Gary Megson
Sheffield Wednesday Fans See the Truth About Gary Megson
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 | BWFC People, Gary Megson, Sam Allardyce, Sammy Lee | 2 Comments
Sentimental softies that we are, here at Manny Road, we like to keep an eye on former managers of BWFC, just to be sure that they’re doing ok. Following a shaky start at West Ham, Sam Allardyce has a couple of wins under his belt, aided by the players that Bolton didn’t want anymore. Poor Sammy Lee isn’t doing quite as well, having joined the lengthily queue at Liverpool job centre, after being jettisoned by Kenny Dalglish in June. He’s probably reached the door of the building by now.
Gary Megson's Dad. Has a lot to answer for
Then there’s Gary Megson, currently spreading his very own brand of one-dimensional hoof-ball misery amongst the followers of Sheffield Wednesday. Owls fans were optimistic ahead of the new season, having somehow escaped from the relegation zone that Megson placed them in last time round. After two dismal away performances in succession, that feeling has gone, replaced by one of despair.
The scene of last night’s disaster was Gigg Lane, home of Bury FC, where crowd numbers reached a previously unknown 5,209 due to visiting fans, who’d trundled down the M62 unaware of the horrors they were destined to endure.
Bury manager, Richie Barker was in no doubt about the ease of the task which faced him. “With all due respect to the players now, we’re not playing against Chris Waddle or Des Walker,” he laughed.
So it proved. By half-time Wednesday were two down, having had no shots on target and with a 39% share of possession. How familiar that looks.
At this point, Owlstalk.co.uk, online home of the Yorkshire club’s supporters, went into meltdown. The posts below are reproduced as written, apart from the addition of a few dozen asterisks. › Continue reading
Its not over yet cocker…..!
Sunday, April 10th, 2011 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Football Association, Gary Megson, Marc Iles, Nat Lofthouse, Owen Coyle, Premier League, Sam Allardyce, Stuart Holden | No Comments
Sunday 22nd May 2011 – the day the 2010/2011 Barclay’s Premier League comes to an end. Champions will be decided (although, if Arsenal continue to falter, Man Utd may have clinched their nineteenth league title long before the final day), teams (hopefully Wigan and Blackburn) will be relegated, European places will be confirmed and, for the remaining twelve teams, midtable obscurity / survival will be secured.
Can someone turn off those lights on your way out...!
However, reading several posts on various Bolton messageboards over the past three weeks, more than a few fans consider the season to be over already. In their minds, our season ended on 19th March 2011 at approximately 16.35.
This was when the boot of Manchester United’s Johny Evans collided with the knee of Bolton’s Stuart Holden. The initial reaction was not good: Holden was stretchered off the Old Trafford pitch in obvious distress and Bolton fans feared the worse. Two days later, those fears were realised: Holden was out for six months (‘gutted smilely’).
Evans, to his credit, called to Holden to apologise for the challenge, an apology that Holden has yet to receive from De Jong for a similar tackle twelve months earlier. Holden has accepted Evans’ apology conceding that, unfortunately, injuries are a risk in a contact sport such as football. Arsenal fans take note, it’s not just your players who can suffer injury as a result of a mistimed challenge, a fact that poor Holden knows only too well. › Continue reading
The Many Misspeakings of Gary Megson: Part One
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 | BWFC People, Gary Megson | 15 Comments
Guest blogger Wakeywhite examines the Ginger Ones figures and finds that they just don’t add up.
I see our beloved former manager, the ginger one of the patchy CV and personality disorder, has been at it again. In a spectacularly inept (more of that later) article by The Mirror’s David Anderson, Megson has been spouting off again on his two favourite subjects: how great he is, and how terrible we are.
Megson's PR man, David Anderson. Also works for the Daily Mirror
It seems to me that most journalists, being too busy tweeting, scratching their arses, snorting coke, or whatever it is they do to avoid doing a lick of work, seem to swallow this sort of guff hook line and sinker. Or more to the point, can’t be arsed checking the veracity of his increasingly warped ramblings.
So us kindly folk at bwfcforum and Manny Road have decided to do the leg work for them – them being busy and all – with an exploration of the Ginger Maestro’s favourite oft-repeated “facts” about his time at Bolton Wanderers Football Club.
