Yew Owls.

[TheWednesday]

Bigblue, you questioned how it stacked up for Dave Richards. Of course it did. The whole business was a joke. Dave Richards quit the sinking ship that was Wednesday shortly afterwards for "career development" as he took up the job as FA Premier League chairman.

He took the stance against PDC to win favour with the game's power brokers, by siding with the establishment. He was hardly going to rock the boat if he had football ambitions outside of Hillsborough.

Dave and Danny Wilson were as bad as each other at Wednesday and collectively put this club in the mess it is in today. Danny didn't have a clue how to handle the big name "fancy dans" as he called them namely Di Canio and Carbone, as he would rather have a team of honest, hard working players such as Atherton, Nolan, Booth and Danny Sonner! They might have worked hard, but sadly that was it, and without a bit of flair you get nowhere. The sacking of Big Ron was the beginning of the end, the end of the end was the Di Canio incident/lack of support from the two people who should have.

A good chapter to read in the Di Canio autobiography is the section where he makes a comparison between David Pleat and Big Ron. The Italian had a big bust-up with Atkinson away at Bolton, where the boss was questioning his commitment and involvement away from home, and Di Canio comes back at Big Ron calling him a part-time manager, even though he had massive respect for him, putting him in the same category as Lippi.

The Monday morning comes around, and despite almost coming to blows, Atkinson makes Di Canio the captain for the next game, and he walks away with the Man of the Match award and helps himself to a hat-trick! It's called man management.

Similarly Manchester United got it right in the same way with Cantona, which was far worse, and look how he repaid the club and Fergie afterwards!

I spoke to Big Ron recently and he said you often get problems, shall we say we, creative,with temperamental players. We were actually talking about Joey Barton, but he was saying how Sir Bobby Robson used to manage Craig Bellamy, suggesting with this type of individual you just have to butter them up and make them feel special all of the time, and effectively humour them, so that by the time he goes out onto the pitch, he can channel his energies into delivering a top quality performance. You basically tell them what they want to hear, even if you don't agree with them, which in turn keeps the squad happy as that "individual" isn't creating trouble because he is upset at something.

Edited December 4, 2011 by TheWednesday

[Lawrie Madden]

I blame Danny Wilson.

When you have a player that good you have to swallow your pride. That decision ultimately got us the sack and him relegated.

We should have backed him 100% after the AllCOCK incident. No way should he have been doing what he was doing at West Ham. Should have been for us. Who knows, if we kept hold of him n Benni we may never of got relegated???

Show me one piece of video that shows Danny Wilson pushing Alcock over.

Show me one piece of anything that shows Danny Wilson saying anything other than a highly paid professional honour his contract .

DiCanio sent Doctors notes in saying he couldn't travel from Rome to Sheffield but he could apparantly tool around Rome on his flipping Vespa for the BEEB.It was also stated by the FA at the time that only prompt action by the club prevented DiCanio getting a longer ban.

Great player but a total wee pipe of of a man .

Being a decent player never entitles you to crap all over the club like that knob did

Edited December 4, 2011 by Lawrie Madden

[BRADDAZ]

Just a side note - our very own David Prutton once put his hands on a ref and picked up a ten game ban when playing for Southampton I believe. I don't think he ever was suspended by the saints.

Dave Richards kept his nose clean throughout the entire thing for one purpose. His own agenda.

Suspended Di Canio. Claims we didn't know where he was and couldn't get hold of him. (Sky Sports tracked him down though).

Moved him out as soon as possible.

Funnily enough he then jumped ship when it was going boobies up at the earliest possible

opportunity.

He then moved into a nice cushty job at the FA. The way he handled the Di Canio saga will not have armed his opportunity and chances of landing such a job.

A few years later he picks up a knighthood for services to football (always have a laugh at that) and floats between various roles at the FA and Premier League.

Meanwhile we, as fans, have had to endure years of pain and misery that first started under his tenure.

Did he really give a flip?

