My Favourite Blade (Number 10) - Mick Rooker

I have had this submission in my email inbox for a few weeks. It was always my intention to finish this run of the My Favourite Blade series with it, however holidays and other happenings at Bramall Lane meant that it was delayed.

 

Sadly that delay means that this post has taken on additional resonance. To those of you who are not Blades fans, the name Mick Rooker might not mean too much to you. However, to Unitedites, he is just one of many people behind the scenes who are the glue which keep the fabric of our club together. Sadly that is no longer the case. Following a series of redundancies, Mick is no longer working for United.

 

Whether that was voluntary or imposed we don't know; it is none of our business. What is has led to is an outpouring of anger and frustration (towards the club) and thanks (for Mick) on internet forums. Forums that Mick was one of the few Blades employees to visit, often with advice on away travel, helping someone out with a ticket issue, a raffle prize or just general everyday advice.

 

Former players such as Brian Deane and Alan Kelly have taken to twitter to comment on how sad it is that Mick has left United. To them he was not just a colleague, but a friend. For many it was a friendship formed as Mick took on a role best described as an unofficial concierge as they adjusted to life in Sheffield.

 

These are dark times at Bramall Lane and having been affected by redundancy myself, my thoughts go out to all those who have lost their jobs at Bramall Lane, through no fault of their own.   

 

Below is Giacomo Squintani's thoughts on Mick, unedited for recent events. Reading back the last paragraph, you can only wish that the executives at Bramall Lane had heeded his advice. Bramall Lane will be a lesser place in Mick's absence. I will add my favourite memory of Mick in the comments below. Feel free to add yours, it will only highlight what the club has lost - a little bit of heart and soul and a great deal of goodwill and personality. 

POSTSCRIPT: Shortly after this was posted, Mick took to the S24SU forum to announce that following a lengthy telephone conversation with Kevin McCabe he was to continue at the club "being Mick Rooker". A little bit of me would like to think that the fan reaction on twitter and forums played a little part in the club's about turn.

 

When Ian put out the call for Favourite Blade memories, my mind immediately went into overdrive. Edwards, surely? Or Colin Morris? Or Alan Kelly? Hmmm… somebody will beat me to them. Maybe Glen Cockerill, who showed me what it meant to make the ball do the running and the talking months before I saw Brazilian legend Zico take that art to the highest level? Not many Unitedites mention him, but Cockerill left his mark on me. Or maybe John Burridge, whose antics amused me as a kid in the Bramall Lane stand just about as much as his saves impressed me?

 

Within minutes, I’d decided not to bother. All bar Kelly were amongst the first footballers whom I’d ever seen and who deserve credit for me falling in love with football. But I only ever saw those guys in August, as between September and June I lived in Italy. I could not sit down and type away of special seasons or even of special matches, as those rarely take place early on in the season. As for Kelly, it was a given that someone would sing his praises, the top performer and gentleman that he was/is. So I’d just sit back and let the likes of @unitedite, @8LAD35 and @ThomasCarter83 sing the praises of Edwards, Morris and Kelly respectively – and I’m glad I did, given the top job they all did.

 

I asked my Mum to put pen to paper, if only for selfish reasons: I wanted to glean her view of who first got her heart pumping at The Lane back in the 1950s. Apologies for the assumption, by the way, that one’s “favourite Blade” is a childhood hero, but I think the evidence of this series supports it… Anyway, she said she found it hard enough to muster the willpower to write the shopping list, let alone a blog entry, so that plan went out of the window. In the meantime, Ian joked whether I’d asked my own Mum to write about me, given my stint in shirt and suit at Bramall Lane. And that got me thinking…

 

…you know what; my Favourite Blade is not Glenn Cockerill. Or Keith Edwards. Or John Burridge, enjoyable though his “Budgie” autobiography is (not much mention of his time at The Lane, mind!). My all-time Favourite Blade is not a player: it’s a shirt and suit chap. My Favourite Blade is…

 

Mick Rooker

 

 

 

Now, that is likely to prompt one of two reactions:

1. Who? Was he before the War?

2. Top lad is Mick!

 

Michael D. Rooker has never played for Sheffield United. He has the passion, but not quite the physique or technique. No doubt you’ve walked past the Pools Office at Bramall Lane, or Promotions Office as it’s now known (for a while Mick resisted the change, purely because he couldn’t see the point in spending money on a new sign!). Well, Mick is the Promotions Office Manager. “Blades Revival”, “Blades Superdraw”, “50/50”… all that stuff is Mick’s. He’s been drawing money out of your bank accounts for years! Most importantly, though, Mick is a true, lifelong Blade, fortunate enough to work for the Club he loves.

