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February 1, 2003
(Saturday)
Robson: I'll save
Woody
THE GRAND old man of
English football was sitting at a table in a
quiet Newcastle restaurant yesterday afternoon when he heard the news
his club had agreed a fee with Leeds for Jonathan Woodgate.
Sir Bobby Robson's first thought was not for the effect the signing
of the England centre-back might have on Newcastle's gathering
pursuit of the Premiership title.
Instead, as he extended the hand of welcome to his new recruit, he
offered him far more than a footballing lifeline.
As Woodgate began the drive north through the snow, leaving the
crisis enveloping Elland Road in his rear-view mirror, Robson's mind
turned to how the young defender might put his troubled past behind
him if the formalities of his switch to Tyneside are completed
without problems today.
"If he comes, I think it will be the salvation of the boy," Robson
said. "His ability is not in doubt and I think he needs to be given
another chance."
From the time Newcastle were first linked with Woodgate several weeks
ago, the club has been deluged with a torrent of hate-mail.
There are those who are still not ready to forgive Woodgate for his
part in the vicious beating of Asian student Sarfraz Najeib in Leeds
city centre three years ago.
Even though Woodgate served his sentence for affray, there are those
who feel strongly Newcastle have been tainted by their pursuit of the
defender.
But Robson is adamant he would not have allowed Woodgate anywhere
near the club he loves if he had any suspicion at all he was a racist.
He pointed to the fact that three of Woodgate's best friends in
football are Kieron Dyer, Rio Ferdinand and Jermaine Jenas. "At the
time of his trials for the attack on that student, he looked gaunt,
he was off his food and his fitness went down," Robson said.
"Perhaps he needs a way out of it all, a fresh start, a fresh
outlook, a fresh environment and a fresh situation around him.
"Moving away from Leeds will be a good thing for him if this is all
completed without a hitch and it's come at a good time in his life.
"He's served his sentence and paid his dues in that area. It's not as
if he left the club as soon as it happened.
"I'd rather not have all the controversy that seems to be coming with
him but we can't avoid it at the moment.
"We are getting some pretty nasty stuff but Newcastle are a black-and-
white club in every sense of that phrase.
"We've got a multi-national squad and we do a lot of work with Kick
Racism Out of Football. I know Jonathan's very close friends with
Kieron, JJ and Rio and that speaks for itself.
"And if we had any inkling that he harboured racist thoughts then of
course we would not have even thought about signing him.
"He's here because he's a top-class, top-drawer centre-half. He's in
the age bracket we like because we're buying for the future and he's
in keeping with that. He's England's best young centre- half, to my
mind. I just think he's a great signing. He's quality. He's good on
the ground and good in the air.
"I saw him play two years ago when Leeds played Barcelona. Leeds were
murdered but Woodgate was brilliant.
"He was heading balls out, making blocks, tackling to the end. He was
sensational. I thought 'What a player he's going to be'.
"The only thing against him is the conviction for affray, but he has
to get over that doesn't he? I'll say it again. I think this move
could be his salvation."
As Robson was talking about salvation, Leeds and their disillusioned
manager Terry Venables were left to contemplate their rapid descent
into hell.
The transformation of the club from one of the most ambitious outfits
in the Premiership to an organisation teetering on the brink of
financial disaster has been so swift it almost seems surreal.
It is scarcely believable that a few seasons ago, under the
leadership of David O'Leary, they were one game away from the
European Cup final.
Those were heady times. O'Leary was sacked in the close season and
poor Venables has been left to preside over a fire sale that has seen
a long line of internationals depart with indecent haste.
Whether the manager will follow them out of the door now that
Woodgate and Robbie Fowler have both been sacrificed in the space of
24 hours remains to be seen.
Venables is set to hold a press conference at Elland Road this
afternoon and it is believed chairman Peter Ridsdale will be sitting
next to him.
Sources close to Venables said last night he was considering his
future but that for the moment Ridsdale had persuaded him not to walk
out.
It is also thought Ridsdale is preparing to admit much of the
responsibility for the current plight of the club to take the heat
off Venables.
In Ridsdale's defence, it has become increasingly apparent he is
merely doing the bidding of the club's PLC board.
Ridsdale and the club have effectively become the victims of their
high-risk strategy to get rich quick under O'Leary. They accrued
massive debts with an influx of players but now the bottom has fallen
out of the transfer market they are having to sell those same players
at a vast loss.
So even though they bought Robbie Fowler for £11million a matter of
months ago, they were forced to accept a paltry basic bid of £3m for
him from Manchester City earlier this week.
That figure will go up to £6m only when Fowler has made 90
appearances for the Maine Road club.
In those circumstances, and facing the prospect of making a huge pay-
out to O'Leary at the beginning of March, the money men at Leeds felt
they had little option but to sell Woodgate.
Equally, Newcastle, like every other club in the Premiership, knew
Leeds were desperately vulnerable to being stripped of their "crown
jewels".
"The industry has changed," Robson said before he left the
restaurant. "It's just flipped over. It's a different market now."
Then he buttoned up his overcoat and walked out to the car that was
waiting for him. Somehow, it feels toasty warm in Newcastle this mid-
winter. Back in Leeds, they're being chilled to the bone.
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