تحدث الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، عن أداء النادي الأهلي خلال الفترة الماضية، مشيدًا بالمدير الفني الجديد ييس توروب، وبالتطور الذي يظهر على الفريق رغم التغييرات الكثيرة في التشكيل الأساسي.
وقال شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية صباح اليوم الأحد: “كنت قد ذكرت في حلقة الخميس الماضي أن النادي الأهلي سيُجري تغييرات عديدة في تشكيلته، وحددت بعض الأسماء التي قد تغيب عن اللقاء، وقد أشرت أيضًا إلى وجود عدد كبير من الغيابات عن الفريق”.
وتابع: “بعض الجماهير ظنت أنني أتحدث عن إصابات، بينما اعتقد آخرون أن الغيابات لأسباب أخرى، لكن من الواضح أن المدير الفني يمتلك أسلوبًا ونهجًا محددًا يجب على الجميع أن يدركه جيدًا، وقد ظهر ذلك بوضوح بعد تصريحاته عقب المباراة”.
وأضاف: “المدير الفني ييس توروب، رغم أنه قاد الفريق في ثلاث مباريات فقط، وليست مباريات قوية جدًا، إلا أنه حقق الفوز في جميعها، وهناك حالة من الرضا لدى الجماهير تجاهه، فقد فاز في مباراة الدوري، وكذلك في مباراتي الذهاب والإياب في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وبنفس النتيجة (1-0)”.
وأوضح: “كنت قد ذكرت أيضًا أهمية أن يمنح الأهلي اهتمامًا أكبر بتلك المواجهة، ومن سوء حظي أنني لم أكن في مصر وقت المباراة الأولى، فشاهدت ملخصها لاحقًا، وشعرت أن الفريق يقدم كرة جيدة ولكنها تفتقر إلى الفاعلية الهجومية، الفريق حاول اللعب على الأرض، لكنه لم يكن يمتلك الخطورة الكافية، حتى أن الهدف الذي دخل مرماه جاء بصعوبة، وكان نتيجة خطأ من اللاعبين أنفسهم تقريبًا”.
وتابع: “المدرب أجرى بعض التغييرات التي كانت غريبة بالنسبة لي؛ فقد دفع بتريزيجيه بدلًا من بن رمضان، وهو تغيير لم يكن متوقعًا، كما أشرك محمد هاني بدلًا من عبد القادر، ودفع بعمر كمال في مركز هجومي ثم أعاده إلى الخلف، وبعدها أخرج عمر كمال ودفع بياسر إبراهيم، ليزيد من عدد المدافعين خوفًا من الكرات العرضية التي بدأت تُشكل خطورة على دفاع الأهلي”.
طالع أيضًا | مستند | مدة إيقاف جراديشار المتوقعة بعد طرده في مباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار
وأضاف: “مصطفى شوبير تعامل ببراعة مع الكرات العرضية، وأنقذ تسديدة قوية في الوقت بدل الضائع، كانت مباراة مهمة له من أجل استعادة الثقة، وكان بحاجة إلى تحقيق مباراة بشباك نظيفة، خاصة في إفريقيا، حيث يمتلك رقمًا قياسيًا بالحفاظ على نظافة شباكه في تسع مباريات متتالية”.
وشدد: “الغريب أن الإعلام الخاص بالنادي الأهلي لم يمنح هذا الإنجاز الاهتمام الكافي، وهو أمر عجيب بالفعل، لكن الأمر الأهم بالنسبة لمصطفى لا يفرق معه، المهم هو الأداء داخل الملعب، وأنا أرى أنه كان يحتاج إلى هذه المباراة لاستعادة ثقته بنفسه”.
واختتم: “أُعجبت كثيرًا برد المدير الفني عندما وُجه إليه سؤال حول إمكانية إجراء مداورة بين محمد الشناوي ومصطفى شوبير، حيث قال: (لم يطرح عليّ أحد هذا السؤال من قبل، لكن لديّ هذه الميزة وسأستفيد منها وقتما أشاء، من دون أن أحدد متى، أحب أن أمنح الثقة لجميع اللاعبين، وقد كنت شجاعًا بالأمس عندما بدأت بهذه التشكيلة المتنوعة)”.
