomorrow.
The guy that could have done anything
to spend most of his time
worrying about me
was so, so, so unbelievable.
Sand, earth, Sir Bobby.
ELSIE: He did what he wanted to do
with his own /ife.
No one e/se stopped him,
nothing curtailed him
not even /ack of hee/th.
BOBBY:
Out of the b/ue
somebody is te///ng me
I've got a ma//gnant tumour on the brain.
'Was it dange/'ous?' / said.
They said yes.
'Was it //fe-th/'eaz'ening?'
They said yes.
HUW: The dec/s/on was taken
to have brain surgery.
More deposits appeared in his lung,
which meant it was term/na/.
HEART MONITOR BEEPS
And once you've got /L/ng involvement
the timescale shortens dramatically.
But he never asked me that
and / never to/d him.
REPORTER: He has always been a fighter,
as a manager
and as a men who is battling cancer
for the Hfth time in 75 years.
That's why he /aunoheo' the Sir Bobby Hobson
Foundation this morn/ng.
Get the 20,000 in, won't you?
Never mind my face,
get the 20,000 in!
ELSIE:
/t was a great challenge for him
and / think z'hat's what drove him
so much in his //fe.
The next challenge.
He considered himself
at the he/m of a team again.
Yeah, beautiful day.
BOBBY:
We have fundraisers all over the country.
It's a remarkable story.
ELSIE:
He didn't have a be//ef in God
but he did have an inner strength.
He found it very hard
when his father died.
He sew his father as being immortal.
/ think a /ot of men are //ke that.
They don't accept that they can be ill.
That was Bob 's way
of dealing with things.
Maybe that's a good, you know,
armour.
BOBBY:
/ love //fe and / want to //ve.
/ can't sw/ng the club anymore
and / can't cross ba//s
with my /eff foot
but /'nv alive.
REPORTER: How has it been
for yourself this time around?
Oh, a thrill a minute.
I can't wait for the next one.
Well, you have to fight.
/f you give up, you are Hn/shed,
you 're dead.
This, ladies and gentleman,
is Fabio's next team.
I said I would do it for my first year,
but it looks as though I'rn here to stay.
I've got longer than
a football league manager.
LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
/t gives me great pleasure
to ofHc/a//y declare
the S/r Bobby Hobson Cancer
Trials Research Centre
wel/ and tru/y opened.
APPLAUSE
ALAN: He was always go/ng
to do something specia/
and /ee ve something special behind.
Follow the guys in the white coats!
HUW: Healthcare, /z"s very expensive,
you need money
and he was the primary mover in raising
that money for the Foundation.
/z"s one of the foremost un/ts
now in Europe.
BOBBY:
Cancer doesn't discriminate.
No one is immune from it.
Whilst I will be remembered
because of my life through football
the legacy that / would prefer
to be remembered by
is the fact that / ra/sed some money
which in time and in turn wil/ save //ves.
CROWD CHEERS
PAUL:
/t was a charity game
and he was getting
pushed along in the wheelchair.
All I could hear him say was,
'Where's Gazza? Where's Gazza?'
I went, 'lt's me, Sir Bobby, it's Gazza.'
And he looked up...
He just said...
'Play well.'
That's all he said.
He said, 'Play well, Gazza.'
ELSIE:
/ know he didn't want to die.
/ know for a fact he did not want to die.
Some people will accept death
but he felt he was being robbed.
BOBBY:
Yeah, I can hear you, Ian, yes.
JOSE:
/ miss him.
But / remember him.
I can hear him perfectly actually.
- MAN: Can you?
Perfectly.
The most dramatic thing for me at the time
was to lose a football matoh.
This isn't live, is it?
He was saying, 'Be happy,
because around the corner
the other guys were happy.'
He was always trying to find a reason
to be happy
even in the difficult moments.
Jimmy, after what I've handled
over the last three days
I can handle you.
TERRY:
He always used to say to me
Butcher. ..
Whenever / pick you,
you never /et me down. '
And if someone says that to you,
wow, it's just...
You'd go through
hell and high water for them.
You can always have a few days
in Majorca, Butch.
I can always take you
to the Costa del Sol.
I would put him alongside
Muhammad Ali in football words.
He was more than a manager, more.
More than anything.
JOAN GASPART:
Barcelona is more than a club.
Bobby Robson was more than a coach.
JOAN GASPART SPEAKS SPANISH
RONALDO: We have so many people
that has /earnt a /ot from him.
His legacy is still alive
and he gonna stay alive forever.
BOBBY SPEAKS DUTCH
- CHEEBS
PEP: To win titles in Holland,
in Porta/ga/, in Spain.
To survive in different places
and have success...
That is why Bobby is spec/a/.
GARY:
/f you consider what he's done
I would say the best
English manager of all time.
ALEX: / remember one day /'m sitting
in my house and my phone goes.
'Alex, it's Bobby here-.'
'Hi Bobby,' I said, 'where are you?'
He says, 'I'm outside your door.'
So he comes outside my door
and I says,
'Well, you better come in!'
I didn't like you Saturday,
but I like you tonight.
He had that wonderfu/ nature about him.
You always think, oh, he helped me
when / was a young coach.
I don't forget that.
INDISTINCT CHATTEH
Eric, your right foot's gone
like your left!
I remember him every day
and I tell stories about him.
JOSE: We laugh with the stories,
we remember him in the right we y.
A person only dies
when the last person
that loves him dies.
BOBBY:
/ tel/ you.
/ tel/ you.
/t was a //fe of pressure...
A great deal of tension...
A great dee/ of emotion...
But there was a/so
a great dee/ of excitement.
You can't /ose that thrill
'cause let me ask you this...
How many people get that chance?
The guy in the street?
Or the fe//a you are gonna
sit next to on the train?
Or the taxi dr/ver?
Do they have that chance?
You have that chance.
CROWD ROARS
You 're lucky.