July 31st 2009 was the day that English Football lost the great Bobby Robson, a brilliantly modest coach and gentleman. I have mentioned Sir Bobby on many occasions such is his influence on our nation's game.
Here is one from May 2018:http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/more-than-manager.html
On the other hand, not being a pillar of the game was Enoch "Knocker" West.
Born in 1886 at Hucknall Torkard in Nottinghamshire, West first played for Sheffield United and in 1905 was transfered to Nottingham Forest for £5. During the 1905 season, Knocker scored almost a 100 goals for Forest and eventually in 1910, he was transfered to Manchester United, where he, a "bull of a centre forward"(a force of nature), helped the club win a First Division League Medal in 1911, as United pipped the holders, Aston Villa, by one point.
The team celebrated their success with a day at Chester races, where, by all accounts, Knocker had a good time and a laid a few bets!
That season Nottingham Forest were relegated.
When the league closed due to the War in 1915, he had played in 334 matches and scored 168.
During the last period of league competition before the war, The FA had investigated a match between Liverpool and Manchester United, implying that there had been some "match fixing" by players going on;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_British_football_betting_scandal
and Knocker had been implicated and found guilty.
He was banned for life and despite going to the High Court in 1917, he was not reprieved and that was curtains for Knocker; he had to take the "rap".
By 1945 the ban was lifted and Knocker could play again-he was well over 60. He died in 1965 aged 79.
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