For Hurricanes, who were without usual captain Nathan Ellis, Nikhil Chaudhary was the top scorer, while Chris Jordan led a clinical bowling performance
AAP01-Jan-2025Hobart Hurricanes overcame the late withdrawal of captain Nathan Ellis to hand Sydney Sixers their first BBL loss of the season.Ellis pulled out from Wednesday afternoon’s game at Ninja Stadium with illness, but his bowling team-mates stood up against the table-topping Sixers.Hurricanes posted 161 for 6 and bowled out Sydney for 111 in 19.3 overs to jump to fourth on the ladder with a third win in a row. Chris Jordan picked up 3 for 22, including the big wickets of James Vince early and noted finisher Jordan Silk in the middle overs. He was assisted by fellow import Waqar Salamkheil, who took 2 for 22 with his left-arm wristspin and bowled Kurtis Patterson with one that turned the other way.Allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary was impressive, top-scoring with 42 from 31 deliveries and picking up 1 for 15 with the ball.Sixers, who stay in first place on the ladder, had won four from four prior to the match, while Hurricanes are on the rise after being flogged by Melbourne Renegades in their opening game.Earlier, evergreen Sixers quick Jackson Bird took career-best T20 figures of 4 for 16 on familiar turf in Hobart after his side won the toss and elected to bowl.Jackson Bird returned 4 for 16 but there wasn’t a lot of heroics from the other Sixers bowlers•Getty Images
Bird, the 38-year-old who played for Tasmania for more than a decade, removed big-hitters Matthew Wade, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott and Tim David.Opener Mitchell Owen got Hurricanes off to a brisk start with 33 from 17 balls but couldn’t go on.Returning from a calf injury, Wade was scratchy in a 16-ball 15 and became Bird’s first victim off a nifty caught and bowled. Bird then had West Indian Hope caught behind two balls later as Hurricanes lost three wickets within ten runs.McDermott (34 from 25) came to life in the power surge, hitting 20 off one Hayden Kerr over, but he was undone by Bird, who also returned late to get rid of David via a top edge.Sixers’ chase had a bright spark early when English opener Vince launched a Billy Stanlake delivery over the hill. But they wobbled to 28 for 3 inside the first five overs and couldn’t stem the flow of wickets.Hurricanes spinner Peter Hatzoglou, who replaced Ellis and played his first game of the season, finished with 1 for 15.
Lasith Malinga’s sensational spell saw records tumble
Bharath Seervi06-Sep-20192 – Number of times Lasith Malinga has picked up four wickets in four balls in international cricket, the only bowler to do so. He got Colin Munro, Hamish Rutherford, Colin de Grandhomme and Ross Taylor off successive balls in the third T20I in Pallekelle. Before this, he had achieved it in the 2007 World Cup against South Africa, with the wickets of Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini. Rashid Khan is the only other bowler to have taken four wickets in four balls, having done it earlier this year against Ireland in a T20I in Dehradun.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Number of hat-tricks for Malinga in international cricket – three in ODIs and two in T20Is. No other bowler has taken five hat-tricks in international cricket. Wasim Akram had four hat-tricks, two in Tests and ODIs each. Apart from Malinga and Akram, no one else has picked more than two hat-tricks.1 – Malinga became the first to take 100 wickets in men’s T20Is. He had gone past Shahid Afridi’s 98 wickets earlier in this series to become the leading wicket-taker in T20Is.100 – Number of hat-tricks across all three international formats. Malinga’s was the 100th hat-trick. There have been 44 hat-tricks in Tests, 48 in ODIs, and eight in T20Is, by 84 bowlers. England and Australia bowlers have the most – 18 each. Sri Lanka are next with 13, five of them by Malinga.5 for 6 – Malinga’s figures from four overs in the third T20I. Only two bowlers have conceded fewer runs in five-wicket hauls in T20Is – Rangana Herath and Rashid, both taking 5 for 3. This was Malinga’s second five-wicket haul in T20Is, the joint-most. Overall in T20s, it was his fifth five-for, the most by any bowler.
Former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams has been given a lifeline after featuring for Hull City against Sunderland in a pre-season friendly following struggles with mental health.
Williams features for Hull in pre-season
Manager keen to hand second chance to ex-Man Utd man
Follows battle with mental health and driving ban
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
Williams left United last summer following the expiry of his contract but was unable to find a new club, having been handed a suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving in 2023. But Hull have taken a chance on the defender, featuring him in their recent pre-season win over Sunderland.
