QuoteBrendan Hughes Irish Republican and one of the orignal H-Block Hunger strikers (1980) died recently
obit here
Nice obituary in the Daily Telegraph:
"Derek Dooley, who died on Wednesday aged 78, was a fearless Sheffield Wednesday centre-forward who overcame the trauma of having a leg amputated to become the club's manager, and was later chairman of their rivals Sheffield United.
The way Dooley triumphed over adversity made him the most respected icon of his football-mad home city, and his administrative skills earned him an MBE in 2003. Aggressive on the field, he became renowned off it for his modesty and integrity; the United manager Dave Bassett reckoned him "a man you could trust your life with".
Deprived of his livelihood at 23, Dooley displayed a complete lack of bitterness or self-pity. Indeed, the only time he showed resentment was when Wednesday sacked him as manager on Christmas Eve 1973. He would not watch a game at Hillsborough for 19 years; when eventually he returned, for a Sheffield derby, the entire crowd rose to give him a standing ovation.
Red-haired, 6ft 3in tall and taking a size 12 boot, the ungainly Dooley embodied the English centre-forward in the days when they were free to intimidate goalkeepers, bundling them over the line if necessary. He was regularly booed at away matches, and the odd goalkeeper got even when the referee was not looking. In 61 matches for Wednesday before his injury, Dooley scored no fewer than 62 goals, and an England call-up seemed only a matter of time.
It was on February 14 1953, at Deepdale, that Dooley broke his right leg in two places in a collision with Preston North End's goalkeeper George Thompson. The break seemed to be healing, and after nine weeks Dooley was ready to leave Preston Royal Infirmary. Then a nurse whom he asked to sign his plaster cast tickled his toes - and was horrified to discover that he could feel nothing.
Gas gangrene from an earlier cut had set in - a million-to-one chance, said the hospital. Surgeons tried for 24 hours to save his leg, anti-toxin being rushed by police car from Manchester, but it had to be amputated above the knee to save Dooley's life.
With £10,000 raised by local newspapers and a 55,000-strong crowd at a testimonial match (the first floodlit fixture at Hillsborough), Dooley bought the house where he lived for the rest of his life; meanwhile, a generous pools winner gave him £3,000. He wanted to remain involved with Wednesday "even if they use me as the corner flag", and returned in 1962 as development manager, helping to raise the funds to make Hillsborough one of England's best stadiums in time to host matches in the 1966 World Cup.
Dooley enjoyed less success as Wednesday's manager. A surprise appointment at the start of 1971, he boosted the fans' morale by bringing back the blue and white stripes in which he had played, but the team struggled in the Second Division. He was not helped by a virus outbreak that sidelined 16 players and left part of the ground in quarantine, and after several embarrassing defeats a new chairman dismissed him. Dooley had no warning, and the fans were aghast at the timing. Under his successor, Steve Burtenshaw, Wednesday were relegated.
He had been out of the game for almost a year when, in November 1974, Sheffield United invited him to be their commercial manager. Dooley was flabbergasted - many Wednesdayites will not eat bacon on match days because of United's red and white stripes. But he took the job, and stayed with the club as it plunged from the First Division to the Fourth, then returned to the First under Bassett to become a founder member of the Premier League.
Dooley's time at United had its difficult moments. In 1993, for example, he threatened to resign when the club's chairman sold Brian Deane to Leeds for £2.9 million. He retired as United's chief executive in 1996, but returned three years later as chairman. He was instrumental in the appointment as manager of Neil Warnock, who took United to three Cup semi-finals and, in 2006, back to the Premiership, though they survived only one season. Dooley stood down with promotion secured, becoming United's life vice-president.
Derek Dooley was born at Pitsmoor, Sheffield, on December 13 1929, the son of two factory workers; his father was offered a trial by Bradford City but could not get time off work. Although he passed the 11-plus, Derek left school at 14 to work for a firm making hearing aids, playing football for the YMCA, at first as a centre-half. At 18 he signed as an amateur for Lincoln City, but made only two appearances before joining Wednesday.
He made his League debut for the club on March 11 1950, at home to Preston, but at first his National Service with the RAF, and his rawness as a player, limited his appearances. But in October 1951, with Wednesday struggling in the Second Division, the manager Eric Taylor put him in the side against Barnsley and he scored twice. He went on to score a then post-war record of 46 goals in 30 games (including five in one match against Notts County) as Wednesday won promotion.
