Sir Bobby - The Toon Connection!

Last updated : 01 August 2009 By Footy Mad - Editor

NU

Alan Shearer:
"Sunday was a fitting tribute to him and he will be sadly missed by everyone, not just by people in the football world but from all walks of life.

"It's a very sad day for everyone, especially his family, his close friends and anyone who's ever worked with him.''

Kieron Dyer: "Obviously he was a massive influence in my career, not just on the pitch but also off the pitch.

"I was told five minutes before kick-off so that was a shock to the system. He had beaten cancer so many times I thought he would go on into his 100s but it wasn't to be.

"At the minute's silence it did overwhelm me. I am just going to look at all the great memories he brought to my life andall the special bits, like in team talks when he used to call me Kevin because he would forget names.

"Off the pitch he treated me like a son. We had the Ipswich connection so when he was at Newcastle he made a beeline straight for me.

"He was like a father figure to me and I am going to miss him."

Terry McDermott: "It's devastating.

"Everybody knew it was coming. The people who've seen him at the weekend at the charity game, you could see he wasn't a well man. It shows the courage of the man to actually turn up in front of 33,000 people and get the fitting send-off he deserved because he's a fantastic football person.

"Everybody knew he was in trouble and he was going to die but it's still a shock to everybody. Everybody remembers him obviously for being a nice person but what a great football person as well.

"He'll be sadly missed by everyone, not just Newcastle but football in general."

Freddy Shepherd (who sacked Robson in 2004): "His enthusiasm was unbelievable. He just loved Newcastle.

"When he first joined us, we asked in London did he want the job? He said 'yeah, I don't want to talk about wages, I just want to be up there today'.

"His enthusiasm was fantastic.

"It was a board decision, we were a plc so it was a collective thing and I had to go along with it. I certainly didn't enjoy it. We stayed great friends, played golf etc. He was a great guy.

"He knew how to play me, there's always friction there (between chairman and manager) - it's part of the business but he knew how to play me and he's done it very successfully!"

Sir John Hall: "He's a legend at Newcastle.

"He's probably our most successful manager in recent years. He took us into Europe.

"I often wonder what would the success of the club be like if people realise we approached him while he was manager of Barcelona.

"He wanted to come to the club but he said 'I've got a contract at Barcelona, I've got to see it out'. That was a measure of the honesty of the man.

"If we'd got him two to three years before he came I reckon we would have had tremendous success. He was a great manager. He just knew the game, he was dedicated to it."

Warren Barton: "It's devastating news, he was a great manager and a great man. I hope his legacy continues, he was the best manager I had.

"He was black and white through and through."