Advertisement
(C)Getty Images
WHAT WAS SAID?
Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic has opened up on the arrangement, saying: ""I like to help people because everyone deserves a second chance in life," he told Hull Live. "I spoke with him very honestly, and I explained to him what I expect from him.
"We will be very careful, very, very slow. We have time, so we will try to help him. I think the quality is there because he was on a high level at Man United, so his quality is there. We need him to bring good fitness, and then we will make a decision.
"For me, his mentality is good. From our conversations, he's a very normal guy. He just asked me yesterday (Monday), 'can I play?' and then I asked him, 'do you feel comfortable to play some minutes?' His desire is there, and so is the hard work.
"On Saturday [when they played Stockport County at Edgeley Park], we left him here in Hull to carry on training, and so far, everything has gone according to the plan."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Williams has also recently opened up about his struggles with mental health, admitting he could never be openly honest about his feelings during his time at United due to fears over what would happen as a result. Hull have made a major show of support to the young defender by taking him on, where he will hope he can return to the top level.
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMS?
Hull are taking the situation with Williams one step at a time, and it remains to be seen whether he will be signed permanently ahead of the Championship campaign beginning in a few weeks' time.
da roleta： Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca isn’t resting on his laurels in the transfer market as he attempts to get several deals done swiftly.
da betsul： Jamie Gittens looks to be closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge. Borussia Dortmund accepted a bid of around £55m for the English talent, and he is set to have his medical soon.
Jamie Gittens in action for Borussia Dortmund.
The move for the 20-year-old is certainly a statement of intent by Maresca, but the Blues are also closing in on another attacking player.
Indeed, Joao Pedro looks set to make the move from Brighton and Hove Albion to Chelsea, as the Blues have agreed a deal worth up to £60m for the versatile forward.
Why Chelsea are signing Joao Pedro
Maresca will be looking to move on both Christoper Nkunku and João Felix during the summer transfer window.
As such, bringing in a versatile forward like Pedro makes perfect sense. He may have scored just ten goals in the top flight last season, but his attributes stretch to more than just finding the back of the net.
Brighton forward Joao Pedro
Indeed, he demonstrated his creative side by registering 11 big chances in the top flight, along with averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game for Brighton. This certainly proves he’s a particularly dangerous player in the final third.
This is the sort of forward that can thrive in Maresca’s system, no doubt about that. Add someone like Gittens on the wing, and it is a recipe for success.
Pedro’s PL statistics for Brighton last season
Goals
10
Assists
6
Big chances created
11
Key passes per game
1.1
Successful dribbles per game
1.1
Shots per game
1.7
Via Sofascore
The Blues may be paying a premium price for the Brazilian, but they’ve had success when signing a similar player before…
The Chelsea star who's worth more than Pedro
When Chelsea spent £40m to sign Palmer from Manchester City in 2023, plenty of eyebrows were raised.
Not because of the fee, but because Pep Guardiola decided to let a player of such potential leave for so cheap. The Spaniard even lauded the player as having a “special quality” in front of goal after he scored his first Champions League goal for City, aged just 18.
The Stamford Bridge side have witnessed Palmer’s maturation over the previous two seasons, going from a winger to an attacking midfielder and even a false 9, starring in similar positions on the pitch to the incoming Pedro.
Across 94 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has registered an enormous 68 goal contributions – 40 goals and 28 assists – in just 94 matches.
These statistics have more than repaid the £40m spent on him two years ago, but Palmer shines across other areas also.
When compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the former City starlet ranks in the top 12% for progressive passes (6.04) per 90, while also ranking in the top 10% for total shots (3.41) and in the top 5% for shot-creating actions (5.7) per 90.
This set of figures proves that Palmer is one of the finest attacking midfielders on the continent, which is evidenced by his market value.
According to Transfermarkt, the youngster is now valued at a whopping €120m (£102m), which is an incredible rise from the £40m they paid in 2023.
Not only that, but he is worth way more than Pedro, suggesting the Blues have struck gold by bringing Palmer to London.