Misspeakings
Before Hilary Clinton’s modern re-invention of “misspeaking”, we’d have been struggling for a title to keep the lawyers happy. The definition of a lie is a deliberate untruth designed to mislead. Obviously, it’s not our place to determine whether Megson deliberately comes out with nonsense with the intent of misleading or whether he’s simply a delusional idiot.
Fortunate for us then that the definition of misspeaking is to speak mistakenly, inappropriately, or rashly. Fortunate also that Mrs Clinton has given us a new context in which to use it. When she claimed to have landed in Bosnia under sniper fire and in grave danger, what she actually meant to say was that she was met by a rather nice welcoming committee replete with greeting ceremony and young girl with flowers. It just came out a bit wrong. › Continue reading
Is Gary Megson Losing His Mind?
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | 34 Comments
Imagine for a moment, that you’re a football manager. One who’s been given the job of reviving a once proud club that’s fallen on hard times. You’d devote all your energies to the task in hand wouldn’t you? Well not if you’re Gary Megson, the newly installed and extremely bitter boss of Sheffield Wednesday.
Shortly after his appointment, the Ginger One regaled a sparsely populated room of journalists, rapidly losing the will to live, with tales of how he’d been mistreated by Bolton fans, betrayed by the chairman and dissed by the tea lady.
Post interview and Megson returns to his quarters
‘I’d love to be in a position where you can take Sheffield Wednesday and get a result at Bayern Munich and beat Athletico Madrid over two legs and beat Manchester United for the first time in forty years,’ he speculated. Sam Allardyce, who guided the Wanderers to wins at Old Trafford in 2001 and 2002 has yet to comment.
That Megson was in a position to spout forth was something of a surprise, as it was assumed that no one in their right mind would employ such a serial failure. But then Owls owner, Milan Mandaric has always been unconventional, and this is Sheffield Wednesday, a club that once tried to sue its own supporters.
Fast forward a fortnight and there was more drivel. This time it came from the diseased keyboard of Megson’s representative on earth, the grimly untalented David ‘Hans Christian’ Anderson, who describes himself as the Phil Neville of Mirror Sport – which is accurate, but not in the way he intended.
Over to former Wanderers defender, Nicky Hunt for the verdict on Everton’s captain. › Continue reading
What a difference a year makes….?
Monday, December 27th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Bruce Rioch, Football Association, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Lee Chung-Yong, Premier League, Premiership referees | 1 Comment
I didn’t get round to replying to Josh’s thread about what a difference a year makes, so I’ll stick my thoughts here.
(incidentally, when fans discuss the golden era of Bolton Wanderers, for me our second greatest period – after the 1920′s – is 30 Dec 2009 to 8 Jan 2010)
I’ll start by saying I’m a huge fan of Owen Coyle. In my opinion, this is the best managerial appointment we have ever made. Whether we go on to have the success to justify that statement remains to be seen and depends on a whole range of factors, but for me there has never previously been an available candidate more perfect for the job. I’ve stated my reasons for this in great depth many times in the past on the old official board and others, so I won’t go over old ground.
we're all a happy bunch here...
All that said, my take on the first year under OC is that if anything the “Coyle revolution” has gone slightly slower than I expected / would have liked.
To evaluate the changes, it seems reasonable to summarise based on some key areas: our league position, the style of football, spirit / morale within the club, and mood / enthusiasm of the supporters.
League position:
A massive “pass” for OC thus far. Taking over in the bottom three and guiding us comfortably to safety last season was a solid start, but it’s our lofty heights this season that really catches the eye. It’s pretty safe to say that we would be nowhere near 6th at this stage of the season under the previous manager. I’d also say it would be unlikely that we would be anywhere near this position now if BSA had never left (or worse – returned).
However, we shouldn’t get too carried away yet. We have put ourselves in an excellent position to give us a chance of a top 8 finish, but there’s a long way to go yet. Other teams have games in hand, and our position could look a bit different after the next couple of games.
