Keep Fighting (27 page)

Billy was a fierce competitor who you always wanted in your team; in training sessions he was just as committed as during a full game, he pushed himself to the limit of his ability and always gave 100 per cent. His passing was tremendous and he could turn a game with a simple piece of skill which left his opponents bewildered. His ability to stop play, put his foot on the ball and spread it across the pitch is something very few footballers possess. In one movement he could dispossess someone, look up and pass a ball with precision to a team mate. I could never believe his stamina right through ninety minutes and often longer; he would continue to run and play football. I've lost count of the times he started moves in his own half and scored at the other end to finish it off. He loved the game very dearly. As a person he was different to the player on the pitch, greeting players with a smile and warm handshake, the on-the-field activity forgotten.

He had a warm character and was approachable on every front. I genuinely liked him as both a player and a person, and was deeply saddened by his sudden death. There are many people who will remember him for a long time to come as he helped so many during his short life.

DAVID BATTY (Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, England)

He encouraged me and taught me a great deal about football. He was a tremendous influence on my career. He was special as a person and as a footballer and manager.

GORDON MCQUEEN (St Mirren, Leeds United, Manchester United, Scotland)

One of the main reasons I joined Leeds United from St Mirren in 1971-72 was Billy Bremner. The large Scottish contingent at Elland Road was one of the healthiest in the English league, friends on and off the field, they were indeed united. As a young professional I knew I had a great deal to learn, and what better mentor could I ask for than Billy Bremner.

From day one he helped me with my game. He possessed a great wit and had a sharp sense of humour, which sometimes eased the passage through arduous training sessions, which were new to me. I recall how exhausted most players were after training; not Billy Bremner, he would sometimes remain out there training, practising crosses, shooting and passing accuracy.

The five-a-side training sessions we held during the week were to his particular liking. He thrived on the competition between his side and the rest, he would treat every tackle and move during these games as though it was of the utmost importance to him, and a few of us understood the ferocity of his sometimes bone-shaking tackle.

On the Saturday of a game he really came to life, especially when that whistle went. His love of football was as infectious as his personality. No matter who our opponents were, Billy would treat them all the same, whether it was a cup final or a friendly match, he gave his all. He was the undoubted master of the reverse pass and if any other player had tried this pass in such a manner I think they would have dislocated a joint, but such was his dexterity that he could commit such passes accurately and apparently without even thinking about it. He had everything, including an ability to single-handedly win games. I've lost count of the important matches he won for Leeds United through his own ability and determination. Together with Johnny Giles, he formed a formidable partnership in the Leeds midfield.

Football has lost one of its finest characters, but his memory will long remain with all who knew him.

HOWARD WILKINSON (Boston United, Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday)

Billy Bremner epitomised the wonderful Leeds team of the 1960s and 1970s. He was a determined, loyal and honest footballer who always led by example. His passion for the game, and Leeds United and Scotland is now the stuff of legend. At Leeds he is still revered by supporters and throughout the football club. He will never be forgotten.

SIR BOBBY ROBSON (Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Porto, Newcastle United, England)

The mention of his name conjures in my mind a fiery-haired, gritty and determined footballer, with an undeserved reputation for being hard. The Billy Bremner I knew was a kind and considerate human being, a person who would go out of his way to speak to you or to help you. I had many titanic struggles with him over the years but he was a footballer I would love to have signed, and he was inspirational and determined, qualities that are rarely seen in a player today. He used to joke about the Geordie accent saying he couldn't understand it, but when he reverted to his Scottish accent I would have to ask him to slow down so I could understand what he was saying. He would laugh and tell me that Geordies were as close to being Scottish as was possible.

I liked so much about Billy Bremner the man and Billy Bremner the footballer, he will hold a special place in football's heart.

PAUL HART (Blackpool, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth)

What can be said about the complete footballer that has not already been said? Billy Bremner was the ultimate competitor, a truly magnificent player throughout his career, and a dignified human being long after. I played with him in Peter Lorimer's testimonial at Dundee, when his playing days had all but ended. I was astounded by his thirst and appetite for the ball which he pushed around in a majestic manner. It was a proud moment playing on the same pitch as him.

As a boy I would watch him playing on television and often dreamed of acquiring his skill and fight – I very much wanted to be like him. Sadly I never quite managed it, but how many players can attain such high standards? It came as a great shock to me when I heard of his death. Billy Bremner is one of the great footballing legends in the history of the game and I doubt if anyone will ever replace him.

TREVOR FRANCIS (Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Sampdoria, Sheffield Wednesday, Rangers, England)

Throughout my career I have played against many good teams, but undoubtedly the most outstanding has to be the Leeds team of the early ’70s. Captain of that great team was Billy Bremner. He was inspirational as a captain, fiercely competitive, and always led by example. Billy had so many great attributes which helped to make him one of the greatest central midfielders of his generation.

DAVE BASSETT (Wimbledon, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Leeds United)

I played against Billy Bremner just twice. I was a semi-professional with Wimbledon FC at that time, a virtually unknown club in the Southern League and, having overcome a number of hurdles in the preliminary rounds of the FA Cup, we found ourselves drawn to play at Elland Road against the mighty Leeds United, arguably the best team in England. In addition to Billy, the team was packed with international players, including the likes of Johnny Giles, Gordon McQueen, Allan Clarke and Joe Jordan.

What an occasion it was for us! We managed to force a 0-0 draw, thanks to a superlative performance by our goalkeeper, Dickie Guy, who, in addition to making a string of magnificent saves, topped it all by saving a Peter Lorimer penalty. Incidentally, I was the player who gave the penalty away! We lost the replay 1-0 at Selhurst Park, but we were well pleased with our two performances.