He'd be unplayable with Pedro: Chelsea also trying to sign £85m PL star
Chelsea are looking to sign a Premier League winger
After already making their first approach for his signature, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly been handed the green light to push on and sign a talented 17-goal striker this summer.
Nottingham Forest plotting South American swoop
If recent rumours are anything to go by then Nottingham Forest’s recruitment team certainly has a soft spot for South American talents. Having already watched the likes of Murillo thrive at the City Ground, Evangelos Marinakis is set to welcome at least three more Brazilian talents this summer amid reports that Forest have agreed a deal to sign Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano from Botafogo.
Just how much of an instant impact all three players make remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that they are all talented in their own right. That said, the standout remains Jesus.
How to Watch the FIFA Club World Cup for Free
Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.
By
Charlie Smith
Jun 13, 2025
The young striker has looked ready for a move into European football for some time and the City Ground could be the perfect environment for his goalscoring prowess to thrive alongside a South American contingent.
Given that all three players are currently at the Club World Cup with Botafogo, the big question for Forest will be whether they can complete their triple swoop in time for them to feature at the start of next season.
The Tricky Trees have just discovered where they’ll be and when in the Premier League season, with the visit of Brentford awaiting on the opening day in August. It’s then that Nuno Espirito Santo could have the aforementioned trio available and potentially one more Brazilian talent at his disposal.
Nottingham Forest receive green light for Romulo move
Having already made their first approach and established contact over a potential deal, those in the Midlands could now take their next step towards another South American star. According to CNN Turk, as relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest have now received the green light to sign Romulo Cardoso by the forward himself, who wants to complete a move to the Premier League.
Romulo in 2024/25
For Goztepe (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances
33
Goals
17
Asssists
10
At 23 years old, Romulo has already made his mark on European football with as many as 17 goals and 10 assists in just 33 appearances in Turkey last season. Now, he could be set to complete the biggest move of his career.
Nottingham Forest join race for £85m star who’s starred at Club World Cup
He’s a man in demand…
By
Tom Cunningham
Jun 18, 2025
The striker spot is certainly up for grabs at Nottingham Forest too. As impressive as Chris Wood has been – scoring 20 Premier League goals last season – there’s no denying that he’ll be past the peak of his powers sooner rather than later at 33 years old. And that’s why Romelo’s arrival would prove to be so important this summer.
Micky Van de Ven was left blown away by the performance of a Tottenham Hotspur star in the 2-0 victory against Brentford at the weekend.
Tottenham secure first Premier League win since late October
The pressure has been mounting on Thomas Frank in recent weeks, with it even emerging that Tottenham were considering a move for Barcelona manager Xavi as a replacement, but the Dane may have bought himself more time courtesy of a victory against Brentford.
Spurs breezed to a 2-0 win against the Bees, which was their first triumph in the Premier League since winning 3-0 at Everton at the end of October, with Richarlison opening the scoring after 26 minutes, finding the back of the net for the seventh time in all competitions this season.
Xavi Simons was the creator, and the Dutchman then went on to score his first goal since moving to north London just before half-time, sealing all three points for Frank’s side in the process.
Simons has received heavy criticism for making a slow start to life at Tottenham, with Jamie O’Hara left particularly scathing after the defeat against Fulham, but he clearly has the full support of teammate Van de Ven, who singled the attacking midfielder out for high praise after Brentford.
Simons needs to build on his Brentford performance
Frank will no doubt be delighted the Netherlands international appears to be finding his feet, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 9.5 after registering a goal and an assist against Keith Andrews’ side.
Having finally shown what he can produce, the 22-year-old needs to build on that performance, starting on Tuesday against Slavia Prague, with Spurs set to host the Czech side in their sixth Champions League game.
Forget Simons: Spurs "liability" is now becoming the new Ndombele
This Tottenham star is flattering to deceive in spite of his immense talent.
ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago
Frank’s side have looked bereft of ideas at times this season, with only a Richarlison wonder goal preventing them from suffering an even heavier loss against Arsenal back in November.
As such, Simons needs to step up, and Tottenham will be hoping the former RB Leipzig man can start recording similar attacking numbers to what he did during his time with the German club, registering 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 games.
Newcastle United supporters will be filled with relief after seeing Eddie Howe secure his first major signing of the summer transfer window.
A move for Anthony Elanga was finally confirmed on Friday, but this deal has been weeks in the making.