There were those who reckoned that Dooley was short on skill for the First Division, and Taylor complained of a "vendetta" by defenders which referees did not penalise. He was even dropped for one match, against Charlton, but in September 1952 his touch returned, and by the time of the fateful game at Preston he had scored 16 times.
After the amputation, Dooley recalled, "in my heart and mind I was still chasing the ball down the middle". Newly married, he had no job and no qualifications. First he worked as sports adviser to the Daily Mirror, scouting for Wednesday at the weekends.
Then a Wednesday director offered him a job at his bakery; in eight years he rose from switchboard operator to assistant sales manager. He was even playing cricket, scoring 26 for Sheffield Wednesday against Gainsborough. He began coaching Wednesday's juniors, and in 1962 Taylor secured his return to the club when it launched its lottery.
Derek Dooley was made a Freeman of the City of Sheffield in 1993, when United and Wednesday met in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, and held an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University. He was recently nominated by Sheffield citizens as one of 11 "legends" from the city; the others include Joe Cocker, Sebastian Coe, Michael Palin and the astronaut Helen Sharman.
He married his wife Sylvia in 1952. She survives him, with their son and daughter."
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Brendan Hughes Irish Republican and one of the orignal H-Block Hunger strikers (1980) died recently
obit here
Carol Barnes, the former ITN Newsreader has died aged 63 following a stroke.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Was amazed the amount of coverage she got on the news. No. 2 item on the BBC even though she was never a news reader with them and worked for Sky and ITV. It's a "celebrity" driven culture we live in no doubt. Sad of course but No. 2 item on the news!!Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
The last French WWI veteran:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7292109.stm
With a name like Lazarus I wouldn't count him out just yet
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Arthur C Clarke: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7304004.stm
and Anthony Minghella: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7302841.stm
Kom Igen, FCK...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7302554.stm
Poor auld Captain Birds Eye. Ha harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! He was replaced in the mid 90s by some 'rugged' actors to appeal to the ladies. He failed. They brought him back. He's gone. God bless you Captain Birds Eye.
'Fascists dress in black and go round telling people what to do, where as priests.....'
Says a lot about the mentality of the Brits and the power of advertising for in a poll in 1993, people were asked to name a famous captain and Captain Birds Eye was voted as the most recognised captain after Captain Cook. I would have said Captain & Tennille
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Actually my most famous Captains would be:
A) Captain Kirk
B) Captain Americas
C) Captain Pugwash
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
What about Captain Planet!?
Oddly enough we where talking about that episode of Captain Planet where they save Belfast from being nuked by a disgruntled Republican baker this morning at work
...Paul Scofield (Oscar winning actor)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7306378.stm
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
While this is a sombre thread, I can't stop laughing at the thought of all these actors living together under one roof in a retirement home. There's nothing actually funny about it, I've just this image of a continuous shakespeare play going on. I'd say its good craic for the staff.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
My top 3 Captains:
Captain Caveman
Captain Birds Eye
Captain Chaos
'Fascists dress in black and go round telling people what to do, where as priests.....'
Captain Sensible
Quoting years at random since 1975
i forgot Captain Pugwash.
'Fascists dress in black and go round telling people what to do, where as priests.....'
Actor Brian Wilde died early today......I was never a fan of Last of The Summer Wine, but thought he was great in Porridge
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7306954.stm
Tact is for people who are not witty enough to be sarcastic
Bad time to be a celeb of a certain age - dropping like flies they are.
Shocked to see that this guy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/527777.stm - died nearly 9 years ago. For all I knew, he was still acting in that showI hope the guy from Wallace and Gromit is feeling OK.
Last edited by Jerry The Saint; 20/03/2008 at 4:30 PM.
As a footnote to Captain Bird's Eye.
Cod rest his sole. He's gone to a better plaice.
'Fascists dress in black and go round telling people what to do, where as priests.....'
Didn't he play for Pike Rovers at one point? I know, I'm floundering and I took the bait.
Did you ever notice that in every painting of Adam & Eve, they have belly buttons. Think about that...take as long as you want.
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