Although seven days have elapsed since Keith Alexander passed away, even now I still can’t quite comprehend the fact he’s no longer here.
It feels like I’ve been locked in some parallel universe and I’m just waiting for someone to drag me out before telling me the last week has just been a nightmarish sham.
Football, in general, seems to be struggling to deal with his death and although there are a lot of aspects wrong with the game, the way the sport has rallied has been truly magnificent.
But it’s his family that my heart goes out to and nobody can begin to imagine what they are going through after losing such a special man.
As BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter Michael Hortin eloquently put it in his own tribute, it’s left a giant hole in the lives of Keith’s friends, but to his family it must be a chasm.
At least the last seven days have provided time for reflection and personally, reliving my time working with, and knowing, Keith has been an utterly joyous experience.
When somebody you know dies, you force yourself to unlock the vault to those times that you thought were lost forever.I guess the memory is truly a fantastic piece of machinery because some of the stories that I’ve been able to recollect, I thought had disappeared.
The trigger to some belting yarns stemmed from flicking through the seasons and reading his old columns and the news from his four-year tenure.
And there was no doubt Keith did have a wicked sense of humour. I remember one occasion when I turned up at the ground ready to go through the topics for his weekly column.
As usual, I was greeted with a cup of tea and a biscuit, but before we had even begun, a clearly irritated Maheta Molango was almost smashing down the office door.
“Gaffer, gaffer,” he cried in his Swiss and Spanish tongue, one of the weirdest accents I’ve ever heard.“I am not here to be a comedian, I am here to score goals and be a professional.
“There is no doubt in my mind gaffer, that if I wanted to be a comedian I would have joined the circus not Lincoln City.” Keith asked him to calm down, looked him in the eye and asked him what the problem was.
Someone had stolen his keys to his fancy car that was parked near the City school and he was worried that it would be left on four bricks by the time he returned.
In an instant, Keith bellowed down the hall that he didn’t care who had the keys but they had to give them back “sharpish”.
He eventually returned, shut the door, sat down and let out a huge belly laugh before quipping: “We’ve got a right set of 'expletive' here, you know.”
And that was the beauty of the man.
Maheta received his keys back, which were in somebody’s boot, while the players had their laugh. Everyone was happy.
Ultimately, it proved he was a fantastic man manager who dealt expertly with his players making sure they were all looked after, individually and collectively.
I could sit here and write bundles of tales but there are not enough column inches.Like the time when I helped him out of a sticky situation with the FA, but I fear a three-match ban if I tell it!Or when he joked with me that he had found the next best striker since Pele and gave me a DVD of him.
I watched it and all it did was show this kid doing keep ups and when I rang him to tell him that it must have been a mistake, he just cracked up.
They were good, good, times. And even though he is no longer here, he still puts a smile on your face and that’s one of the most precious talents somebody can ever have at their disposal.
There will be more memories of Keith in Monday's special supplement. I could tell hundreds.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Wayne's right not to build bridges
AFTER Wayne Bridge called time on his England career last week, I was beginning to wonder whether the left-back had a spine.
But he proved he was no invertebrate by refusing to shake John Terry’s hand despite all the do-gooders saying he should rise above it and be the bigger man.
Fair play to Bridge for not buckling under the intense gaze of the media and letting that dopey love-rat think he was in the clear.
There are certain lines you are not supposed to cross if you are in a “bro-mance” and, for me, Terry committed one of the cardinal sins of bloke-law.
That rule is never shack up with your best pal’s ex-girlfriend, especially if she is the mother of his child.
Seeing her secretly behind his wife’s back was rotten enough, but not to have the decency to ask Bridge permission to see her “underwear collection” was outrageous.
Laughably, Terry was supposed to be helping patch up their relationship, but Bridge must be wondering how long dear John had fancied his ex-missus.
And besides, what did Terry think was going to happen?
Or has he headed too many footballs for his pea-sized brain to realise the fall-out that would follow?
He’s lost the captaincy, which he should never been given in the first place, and that seems to be the only penalty he has paid.
Bridge, on the other hand, has been dragged into the spotlight, been the butt of many jokes, plenty of jeers, and now his last chance of going to the World Cup is over
.Why would you want to shake Terry’s hand after that? I would have wanted to shake him by the throat given half the chance.
And one final point, Terry responded to Craig Bellamy’s jibe about his behaviour off the field by saying people in “glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones”.
Well, there’s a difference here. We all know that Bellamy is an irritating wind-up merchant because what you see is what you get.
Terry, on the other hand, tried to portray a clean-cut image using the England captaincy to fool us into thinking he was a decent sort of fellow.
But too many misdemeanours have since shattered that facade in a sport that has become polluted with greed and indecency.
Can anyone clear up the game’s battered image? I’ll certainly shake the hand of the man who can.
But he proved he was no invertebrate by refusing to shake John Terry’s hand despite all the do-gooders saying he should rise above it and be the bigger man.
