The manager walked into the press conference dressed in the most outlandish looking shiny nylon red jacket. [url=http://www.char

The manager walked into the press conference dressed in the most outlandish looking shiny nylon red jacket. Spencer Pulley Jersey . Carrying of all things a squash racket. "He seemed more anxious to talk about squash than his record deal," was how the BBC described the moment. Not bothering to sit down, perhaps he was already late for the squash court, the man dubbed as the greatest manager England never had addressed his audience. An immediate hush descended over the room. "He has all the equipment needed to be a highly successful player thats why we have invested £1,000,000 of Nottingham Forests money." The historic seven-figure transfer fee had been breached. February 9th, 1979 was the day English football welcomed its very first £1 million player, when Trevor Francis moved the short distance from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest. Deal brokered by Brian Clough esquire. No hair dryer required. The mavericks maverick. "Is there any formula you want him to fit into?" a member of the media brassily inquired. "No, no, no. We have no formula here apart from success." Clough immediately retorted. He wasnt kidding. Id like to see José Mourinho take over a team languishing in mid-table mediocrity in the Championship, guide them to the pinnacle of English football and win the BPL at the very first time of asking. As an encore? Win the European Cup the following season, knocking the holders out in the first round. The first question asked of Trevor Francis at his unveiling was if he felt any burden by becoming that million pound man. Clough had taken care of that by always claiming the fee was only £999,999. The actual total figure with taxes and fees worked out at £1,180,000. This though was no shirt wearing, badge kissing moment. Photo ops didnt fit with the times. In any case Nottingham Forest didnt sign a shirt sponsor until 2 years later. Francis though did arrive to the lunch time announcement with his fur coat wearing WAG. That was about as Hollywood as the occasion got. Contrast this to where we are today as the €100m Gareth Bale to Real Madrid cliff hanger looks set to go down to the deadline day wire. Fully aware in this social media driven era football now resides in which confidentiality is the opportunity cost - Madrid brazenly erected a stage inside their stadium in which it is expected Bale will be unveiled from. Jutting out from the sacred directors box of Estadio Bernabeu where the original Los Blancos legend Alfredo Di Stéfano anoints each new arrival, the stage that was put up shortly after Madrid opened up their campaign with the 2-1 victory August 18th against Betis, looks like it will have to be ripped down. No not because Bale isnt eventually going to get his shirt wearing, badge kissing moment. The little matter of a home La Liga date on Sunday is appearing rather ominously on Madrids immediate horizon. A mighty embarrassing moment for President Perez and all concerned at the home of world footballs biggest revenue generators. Perhaps Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy will oblige and pick up the demolition and reconstruction costs. Bale, who by all accounts yesterday afternoon was out shopping in one of Londons smarter looking shopping districts. Cristiano will be so proud of you Gareth, especially for that pink t-shirt and matching baseball cap get up that was flashed around Twitter. Now if you think Madrids courtship of Bale, the soon to be anointed GB11, seems to have gone on far longer than Tolstoys War and Peace then you better think again. Brian Cloughs assistant Peter Taylor revealed at Francis unveiling - which occurred around what could be best described as a mid-priced ranged coffee table - Nottingham Forest had initially reached out to Birmingham City a full eight years before finally landing their million pound man. Remind me again, how long before the transfer window closes. Please no extensions Mr. Platini, especially so for your old mate Arsene. The UEFA President himself was drawn into the sorry mess at yesterdays Champions League group stage draw. Where he rather prophetically stated, "Today a player is more a product than a footballer with a whole pile of people trying to get commissions. I think we and FIFA should think about that and find something more healthy." Whenever we finally get to eclipse that €100m moment the soft spoken Bale is sure to be asked if his slender frame feels the weight of such an obnoxious sum. Dont answer. What matters is what Bale does on the pitch and not necessarily on that world famous manicured one that adorns the Spanish capital. If Bale can achieve what Trevor Francis did within months of signing for Forest then all will be forgotten. Even Cristiano will forgive you for eclipsing his £80m word record sum. Thats presuming hes not back home to Old Trafford Tuesday morning for €100m and €1. It was May 30th, 1979 the occasion the European Cup Final. Not even four months after signing for Forest who should pop up at the far post in first half added time with the diving header? You guessed it, Trevor Francis. The lone goal of the game, and with it Forest crowned European Champions. No badge kissing. Just a 25-year old footballer doing what he loved doing best - scoring goals, not gals. Over to you Gareth, No pressure then mate. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel Adrian Phillips Jersey .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. Melvin Gordon Jersey . -- The Florida Gators are first yet again this season. http://www.chargersprofansshop.com/Black-Kyle-Emanuel-Chargers-Jersey.html?cat=875 . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list. MIAMI -- Offensive lineman Jonathan Martin wants to return to the NFL, he said in an interview aired Wednesday where he claimed that racial, aggressive and sexually charged comments all played a role in his departure from the Miami Dolphins. Martin also said he was not the only victim of hazing in the Dolphins locker room. "There are other people that got it too," Martin said. "I cant say why I may have gotten more." Martin told his side of the story to former NFL coach Tony Dungy, now an analyst for NBC, which aired portions of the interview Tuesday and Wednesday. Dungy is part of a committee assigned by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to review the teams code of conduct, and said on NBCs "Today" show that he has spoken with three general managers who believe Martin will have the chance to play again. "They all said hes a good player. Hell get an opportunity," Dungy said. "But theyre all afraid of the scrutiny that comes with it. Hes got to get to the right environment, not a place like the Miami locker room was." Among the allegations Martin made in his interview with Dungy: -- That teammates directed comments of racial and aggressive nature toward him, as well as sex-related comments about his mother and sister. -- That he talked to members of the teams coaching staff about the situation, but stopped short of meeting with Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. "Members of the organization knew I was struggling," Martin said. -- That he tried to be friends with fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito, who was suspended for the final eight games for his role in the matter. -- That he contacted friends on other NFL teams, and that they agreed the level of hazing he alleged to have taken place with the Dolphins exceeded whats typical in a locker-room culture. "I have no problem with the normall hazing that you see in the NFL, get a haircut, stuff like that, little pranks," Martin said. Travis Benjamin Jersey. . "But of a personal, attacking nature, I dont think theres any place for that." The scandal overshadowed much of the Dolphins season. Martin left the Dolphins in October amid allegations he was harassed by teammates, including Incognito. Martin told Dungy that he "felt trapped, like I didnt have a way to make it right," and said he left the team out of concerns for his health and well-being. New York attorney Ted Wells began an investigation ordered by the NFL in November, and his report will be released after the Super Bowl. Ross said he has an idea of what will be in the report, though has not revealed any specifics. "When it comes out, well do what has to be done," Ross said Tuesday, when the team introduced Dennis Hickey as its new general manager. "In my mind, I know what direction were going. ... The respect that we gained by how we handled the situation that took place here says a lot about this organization and the people that are running it." Hickey replaced Jeff Ireland, whom the team parted with following an 8-8 season. Incognito will be a free agent this off-season, and Martin is not expected to return to the Dolphins. "I understand opportunities in the NFL are fleeting," Martin said. "Im hopeful that I get another opportunity and Im going to make the most of it because this is what I love to do. I dont know what I would do if I wasnt playing football." Dungy said he reviewed text messages and voice mails that Martin received. "It was a tough, tough situation. ... I couldnt picture anything like this going on in the locker rooms that I was involved in," Dungy said. NBC Sports Network plans to air more of Dungys interview with Martin on Wednesday night. Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys White NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Cheap Jerseys From China ' ' '