Some appalling sad news broke over Sunday lunchtime. The Wales football manager, Gary Speed, has tragically died - an apparent victim of suicide - at the age of forty two. Speed had appeared on BBC1's Football Focus show on Saturday afternoon, just hours before his death and seemed in great spirits. He joked that he thought one of his former clubs, Newcastle United, had a good chance of getting something from their visit to Old Trafford that afternoon. This was, he noted, in marked contrast to his own period playing for the Magpies when they had a shocking record against Manchester United. The presenter, Dan Walker, said that off-camera at the BBC's studios in Salford, Gary had talked enthusiastically about how well his sons were developing as teenage footballers and about his desire to come back on the show before Christmas. He also recorded a separate interview about his high hopes for Wales' forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. After the show ended, at 1pm, he met up with Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer - a close friend with whom Speed had played for six years at Newcastle - and Mark Lawrenson to watch the early Premier League game between Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers. Then, just before 3pm, he made the short journey to Old Trafford to watch Newcastle draw with Manchester United. The match finished shortly before 5pm and it is thought Speed travelled back to his home in Chester where, little more than twelve hours later, he was found dead. As news of the tragedy spread, the world of football queued up to pay tribute to Speed. His death was confirmed in a statement by the Football Association of Wales. The statement said: 'We extend our sympathies and condolences to the family. We ask that everyone respects the family's privacy at this very sad time.' A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: 'At 7.08am today, Cheshire Police was informed of a sudden death at an address in Huntington, Chester. Officers went to the scene where a forty two-year-old man was found dead. The next of kin have been informed and have confirmed the identity of the man as Gary Speed. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. The family have requested that they are left in peace to grieve at this difficult time. A family tribute will be released at a later date, but not today.' 
Speed had taken over the Wales job in December 2010, and after some early disappointments, performances and results had begun to rapidly improve. He said earlier this month that the side's improvement had exceeded all of his expectations. A 4-1 friendly win over Norway represented a third successive victory for Wales, and Speed's fifth win in ten games in charge - seeing his country rise in the FIFA rankings by over fifty places in just nine months. He noted: 'We've progressed further than I'd have thought in this space of time but we've still got a lot of work to do.' Speed won eighty five caps playing for his country during a fourteen-year international career. A national hero, he was given the top job in Welsh football despite only having four months managerial experience with Sheffield United. His former Wales team-mate Ryan Giggs said: 'I am totally devastated. Gary Speed was one of the nicest men in football and someone I am honoured to call a team-mate and friend. It goes without saying my thoughts are with his family at this tremendously sad time.' The Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who had signed Speed for Newcastle in 1998, released forward Craig Bellamy from his squad for Sunday's match against Manchester City, saying that Bellamy 'was very, very close to Gary.' Another former Wales team-mate, Robbie Savage, tweeted: 'The world has lost a great man in Gary Speed. I'm devastated. Spoke to him yesterday morning. I'll miss him so much. He came to watch Strictly three-to-four weeks ago. I high-fived him in the front row. He loved the show, he loved life, he loved his family. Devastated.' Alan Shearer said: 'Gary was a magnificent person, bright, fun and a wonderful family man - he lit up every room he walked into. I am proud to have been his friend and will miss him dreadfully.' Former Wales international John Hartson was due to work on the BBC's radio commentary of Swansea versus Aston Villa but was too upset to cover the game. A superb left-sided attacking midfielder, Speed had a glorious twenty year career as a player, mostly at the very top level of the English game. He played professionally for Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United between 1988 and 2009. Rarely troubled by injury - until late in his career - or suspension, Gary held the record for the most appearances in the FA Premier League at five hundred and thirty five, until it was surpassed by David James in 2009. 