 

He is one of the unsung heroes of the “Family Club” – ‘unsung’ by those who haven’t met him, anyway! If you’ve ever needed something and have asked Mick, odds are he did the best he could for you. He understands what it means to be a Blade and treats fellow Blades as fans first, customers second. I’m sure @thecase1907 won’t mind me sharing that Mick helped him out with getting hold of a signed United shirt to promote sponsorship when he ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon earlier this year. Plus Mick does sing his own praises. Not a modest lad, our Mick. Nor should he be: for all his love for the club and his empathy towards fellow Blades, he’s good at what he does and delivers off the pitch. I know he does, because he’s told me. That’s why I sometimes use the hashtag #mickrookerismyguru on Twitter – one that Brian Deane, Alan Kelly and Tony Agana have all endorsed!

 

“But… didn’t he go to Hull and back?” I hear someone at the back object. Indeed. It was a time of turbulence at The Lane (not that that narrows it down!) and both Mick and Andy Daykin headed East to Hull City. Was that because his love for the Blades had declined? Not at all, it’s because he loved United so much that the only way to save that relationship was to step away for a while. I don’t know whether he expected to return as quickly as he did, but I’m sure he was delighted at the opportunity to do so and to find his relationship with his lifelong footballing love all the better and stronger for it. Ignore that little fling in Humberside and Mick’s been at Bramall Lane for twenty-five years. Think about what our club has gone through since 1987 (“Fit and Proper?” being a good place to start if you need reminding) and you soon realise that that takes something special… and Mick’s special alright!

 

By nominating Mick, I’m also nominating a torchbearer for all professionals behind the scenes. When clubs go up or down (and United is one example of a club that doesn’t generally hang around in any one division for too long!), we instinctively think of the players whose CVs have glory or disappointment added to them. As the EPPP takes hold, holding on to players on high wages becomes increasingly tough for relegated clubs, and our hearts often go out to those released. But if they’re good enough, someone will come in for them. What about what goes on behind the scenes, in the clubs’ offices? Budgets are often driven by what takes place on the pitch, yet they are not confined to those who take to the field.

 

In April 2011 at the Madjeski I bumped into a former Promotions Department employee, at one of the season’s strangest games: on the back of one point in thirteen away from home under Adams, we came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against one of the Championship’s high flyers. I have since felt guilty that I didn’t make a game or two earlier on, as clearly I was the key to our success that day… Anyway, that former employee of Mick’s had left following our failure to climb back into the Premiership. Those were the days!

 

It hit me then, albeit not for the first time, that similar tales affect hundreds of office staff at football clubs up and down the country whose clubs go down and up. Professionals for whom there is no public transfer window, who will only stay in the game if there is an opening within driving distance. It reminded me, once again, how critical the guys and gals behind the stage are in enabling on-pitch success, yet how dependent they are upon whose goal that football ends up in.

 

And that’s why my Favourite Blade is Michael D. Rooker, Esq. Because we’ve shared great times and because, once the adrenaline-rush of match day has calmed down, he’s a sensitive lad with whom you can have a reight good chat. But, beyond all my own personal reasons, rooted in the specific context of my personal relationship with him, because Mick exemplifies all that is good about working for your club; because he goes into the office every morning (well, most mornings) with the same fire in his belly as the likes of Vinnie Jones, Brian Gayle and Paul Stancliffe took to the field – only he’s been doing it for twenty-five years. Could you have put up with the shenanigans at S2 for twenty-five years? Trust me: if you could bottle Mick’s passion, his commitment and sell it to players who’ve just arrived at your club, you’d make a fortune.

 

There you go McCabe, there’s a plan… you could roll it out across the entire United family, from Hungary to China to… wherever. Any club, anywhere, needs a Mick Rooker. We’re just lucky enough to have The Original.

My Favourite Blade (Number 8) - Joe Shaw

One great thing about starting a series like this is when you receive a contribution like the one below from Pete Moxon (@mox53). Not only is it well written, it is about a player I am too young to have seen and so offers great insight into the player; a player who was a one-club man; a player who has the record number of appearances for United; a former captain and club legend. A player I was fortunate enough to hear about from my Dad and my grandparents who saw him play. I’ll let Pete tell you more......     