Fair play to Bridge for not buckling under the intense gaze of the media and letting that dopey love-rat think he was in the clear.
There are certain lines you are not supposed to cross if you are in a “bro-mance” and, for me, Terry committed one of the cardinal sins of bloke-law.
That rule is never shack up with your best pal’s ex-girlfriend, especially if she is the mother of his child.
Seeing her secretly behind his wife’s back was rotten enough, but not to have the decency to ask Bridge permission to see her “underwear collection” was outrageous.
Laughably, Terry was supposed to be helping patch up their relationship, but Bridge must be wondering how long dear John had fancied his ex-missus.
And besides, what did Terry think was going to happen?
Or has he headed too many footballs for his pea-sized brain to realise the fall-out that would follow?
He’s lost the captaincy, which he should never been given in the first place, and that seems to be the only penalty he has paid.
Bridge, on the other hand, has been dragged into the spotlight, been the butt of many jokes, plenty of jeers, and now his last chance of going to the World Cup is over
.Why would you want to shake Terry’s hand after that? I would have wanted to shake him by the throat given half the chance.
And one final point, Terry responded to Craig Bellamy’s jibe about his behaviour off the field by saying people in “glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones”.
Well, there’s a difference here. We all know that Bellamy is an irritating wind-up merchant because what you see is what you get.
Terry, on the other hand, tried to portray a clean-cut image using the England captaincy to fool us into thinking he was a decent sort of fellow.
But too many misdemeanours have since shattered that facade in a sport that has become polluted with greed and indecency.
Can anyone clear up the game’s battered image? I’ll certainly shake the hand of the man who can.
Sympathy for Shawcross
HAVING seen the challenge which broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg, and I understand I may be in the minority here, I do feel great sympathy for Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross.
I don’t believe it was a tackle worthy of a red card because it was not two-footed.The problem was the velocity of the impact, making Ramsey a victim of circumstance not maliciousness.
Unfortunately, the shape of his leg dictated to the referee what card he should brandish when he should have evaluated the tackle on its own merits.
Hearing Arsene Wenger question Shawcross’s character after the game was no real surprise, considering he often takes a holier-than-thou attitude when these incidents occur.
It’s not right he should be able to question another player’s character when he is not his manager and making snap judgements on the back of one tackle is not befitting of an intelligent man like him.
He seems to have selective amnesia when his own players are embroiled in controversy, specifically some of the challenges he has had to defend during his time as Gunners boss.
The two-footed lunge on Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel by Ian Wright was one that immediately springs to mind.
And what about William Gallas’ tackle that was tantamount to a cowardly assault on Bolton’s Mark Davies a few weeks back?
Patrick Vieira was never shy at committing a reckless challenge and neither were Martin Keown or Tony Adams.
Fact is, Wenger sees what he wants to see, and his blinkered, one-eyed view of the world when it comes to Arsenal will soon start to lose him respect.
I don’t believe it was a tackle worthy of a red card because it was not two-footed.The problem was the velocity of the impact, making Ramsey a victim of circumstance not maliciousness.
Unfortunately, the shape of his leg dictated to the referee what card he should brandish when he should have evaluated the tackle on its own merits.
Hearing Arsene Wenger question Shawcross’s character after the game was no real surprise, considering he often takes a holier-than-thou attitude when these incidents occur.
It’s not right he should be able to question another player’s character when he is not his manager and making snap judgements on the back of one tackle is not befitting of an intelligent man like him.
He seems to have selective amnesia when his own players are embroiled in controversy, specifically some of the challenges he has had to defend during his time as Gunners boss.
The two-footed lunge on Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel by Ian Wright was one that immediately springs to mind.
And what about William Gallas’ tackle that was tantamount to a cowardly assault on Bolton’s Mark Davies a few weeks back?
Patrick Vieira was never shy at committing a reckless challenge and neither were Martin Keown or Tony Adams.
Fact is, Wenger sees what he wants to see, and his blinkered, one-eyed view of the world when it comes to Arsenal will soon start to lose him respect.
No Winter Wonderland
IS anybody surprised we were an absolute shambles at the Winter Olympics? No, me neither.
Let’s face it, we are hardly a nation that is blessed with snowy peaks and masses of toboggan runs, so how can we expect to be any good?
When a few flakes do hit the ground, the whole country comes to a standstill rather than whip out their sledges and huskies.
We were there to simply make up the numbers and they might as well skip the next invitation because it’s only going to be a few weeks of torture to those who take part.
There has been some uproar about our ludicrous performance, but, really, what did everyone seriously expect?Are we a nation that produces masses of talented and fleet-footed skiers?
No, we are part of a nation that has bestowed Eddie the Eagle Edwards with celebrity status, so what does that tell you?
After having a whopping budget of £6.5m and 52 so-called athletes, to then return home with one medal is not value for money.
It has made us a total laughing stock and, frankly, those who entered should pursue another career because this one just is not working.
Let’s face it, we are hardly a nation that is blessed with snowy peaks and masses of toboggan runs, so how can we expect to be any good?