(He's still third on the all-time list behind James and Ryan Giggs.) Born in Mancot, Flintshire in 1969, Gary began his career with Leeds United as a teenage protege, making his league debut when he was aged nineteen. He went on to play a key role as Leeds won promotion from the old Second Division in 1990 during his first full season and, then, as the club took the last ever First Division championship title in 1992 as part of a midfield which also comprised Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister and David Batty. Fast, mobile, direct, hugely skillful and with keen eye for goal, Speed also featured in Leeds's League Cup final defeat against Aston Villa in 1996. The flags at Leeds United's Elland Road ground were lowered to half-mast and fans laid tributes of shirts and scarves. The club said it was 'stunned and saddened.' Howard Wilkinson, Speed's manager at Leeds, praised him as 'an ordinary, very honest, very genuine, very committed and hard-working bloke.' After three hundred and twelve appearances (fifty seven goals) for Yorkshiremen, he moved to Everton - the team whom he had supported as a boy - in 1996, for a fee of three and a half million pounds. His spell at Goodison Park was not a great success, although he was club captain and, probably, the best player in a rather underachieving Everton side of the period. After sixty five games (seventeen goals) he moved again, to Newcastle United, in February 1998. In his first couple of years at St James' Park, he struggled in another average middle-of-the-table side although the team did get to - and lose - two successive FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999. But, the arrival of Bobby Robson as manager in 1999 revitalised Speed's career and he enjoyed a glorious Indian summer of three or four years playing some of the best football of his career. Along with the likes of Alan Shearer and Robert Lee he was one of the older heads in Robson's exciting young Newcastle side. He was very much a Robson-type player, the former England manager once describing Speed as 'brave as a lion.' Robson converted Gary into a holding midfielder and, even though his pace was starting to go by then, his vision and tactical awareness helped to bring the best out of many of the youngsters he played with - particularly Craig Bellamy, Nobby Solano, Kieron Dyer and Steven Taylor. Taylor, who came into the first team at St James' Park when Speed was one of the club's senior professionals, expressed his gratitude for the help Gary had given him. 'He helped me through, he was an absolute machine - the best professional in football. He had that aura about him. He always had time for the young lads and helped them feel good about themselves.' After the news of his death broke, 
Newcastle released a statement expressing their condolences, in which they described Gary as, 'an excellent servant to the club, the ultimate professional, and an exceptional role-model for younger players.' By the time he left the Magpies - many felt he was sold a season or two too early - for Bolton in 2004, he'd played two hundred and eight five times (forty goals) and had helped United back into Europe, including a memorable run in the Champions League in 2002-3. Gary signed for Bolton in a two-year, seven hundred and fifty thousand pound deal in July 2004. He had been capped for Wales eighty five times by this stage, second in the all-time list only to Neville Southall. He was handed his Wales debut as a twenty-year-old in the 1-0 friendly win over Costa Rica in May 1990. After captaining the country a record forty four times, he retired from international football in 2004 after the side's 3–2 defeat to Poland in a World Cup qualifier. He became the first player to make five hundred Premiership appearances when he played in Bolton's 4–0 victory over West Ham United in December 2006. In May the following year, he was named as the First Team coach for Bolton. However in October, he left the job. Conflicting reports of the incident claim then manager, Sammy Lee, relieved him of his duties so he could concentrate on playing. However Speed, in an interview with the Bolton News, claimed that he had chosen to step down himself. Four years at Bolton saw a further one hundred and thirty appearances (fourteen goals) before Gary finally dropped out of the Premier League and ended his career as player-coach at Sheffield United eventually retiring due to a persistent back injury just short of his fortieth birthday. 
With the 2010–11 season only three games old, United's manager Kevin Blackwell was sacked with Speed being confirmed as his replacement. However, on 11 December 2010, Speed was linked with the vacant Wales manager job and accepted the role as the new Welsh national team manager a week later, succeeding John Toshack who had stepped down in September 2010. Speed was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours. Gary's professionalism, dignity, intelligence and passion for that game made him one of football's good guys. This blogger's thoughts are with Gary's family, his wife - Louise - and their two young sons - Edward and Thomas - and his many, many friends in the game. One look at former Newcastle team-mate Shay Given, now playing for Aston Villa, in tears on the pitch at Swansea as a minute's silence turned, magnificently, into a minute's applause tells you everything you need to know about Gary Speed and what he meant to people. It's at times like this it's brought home to you that football, great game that it is, is ultimately just a game. Gary Speed. Legend.
