Bobby Williamson's African Adventures

[WestEndHibee]

After coaching Gor Mahia to their first league title in 18 years Bobby has been appointed as Kenyan national coach!

Football Federation of Kenya chairman Sam Nyamweya told BBC Sport: "We are very satisfied with Bobby Williamson. He took Uganda to where they are now. Let us give him a chance."

He's had an intriguing career recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28648830

[superbam]

Ugandans tend to speak highly of him. They credit him with focusing on the long term development of the team instead of bowing to pressures for short term success and giving youth a chance.

[Smartie]

Tin hat on here.....

Bobby Williamson wasn't all that bad for us.

He had to dismantle McLeish's expensive team replacing them all with much cheaper replacements as Hibs responded to the new skint financial climate in Scottish football faster than all the other Scottish clubs.

He blooded the "golden generation" and had the balls to give the youngsters their chance and stick with them.

He wasn't without his faults - hoofball to GOC wasn't the best way to play these players and the Riordan and Whittaker for Bobby Mann proposed move has gone down in folklore, but he laid a very solid platform for Mowbray to build on.

It wasn't always fun but we never looked likely to be relegated under him.

Calderwood, Fenlon and Butcher have shown us what poor managers really are. Williamson was ok imo and I'm pleased he's continuing to do well in Africa.

[HibbyAndy]

I dont believe for a second Whittaker and Riordan for Bobby Mann was real, As usual it snowballed on here and 2 + 2 = 5 making it a .net fact.

[Peevemor]

I dont believe for a second Whittaker and Riordan for Bobby Mann was real, As usual it snowballed on here and 2 + 2 = 5 making it a .net fact.

It was real. I had it confirmed by Donald Park who was at Inverness with Robbo at the time. It was Donald that chose the two he wanted.

[Nameless]

He looks well - Africa obviously suits him.

[jgl07]

Tin hat on here.....

Bobby Williamson wasn't all that bad for us.

He had to dismantle McLeish's expensive team replacing them all with much cheaper replacements as Hibs responded to the new skint financial climate in Scottish football faster than all the other Scottish clubs.

He blooded the "golden generation" and had the balls to give the youngsters their chance and stick with them.

He wasn't without his faults - hoofball to GOC wasn't the best way to play these players and the Riordan and Whittaker for Bobby Mann proposed move has gone down in folklore, but he laid a very solid platform for Mowbray to build on.

It wasn't always fun but we never looked likely to be relegated under him.

Calderwood, Fenlon and Butcher have shown us what poor managers really are. Williamson was ok imo and I'm pleased he's continuing to do well in Africa.


It was real. I had it confirmed by Donald Park who was at Inverness with Robbo at the time. It was Donald that chose the two he wanted.
Give a link. I have never seen one apart from some mumblings from Robertson five years later.

Urban myth.

[CyberSauzee]

Ugandans tend to speak highly of him. They credit him with focusing on the long term development of the team instead of bowing to pressures for short term success and giving youth a chance.

Spot on. I was in Kampala in April and they do talk highly of him.

[Peevemor]

Give a link. I have never seen one apart from some mumblings from Robertson five years later.

Urban myth.

Give a link to a conversation I had with Donald Park (who I've known for 30+ years)? How do I do that then?

[jgl07]

Give a link to a conversation I had with Donald Park (who I've known for 30+ years)? How do I do that then?
Hearsay.

Not evidence I'm afraid.

[Peevemor]

Hearsay.

Not evidence I'm afraid.

Direct quote from Robbo in his Sun column 10-12-2009.


DEREK RIORDAN'S back to being talked about as one of the most exciting players in the country.
And while Hibs manager John Hughes deserves praise for his influence, I think you have to give most of the credit to the boy himself.

John is only really in charge of Riordan when he turns up at the training ground and for matches.

Away from that environment it's up to Riordan to conduct himself properly and be professional.

I think the lad had a really hard time at Celtic and he just didn't seem to fit into Gordon Strachan's plans.

Yet talk to a lot of Celtic fans and they will tell you they were happy with his contribution, even though it was a small one at times.

Coming back to Hibs has given Riordan a lift.

He's settled into a place he knows very well. He knows the fans love him and he knows the manager rates him.

Above all, though, Riordan knows his gaffer will give him a platform to perform every week.

I happen to believe that he's starting to calm himself down off the pitch.

I sense Riordan realises it's not all about going clubbing and getting into fights or situations that he really shouldn't be involved in. He's sorting himself out away from Easter Road and you can see he's getting fitter and sharper.

We all know a fit and sharp Derek Riordan will score goals.

If he's not scoring then he's setting them up for others.

Hopefully, the penny has dropped for Riordan.

What happened to him at Celtic may be providing added motivation. It could prove to be the making of him.

