Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:01 pm
The Chronicle
Why Graeme Souness said Bellamy could never play for him again.
Newcastle United's greatest: Graeme Souness and Craig Bellamy never saw eye to eye
Thursday 24th July 2014.
By Lee Ryder
Graeme Souness could not live with Craig Bellamy during his stint at Newcastle United.
In the end it ultimately cost him his job.
However, there were no winners when their relationship turned sour as Bellamy was moved on to Blackburn Rovers via Celtic after a public bust-up with Souness in 2005.
It was all a bit of a shame too.
Although it was not always bad news.
Not least the day Bellamy shone brightly in a 4-3 win over Manchester City in 2004.
Just days earlier the first signs Bellamy and Souness could not live with each other had unfolded at Charlton Athletic, when an angry Bellamy had fired a verbal volley the way of the Scot after being hooked at Charlton.
That led to a dressing-room spat in which Bellamy told Souness he was the “best” player at the club and should not be subbed!
Bellamy did not always back that up, but he did against Manchester City in a seven-goal thriller on 25 October, 2004.
It was a crazy game.
The type of game which Newcastle sometimes end up involved in.
They had thrown away a 2-0 lead given to them by Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer to put them in full control as they game headed to the hour mark.
However, they managed to throw the lead away as Shaun Wright-Phillips pulled one back on 64 minutes and then a Robbie Fowler penalty made it 2-2.
Robbie Elliott had restored the Toon lead with 21 minutes left but Wright-Phillips secured what looked like a draw with 13 to go.
Olivier Bernard played the ball into Bellamy, who neatly juggled the ball past David James to slot home what proved to be the winner in the final minute.
It took the heat away from Bellamy and Souness was happy enough with the response to their bust-up.
Reflecting on the heated row at Charlton, he said: “Craig can say what he wants to me - but in private
“I am delighted he scored the winner. The fans love him.
“I am new to the club and we have to get know one another.”
Then Souness added: “Craig is a hard man to love but maybe one day I will learn to love him.”
Only it did nott take long for it all to flare up again.
Souness claimed Bellamy was injured in training but fit to play in the game at Arsenal before swiftly dropping him.
The Welsh international disagreed. Then he went on TV to claim he had not been injured.
Souness was furious and it resulted in the end of the road for Bellamy.
Souness said: “He canot play for me ever again.
“He cannot go on television and accuse me of telling lies.
“I am not going to dwell on it, but I think in most walks of life that would be the case.” Then skipper Alan Shearer’s verdict was simple.
He said: “Craig declared himself injured on Friday dinner time and then was fit on Saturday morning,.
“The manager - like everyone at Newcastle United - only wants players who want to play for the club, whether it is in the position they want to play in or not.
“We all want to go in the same direction, we all want success for Newcastle United, and if anyone does not want that, the manager will replace them with other players.”
It was all a shame for the fans, but the partnership between Bellamy and Shearer was over - never to be seen again.
Souness would quickly follow the same route.
Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:03 am
Not really sure why this article has been written now? I watched the Fantasy Football episode with Bellamy on it and he quite openly seemed to suggest he was a prick back in the day and did mention about how he'd come to blows with the likes of Souness and Robson even though he knew he was in the wrong.
Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:54 am
nothing to do with the souness training methods of playing 3 hours of five a side each day, he picked the sides and played himself?
Training was a shables at every club he's been at, the players like Bellamy got fed up and eventually held their own afternoon training sessions!!