We’ve also benefited from a season where some of the fancied sides have started poorly. Nobody would have predicted at the start of the season that Liverpool, Everton AND Villa would all be outside the top 8 at this stage of the season. › Continue reading
Kevin Davies – A true Legend
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Eidur Gudjohnsen, El-Hadji Diouf, Football Association, Gary Megson, Ivan Campo, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Nat Lofthouse, Nicolas Anelka, Owen Coyle, Premier League, Youri Djorkaeff | 2 Comments
Legend: it’s a word thrown round all too readily it appears these days. Scrolling down my news feed on Facebook last week, I found one friend bestowing legendary status on Javier Hernandez following his late winner for Manchester United away at Valencia. I’m sure he was caught up in the moment, or at least I hope so, and I imagine in the cold light of day, he wouldn’t be quite so keen to put Hernandez up with the ‘Kings of the Stretford End’ such as Cantona, Law and Charlton just yet although, considering the fact that the guy probably couldn’t find Old Trafford with a sat nav and more than likely believes that football was invented in 1993, nothing would surprise me.super
A proud moment for Super-kev
It’s not just fans of other clubs who seem keen to claim certain questionable players as ‘legends’. El Hadji Diouf has achieved legendary status to some Bolton fans, despite the fact that his consistency could often be called in to question and, regardless of his ‘love’ for the club, he felt the overwhelming urge just prior to our biggest match of the season at home to Sunderland to announce to the national press that, irrespective of the result of said match, he would be leaving Bolton for a big club on the continent. Now, I’ve visited Sunderland in the past and, while it does seem like another country, and sometimes another world, it sure as hell isn’t in Spain!
So what does constitute a legend? Well, in my humble opinion, in order for the word legend to have the impact it deserves, it has to be limited to certain players who have had a profound impact on the club. We have had some world class players grace the famous white shirt of Bolton Wanderers, particularly over the last ten years: Jay Jay Okocha – so good they named him twice; Youri Djorkaeff – World Cup winner in 1998 and European Championship winner in 2000; Ivan Campo – two time Champions League winner; Fernando Hierro – three time Champions League winner and five time winner of La Liga; Eidur Gudjohnsen – two Premier League titles with Chelsea and a La Liga title and Champions League winner with Barcelona; Stelios Giannakopoulos – European Championship winner with Greece in 2004; Nicolas Anelka – Premier League, FA and Champions League winner with Arsenal and Real Madrid respectively prior to his time with us, not to mention adding further Premier League and FA Cup success with Chelsea following his time at The Reebok. In total; ten domestic league titles, seven Champions Leagues, two European Championships, two FA Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. Not to mention, the small number of 457 International caps. In short, these guys have won it all. › Continue reading
Wanderers v Man Utd preview
Saturday, September 25th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Football Association, Gary Megson, Premier League | No Comments
A date which will live in infamy for eternity. A day in which millions were glued to their TV screens, unable to watch, understand or even comprehend what had just happened in the previous two hours. Those who were there and witnessed it first hand will never forget that day. On the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Bolton Wanderers proved that lightning can strike twice and defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford for the second year running. The masses were stunned.
"Rooney just hasn't been the same since all this came out"- Ferguson
It’s the game which every Bolton fan looks for when the fixtures are published; United at home. The team we love to beat more than any other. Seems hard to believe it was eight years ago that we recorded the second of our famous wins over United, and in their own back yard to boot. However, since that night in September, our record against Man Utd. has not made for nice reading; one solitary league win, Megson’s first as Bolton boss, and the first at home since December 1978; two draws, which felt like defeats due to the manner in which they were obtained – a last minute equaliser from Solskjaer denying us a famous double in 2002/2003 and an even later equaliser from David Bellion (remember him? No-one else does) in 2004 after ‘Sir’ Les Ferdinand had handed us a late lead.
Every other match against United has resulted in defeat, and some heavy defeats at that. Can this Sunday be any different? After the ‘concentrating on the league’ result on Tuesday, I can understand people being sceptical about our chances of success. However, there are some reasons to be optimistic surely? Well, Rooney’s had a poor start to the season by anyone’s standards, but especially his. That’s always a plus, yeah? Well, perhaps not. The last time we faced a Rooney in the middle of a goal drought, he went home with the match ball! The ‘charity boys’ strike again! That said, J’Lloyd Samuel isn’t playing so they’ll have to do without his impeccable finishing ability. Swings and roundabouts really. › Continue reading
Ginger Returns to the Reebok Stadium
Sunday, August 29th, 2010 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | No Comments
It’s a disturbing thought isn’t it? A ginger manager at the Reebok Stadium again. Fortunately it’s not that ginger one, but another with thinning copper locks, namely Alex McLeish, whose Birmingham City side take on Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.
