'My way as a manager was taught by Bobby Robson'
Every so often, George Burley takes a walk through the park and bumps into a vision of his younger self. Kieran McKenna is practically a neighbour; the greetings are always warm and the common ground bountiful. They are the only two men alive who know exactly what it takes to guide an Ipswich side to the Premier League and both have come to understand how success in Suffolk can propel a reputation towards the stars.
In Burley's case it was a fifth-placed finish in the 2000-01 top flight, straight after going up, that sent him into the pantheon. He was named manager of the season, the first of only five times when the recipient did not win the title, and it capped a fairytale story that barely feels possible now. "It couldn't get any better, it was an honour, an incredible feat," he says. "I don't know if a team that comes up could equal or beat that now. It might never happen again."
Burley is now 68 and a long time out of football. He moved back to Ipswich 11 years ago after his final role in management, a brief stint at Apollon Limassol. The heights of those days in the Portman Road dugout were never quite recaptured but there is little sense of what might have been. He felt he owed his family some of the time they had missed ever since, as a 15-year-old in 1972, he came down from East Ayrshire to sign terms with a club that would take off under Sir Bobby Robson. "Some managers say they can't do without football but I've never been that way," he says. "I think there's more to life."
Esta historia es de la edición November 21, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 21, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
How 'Spiderweb' drone strike destroyed billions of dollars of Russian aircraft
The Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airbases on Sunday destroyed billions of dollars worth of Russian aircraft stationed at bases across the country, including locations as far away as Siberia, in what Kyiv said was its longest-range assault of the war.
Nowhere to hide Alarm as mass insect die-offs hit world's most protected areas
Daniel Janzen only began watching the insects – truly watching them – when his ribcage was shattered.
People in more recent generations 'less likely to develop dementia'
People born more recently are less likely to have dementia at any given age than earlier generations, research suggests, with the trend more pronounced in women.
IDF strikes on schools in Gaza 'deliberate'
A series of recent deadly airstrikes on school buildings that were sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip were part of a deliberate Israeli military bombing strategy, with further schools identified as targets, the Guardian has learned.
UK urged to penalise Egypt over activist in prison
The UK government should impose sanctions on key figures in the Egyptian government in response to its refusal to release the British-Egyptian human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Labour's most prominent human rights lawyer has proposed.
Chancellor Urged to Increase Funding as Report Casts Doubt on Homes Target
Rachel Reeves is under renewed pressure to spend billions more on affordable housing at this month's spending review, after an industry report suggested the government had significantly overestimated how many new homes would be built over the next few years.
Starmer pledges to make Britain 'battle-ready' with drones and AI
Britain will spend an extra £2bn on drones and seek to introduce weapons and tactics developed during the war in Ukraine under a strategic defence review revealed by the government yesterday.
PFA chief concerned over post-season tour workloads
Maheta Molango, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, has voiced concern over post-season tours given the added workload they put on players immediately after a packed campaign.
Rooting for Joe
Whether the ball is red or white, pure talent can still conquer
Radical-right historian's triumph will be felt across EU and threaten Warsaw's place at the top table
The victory margin of the nationalist Karol Nawrocki in Poland's presidential elections may have been wafer thin, but it marks an upheaval in the country's political landscape whose impact will be felt across the EU.