The Swedish winger cost the Toon around £55m, but Howe will be hoping that this fee eventually turns into a bargain.
“Elanga is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat,” said Howe upon Elanga’s arrival at St James’ Park.
“His pace, energy and ability to create and score goals will strengthen us and complement the way we want to play.”
Champions League football will take centre stage next season and Howe will be aiming for his side to do better than when they were last in the competition. Newcastle finished bottom of their group during 2023/24, despite claiming a famous 4-1 win over PSG.
Anthony Elanga
With Elanga now signed, it should be the catalyst for the manager to land another couple of signings in the coming weeks.
The former Nottingham Forest star has plenty of Premier League experience, but what exactly will he offer the Magpies next term and beyond?
What Anthony Elanga will offer Newcastle
Since making the move from Manchester United to Forest in the summer of 2023, Elanga has been at the forefront of their recent success.
Across these two seasons, the winger has scored 11 goals in the Premier League, while chipping in with 20 league assists in that time.
He doesn’t just offer a clear-cut threat in front of goal either. According to FBref, when compared to his positional peers in the Premier League last term, Elanga ranked in the top 3% for crosses (6.66) per 90, along with ranking in the top 10% for goal-creating actions (0.65) and in the top 27% for carries into the opposition penalty area (1.73) per 90.
While signing the 23-year-old is a boost for the team, plus giving Howe an excellent attacking option for the next few years, was signing another player in this area a priority for the club?
Jacob Murphy was excellent on the right flank last term, tearing it up for the Magpies in the top flight. Indeed, across 35 top flight games last season, the Englishman scored eight goals while recording 12 assists for the Magpies.
If comparing him to fellow wingers Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, who registered 12 and 14 goal involvements in the Premier League, Murphy was by far the best-performing wide man in the squad.
Of course, he won’t be around forever, and some competition would be ideal, but in terms of improvement, the right flank shouldn’t be Howe’s priority ahead of next season.
The defence is an area which requires strengthening, notably at centre-back and between the posts.
Howe is certainly making inroads to bolster both positions and he has been given an exciting update regarding a transfer target recently.
Newcastle’s search for a defender
Marc Guehi still looks like a target, although it remains to be seen exactly how far Howe is prepared to go in order to sign him.
Elsewhere, Malick Thiaw and Leonardo Balerdi are both defensive targets, with Howe expressing interest in both centre-backs recently.
AC Milan's MalickThiaw
The one player he appears to be most keen on is Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini. The Italian could be set to leave the Serie A side this summer, but they have placed a £50m price tag on his head.
According to The i Paper, the Toon have ‘carried out preliminary work on a possible deal’, but there are a host of clubs keen on securing his signature, including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.
Scalvini has reportedly stated he is intrigued by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, while also gushing about both the club and manager when on international duty of late.
Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini
Could this help Howe get a deal wrapped up sooner rather than later? Only time will tell.
Why Newcastle must sign Giorgio Scalvini
Newcastle must add at least one centre-back to their squad this summer. Last season, Howe mainly relied on Dan Burn and Fabian Schar. Both are excellent players, but they are both 33 and won’t be around forever.
Indeed, the only centre-back in the current squad who is under 30 is Sven Botman, but he has missed 59 games since the start of the 2023/24 season.
As such, a move for Scalvini is a must for the club. He missed the majority of last term due to injury, but throughout the 2023/24 campaign, he was superb.
Accurate passes
37.8
Tackles
1.6
Interceptions
1.8
Clearances
2
Total duels won
4.8
Balls recovered
4.9
Hailed as a “top talent” by Fabrizio Romano in 2022 – as well as a “world-class” centre-back by talent scout Jacek Kulig – Scalvini ranked highly across a range of metrics in Serie A during 2023/24.
Compared to his peers, he ranked in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, along with ranking in the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 4% for interceptions and in the top 16% for aerials won per 90.
If he is able to replicate those types of performances at Newcastle, then Howe would have landed an excellent signing for the club.
The best thing is, Scalvini has yet to even reach his peak, indicating that the next few years could see the Italian defender only going from strength to strength.
Although Howe has just spent £55m on Elanga, there is no doubt that a deal to sign the Atalanta starlet would be viewed as a more important signing, especially with concerns about the defence.