Fifty one years since I first took the magical journey to Bramall Lane and considering the multitude of matches I’ve viewed there, and at other grounds,plus the thousands of players I’ve seen pull on the red and white stripes,isolating one particular player as my favourite is not an easy task!

I rarely sit down and think about such things, but obviously in the past I’ve had many ‘favourites’ for one reason or another, not necessarily because of their ability. Over the years, obvious ones have thrilled me with sublime skill (TC, Glyn Hodges), thunderous shooting (Woody), tenacious defending (Dave Powell, Morgs), dogged attitude and making the most of limited ability (Monty, Bob Booker) and because they were characters (Hodgy). So to name one player as an all time favourite is something I’ve never pinned myself down to. However, in the interests of ‘A United View’ and to satisfy my own mind, I’ve isolated one player who, for several reasons, I’ll put forward as my all time favourite Blade.

For those of us old enough to have seen him play, no-one could have failed to be impressed quite how a 5’8”, of average build, bloke, could execute such a commanding influence in the position of centre half (as it was termed back then) or central defender as it is today. Centre halves of the 50’s & 60's were generally big, rough, intimidating so and so’s who usually incurred the wrath of opposing fans with their treatment of the centre forward they were up against. An early kick/hefty tackle was the message to the centre forward of the treatment he could expect for the next 89 minutes or so. Referees offered little protection as this was ‘part of the game’ in those days. Centre forwards just got up, moaned ever so slightly, and got on with it: today, well..... the modern game is blighted with the writhing, whingeing cheats trying to con officials and fans, I hate this facet of football, but I digress...

Joe was different; small in stature for his role (he started life as a winghalf/inside forward) at centre half, his strengths were timing, anticipation, skill, the ability to read the game better than most and modesty (no histrionics or brashness from Joe). As my dad used to tell me before he finally took me to BDTBL, "Joe is the best uncapped centre half in the country, it’s only ‘cos he plays for United that England won’t pick him."(I’m not sure whether that was the case in those days?).

So I had already been primed before I saw him play and of course once I began to go and decide who was good and who wasn’t (instead of listening to others), it was obvious Joe had class and his size was rarely an issue against some big tough strikers (Derek Dougan named Joe as his most difficult opponent in one magazine article, that made my day!). Joe won no England caps but went on some FA tours abroad which kind of gave him some recognition for his contribution to the game and when he finally retired well into his thirties (quite old in those days),he was taken on to United’s coaching staff.

That's where I encountered Joe the man, as opposed to Joe the footballer, and the defining reason which singles Joe Shaw out as my favourite Blade.

In my early youth I was a reasonable footballer, good enough to represent my city at schoolboy level and be courted by a few league clubs (Huddersfield, Mansfield and Chesterfield) and eventually get the call from my beloved Sheffield United for an extended trial. The first session I attended at the Ball Inn ground (United’s training ground at the time and across the road from my childhood home), I came under the tutelage of Joe Shaw. I was of course, as a fifteen year old, awestruck! In the warm up, Joe put us through some (for me anyway) torturous sprint routines. Bearing in mind this was my first session, I was keen to impress but I’d never been pushed so hard before and eventually and embarrassingly, I was physically sick. I was mortified and could feel the other lads looking mockingly at me, this new kid, spewing up within the first twenty minutes of his first session.

This was where Joe the man came in. I was expecting the ‘come on, pull yourself together, we’ve only just started’ treatment from the hardened professional of 632 league games! Instead, Joe came over, made sure I was ok and then took timeout to take me to one side and talk to me about physical training and its effects on the body. He went on to tell me this had happened to him several times in his youth and not to worry or be embarrassed by it. He was, quite plainly, a real nice fellow and made me feel so much better. He remembered my name from that point on and over the following six weeks always took time out to speak and enquire as to my wellbeing.

That very personal encounter, plus his outstanding ability and contribution to SheffieldUnited Football Club makes Joe Shaw my favourite Blade.

My Favourite Blade (Number 5) - Alan Kelly

It is a pleasure to welcome Thomas Carter (@ThomasCarter83) to the pages of A United View to summarise why former A United View interviewee Alan Kelly was his favourite Blade.