Like I say. Dave Richards had his own AGENDA. (Danny Wilson was just the yes man).

Like many have said... The Cantona incident is a prime example of how a football club should handle such an incident involving your star player (even though the Cantona incident was a MILLION times worse).

Edited December 4, 2011 by BRADDAZ

[HOOTIE AND THE SHIT TU]

...my memory is very long and very accurate. He was asked to keep away from the club. The club made no attempt to contact him in Italy and the lack of support from within the club made it very obvious he was being hung out to dry because Dave Richards wanted to keep his nose clean as he was cosying up to the FA because of opportunities there....we'll not go into the 'business going down the pan..'

He may or may not have wanted to leave..to be honest i actually think he would have ended up in London whatever would have happened...but the club screwed up big time, and not just with him, when it came to looking after potentially valuable player assets.

Francis Jeffers and a few other after him screwed us (the fans) over but for attitude and work rate and skill he was up there with the best of them for giving more than 100%. Screwed us over?...never in a million years...

This is how I remember it.

[Guest bigblue]

He showed a moment of stupidity/madness pushing alcock over but so flipping what??

We should have publicly chastised him (for the FA's sake) but privately backed him to the hilt and had a right good laugh about pushing that pathetic tw@t to the ground but what did we do? we treated like a naughty little boy. I don't blame paulo one little bit for wanting out.

This was a perfect example of the pathetic thinking and rumblewittery which sent us into a tailspin from which we're only just coming out of. I hate those small minded fookers who ruined our club.

How do you know that he wasn't backed privately?

[Guest bigblue]

This is how I remember it.

There were no public statements from anyone at Wednesday against Di Canio until well after the suspension had finished and it transpired that he had decided to stay in Italy. He basically just went AWOL after a temper tantrum.

[Guest moonraker]

Wigan at home for Swindon. Can see you been giantkillers of the round moonraker

An interesting game......they are a quality outfit but being at home could even it out.

Funny how Paolo has his two former clubs paired together,good draw for you and should be a cracking tie.

[Ian]

A few years later he picks up a knighthood for services to football (always have a laugh at that)

you might want to stop laughing now then because I think Dave Richards knighthood was for services to charity.

Anyone want to have a stab at telling me a more successful chairman in terms of ground improvements, trophies won and quality of players on the pitch during their tenure?

[Guest bigblue]

Bigblue, you questioned how it stacked up for Dave Richards. Of course it did. The whole business was a joke. Dave Richards quit the sinking ship that was Wednesday shortly afterwards for "career development" as he took up the job as FA Premier League chairman.

He took the stance against PDC to win favour with the game's power brokers, by siding with the establishment. He was hardly going to rock the boat if he had football ambitions outside of Hillsborough.

Dave and Danny Wilson were as bad as each other at Wednesday and collectively put this club in the mess it is in today. Danny didn't have a clue how to handle the big name "fancy dans" as he called them namely Di Canio and Carbone, as he would rather have a team of honest, hard working players such as Atherton, Nolan, Booth and Danny Sonner! They might have worked hard, but sadly that was it, and without a bit of flair you get nowhere. The sacking of Big Ron was the beginning of the end, the end of the end was the Di Canio incident/lack of support from the two people who should have.

A good chapter to read in the Di Canio autobiography is the section where he makes a comparison between David Pleat and Big Ron. The Italian had a big bust-up with Atkinson away at Bolton, where the boss was questioning his commitment and involvement away from home, and Di Canio comes back at Big Ron calling him a part-time manager, even though he had massive respect for him, putting him in the same category as Lippi.

The Monday morning comes around, and despite almost coming to blows, Atkinson makes Di Canio the captain for the next game, and he walks away with the Man of the Match award and helps himself to a hat-trick! It's called man management.

Similarly Manchester United got it right in the same way with Cantona, which was far worse, and look how he repaid the club and Fergie afterwards!

