Sir Bobby Robson's 10 Greatest Moments At Newcastle

4. His Man-Management Skills We're Out Of This World

Craig Bellamy - good footballer, awful dresser, massive gob - not necessarily in that order. There were many reports of player unrest towards the latter days of Sir Bobby's Newcastle reign, and the story of Craig Bellamy throwing a chair at coach John Carver was no secret in Newcastle. However Bellamy's autobiography speaks as warmly and as fondly of Robson as any tribute written since, in particular when talking about that particular incident at the airport. "The reports said I threw a chair at Carver in the departure lounge that had been set aside for the players. That wasn€™t entirely true. I was angry and I threw a chair out of the way so I could go and argue with him. "We ended up wrestling stupidly on the floor. Someone went to get the manager and he came in and started yelling at everyone to get out and get on the plane. I had lost my rag totally by that point. I was saying €œI€™m not going, I€™m not getting on the plane, I€™m going home to see my missus.€ €œWalk with me, son,€ he said. So I walked with him and he started asking me how my kids were, how they were doing at school, how was my missus. The next thing I knew I was on the plane. I was thinking how the f*** did I get here? "Before most games, we€™d end up at the back of the tunnel together, having a chat about what lay ahead and the opponents we were facing. He€™d stare at their players. 'He€™s s*** scared of you already, that one, son,€ he€™d say. Or it might be, €˜Get him on the turn today, son, and you€™ll kill him€™. Or, €˜Look at him, son, he€™s not even fit to be on the same pitch as you'. I felt like I was the quickest player going, I felt strong, I felt invincible because of him. "I am 5ft 6in or 5ft 7in tall but I am telling you this: when I put that kit on and I was standing in that tunnel with Bobby Robson, I felt like I was Didier Drogba.€