John Leach

Life's been good, so far..

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@prodnose On a par with Switzerland and just as dull.

[Simon Hughes @Simon_Hughes__]

If anywhere highlights the warped economics of the World Cup it is in Vancouver and Seattle, where I have spent much of the last three weeks. Magnificent cities blighted by homelessness and fentanyl addiction, right there next to the stadiums. https://t.co/RcHHlrjBAs

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@plyons45 No Scotland no party.

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@Theleaguemag Kirkby lad.

[Mark Hammond @MarkHam80780803]

Hydration break.

[FTBL_Planet @FTBL_Planet]

When Bobby Robson finished his last chemotherapy session in 2007, Dr Ruth Plummer pulled him to one side at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Bobby thought it was going to be about his health.

Instead, Ruth wanted to talk to him about something else.

Her department was too old.

There was a new Early Cancer Trials Unit being planned at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, three times bigger than what they already had, with a proper laboratory, modern equipment and room for clinical trials.

But there was one problem.

They did not have the money to kit it out.

So Ruth asked Bobby if he knew anybody who might help.

Bobby went home and spoke to his wife Elsie.

The next day, they started making calls.

Very quickly, what had started as a quiet conversation with Ruth had turned into a committee.

Then the idea came up.

Use Bobby’s name.

He was not comfortable with that at first.

He did not want a charity built around himself.

But the others told him it would open doors, and once Bobby agreed to it, there was no going halfway.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation was born.

At the first meeting with the hospital, Don Robson got straight to the point.

How much money was needed to get started?

£500,000.

And Ruth needed it by the summer of 2008 because she wanted the facility running by October.

That was when Bobby knew what he had walked into.

“There could be no slowing down, no pulling out, no getting halfway down the road and turning back.”

The original plan had been simple enough.

Bobby would lend his name, act as a figurehead, and stay in the background.

It did not work out like that.

He went to the meetings.

He did the interviews.

He kept going even when he was not well.

Sometimes he would pull Ruth to one side and ask her:

“What have you bloody well got me into?”

But he never missed a single meeting.

The launch was held at the Copthorne Hotel.

By then, Bobby was fully in it.

“If I’m committed to something, then I’m committed.”

And then the money started coming in.

Within seven weeks, the first target had already been reached.

£560,000.

Then people started turning up at Bobby and Elsie’s house.

The first donation came from a woman carrying an envelope full of cash.

Her husband had recently died, and his final request had been that people at his funeral gave money to Bobby’s charity instead of buying flowers.

She handed over £271.74.

“What can you say to that?”

Then there was Johnny Bliss, a local singer with pancreatic cancer.

His doctors had told him he had months to live, but he still held a concert, sold CDs and raised around £10,000 for the Foundation.

Bobby met him at the Copthorne.

Johnny brought his family with him, and made the men wear their best suits and ties.

Bobby could see he was not well.

“I could have cried.”

And for all the football he had lived through, all the countries, all the clubs, all the games, this became his last big job.

“It’s not about beating Portsmouth any more.”

“It’s about beating death.”

As of today the Sir Bobby Robson foundation has raised over £27 million.
#football

[Paul B Lyons. @plyons45]

I need this T-shirt 😂😂

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@sgfmann Hope it's not Ngumoha.

[Hashfootery @hashfootery]

For all old fans of #hashfootery, why not try our World Cup predictor comp? https://t.co/E2xDOgmuWf

[Anders🦁🥋⚽🎮🏞️🌵🏜️🏕️ @Andersj822010]

@BBCBreaking @BBCNews Neeext

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@thecanadiankop Napoleon liked lucky Generals.

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@BAKETHEBEST He broke my heart when he left but God love him.

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@ChloeBloxam Can't watch it. Too painful. That's were we are.

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@ptgorst After tonight they could change there minds. It's happening, just a question of time.

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@hatscarforabadg Thanks for raising a smile.

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@NickyAllt And it led to a goal.

[Anon Opin. @anon_opin]

Every General Election, Panini should bring out a parliament sticker album.

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Last Saturday, Liverpool supporters held up yellow cards in the 13th minute and unfurled a banner sporting an image of John W Henry sticking his fingers in his ears. He was not there to see it.

Around 3,000 miles away in Boston, Red Sox players were being told that the team manager, Alex Cora, had lost his job. Henry was present, but said nothing.

Questions fill the silence. Does Henry really take this criticism to heart? How truly engaged is he with the two biggest sports franchises in his FSG portfolio? And what is his long-term vision?

@Simon_Hughes__ spoke to those who have dealt with Henry regularly in recent years about their impressions of the man, what motivates him and how he reacts under fire.

https://t.co/ZUIJnO6kHe

[Baizewatch @baizewatch]

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮; 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚."

Alex Higgins and Bill Werbenuik staying focused in between frames at the Crucible - 26th April 1983

[John Leach @Molbysgut]

@LateChallenge Shameful treatment of Harvey Elliot from both LFC and Aston Villa. Lads career at stake.