I spoke to Big Ron recently and he said you often get problems, shall we say we, creative,with temperamental players. We were actually talking about Joey Barton, but he was saying how Sir Bobby Robson used to manage Craig Bellamy, suggesting with this type of individual you just have to butter them up and make them feel special all of the time, and effectively humour them, so that by the time he goes out onto the pitch, he can channel his energies into delivering a top quality performance. You basically tell them what they want to hear, even if you don't agree with them, which in turn keeps the squad happy as that "individual" isn't creating trouble because he is upset at something.

There are several elements to the full picture. Some of it hides PDC's part in the whole fiasco.

Dave Richards = self-serving c0ck

Danny Wilson = not great at handling the "fancy Dans", preferring the more "honest" type of player (I know another manager that likes to use that word as a prerequisite for his players!)

Paolo Di Canio = mardy diva

These three elements aren't mutually exclusive.

All three managed to do us fans a huge disservice.

PDC was suspended by Wednesday after a bust up with Danny Wilson. Danny understandably wanted to know what was in Paolo's head. He went ballistic and left DW (as the manager) with little choice. Our current manager would've ripped his head off! Could DW have handled it better? Yes, but in the face of extreme aggression, you have to remember that he's only human. I blame Paolo much more than Danny for this element.

Yes, Richards capitalised on the situation for his own end. Yes, he is the primary cause of all our woes. A total w@nker of meteoric proportions. But that doesn't mask the fact that Di Canio's reaction to the situation showed absolutely no consideration for us. I don't wish to forgive him for the part he played - even if he was a great player to watch. In fact, if anything, the fact that he was such a major player for us at the time (and he'd've known it) makes the whole thing worse. He fooked us off because he was too proud to come back to the club after his little episode - effectively throwing himself to floor with arms and legs flailing wah wah wah it's not fair!

Cantona didn't wee wee off into oblivion or go mental at Ferguson immediately afterwards, so comparing the handling of the situation isn't really fair. the Tevez ,situation is much closer.

[Guest bigblue]

Show me one piece of video that shows Danny Wilson pushing Alcock over.

Show me one piece of anything that shows Danny Wilson saying anything other than a highly paid professional honour his contract .

DiCanio sent Doctors notes in saying he couldn't travel from Rome to Sheffield but he could apparantly tool around Rome on his flipping Vespa for the BEEB.It was also stated by the FA at the time that only prompt action by the club prevented DiCanio getting a longer ban.

Great player but a total wee pipe of of a man .

Being a decent player never entitles you to crap all over the club like that knob did

Spot on.

Why are these facts being ignored by some? Is it because some don't want to accept that one of their favourite ever Wednesday players had these negative elements?

[TheWednesday]

I'm not for one minute saying Paolo Di Canio was blameless, what I do have problems with the fact that you could argue the tail was wagging the dog.

Ferguson is a great example of how to show who's boss.

Just look at the star players he has sold when no one was expecting it, Stam, Kanchelskis, Beckham, and Lee Sharpe (at the time!!).

That was all about the manager and the club being in charge of the players and not the players being in charge of the the manager and his club.

Wednesday should have supported Di Canio and brought him back into the fold. I'm not saying you forget what he has done, but you keep him on your books, until YOU want to sell him.

That why it means the selling club - Wednesday in case, would have got a correct transfer fee for an "asset" and not the bargain basement figure that West Ham got him for.

Megson is actually very going at saying something, but if you read between the lines, you know he is privately thinking/or doing something else.

He is the sort of guy who doesn't want to hear apologises for not performing, but to do your talking by proving it on the pitch.

Oh and just to add, Di Canio wasn't particularly one of my favourites at Hillsborough although I appreciated his ability. I preferred Carbone, but that was another classic wee wee tail-up in bad management as well.

Edited December 4, 2011 by TheWednesday

[HOOTIE AND THE SHIT TU]

There were no public statements from anyone at Wednesday against Di Canio until well after the suspension had finished and it transpired that he had decided to stay in Italy. He basically just went AWOL after a temper tantrum.