To put it mildly the mid to late 90s were turbulent times for Sheffield United. We’ve had F.A. Cup semi-finals, last second relegation, linesmen getting chinned, the play-offs, chairmen wanted by Interpol and one of our finest centre-forward partnerships being sold off for peanuts on the same day, to name but a few examples. After the departure of Dave Bassett in 1995 the managerial revolving door was in full rotation with more false dawns than a French and Saunders themed fancy dress party.  

Against this background of instability two of the few constants within the club were the goalkeepers, Simon Tracey and Alan Kelly. Looking back on that time, and bearing in mind some of the ‘keepers we’ve seen at the Lane over the past two seasons it is amazing to think we were able to keep 2 keepers of that calibre on the books for so long.

 As a youth of about 10-11, I fancied myself as a bit of a keeper and at the time Alan Kelly was the first choice at the Lane. Therefore he was quickly established as my favourite player.  Simon Tracey’s displays in the promotion winning side of 89/90 were a bit before my time as a Blade.  I remember breaking my arm playing in goal and I managed to get Alan to sign my pot. Being able to carry his autograph around on my arm for all to see went some way to atone for not being able to play football for 6 weeks.

Alan signed for the Blades from Preston NE in 1992, coming from good goalkeeping stock. His father was one of Preston’s greatest ever players, with his image now adorning a stand at Deepdale. His brother, Gary, also had a decent career in the game and even turned out for the Blades in the closing stages of 02/03.

There will always be debate amongst Blades fans about who was the better ‘keeper but for my money Alan Kelly just shades it, mainly for the great F.A. cup nights at Bramall Lane in replays against Blackburn and Coventry. The latter game on St Patricks day 1997 saw him carried aloft from the pitch by Unitedites  following a hat-trick of penalty saves, not to mention a Gordon Banks-esque effort (as Radio Sheffield put it) in the first game at Highfield Road,  to put the Blades into the semi-final at the expense of Premiership Coventry City.

For many Blades, myself included it was his commitment to the cause that endeared him to the supporters. An iconic image of the great man was him hobbling off the pitch after the play-off second leg away at Ipswich in ’97, with his left leg strapped up and probably more needle marks on his arm than Pete Doherty, from all the painkilling injections in Alan’s case, as the Blades dragged themselves into the play-off final. 

He was linked with numerous moves to Premiership sides but chose to remain at Bramall Lane right up until the chaotic final days of Mike McDonald’s reign. His final game, a pre season friendly with Chelsea, was characterised by chants from the Kop begging him not to leave for a proposed move to Aberdeen.

He eventually left for Blackburn Rovers in the summer on 1999 after 7 years battling with Simon Tracey for the keeper’s jersey. He did however, have one final gift for Unitedites;  turning down flat a move to our vile neighbours a couple of years later. His reason – “once a Blade, always a Blade”.

Alan can be followed on twitter at @keepingskills

My Favourite Blade (Number 4) - Colin Morris

It's a pleasure to welcome Lee Doane (@8LAD35) back to A United View to talk about his favourite Blade, a favourite of mine as well, Colin Morris. As ever, if you want to share your memories of the wing wizard, why not use the comments section below.

My first proper season as a regular attendee at Bramall Lane was the 1983-84 season, when United won promotion from the 3rd Division. The hero of the terraces was undoubtedly Keith Edwards, with his golden boot winning 42 goals. Although I loved The King as much as anyone, my hero was Colin Morris.

Colin had joined United in February of 1982, during the Division 4 championship season from Blackpool for £100,000. I didn’t know anything about him at the time but remember my Dad saying what a good signing he was. This proved to be true as, during the next few years, Colin made a vital contribution to the team’s success, mainly due to the quality of service he provided to the forwards, in particular Keith Edwards. Keith regularly pays tribute to Colin’s wing play in his work as a match summarizer for Radio Sheffield.

Colin was what you could call an “Old school winger,” a wizard of the dribble. I remember that he appeared to be able run down the wing as if the ball was glued to his foot. He would take on defenders and whip in the aforementioned quality crosses to the forwards. I just found him an exciting player to watch. From 1982-83 onwards, Colin was the regular penalty taker and also weighed in with his fair share of goals. Until Michael Brown’s feat of 24 goals in 2002-03, Colin was the last United midfielder to score 20 goals in a season in 1983-84. Ian Porterfield, the United manager at the time recognised Colin’s attacking threat and occasionally deployed him as a striker when Keith Edwards was injured or out of favour.