But, the game goes on and we, however reluctantly, have to go on with it. Twenty four hours earlier, The Scum of Humanity were held by yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved Magpies in a pulsating match at Old Trafford on Saturday. Javier Hernandez gave United an early second-half lead after Wayne Rooney's volley ricocheted off Steven Taylor before then hitting the Mexican and trickling in. Newcastle drew level from a disputed penalty after Rio Ferdinand was adjudged to have fouled Hatem Ben Arfa with Demba Ba scoring from the spot-kick. Jonas Gutierrez was then sent off for a second bookable offence, Tim Krul made a string of great saves, Ashley Young hit the post, but the Magpies held on. The draw leaves the champions four points behind rivals Manchester City, who travel to Liverpool on Sunday. Newcastle fully deserved a point from a tremendous game after defending stoutly throughout. They were unlucky to go behind in the first place, but with Steven Taylor in particular outstanding in defence, they repulsed everything the home side threw at them afterwards, even when down to ten men for the last fifteen minutes. That Newcastle left Old Trafford with a point also had much to do with Krul's superb goalkeeping performance and the visitors' ability to throw bodies in the way of the ball in a frantic period after Gutierrez's dismissal. Krul somehow got his body in the way of Nemanja Vidic's fierce header while Danny Simpson typified Newcastle's resilience when he cleared a Hernandez effort off the line. At times in that thrilling conclusion, Krul's goal seemed to be protected by a brick wall keeping the ball out of his net as Ashley Young rattled the post with a shot, while a last-gasp Hernandez goal was ruled out after the Mexican strayed offside when he poked home Ryan Giggs's cross. In the opening half Alan Pardew's side had looked to attack at every opportunity with Ben Arfa and Gabriel Obertan effective in creating chances with their vision and touch - both from the centre of the pitch as well as the flanks. Ben Arfa produced the cutest of passes with the outside of his foot to scoop the ball over the United defence to Ba, whose volley tested David de Gea. A cross from Obertan, who was arguably the visitors most effective player in that first half, created Newcastle's best chance, but Ryan Taylor miscued with his volley. However, that Newcastle went in at the break level was primarily to do with Krul's reactions. Early on he saved twice from Hernandez before the Dutch international flung himself to his right to produce a fingertip save from the deftest of flicks from Giggs. Just before the break Newcastle were handed a reprieve when Hernandez miscued with a shot when he probably should have scored. Strangely prior to Saturday, Hernandez had not scored at Old Trafford this season, and he knew little about the goal that ended that run on forty nine minutes.
Steven Taylor had fouled Hernandez to win a free-kick just outside the box and although the Newcastle wall blocked Rooney's set-piece shot the England striker was quickly onto the rebound. Rooney's volley went deep into the Newcastle area before ricocheting off Taylor and then off Hernandez into the net. It was a desperately unlucky way to go behind, but the visitors were soon to profit from a contentious penalty that was awarded when Ben Arfa went down after a Ferdinand tackle. Television replays appeared to show the United defender had won the ball reasonably cleanly but the referee, Mike Jones, after consultation with his assistant awarded the penalty. Ba coolly slotted in as De Gea went the wrong way. The Manchester United goalkeeper produced a wonderful save to parry a Fabrizio Coloccini effort, but once Gutierrez had been dismissed Newcastle had only the manpower to concentrate on defending their goal. There were still plenty more heroics to come though, and former Manchester United man Simpson topped them all with the most staggering of goal-line clearances, before Hernandez had his late strike ruled out for offside.
Relegation-haunted Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has insisted that he won't quit despite abuse from fans after a home defeat against Wigan. You're going to have to work harder, you Stadium of Lighters. Take the advice from one who knows. Chants of 'sack the manager' usually bring a, dreaded, vote of confidence. Chants of 'sack the board' usually result in the manager getting the tin-tack. Give it a shot and see if it works
Speed had taken over the Wales job in December 2010, and after some early disappointments, performances and results had begun to rapidly improve. He said earlier this month that the side's improvement had exceeded all of his expectations. A 4-1 friendly win over Norway represented a third successive victory for Wales, and Speed's fifth win in ten games in charge - seeing his country rise in the FIFA rankings by over fifty places in just nine months. He noted: 'We've progressed further than I'd have thought in this space of time but we've still got a lot of work to do.' Speed won eighty five caps playing for his country during a fourteen-year international career. A national hero, he was given the top job in Welsh football despite only having four months managerial experience with Sheffield United. His former Wales team-mate Ryan Giggs said: 'I am totally devastated. Gary Speed was one of the nicest men in football and someone I am honoured to call a team-mate and friend. It goes without saying my thoughts are with his family at this tremendously sad time.' The Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who had signed Speed for Newcastle in 1998, released forward Craig Bellamy from his squad for Sunday's match against Manchester City, saying that Bellamy 'was very, very close to Gary.' Another former Wales team-mate, Robbie Savage, tweeted: 'The world has lost a great man in Gary Speed. I'm devastated. Spoke to him yesterday morning. I'll miss him so much. He came to watch Strictly three-to-four weeks ago. I high-fived him in the front row. He loved the show, he loved life, he loved his family. Devastated.' Alan Shearer said: 'Gary was a magnificent person, bright, fun and a wonderful family man - he lit up every room he walked into. I am proud to have been his friend and will miss him dreadfully.' Former Wales international John Hartson was due to work on the BBC's radio commentary of Swansea versus Aston Villa but was too upset to cover the game. A superb left-sided attacking midfielder, Speed had a glorious twenty year career as a player, mostly at the very top level of the English game. He played professionally for Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United between 1988 and 2009. Rarely troubled by injury - until late in his career - or suspension, Gary held the record for the most appearances in the FA Premier League at five hundred and thirty five, until it was surpassed by David James in 2009. 