A similar thing happened to me at Newcastle United. For whatever reason things didn't work out for me there.

I only played 11 matches and was used wide left in midfield. It just didn't happen for me and I returned to Hearts.

Initially, I needed a hernia operation. But after that I kicked on and never looked back.

However, I never regretted going down south. I felt I had to go and experience it.

I've no doubt Riordan felt the same when he got the chance to join Celtic. He would have looked at a chance to pick up trophies and earn good money.

In terms of playing time at Celtic it was poor for him. But in terms of the experience I think it was still beneficial.

Now, he's returned to an arena where he's absolutely adored. It's still a matter of some regret that I missed out on the chance to work with him when I was manager at Inverness.

Then Hibs manager Bobby Williamson desperately wanted to sign Bobby Mann, but didn't have the money to buy him.

So we discussed a swap deal and Bobby offered us two players from his youth team.

My assistant Donald Park and I picked Riordan and Steven Whittaker but the deal couldn't have been completed in time that particular January.

However, Bobby was still keen to agree something for the following season and there were further negotiations later.

Riordan, though, got into the Hibs team for the last six or seven games and scored five goals. The rest is history.

Credit to both Riordan and Whittaker for how their careers have progressed since.

But Riordan was so nearly an Inverness player.

The boy had a lucky escape!

http://www.hibs.net/showthread.php?168819-Bobby-Williamson-Complete-tit-%28Bobby-Mann-tale-again%29

[--------]

Direct quote from Robbo in his Sun column 10-12-2009.

http://www.hibs.net/showthread.php?168819-Bobby-Williamson-Complete-tit-%28Bobby-Mann-tale-again%29


Bobby's never commented on this - either the story as a whole or on any of the details. He was looking for an experienced cetral defender at a time whe there was no money in the club at all, and he offered a couple of youth players in exchange. Big deal.

Of course Fat Robbo would have picked the best two players - he'd have been mad not to. But the fact that the deal wasn't done at the time, and then fell through again as Deek and Stevie began to show their pedigree suggests that Bobby wasn't as big a fool as Blobbo Robbo makes out in this article.

And of course everything printed in THE SUN under the byline of a retired Jambo/failed manager must be absolutely true. (NOT!) It's a good story - if true - but good stories whether true or not tend to grow arms and legs in the telling. I'm sure there's a foundation of truth in it, but I'm also pretty sure that it didn't happen in quite the way it's now being told as happening.

Blobbo and Park tell the world stuff that really properly should have stayed between them and Bobby Williamson. The end of the story is that Bobby Wiliamson was the manager who gave both Derek Riordan and Steven Whittaker their break into the Hibs first team. He didn't transfer them to ICT. He left Hibs and has made a good career for himself in African football, where he's earend great respect and a high reputation as a coach.

Blobbo on the other hand has proved a total failure in management, he's now mostly known as a star of Open All Mikes along with other screaming morons like Preston and Dodds, and some day very soon he'll have to be putting out for tenders from the firms who make marquees for his shirts and breeks.

Bobby W did pretty well for us at a very difficult time oin the club's history. We've had a lot worse since, and I've followed his career in Africa with interest and pleasure.

And he has the dignity and good manners NOT to go telling tales out of school.

[Iggy Pope]

Picture houses must be quiet round about Nairobi and Kampala then......

[proud_and_green]

Bobby's never commented on this - either the story as a whole or on any of the details. He was looking for an experienced cetral defender at a time whe there was no money in the club at all, and he offered a couple of youth players in exchange. Big deal.

Of course Fat Robbo would have picked the best two players - he'd have been mad not to. But the fact that the deal wasn't done at the time, and then fell through again as Deek and Stevie began to show their pedigree suggests that Bobby wasn't as big a fool as Blobbo Robbo makes out in this article.

And of course everything printed in THE SUN under the byline of a retired Jambo/failed manager must be absolutely true. (NOT!) It's a good story - if true - but good stories whether true or not tend to grow arms and legs in the telling. I'm sure there's a foundation of truth in it, but I'm also pretty sure that it didn't happen in quite the way it's now being told as happening.

Blobbo and Park tell the world stuff that really properly should have stayed between them and Bobby Williamson. The end of the story is that Bobby Wiliamson was the manager who gave both Derek Riordan and Steven Whittaker their break into the Hibs first team. He didn't transfer them to ICT. He left Hibs and has made a good career for himself in African football, where he's earend great respect and a high reputation as a coach.

Blobbo on the other hand has proved a total failure in management, he's now mostly known as a star of Open All Mikes along with other screaming morons like Preston and Dodds, and some day very soon he'll have to be putting out for tenders from the firms who make marquees for his shirts and breeks.

