Life is always about our different perception of events and do we know people in their work, play or their retired days when different sides of their personality are on show.
Was the "village idiots" statement wrong?
I thought Nelson said that comment after Peter Shaw was called a Wanker after struggling in his first few games by a section of the Covered end ? A player who did improve after adjusting to the full time demands of Pro football.
The zoom meeting with Graham Tutt was a really good evening and Nelson was portrayed as a bully but wasn't Clough and Ferguson bullies as well ? Or was it acceptable when you are successful at the upper echelon of the game ?
I believed Graham Tutt when he said about Nelson asking if he was fit to go back on. But did Nelson ever give his account of events ? Because if he had a clear view, I can't believe he would've said that unless he wanted to give Graham hope that it wasn't as serious as it turned out to be.
Theo Foley was a lovely guy, and the players would've been so much more relaxed with him than the Sergeant Major approach of Andy Nelson.
yes.
If you were a manager and one of your new players who came from non League had heard a couple of hundred fans chant:
"We all agree Peter Shaw is a wanker"
Would you have made out you didn't hear ?
As manager, I would have called it a moronic chant not Village idiots even in those non PC days. In fact "moronic chant" was my opinion on the night, Ricky Holmes came back to Cafc with Oxford and the boos rang out at the Covered end.
Even in those non pc days, to abuse a chunk of the clubs fan base by calling them "village idiots" was wrong. No need to pretend it wasn't heard, he should just have challenged it in the right way...
Unfortunately for players and managers, they have to be able to take stick from the people that pay their wages and not give it back.
It was always something of a paradox with Nelson - for 3-4 years we played the most exciting football I've seen at The Valley, the polar opposite of the bilge currently being served up. It's an era most people remember fondly, even if we never really challenged for promotion to the top division. It was only years later when old players did interviews, fan nights etc that it was evident that he wasn't all that popular to say the least. There was a lot of affection for Theo Foley and also, more surprisingly, Michael Gliksten who was the pantomine villain for the fans in those days. One player said he never signed a contract as a handshake usually sufficed.
There wasn't the flow of information (some of it even true) that there is now, and "Andy Nelsons Red and White Army" had fairly heavy rotation from the fans until probably the middle if 78-9; we started sliding towards another last day shoot out, and after the Village Idiots remarks it was always going to end in tears. The following season was a horror show and he finally went about March when we were as good as down.
He was a CB in the Ipswich Town team that won the Old first division in 61/62 under Alf Ramsey, I'm sure it was mentioned since this thread started but it was always about his 4 years of management at Cafc with the success turning to failure similar to Lee Bowyer to mention just one manager who has found the baggage at this club weigh them down in the end.
@DOUCHER mention Andy's football career and what a player he was, say your grandad told you ! A bit of good cop before the bad cop is always a good idea. Ask about Ramsey before getting back to Cafc and just slide it in the conversation after a jug of Sangria that wasn't it sad how Graham Tutt's career was basically finished as the best young keeper prospect along with Mervyn Day after the Tom Finney boot in the face. Then, did you really think he might carry on ?!
I know Nelson is an elderly man now but I would like to hear his take on the events.
We won't shoot you Doucher, you are only the messenger !
I don’t know him, but he was the first manager I identify with, so a great bit of nostalgia for me.
However…. Goodness me. Didn’t take long for people to start slagging off people based on 3rd party opinion, and a single one at that.
Forums at their worst.
No one's slagging him off. The 3rd party opinion happens to be from his goalkeeper Graham Tutt. Graham seems like a lovely bloke when he spoke to Bromley Addicks for a couple of hours and struck me as someone who was very level headed and genuine.
How many people did he manage? How many other negative comments?
We all cross paths with people who we don’t get in with, or opinions we don’t agree with. That’s life.
To suggest that someone is a bad egg due to one other persons opinion. Well.
I always judge people by my own personal interactions. I’m sure most people do, but are swayed now and then by the media/internet (myself included).
Btw, Tutt was one of my first CAFC heros. I remember his sickening injury very well as I went to school with his nephew. I’m not challenging his personal opinion of his experience. Just the fact that others seem to jump on the “injustice!” Bandwagon.
Like I say, I don’t know Nelson. I don’t know you. I always assume someone is nice unless proven wrong personally.
That’s all I’m trying to say.
For what it's worth, I have it on decent authority from several players of the era that the views of Tutt and Powell referenced in this thread were shared by several that played for him....
That being said, I'm sure many that played for Clough, or Shankly, or Furguson wouldn't have enjoyed playing for them either.
Just seen this. Sorry, I checked out after the “f*** off you pr***”” comment from someone else yesterday. Lovely.
@sporadicadick - Thank you for your very balanced reply.
I opened this thread thinking it was going to be a lovely trip down memory lane. Instead, I read a minority of “cancel culture” type comments based on 3rd party views. Shame this thread has been sullied by them.
Comments
Unfortunately for players and managers, they have to be able to take stick from the people that pay their wages and not give it back.
It was only years later when old players did interviews, fan nights etc that it was evident that he wasn't all that popular to say the least. There was a lot of affection for Theo Foley and also, more surprisingly, Michael Gliksten who was the pantomine villain for the fans in those days. One player said he never signed a contract as a handshake usually sufficed.
There wasn't the flow of information (some of it even true) that there is now, and "Andy Nelsons Red and White Army" had fairly heavy rotation from the fans until probably the middle if 78-9; we started sliding towards another last day shoot out, and after the Village Idiots remarks it was always going to end in tears. The following season was a horror show and he finally went about March when we were as good as down.
He was a CB in the Ipswich Town team that won the Old first division in 61/62 under Alf Ramsey, I'm sure it was mentioned since this thread started but it was always about his 4 years of management at Cafc with the success turning to failure similar to Lee Bowyer to mention just one manager who has found the baggage at this club weigh them down in the end.
@DOUCHER mention Andy's football career and what a player he was, say your grandad told you ! A bit of good cop before the bad cop is always a good idea. Ask about Ramsey before getting back to Cafc and just slide it in the conversation after a jug of Sangria that wasn't it sad how Graham Tutt's career was basically finished as the best young keeper prospect along with Mervyn Day after the Tom Finney boot in the face. Then, did you really think he might carry on ?!
I know Nelson is an elderly man now but I would like to hear his take on the events.
We won't shoot you Doucher, you are only the messenger !
@sporadicadick - Thank you for your very balanced reply.