Scalvini has showcased his talents in Europe before, impressing during the 2024 Europa League final as his side defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.
Performing in the Champions League will be a massive step-up for the youngster, but if he wishes to take his game to the next stage, this is the level he should be playing at.
The next few weeks will be interesting for the club. That much is certain.
Elanga's new Gibbs-White: Newcastle leading race for £40m "magician"
Newcastle are hoping to make more signings after landing Anthony Elanga.
Everton chiefs are now confident in their bid to sign a “menacing” forward who has a £34 million release clause, according to a new report.
David Moyes wants midfield reinforcements at Everton
Heading into the new stadium, it is clear to see that David Moyes is keen to put together a squad at Everton that can look up the table rather than over their shoulder. The Toffees are unlikely to have lots of money to spend this summer as like everyone else they dance around PSR, but Moyes will have no intentions of another relegation scrap.
Everton in race with West Ham to sign midfielder who can leave for £25m
Everton are now involved in a Premier League race to sign an experienced international midfielder.
ByBrett Worthington Jun 26, 2025
Strengthening his midfield appears to be high on the list, and that can be shown with their latest transfer targets. According to talkSPORT, Everton have returned to Wilfred Ndidi as a potential target this summer. The midfielder could cost Everton as little as £9 million, due to a release clause that has now been activated due to Leicester City suffering relegation.
Leicester City's WilfredNdidiin action with AFC Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier
As well as looking at Ndidi, the Toffees have reportedly registered their interest in signing James McAtee from Manchester City. The attacking midfielder is expected to leave the Etihad due to his lack of game time last season, and he could be available for around £25 million.
There is now a new name on their midfield list, and that is Raphael Onyedika from Club Brugge. Everton are said to be in pole position to sign him, with Club Brugge looking to get £25 million for his services.
Everton confident in their bid to sign Thierno Barry
But as much as Moyes wants a new midfielder, that may have to wait, as the Toffees focus on securing their top striker target. According to TBR Football, Everton are now ready to accelerate talks to sign Thierno Barry from Villarreal.
Villarreal's Thierno Barry
The Toffees’ interest in Barry emerged at the very start of the summer transfer window, but they have had to be patient when it comes to a transfer, as the forward has been away with France at the U21 Championships, only knocked out by Germany on Wednesday.
Despite interest from other teams across Europe, The Friedkin Group are confident they can sign Barry this summer. The forward’s representatives have already held talks with the Premier League side, and he is now open to the move. The fact that Barry has a £34 million release clause makes the deal easier to do, but the Toffees may even end up paying slightly more than that if they do the deal in installments.
Apps
35
Starts
25
Goals
11
xG
12.41
Total shots per game
2.1
Big chances missed
15
Chance conversion
15%
Assists
4
Big chances created
7
Barry, who has been dubbed “menacing” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, joined Villarreal in August 2024, and in his first full season, the striker scored 11 goals in 35 La Liga appearances.
His presence and ability to find the net have made him a target for Everton, who lacked a serious presence at the top end of the pitch last season and now look set to lose Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the end of this month.