(He's still third on the all-time list behind James and Ryan Giggs.) Born in Mancot, Flintshire in 1969, Gary began his career with Leeds United as a teenage protege, making his league debut when he was aged nineteen. He went on to play a key role as Leeds won promotion from the old Second Division in 1990 during his first full season and, then, as the club took the last ever First Division championship title in 1992 as part of a midfield which also comprised Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister and David Batty. Fast, mobile, direct, hugely skillful and with keen eye for goal, Speed also featured in Leeds's League Cup final defeat against Aston Villa in 1996. The flags at Leeds United's Elland Road ground were lowered to half-mast and fans laid tributes of shirts and scarves. The club said it was 'stunned and saddened.' Howard Wilkinson, Speed's manager at Leeds, praised him as 'an ordinary, very honest, very genuine, very committed and hard-working bloke.' After three hundred and twelve appearances (fifty seven goals) for Yorkshiremen, he moved to Everton - the team whom he had supported as a boy - in 1996, for a fee of three and a half million pounds. His spell at Goodison Park was not a great success, although he was club captain and, probably, the best player in a rather underachieving Everton side of the period. After sixty five games (seventeen goals) he moved again, to Newcastle United, in February 1998. In his first couple of years at St James' Park, he struggled in another average middle-of-the-table side although the team did get to - and lose - two successive FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999. But, the arrival of Bobby Robson as manager in 1999 revitalised Speed's career and he enjoyed a glorious Indian summer of three or four years playing some of the best football of his career. Along with the likes of Alan Shearer and Robert Lee he was one of the older heads in Robson's exciting young Newcastle side. He was very much a Robson-type player, the former England manager once describing Speed as 'brave as a lion.' Robson converted Gary into a holding midfielder and, even though his pace was starting to go by then, his vision and tactical awareness helped to bring the best out of many of the youngsters he played with - particularly Craig Bellamy, Nobby Solano, Kieron Dyer and Steven Taylor. Taylor, who came into the first team at St James' Park when Speed was one of the club's senior professionals, expressed his gratitude for the help Gary had given him. 'He helped me through, he was an absolute machine - the best professional in football. He had that aura about him. He always had time for the young lads and helped them feel good about themselves.' After the news of his death broke, 
Newcastle released a statement expressing their condolences, in which they described Gary as, 'an excellent servant to the club, the ultimate professional, and an exceptional role-model for younger players.' By the time he left the Magpies - many felt he was sold a season or two too early - for Bolton in 2004, he'd played two hundred and eight five times (forty goals) and had helped United back into Europe, including a memorable run in the Champions League in 2002-3. Gary signed for Bolton in a two-year, seven hundred and fifty thousand pound deal in July 2004. He had been capped for Wales eighty five times by this stage, second in the all-time list only to Neville Southall. He was handed his Wales debut as a twenty-year-old in the 1-0 friendly win over Costa Rica in May 1990. After captaining the country a record forty four times, he retired from international football in 2004 after the side's 3–2 defeat to Poland in a World Cup qualifier. He became the first player to make five hundred Premiership appearances when he played in Bolton's 4–0 victory over West Ham United in December 2006. In May the following year, he was named as the First Team coach for Bolton. However in October, he left the job. Conflicting reports of the incident claim then manager, Sammy Lee, relieved him of his duties so he could concentrate on playing. However Speed, in an interview with the Bolton News, claimed that he had chosen to step down himself. Four years at Bolton saw a further one hundred and thirty appearances (fourteen goals) before Gary finally dropped out of the Premier League and ended his career as player-coach at Sheffield United eventually retiring due to a persistent back injury just short of his fortieth birthday. 