My memory is that he was told to stay away by the club, Di Canio did then go awol, but in my opinion this was because our then chairman didn't support the player. Man Utd supported Cantona every inch of the way after his karate kick, they never once said Cantona was at fault, Wenger and Arsenal have had problems with officialdom in the past, but you never see Wenger giving his players anything less than 100% support.

Our club left Di Canio out to dry, simply because our chairman didn't want to upset the apple cart, and his future chances of employment with them, all my opinion of course. Let me ask you what you think Arsenal or Man U would have done. Arsenal would have simply stated they hadn't seen the incident, while Man U would have said the referee tripped, neither club would have risked losing a player for whom they paid such a big fee for.

[ams]

you might want to stop laughing now then because I think Dave Richards knighthood was for services to charity.

Anyone want to have a stab at telling me a more successful chairman in terms of ground improvements, trophies won and quality of players on the pitch during their tenure?

Sorry mate, he was knighted for services to sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5087420.stm).

I do not think it is just Wednesday fans that do not like Richards - http://www.guardian....all-association. Is Richards record due to luck or judgement?

I think the Chairman in the 1960's and the early years would argue with you. Another question might be who hired Pleat and who ruined a strong squad by hiring poor managers and not renewing the contract of a very good one out of spite?

[BRADDAZ]

you might want to stop laughing now then because I think Dave Richards knighthood was for services to charity.

Anyone want to have a stab at telling me a more successful chairman in terms of ground improvements, trophies won and quality of players on the pitch during their tenure?

Just done some research on Google.

I was wrong. I apologise.

He was knighted for Services to Sport.

My bad. Close though eh?

Not sure who the jokes on now...?

No suprise that you return to a topic such as this defending "Sir" Dave Richards. We've read all this before so I'm going to quit arguing before we even start.

[Utah Owl]

My memory is that he was told to stay away by the club, Di Canio did then go awol, but in my opinion this was because our then chairman didn't support the player. Man Utd supported Cantona every inch of the way after his karate kick, they never once said Cantona was at fault, Wenger and Arsenal have had problems with officialdom in the past, but you never see Wenger giving his players anything less than 100% support.

Our club left Di Canio out to dry, simply because our chairman didn't want to upset the apple cart, and his future chances of employment with them, all my opinion of course. Let me ask you what you think Arsenal or Man U would have done. Arsenal would have simply stated they hadn't seen the incident, while Man U would have said the referee tripped, neither club would have risked losing a player for whom they paid such a big fee for.

This, plus don't forget what Richards also did within the next 18 months. Thome to Chelsea at a knock down 1.5 million (because we needed the money for the bank yet strangely didn't only 3 months earlier when Sunderland and Blackburn were talking c 5 million - oh and Chelsea flogged him to Sunderland shortly after for said 5 million) and then Carbone going to Villa for 250k (as his contract was up shortly when he could have gone to either Blackburn or Boro just 9 months earlier for another 5 million).

Remind me who were Richards biggest backers for his Premier League appointment - Blaster Bates and Deadly Doug. Pure coincidence? Yeah right!

Edited December 5, 2011 by Utah Owl

[Galaxypuppet]

short memories!

It was sod all to do with whether Danny backed him over the pushing incident (which he actually did when he publically stated that there was no intent and that Di Canio had simply allowed his passion to spill over in a show of Italian flamboyance - or words to that effect.)

It was about Paulo buggering off to Italy and refusing to come back after claiming to have spiralled into a dark world of depression. HE made the decision to leave, not Wilson.

Should Danny have accused Alcock of being a diving lightweight jessy? Maybe. But nobody can deny that he did lay his hands on the ref. His ban took the lack of intent into account. Surely he would've been banned from English football indefinitely if it had been judged that he'd thrown the ref to the ground?!

So it was HIS reaction to the situation, being a big girl's blouse, that forced the club's hand on the matter.

