SOCCER: To those who believe modern footballers are a pampered breed predisposed to missing games for the flimsiest of reasons, Bobby Robson must be something of an idol.
Less than three months after surgery to remove a brain tumour, Robson yesterday interrupted his convalescence to travel to Dublin for this week's European Championship qualifier against San Marino. Still impaired by the loss of movement on his left side following the operation, the veteran coach's physical recovery continues. Mentally, though, he insists he is fit and ready for work again.
"I'm not exactly 100 per cent, I have a bit to go," the former England manager said, "but I'm making progress every day and I was determined to be here for this game, there's not another one this year so it was very important to me to be involved again."
As he has always been when it comes to his health, Robson was very open about his condition. With the good humour he always displays with the media, he demonstrated, for instance, the difficulty he has using his left arm before, inevitably, going on to play down the extent of the problem.
"I could lift my right hand a thousand times no problem," he says, demonstrating, "but if I do it with my left then after 10 I'm whacked. I have a great physiotherapist, though, so it's getting better, and it hasn't affected my brain at all, I'm still competent in football matters . . . wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
Some, his family for instance, may wonder why he puts himself through this when he could simply concentrate his energies on his recovery and enjoy a well-earned retirement, but then those closest to him are probably least surprised by his determination.
"It wasn't the most pleasant of things to contemplate, having a tumour removed from my brain, it's not something you look forward to. From a health point of view, it wasn't the best of situations and that was on my mind, but it was also on my mind that I could recover and have another few years of being involved in international football. That was a very positive thing, and here I am even if I'm only 70 per cent of the way to being fully recovered so far."
Robson conceded that the health setbacks he has suffered since taking the job of advising Steve Staunton have forced him to reassess how he can best contribute within the Irish set-up. Even now, however, he remains convinced that he has something of value to pass on to someone who has been learning football management the hard way while the Englishman has been away.
"When I got the job I thought that the best way I could help Stan to be a good football manager was by working with Kevin (MacDonald) on the training pitch. That may be harder to do now, but I was always a coach as well as a manager and I still think that I can provide valuable advice on training routines and other aspects of the team's preparations."
The Irish team's qualification campaign may look a lost cause, but Robson insists it is not over yet and points, in any case, to the sort of passion displayed by the supporters at Lansdowne Road as ample justification for continuing on regardless.
"I've seen a lot of important goals, even scored some over the years, but I don't think I'd ever seen one that got such an emotional response as the one Kevin Kilbane scored against the Czechs," he said. "Even I jumped out of my chair," he continued with a chuckle, "and I'm bloody paralysed."