With the 2010–11 season only three games old, United's manager Kevin Blackwell was sacked with Speed being confirmed as his replacement. However, on 11 December 2010, Speed was linked with the vacant Wales manager job and accepted the role as the new Welsh national team manager a week later, succeeding John Toshack who had stepped down in September 2010. Speed was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours. Gary's professionalism, dignity, intelligence and passion for that game made him one of football's good guys. This blogger's thoughts are with Gary's family, his wife - Louise - and their two young sons - Edward and Thomas - and his many, many friends in the game. One look at former Newcastle team-mate Shay Given, now playing for Aston Villa, in tears on the pitch at Swansea as a minute's silence turned, magnificently, into a minute's applause tells you everything you need to know about Gary Speed and what he meant to people. It's at times like this it's brought home to you that football, great game that it is, is ultimately just a game. Gary Speed. Legend. But, the game goes on and we, however reluctantly, have to go on with it. Twenty four hours earlier, The Scum of Humanity were held by yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved Magpies in a pulsating match at Old Trafford on Saturday. Javier Hernandez gave United an early second-half lead after Wayne Rooney's volley ricocheted off Steven Taylor before then hitting the Mexican and trickling in. Newcastle drew level from a disputed penalty after Rio Ferdinand was adjudged to have fouled Hatem Ben Arfa with Demba Ba scoring from the spot-kick. Jonas Gutierrez was then sent off for a second bookable offence, Tim Krul made a string of great saves, Ashley Young hit the post, but the Magpies held on. The draw leaves the champions four points behind rivals Manchester City, who travel to Liverpool on Sunday. Newcastle fully deserved a point from a tremendous game after defending stoutly throughout. They were unlucky to go behind in the first place, but with Steven Taylor in particular outstanding in defence, they repulsed everything the home side threw at them afterwards, even when down to ten men for the last fifteen minutes. That Newcastle left Old Trafford with a point also had much to do with Krul's superb goalkeeping performance and the visitors' ability to throw bodies in the way of the ball in a frantic period after Gutierrez's dismissal. Krul somehow got his body in the way of Nemanja Vidic's fierce header while Danny Simpson typified Newcastle's resilience when he cleared a Hernandez effort off the line. At times in that thrilling conclusion, Krul's goal seemed to be protected by a brick wall keeping the ball out of his net as Ashley Young rattled the post with a shot, while a last-gasp Hernandez goal was ruled out after the Mexican strayed offside when he poked home Ryan Giggs's cross. In the opening half Alan Pardew's side had looked to attack at every opportunity with Ben Arfa and Gabriel Obertan effective in creating chances with their vision and touch - both from the centre of the pitch as well as the flanks. Ben Arfa produced the cutest of passes with the outside of his foot to scoop the ball over the United defence to Ba, whose volley tested David de Gea. A cross from Obertan, who was arguably the visitors most effective player in that first half, created Newcastle's best chance, but Ryan Taylor miscued with his volley. However, that Newcastle went in at the break level was primarily to do with Krul's reactions. Early on he saved twice from Hernandez before the Dutch international flung himself to his right to produce a fingertip save from the deftest of flicks from Giggs. Just before the break Newcastle were handed a reprieve when Hernandez miscued with a shot when he probably should have scored. Strangely prior to Saturday, Hernandez had not scored at Old Trafford this season, and he knew little about the goal that ended that run on forty nine minutes.
Steven Taylor had fouled Hernandez to win a free-kick just outside the box and although the Newcastle wall blocked Rooney's set-piece shot the England striker was quickly onto the rebound. Rooney's volley went deep into the Newcastle area before ricocheting off Taylor and then off Hernandez into the net. It was a desperately unlucky way to go behind, but the visitors were soon to profit from a contentious penalty that was awarded when Ben Arfa went down after a Ferdinand tackle. Television replays appeared to show the United defender had won the ball reasonably cleanly but the referee, Mike Jones, after consultation with his assistant awarded the penalty. Ba coolly slotted in as De Gea went the wrong way. The Manchester United goalkeeper produced a wonderful save to parry a Fabrizio Coloccini effort, but once Gutierrez had been dismissed Newcastle had only the manpower to concentrate on defending their goal. There were still plenty more heroics to come though, and former Manchester United man Simpson topped them all with the most staggering of goal-line clearances, before Hernandez had his late strike ruled out for offside.Relegation-haunted Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has insisted that he won't quit despite abuse from fans after a home defeat against Wigan. You're going to have to work harder, you Stadium of Lighters. Take the advice from one who knows. Chants of 'sack the manager' usually bring a, dreaded, vote of confidence. Chants of 'sack the board' usually result in the manager getting the tin-tack. Give it a shot and see if it works