A particular memory of mine is the opening day of the 85-86 season, away at Stoke City. Colin put United 2-1 up from the penalty spot and rounded off a great opening day away win with a terrific goal on the break from a Stoke corner, where he collected the ball around the centre circle and ran through the defence to fire home from the edge of the penalty area.

Colin’s United career came to an end during Dave Bassett’s first season in charge and his swan song was a volley in front of the Kop in the play-off defeat to Bristol City.

So why was Colin my favourite at a time when Keith Edwards was the golden boy? It is quite odd. I used to read MATCH magazine and during the 82-83 season they printed a poster of Colin Morris. It was a big deal for me to have a Sheffield United player featured in MATCH and the poster went straight on the bedroom wall. When United announced an open-day at the start of the 83-84 season, I took my poster in the hope that I would meet Colin and get it signed. As soon as I arrived, I spotted Colin and made a Bee-line for him.

LD:  “Colin, would you sign my poster?”

CM: “Sure son. What’s your name?”

LD: “Lee”

CM: “Oh aye? My lad’s called Lee, here you go son.”

It was a magic moment for me and I was star struck. What was also nice is that whenever I bumped into him at Bramall Lane, Colin always remembered me and said hello. It made me feel ten feet tall. Also, I was a ball-boy for a couple of games that season and one of the games was a 5-0 win against Bolton on New Year’s Eve. Colin scored a hat-trick that day and I was able to congratulate him at the final whistle.

Fast forward to 1998 and I was delighted to see Lee Morris follow in his father’s footsteps and become a first team star for Sheffield United. When I think of Lee Morris, I always remember that day in 1983 when I met his Dad.

My Favourite Blade (Number 3) - Tony Currie

In the third of this close season series it is great to welcome Craig Salt (@saltyinsheff) to the pages of A United View with his memories of a Blades legend who, as the song said, could do magic. Why not share your memories of TC in the Comments section below.

I don’t remember my first game at Bramall Lane, what I do know is that I was little more than 18 months old, the ground had only 3 sides to it & a cricket pitch covered what is now the South Stand & car park.  I don’t remember the tour around the inner workings of the old John Street Stand and the player changing rooms or receiving the leather ball (complete with lace) signed by all the players, including the player that would become & to certain extent still is My Blades Hero. 

What I do remember is badgering my dad to buy me the full kit. What I do remember is asking if I could have the number put on the back of the shirt & on the shorts (yes, shorts had numbers on them too). What I do remember is wanting to be out in the garden, in the kit, kicking the ball & pretending to be … Anthony William Currie or TC to you and me. 

I remember the shock of long blonde hair & would take umbrage at claims that he was a lazy player, because at the time he was my footballing hero. I remember talk of his pinpoint passing ability & crucial goals that he scored. I remember insisting that I wear the whole kit every time we went to a home game.  I remember slowly moving away from my Mum to spare my embarrassment from being with  the one woman megaphone that she was.  I remember being truly heartbroken when he was transferred to Leeds. LEEDS of all teams!

The only thing worse to a child would have been to travel across the city to the "Dark Side" at S6. I remember that at about the same time I stopped going to games, partly because TC wasn’t there & also because my Dad started to work more Saturdays. My interest wasn’t rekindled until my teens, when I started to go to the games with mates & on the odd occasions with my Dad & his workmates.

I’ve watched countless reruns of programmes from the telly, I’ve seen bits & pieces over the internet. Still to this day I don’t understand how he didn’t gain more than the paltry 17 caps for England.  What I do admire when I watch those clips & old shows is the way he covered the ground so laconically. I enjoy the way the commentators from the early 70’s obviously thought (like I did) he was a class apart. I remember the classic Motty line from when United beat West Ham “A quality goal from a quality player” & the one goal that really sticks in my mind is his goal for England against Hungary that he hit from outside the box, even though he wasn’t playing for United at the time. The same laconic run up & effortless execution of strike to the keeper’s right & into the net, it still makes me smile when I think about it.

I like the way, that despite his travels & career around the world he chose United as his home to come back to & give something back to the kids of Sheffield in his role as Football in the Community co-ordinator. He is still my Blades Hero!