When a few flakes do hit the ground, the whole country comes to a standstill rather than whip out their sledges and huskies.
We were there to simply make up the numbers and they might as well skip the next invitation because it’s only going to be a few weeks of torture to those who take part.
There has been some uproar about our ludicrous performance, but, really, what did everyone seriously expect?Are we a nation that produces masses of talented and fleet-footed skiers?
No, we are part of a nation that has bestowed Eddie the Eagle Edwards with celebrity status, so what does that tell you?
After having a whopping budget of £6.5m and 52 so-called athletes, to then return home with one medal is not value for money.
It has made us a total laughing stock and, frankly, those who entered should pursue another career because this one just is not working.
Grim times at Blundell Park
UNLESS there is an absolute catastrophe, Lincoln City look certain to avoid emulating Peter Daniel’s no-hopers of 1987, who dropped into non-league.
We have to thank Grimsby for being so horrendously bad for that and it appears they couldn’t win a raffle if you gave them all the tickets.
I know there will be a few of you out there who will relish their demise, but you won’t find me siding with those who are laughing at our fishy friends.
Having been over to our sister paper the Grimsby Telegraph and finding civil war had just about broken out, I have empathy for a fan base that is being torn apart.
Their team is about as much use as Inspector Clouseau when it comes to keeping hold of leads and they have a chairman who continues to make odd decisions.
The appointment of Neil Woods as manager was undoubtedly John Fenty’s biggest ‘risk’ and it has been a gamble that has spectacularly backfired.
Not that I blame Woods for this malaise, because I’m sure he will make a good manager in time, but it was just a case of wrong man, wrong club.
The Mariners needed someone with experience, someone used to putting out fires and above all someone who could pull the entire club together.
All Woods’ appointment smacked of was the cheap option and was a decision that seemed to divide the fan base even further.
Loyal club servants such as Woods never tend to work out – Stuart McCall’s decline at Bradford being a prime example.
Woods does not deserve that and I suspect his hunger to become a Football League manager overrode the fears of the pitfalls he is now facing?
Shame, because he’s a nice bloke, but nice guys don’t win all the time and Fenty will have to have a justifiably brilliant reason to remain as chairman should they go down.
It saddens me that Grimsby are in this state and, unfortunately, I cannot see a way out.They do appear doomed to non-league and all they hope for is that sometimes you have to take a step back to go forwards.
But, generally, to lose the county derby from next season’s fixture list would certainly be felt by Lincoln in a financial sense because it provides their biggest gate of the season.
And in a footballing sense it would be a bigger loss.
The derby between these two sides 11 days ago was one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness.
It was played at a dizzying tempo and the atmosphere as you walked around the ground prior to kick-off was electric.
No self-respecting football fan of both clubs should ever want that to disappear. But if they were to go down, I hope they make a quick a return and above all hope they learn lessons from the catalogue of mistakes that have plagued a very sorry season.
We have to thank Grimsby for being so horrendously bad for that and it appears they couldn’t win a raffle if you gave them all the tickets.
I know there will be a few of you out there who will relish their demise, but you won’t find me siding with those who are laughing at our fishy friends.
Having been over to our sister paper the Grimsby Telegraph and finding civil war had just about broken out, I have empathy for a fan base that is being torn apart.
Their team is about as much use as Inspector Clouseau when it comes to keeping hold of leads and they have a chairman who continues to make odd decisions.
The appointment of Neil Woods as manager was undoubtedly John Fenty’s biggest ‘risk’ and it has been a gamble that has spectacularly backfired.
Not that I blame Woods for this malaise, because I’m sure he will make a good manager in time, but it was just a case of wrong man, wrong club.
The Mariners needed someone with experience, someone used to putting out fires and above all someone who could pull the entire club together.
All Woods’ appointment smacked of was the cheap option and was a decision that seemed to divide the fan base even further.
Loyal club servants such as Woods never tend to work out – Stuart McCall’s decline at Bradford being a prime example.
Woods does not deserve that and I suspect his hunger to become a Football League manager overrode the fears of the pitfalls he is now facing?
Shame, because he’s a nice bloke, but nice guys don’t win all the time and Fenty will have to have a justifiably brilliant reason to remain as chairman should they go down.
It saddens me that Grimsby are in this state and, unfortunately, I cannot see a way out.They do appear doomed to non-league and all they hope for is that sometimes you have to take a step back to go forwards.
But, generally, to lose the county derby from next season’s fixture list would certainly be felt by Lincoln in a financial sense because it provides their biggest gate of the season.
And in a footballing sense it would be a bigger loss.
The derby between these two sides 11 days ago was one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness.
It was played at a dizzying tempo and the atmosphere as you walked around the ground prior to kick-off was electric.
No self-respecting football fan of both clubs should ever want that to disappear. But if they were to go down, I hope they make a quick a return and above all hope they learn lessons from the catalogue of mistakes that have plagued a very sorry season.
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