Brucie interview

[PTP]

interview with your no.1 clown - taken from the offal

whatever anyone say's about grobbelar - he is a legend for the bandy legs routine and one of my earliest footballing memories is him walking on his hands in celeberation when we had just beat everton in the fa cup final in 86 i think

Bruce Grobbelaar has lifted the lid on his colourful career, from that spat with Steve McManaman to match-fixing allegations which put his life on hold for seven years.
During a no-holds-barred chat with Liverpoolfc.tv, the Anfield legend talks about his two years fighting terrorists with the Rhodesian National Guard and ponders on how many European Cups we could have won during the six-year ban.

He also reveals how it was another teammate – not McManaman – who he felt like clipping round the ear during the 1993 derby.

As a Brucie bonus, we quizzed the former stopper on the current side, including how he thinks Pepe Reina compares to the club's great goalies.

Finally, we discovered that, despite hanging up his boots long ago, Grobbelaar's days of doing handstands are far from over.

grobbelaar

What are you up to these days, Bruce?

I'm basically a man of leisure. I'm over here from South Africa with my partner, who works in Yorkshire. When I'm over I go to Anfield and still follow it passionately. There's only one team in the UK and that's Liverpool Football Club.

What do you make of the current team?

Rafa Benitez has got a fantastic core of players – they can knock on the door of the championship, I really believe that. If you look at the end of the season, the team that wins the league has always lost fewer than five games. We have lost none.

People talk about the 1987-88 team as perhaps the best ever – how many of the modern day lads would get in there?

Yes, I think our best team was from 1986 until 1989. If I had to pick some players to play in that period I'd have Reina as my understudy [laughs]. Gerrard would absolutely have to feature. People could shift around so he could slot in. Carragher epitomises Scousers, so again you would make sure he was in there somewhere. As for the strikers, you could see Torres in there. Torres and Rush would be awesome with Barnes feeding them – that would be beautiful.

How do the playing styles compare?

The game is a lot quicker now but we made it look quick because of the slickness of our passing, just like Arsenal do now. When you pass and move like they do, the ball moves quicker than any man ever could. When we beat Forest 5-0 we were just as good as them and could open up defences just like Arsenal do today.

Is Reina the best Liverpool goalkeeper since Bruce Grobbelaar?

It's hard to say who is the best. Sander Westerveld was a great keeper and I honestly think he was pushed out too soon. David James might still be here if the original plan Graeme Souness came up with had been implemented. Souness asked me to be the number one and bring on James. It didn't happen because Souness didn't like me going back and forth to play for my country, Zimbabwe. He put James in too early and destroyed his confidence. I am pleased with the way it has gone for him now, though; he is doing really well. Liverpool still need a goalkeeper who can come and sweep up at the back. That's the one thing Reina maybe needs to add to his game, anticipating when to come out and smother. Having said that, I do think he has the attributes to become one of the very best in the world. He is dealing with crosses better than he ever has – I think he's catching more often now, rather than punching.

[PTP]

cont'd

Looking back at your career. You were in the Rhodesian National Guard before you came to England, weren't you? Tell us about that?

I signed up for a year but when I had 22 days to go they put it up to 18 months, then with 11 more days to go they put it up to two years. It was two years of just trying to survive. We thought we were doing a job that was good for our country (during the Rhodesian Bush War) but in the last six months we realised we were fighting a lost cause. I was a tracker in the fire force. There were four of us who would get picked up in a helicopter and shifted around the country. If there was a dispersal of terrorists we would follow them.

Did that give you a different outlook when you took up football? Is that what made you more laid back about things?

When I came over to sign in England people said football was more important than life or death. It's not. When you're living you have to be happy, you can't just sit there in the doldrums. Professional football is a stressful place, but you are still alive and you are still doing something you love. And being paid for it.