Ian Chappell pays tribute to his first touring room-mate Graeme Watson
Ian Chappell25-Apr-2020You never forget your first touring room-mate; it’s not quite a love-of-your-life remembrance but a fond recall.My first room-mate on a five-month tour of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) and South Africa in 1966-67 was Graeme Donald Watson. His nickname was Beatle as he wore his hair long like the ‘Fab Four’. He was chosen as the replacement for Doug Walters who was called up for Army national service.Beatle was a genuine allrounder who batted in the top six for Victoria and bowled hit-the-deck-hard medium-fast. Before the tour, I’d played against Graeme, but I really only knew him as a slightly unusual Victorian in that he stayed around for a beer after play.On a five-month tour where you’re regularly cooped up in the same room, you get to know a guy pretty well. The friendship is either a lasting one or it runs out of steam pretty quickly. In our case, it remained firm until Friday, when sadly cancer claimed the Beatle’s life.There are many fond memories of that tour. We shared a lot together including a solid partnership against Eastern Province where we both completed our first centuries for Australia. The match was played at St George’s Park, which was then known as Pollockville because of the presence of the brothers, Peter the fast bowler and Graeme, one of the pre-eminent Test batsmen of the time.The second-innings battle of the Graemes ended with Pollock c Chappell b Watson 120.After commencing his debut Test at Newlands with an impressive half-century, Beatle injured his ankle while bowling and finished up on crutches with his leg in plaster. That resulted in the unusual sight of late-night crutch races being held in the corridors of Deals Hotel in East London, with the other participants being the fully capacitated but slightly inebriated Dave Renneberg, Brian Taber and yours truly.Unfortunately for Beatle injuries dogged his sporting life.I toured with Beatle again in 1972 but by that time I was captain and enjoyed a single room, so he had to make do with second best. He’d been included in the touring party despite suffering a near-death experience after an incident at the MCG in the Rest of the World series of 1971-72.I was batting with Watson when an unintentional beamer from Tony Greig hit him in the nose and he was carted off the ground bleeding profusely. He was extremely unfortunate as Greig’s delivery was affected when his bowling hand hit the stumps and Watson top-edged a ball that would’ve hit him in the chest if his attempted pull shot had missed.By 1972, Chappell was captain and enjoyed a single room, so Watson (back row, extreme left) had to make do with second best•Getty ImagesIt was only on that 1972 tour when I met one of his nurses at a social function that I found out Beatle had actually stopped breathing for a while when he was in hospital. It was typical of Beatle to say very little about the incident; he made light of any injury and at times was too brave for his own good.That serious injury occurred on January 5 but with a fervent desire to be selected for the 1972 tour of England, he defied doctors’ orders and played against South Australia on February 26. In the second innings with a gale blowing in the direction from mid-off to fine leg, I told fast bowler Kevin McCarthy the only option was to operate with a strong leg-side field.A bouncer from McCarthy struck Watson on the side of the head and for a moment my heart sank. Fortunately, it was only a glancing blow and he successfully continued his innings.In another season, he bowled for Western Australia with a broken bone in his leg and Rod Marsh swears that at times he was standing as far back for Beatle as he was for Dennis Lillee.However, there was one injury that did stop him; a broken jaw. A talented dual sportsman, he was in the Melbourne Football Club squad that won the 1964 Victorian Football League grand final. When he suffered two broken jaws in quick succession during the 1965 season, that brought his football career to an abrupt halt. On that South African tour, whenever Keith Stackpole wanted to annoy Beatle, he’d call out, “Hey, glass jaw.”His cricket career involved playing for three states Victoria, WA and New South Wales. During regular drink sessions with a group of mates it was a standard joke to claim that he played with four states – he was selected for Queensland but joined World Series Cricket instead – the same number as he had wives.I was in the official party at his first wedding which was attended by then Australian prime minister Harold Holt. I was unable to attend any of the other ceremonies which was unfortunate because it precluded me from using the hilarious line of England’s fast bowling funnyman John J Warr.When JJ attended England batsman Bill Edrich’s fifth wedding he was asked, “Which side – bride or groom?” Without a flicker of a smile, he answered, “Season’s ticket.”I know his last two wives well, Karina with whom he sired two beautiful girls in Laura and Louisa, and Jan who was at his side when he passed away. Beatle had generously offered a kidney to Jan who needed a transplant, but the dreaded cancer diagnosis put an end to that plan. Fortunately, Jan received a transplant and is now recovering well.Watson had a successful business life after sport, cleverly maximising his qualifications as an architect. He excelled in solutions for sports stadium management and was involved in that capacity in the highly successful Sydney Olympic precinct.His architectural background stood out in the functional design of his house at Burradoo in the NSW Southern Highlands and the farmhouse on his property at Wollombi, just north of Sydney. That was a favourite venue as a ‘male retreat’ and I have fond memories of the sessions enjoyed there with Tabsy and Beatle that made allowances for one female – our dog Bella.Beatle lived a very full life and he was looking forward to caring for Jan in her post-operation period, but unfortunately, the tables were turned and it was she who lovingly cared for him.His last public act was a selfless one as usual. Even in struggling health, he offered to help the Southern Highlands District Cricket Association raise funds for junior development.This culminated in a sold-out dinner in early March which provided much-needed funds for the association. Beatle – with his voice fading – made a fine speech that night, full of common sense and with a vision for the future.It was a long journey from Salisbury (now Harare) to Burradoo, but it was a successful one, with a lot of laughs along the way.