In both matches, Billy Bremner was his incomparable self – tough, uncompromising, competitive, fearless. As a footballer, he was a natural winner, as his playing record shows.

In more recent years, I got to know Billy on a more personal basis. We met on quite a few occasions at functions where we were after-dinner speakers, so we were able to enjoy a couple of drinks together and talk about football. He was a lovely man, a gentleman, with an inbuilt modesty that forbade him from
talking about his heady achievements as a footballer. In addition to our professional interests, we had one significant thing in common – we were both adopted Yorkshiremen. Bill spent the major part of his professional life in Leeds, I have spent a major chunk of mine in Sheffield, where I still live.

Billy's untimely death is a great loss to football, but I am sure that the memory of the man and his achievements will live on for many years to come.

GRAHAM TAYLOR OBE (Lincoln City, Watford, Aston Villa, England)

Talent; leadership qualities; commitment; Billy Bremner had the lot. But what he had more than anything else was enthusiasm, and without that all other qualities mean nothing. Billy Bremner loved football passionately and it showed in everything he did on the football field. We will all miss him.

HOWARD KENDALL (Preston North End, Everton, Birmingham City, Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United)

Billy Bremner was a member of that brand of footballers I would describe as hard but fair, certainly one of the most difficult opponents I have ever played against. His passion for the game both as a player, and later as a manager, continues to serve as an example for any player with ambitions to play the game at the highest level. Billy's immense pride when playing for Scotland was always evident whenever he wore his national colours.

This most pugnacious of players will always remind me of the great Leeds United side of the seventies, and whether he was winning trophies with Leeds or coping with the pressures of managing a lower league club Billy always managed to put on a smile.

SAMMY MCILROY (Manchester United, Stoke City, Bury, Macclesfield Town, Morecambe, Northern Ireland)

Billy, for me, epitomised the passion and desire required to be a winner in professional football. Add that to a very high skill
factor and you are not far away from the perfect player. A man who gave his all for his team, he will be sadly missed, but never forgotten by anybody who had the privilege to see him play.

ALAN BALL MBE (Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Exeter City, England)

I, like everyone else, was shocked when I heard the news about the passing of Billy Bremner.

Being a person directly in contact with Billy, playing against each other for our respective teams, and after having played all over the world against the world's greatest players, I knew that every time I came face to face with Billy it would be the toughest game of my life. I also knew that at the end of the match we would have a marvellous short time, and occasionally a long time, sharing a drink and a laugh together.

It was an honour to have pitted my skills against Billy's throughout the years.

JOE ROYLE (Everton, Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town, England)

I was a great admirer of Billy Bremner, the player, the man. He was a ferocious competitor and a gentleman with a sense of humour. Everyone in football misses him.

GEORGE BURLEY (Ipswich Town, Sunderland, Ayr United, Derby County, Heart of Midlothian,, Southampton, Scotland)

Billy Bremner will go down as one of the all-time great footballers to represent Scotland. He was a tremendous competitor with undoubtedly the greatest of ability and was a great servant for Scotland over many years.

JIMMY ARMFIELD CBE (Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Leeds United, England)

Billy and I got on very well, both during our time together at Elland Road and in the years after. Billy Bremner just lived for football. He loved the game for its own sake and for the
pleasure and privileges it handed him. Despite all the thought of his aggressive stance on the field, I always believed he played with a smile on his face. He was never happier than when he was playing football. Somehow I could never have imagined him as a manager, it would have been impossible for him to pass on the skills and commitment he had … and that must have brought frustrations to him. Kind, generous and always ready to put a smile on your face … Billy Bremner is already being missed.

JIM SMITH (Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City, Boston United, Birmingham City, Oxford United, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Derby County)

I am delighted to say some kind words about Billy Bremner. To me, Billy Bremner epitomises everything that was good about football, with tremendous ability, enthusiasm, determination, and above all, a super person and companion.

I played in a game with Billy in the semi-final of the Northern Intermediate Cup, and he was playing on the right wing – I was playing for Sheffield United and they won 7-0. I always thought then that Billy must be a great player and he was!

DAVID ROCASTLE (Arsenal, Leeds United, Chelsea)

A lot of people say that my game is not too dissimilar to that of the great Billy Bremner. What an honour to be so recognised. When I went to Leeds I was told by so many that I was potentially the Billy Bremner of the modern era. I watched many games in which he played, he was exceptional. When I first joined Leeds, he was the first person to congratulate me and wish me every success. I loved my time at Leeds, it wasn't as if I was given the chance to prove myself, but everything about the place was good. I remember speaking to Billy once and he told me that he thought the manager had not recognised my ability, or used me in the right positions. That's exactly how I felt. When I was moved on I was devastated, and again, it was Billy Bremner who contacted me to tell me not to let the manager's inadequacies
undermine my career, or tarnish the good name of Leeds United. What a man he was. Now, here I am at Hull City, following in his footsteps, but not quite so great a player as he was. He was an exceptional person who I will forever respect.

COLIN TODD (Sunderland, Derby County, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, England)

When Billy passed away we lost a gentleman who I always found to be honest, genuine and very likeable. Billy was a gifted player as he proved in his many games for Leeds and Scotland. He was a feared and competitive opponent who gave no quarter and asked for no favours in return. I can recall many a stirring tussle with him during my time at Sunderland and Derby County, but in the bar after the game it was Billy's sense of humour that shone through. The many accolades he received both as a player and in management were well deserved and his passing was an undoubted loss to football.

BARRY FRY (Barnet, Birmingham City, Peterborough United)

Billy Bremner was an example to us all. He gave 150 per cent total commitment in every game he played in. His leadership of men was second to none.