Grobbelaar on his antics
Bob came in and said to me straight that if I didn't cut out the antics I'd find myself playing for Crewe. At that stage we were 13 points off the top, and we ended up winning the league by three points. I turned my game around and calmed it down. The great centre-halves I was learning from helped: Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen. Jockey wouldn't talk to you if you made a mistake!

You came from the Vancouver Whitecaps for a loan spell at Crewe, that's how Liverpool spotted you wasn't it?

Tom Saunders (from the boot room) came to watch Portsmouth v Crewe at Fratton Park. He went to watch a midfielder but went back to Bob Paisley and said to forget about the midfielder, check out the goalkeeper. The next weekend, on May 3, 1980, they came to watch us at York but left after the warm up. They'd seen enough in the warm up to make up their minds!

Were you walking on your hands or something?

No, but I did walk out with an umbrella because it was raining!

You were brought in as an understudy to Ray Clemence, weren't you?

I signed in March and played three games for the reserves, and I knew I'd be in the reserves for a long time. Anyway, just before the end of the season Ray did an interview with The Star saying he was happy to be teaching Bruce for the next two years, which is what we thought was going to happen. Anyway, they then came to me and asked how I felt about this. I said that I'd like to stay behind him for that long but that I didn't think it would happen because I thought I would take his place before that! I don't know if I shouldn't have said that, but in the summer he went to Tottenham saying he needed a new challenge.

you had an uncomfortable start to life in the first team though...

I was thrown in at the deep end and, yes, for the first six months it was hair-raising. It was a combination of things: a new goalkeeper playing with an old back four; doing things that they'd never seen before like sitting on the crossbar and walking around on my hands. Anyway, 1981 came round and we lost 2-1 to Man City and Bob came in and said to me straight that if I didn't cut out the antics I'd find myself playing for Crewe. At that stage we were 13 points off the top, and we ended up winning the league by three points. I turned my game around and calmed it down. The great centre-halves I was learning from helped: Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen. Jockey wouldn't talk to you if you made a mistake!

Who were you pally with in the squad at this stage?

I roomed with a guy who was born in South Africa, Craig Johnston, though he always said he was an Australian – I could never see that. Me and him lived over in the Wirral, whereas everyone else was in Southport.

Grobbelaar on superstitions
This lasted about four years and the only time we lost was the time it was too late and I had to put the lights out with my hands. Bob used to say to me [adopts Paisley impression]: "What are you doing man, you are going to blow the fuse!"

Looking at a few flashpoints of your career, tell me about the bust up with Steve McManaman when you were playing Everton in 1993?

It was handbags from 50 paces. I shouted to him on the front post to get it away but instead of putting it into the stands he swung a left foot at it and it came back into the playing area – then Mark Ward scored on a half-volley. What I was even more annoyed about was Mark Walters turning his back on the shot instead of blocking it. I wanted to go after him but I thought the papers might say I was racist, so I had a word with McManaman instead. We'd both be sent off for that these days! There was no problem after that, we are okay.

Is it right you used to have a superstition where you had to kick the ball at a light switch before you left the dressing room?

That's right. Before one game I decided to see if I could knock the lights out with the ball, and because I did it and we won, I carried on. This lasted about four years and the only time we lost was the time it was too late and I had to put the lights out with my hands. Bob used to say to me [adopts Paisley impression]: "What are you doing man, you are going to blow the fuse!"

Did it usually take you long?

Geepers creepers, one time all the lads were out on the pitch waiting for me to get it. I'm a goalkeeper, I couldn't do it. If you asked me to throw it at the lights I'd get it every time, but not with my foot

[PTP]

cont'd - ****ing long this one

Who was your most annoying teammate ever?

Steve McMahon was a bit annoying – not during a game, but afterwards when we were out having a few drinks. I'm not giving you examples, but he was still a lovely bloke.

Who's the best player you ever played with?

Graeme Souness. He had everything you'd ever want in a footballer: he was passionate, he could lead from the front, he could pass and head the ball and he marshalled his troops very well. You'd always want him in your side. If I think about him I think of him as a player.