Bobby W did pretty well for us at a very difficult time oin the club's history. We've had a lot worse since, and I've followed his career in Africa with interest and pleasure.

And he has the dignity and good manners NOT to go telling tales out of school.

Bobby Williamson was a decent manager for us at an incredibly challenging time. He is also, in my opinion, a decent bloke. As a result of a conversation he had with my daughter after a game he wrote to me in Iraq to wish me all the best for a safe tour and return home.

[Turkish Green]

Hearsay.

Not evidence I'm afraid.
Evidence! This is a fans forum not a court of law. We need no steenking evidence. Reel in your neck.

[Peevemor]

Bobby's never commented on this - either the story as a whole or on any of the details. He was looking for an experienced cetral defender at a time whe there was no money in the club at all, and he offered a couple of youth players in exchange. Big deal.

Of course Fat Robbo would have picked the best two players - he'd have been mad not to. But the fact that the deal wasn't done at the time, and then fell through again as Deek and Stevie began to show their pedigree suggests that Bobby wasn't as big a fool as Blobbo Robbo makes out in this article.

And of course everything printed in THE SUN under the byline of a retired Jambo/failed manager must be absolutely true. (NOT!) It's a good story - if true - but good stories whether true or not tend to grow arms and legs in the telling. I'm sure there's a foundation of truth in it, but I'm also pretty sure that it didn't happen in quite the way it's now being told as happening.

Blobbo and Park tell the world stuff that really properly should have stayed between them and Bobby Williamson. The end of the story is that Bobby Wiliamson was the manager who gave both Derek Riordan and Steven Whittaker their break into the Hibs first team. He didn't transfer them to ICT. He left Hibs and has made a good career for himself in African football, where he's earend great respect and a high reputation as a coach.

Blobbo on the other hand has proved a total failure in management, he's now mostly known as a star of Open All Mikes along with other screaming morons like Preston and Dodds, and some day very soon he'll have to be putting out for tenders from the firms who make marquees for his shirts and breeks.

Bobby W did pretty well for us at a very difficult time oin the club's history. We've had a lot worse since, and I've followed his career in Africa with interest and pleasure.

And he has the dignity and good manners NOT to go telling tales out of school.

Sorry Doddie but I don't think Donald Park can be accused of telling "the world" anything. He's one of the most discrete guys around - can anyone here remember him ever blabbing off to the press? He's known me since I was in my early teens (when he was playing for Partick) and he told me bits and pieces knowing that he could trust me to keep stuff to myself (aye OK - and maybe a couple of pals :greengrin). I only posted what I did earlier in the thread because I remembered that JR had already confirmed the story in his Sun column.

[Thecat23]

Hearsay.

Not evidence I'm afraid.

So because you didn't hear this it's not true? But if a paper said it then it is? I know for a fact it's true and well known By many within Hibs about the deal. It was very close as well. Or maybe I made that up?!!!

[--------]

Sorry Doddie but I don't think Donald Park can be accused of telling "the world" anything. He's one of the most discrete guys around - can anyone here remember him ever blabbing off to the press? He's known me since I was in my early teens (when he was playing for Partick) and he told me bits and pieces knowing that he could trust me to keep stuff to myself (aye OK - and maybe a couple of pals :greengrin). I only posted what I did earlier in the thread because I remembered that JR had already confirmed the story in his Sun column.

Fair enough - I would exclude JP then conversations between friends in reasonable confidence aren't the sort of breach of trust I was thinking of.

But what I said about Blobbo stands. Anything published in a ghosted column in a trash-rag like the Sun has to be compromised information, and what he's made public was a matter of business between two managers, and there should have been a reasonable expectation of confidentiality on both sides.

And I guess I'm rather allergic to stories trashing Hibs or anyone to do with Hibs emanating from the fevered keyboard (supposing the fat slob knows how to use on) of THAT or any other moronic fat Jambo.

In the end, the deal didn't go forward. BW came to his senses and held onto the two of them and didn't sign Bobby Mann. IMO Bobby Williamson has proved his worth and ability as a a coach several times over since he left us, and I do wonder sometimes if this would keep coming up if he didn't have Rangers Oldco in his CV.

[Peevemor]

Bobby Williamson was a decent manager for us at an incredibly challenging time. He is also, in my opinion, a decent bloke. As a result of a conversation he had with my daughter after a game he wrote to me in Iraq to wish me all the best for a safe tour and return home.

I'd agree with that. He was at Hibs when hige cuts were made (including his own salary). I met him once briefly when he popped into my local. He and another guy sat at the bar beside us and we left them in peace. We chatted to Blobby a bit when his pal went outside to use his phone and then we left them to it again. When he bought another drink he told the barmaid to put one in the tap for us - very decent if you ask me as it left us with more cash to go to the cinema! :greengrin