There’s another tenuous link with the Whites provided by bean-pole striker Nikola Zigic who signed for McLeish recently. Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp watched the Serb as he played for Crvena Zvezda against Cork City back in 2006, with the possibility of recruiting him. Sam’s thoughts aren’t recorded, but ‘Arry wasn’t impressed.
Not a Pretty Sight
‘I don’t think five million will buy him,’ advised Zigic’s agent after the game.
‘I know, I’m one of them,’ replied Bagpuss.
Birmingham were last season’s surprise package. They were expected to struggle but survived comfortably, thanks to some stout organization and occasional last ditch defending.
So far the two sides have identical results, one draw, two wins and entrance to the next round of the Carling Cup. The performances of Owen Coyle’s side have been patchy. They were disjointed against Fulham and overrun in the first half at West Ham, before finishing as comfortable victors. Yet the points tally so far is satisfactory.
Coyle has an almost full squad to pick from, bar Ivan Klasnic and Sean Davis, who was only kept on to keep the medical staff busy now that Ricardo Vaz Te has transferred to the treatment room at another club.
The defence is a worry and the midfield hasn’t gelled yet, although individually there seems to be potential there. The most encouraging thing so far has been the improvement in Johan Elmander. Let’s hope it’s not another false dawn.
The last game at the Reebok between these two ended in a 2-1 victory for the Whites, but as all parties involved had already booked their summer holidays, it has limited relevance. Expect a tightly fought encounter with (optimistic hat on) Bolton running out the eventual winners.
The Many Departures of Gary Megson
Monday, August 16th, 2010 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | No Comments
It’s often said that one shouldn’t use Wikipedia as a sole source of reference. At least not if the intention is to write a serious article. Happily, this piece has no such pretensions, so Wiki it is.
Gary's Gardening Efforts Haven't Met With Success...
Former Bolton manager Gary Megson appeared on TV at the weekend. Despite warnings on this very site, a few Wanderers fans chose to tune in. Others have foolishly watched various clips of the programme that are lying around on the internet.
This wasn’t necessary. Everyone knew what he was going to say. If the Ginger One was to be believed, Bolton were all but challenging for a Champions League place when he was unfairly placed on gardening leave.
Just to balance things up, here are a few snippets from that Wikipedia article, which cast Gaz in a slightly different role than the one as football saviour.
Norwich
‘Megson managed the Canaries for the remainder of the 1995-96 season, but was sacked at the end of the season’ › Continue reading
Important Information for Fans of Bolton Wanderers
Saturday, August 14th, 2010 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | No Comments
Supporters of Bolton Wanderers will be alarmed to hear of a gruesome event that’s happening on Sunday 15th August. Sky are prepared for a mass cancellation of subscriptions from the BL postcode area, and local TV repair shops are expecting to do a brisk trade when they re-open on Monday.
Police have also warned householders not to be alarmed if they find the normally placid man next door shinning up the drain pipe in order to rip down his satellite dish. On a positive note, housewives may find their other halves keener than usual to take the kids to the park or wash the car.
Not even a fellow ginge is pleased at the news
The reason for these bizarre happenings? It’s down to the man who refuses to go away, or as a poster on another Wanderers site succinctly put it, ‘the turd that won’t flush.’ At 11am, former boss Gary Megson will take to the screen on Goals On Sunday in order to ‘lift the lid on life at the Reebok’, as the publicity blurb has it
Megson will explain that Bolton were bottom of league below Derby when he joined, that he took them the furthest they’d ever been in Europe and how he rescued the club from relegation, not once, but twice. He’ll also mention that the players were a great group of lads, but the fans were mean to him. Not that it mattered, as they were pathetic, made mountains out of molehills and the criticism was like water off a duck’s back.
There. Now you don’t need to put yourself through the trauma of watching it.
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