It would be handy to have someone else to blame it on. That way you could love Paulo ad the player without anything spoiling the rose-tinted view of him. Unfortunately as a man, he was (and arguably still is), like a spoiled child, a proper selfish diva with no thought for us whatsoever! It feels a bit like telling a kid that Santa isn't real, but sorry, he was massively in the wrong and screwed us (the fans) over big style!

This is why he was booed last time he was at Hillsborough, and just why he should be again!

I agree with most of what you wrote. It happened right in front of me (I was about 3 rows back) And yes - I thought the referee made a meal of it, and yes - I remember how he didn't want to come back from Italy. But it's water under the bridge isn't it? For every one of Di Canio's examples of being an arse, there's an example of something special.

I miss that little window where we had Di Canio and Carbone!

[dorian gray]

Never should we have let him go! tbh i can't blame the man , All wee wee tail made it ten times worse than what it was , And wilson is an idiot anyway the club should have stood by him ,End of

wilson was well out of his depth as manager of a club the size of wednesday...

but the board were out of their depth too, and wanted to curb what appeared to them to be out of control spending in the premier...

di canio, carbone, and no doubt at least a few others would have little or no respect for the lame pup wilson as a manager...

and seeing the back of di canio would suit the manager, and the boardroom, allow wednesday to go off in a different direction...

and allow the board and manager to hold their hands up and say "well what else could be done in the circumstances"...

F*CKIN AMATEURISH...

[dorian gray]

This, plus don't forget what Richards also did within the next 18 months. Thome to Chelsea at a knock down 1.5 million (because we needed the money for the bank yet strangely didn't only 3 months earlier when Sunderland and Blackburn were talking c 5 million - oh and Chelsea flogged him to Sunderland shortly after for said 5 million) and then Carbone going to Villa for 250k (as his contract was up shortly when he could have gone to either Blackburn or Boro just 9 months earlier for another 5 million).

Remind me who were Richards biggest backers for his Premier League appointment - Blaster Bates and Deadly Doug. Pure coincidence? Yeah right!

there's some had this club over a barrel a time or two isn't there?

they must have been laughing their kn*ckers off when they were on the phone to us...

and our boardroom thinking everyone was from the gentlemen's club of the 1930s...

[dorian gray]

My memory is that he was told to stay away by the club, Di Canio did then go awol, but in my opinion this was because our then chairman didn't support the player. Man Utd supported Cantona every inch of the way after his karate kick, they never once said Cantona was at fault, Wenger and Arsenal have had problems with officialdom in the past, but you never see Wenger giving his players anything less than 100% support.

Our club left Di Canio out to dry, simply because our chairman didn't want to upset the apple cart, and his future chances of employment with them, all my opinion of course. Let me ask you what you think Arsenal or Man U would have done. Arsenal would have simply stated they hadn't seen the incident, while Man U would have said the referee tripped, neither club would have risked losing a player for whom they paid such a big fee for.

TOTALLY CORRECT...

it was a disgrace the way we handled it, but then we handled a lot of things that way...

that's why we ended up on the sustained run we've been on until milan stepped in...

[dorian gray]

Show me one piece of video that shows Danny Wilson pushing Alcock over.

Show me one piece of anything that shows Danny Wilson saying anything other than a highly paid professional honour his contract .

DiCanio sent Doctors notes in saying he couldn't travel from Rome to Sheffield but he could apparantly tool around Rome on his flipping Vespa for the BEEB.It was also stated by the FA at the time that only prompt action by the club prevented DiCanio getting a longer ban.

Great player but a total wee pipe of of a man .

Being a decent player never entitles you to crap all over the club like that knob did

he shlt on the club, that had shlt on him...

and i don't mean at supporter level...

look at the level of the two offences committed, di canio pushes a ref who go's over like a drunken 13 year old...

cantona leaves the playing field to deliberately kick a supporter at some where near chest height...

look at the outcome of the two incidents...

man u's FULL backing...

wednesday's apathy...

Edited December 5, 2011 by dnhc