Grobbelaar on allegations
Seven years is a long time and it wasn't something anyone would wish to go through. If you look at the outcome, I was awarded £1. I came to England with £10 in my pocket, so I've had a hell of a ride on £11 all these years, haven't I? But no, justice has been done, albeit in a small way.

What's the biggest disappointment of your Liverpool career?

Not being allowed to play in Europe for those six years. I think we could have won the European Cup at least once during that time. Maybe twice. We never foresaw that happening, the ban.

How do you think you'd have got on against the great AC Milan team of the late 1980s?

I think we would have had the upper hand on them, I really do. After all, they're Italians and we beat Italians!

Looking over your career I suppose the major dark time was the court case over match fixing allegations, during which you were acquitted. How difficult a period was that?

Seven years is a long time and it wasn't something anyone would wish to go through. If you look at the outcome, I was awarded £1. I came to England with £10 in my pocket, so I've had a hell of a ride on £11 all these years, haven't I? But no, it was very difficult. The children had to grow up and go through school through that period. They had to be strong characters but they lived with it and adapted to it. They know I've done nothing wrong and justice has been done, albeit in a small way.

You left quite a legacy on the pitch, you only have to look at the 2005 Champions League final to see that. Which is better, Grobbelaar’s spaghetti legs or the Dudek dance?

If you take the laws of the game from my era, I wasn't allowed to move my feet. So that's what I decided to do to put them off. Dudek was allowed to move across his line – though he also came out about three yards! We both used the law to our advantage, though I don't know which is better.

[PTP]

finally last bit

How did you feel watching him, knowing it was influenced by you?

I don't know if it was inspired by me because I don't think he knew what I did. It was Carragher shouting at him to do something and it worked – and again it was against Italians.

Finally, I have to ask you this, when was the last time you did a handstand?

Last week. I got a birdie! You thought I couldn't do a handstand anymore, didn't you? You cheeky little sod!

[Dave Benson Phillips]

One of my heroes as a kid, along with Mr Miyagi, Optimus Prime and Mr T.

[Pacman]

Brucie hates scousers - FACT

I picked him up from the airport a few months ago to take him to a charity do over here. Him and his wife were nice enough even asked me if I fancied a game of golf on the Sunday.

You can tell he likes a lot of things that Rafa has done and he rates Reina however he did say to me that he hates scousers He found then annoying and irritating. I thought he was talking about the Welsh but he was talking about Scousers.

[Bob]

however he did say to me that he hates scousers He found then annoying and irritating.

Maybe he's been reading Coops posts on here.

[El Jefecito]

a goalkeeper who can come and sweep up at the back. That's the one thing Reina maybe needs to add to his game,

[loco_law]

BG is the reason I support LFC. I was a Whitecaps fan and he walked me out onto the pitch as captain one match. Love the guy, will NEVER think poorly about him, and respect ANYONE that had to serve 2 years in a forced military role before they could start their life.

Brucie is and always will be a GOD. FACT.

[kewellnthegang]

on the few occasions ive met BG he has always been a loud obnoxious ****

i remember he was chatting some bird up and a fella asked him for his autograph

to belittle the fella he says in front of the woman

say please - you never said please

fella says can i have your autograph please

he says no **** off

they say take as ya find - i find him a ****in ******

[loco_law]

on the few occasions ive met BG he has always been a loud obnoxious ****

i remember he was chatting some bird up and a fella asked him for his autograph

to belittle the fella he says in front of the woman

say please - you never said please

fella says can i have your autograph please

he says no **** off

they say take as ya find - i find him a ****in ******

Then go blow Kewell and call it a night.

[kewellnthegang]

Then go blow Kewell and call it a night.

WTF

:whatever:

[loco_law]

I see you questioning things.... but have you Kewleed it a night? huh?


Well have you?!!?!?