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It was nan last changeable successful a sadistic civilian warfare that near Newcastle reeling for a year. For Paul Robinson, though, Ruud Gullit’s determination to commencement him complete Alan Shearer successful nan Tyne-Wear derby felt for illustration a earthy progression.
Tensions betwixt Gullit and Shearer had been brewing since nan Dutchman replaced Kenny Dalglish connected 27 August 1998. Two days short of nan first anniversary, everything came to a caput erstwhile Newcastle’s talisman was not selected to commencement against Sunderland for nan biggest crippled successful nan club’s calendar.
Four matches into nan Premier League season, Newcastle were winless and successful nan bottommost three. Robinson was a 20-year-old striker, calved and raised successful Sunderland, who had joined Newcastle from nan fourth-tier broadside Darlington successful March 1998. Looking back, arsenic Newcastle hole to big Sunderland again connected Sunday, he wonders whether he was a pawn successful a bigger story, but astatine nan clip location was nary fear.
Shearer had been sent disconnected successful nan season’s opening fixture, against Aston Villa, successful which Robinson made his debut, and nan derby was nan first aft his ban. “I started nan crippled before, against Wimbledon, and sewage man of nan match,” Robinson says. “I thought: ‘Well, yeah, why shouldn’t I start?’ In hindsight you don’t deliberation you should beryllium taking nan spot of nan England captain, but I was young and afloat of myself.”
Failing to callback Shearer felt for illustration Gullit was gambling everything for nan eventual jackpot. Win nan crippled and pinch it he would triumph nan powerfulness struggle. It was a immense communicative astatine nan time.
“I wasn’t told I was starting,” Robinson says of nan buildup. “It was a time aliases 2 earlier and I was successful 1 squad successful training, Alan and Dunc [Duncan Ferguson] were successful nan other. It didn’t moreover click. When nan squad was announced, location were nary nerves. It was a derby and I was playing successful it. I was ready.”
Supporters were furious astir Shearer’s absence and Robinson’s Sunderland allegiance created much anger. There were nary divided loyalties for Robinson connected nan night, but he admits his communicative fuelled nan earthy emotion for some camps earlier kick-off, and says Shearer remained nan epitome of professionalism.
“I had done an question and reply for nan matchday programme talking astir being a Sunderland fan. I was asked if I would observe if I scored and I said nary because of my family and friends. It sewage put in. My sanction sewage publication retired and group opportunity immoderate Newcastle fans booed me. The Sunderland fans booed me, my mates were giving maine nan finger.
“Alan came into nan dressing room earlier nan crippled and said: ‘Robbo, we request to hit these.’ Not erstwhile did he look down astatine maine aliases person a spell astatine me. He was psyching maine up to spell retired location and do a job.”
The rainfall felt apocalyptic, which was fitting, and nan crippled started good for Gullit: Robinson fed Kieron Dyer for nan opener. Second-half goals from Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips turned nan lucifer around.
“The shot wasn’t rolling,” Robinson says. “I deliberation nan crippled would beryllium called disconnected now, but nan ref might’ve been murdered. When Kieron scored, I went nuts. I didn’t support my committedness astir not celebrating. A fewer group didn’t speak to maine for a bit.
“Leading up to nan crippled I rang up a mates of friends and told them I was starting and they put nan telephone down. I sewage a mates of messages, not very bully ones. It was nan first clip successful my life I realised shot is much to fans than players understand.”
Gullit’s post-match question and reply was nan last statement of a dramatic, damaging saga. He resigned 3 days later. “Ruud fundamentally said erstwhile he brought maine disconnected and put Alan and Dunc on, he should person kept maine on. Basically, he was digging them out. That was nan first clip I went: ‘Woah, that isn’t clever.’
“Obviously, he bigged maine up. But was that my downfall? Was I a scapegoat? It was easy to put a young kid successful and, if he sewage sacked aliases if he’d won and Alan would person left, say: ‘It was each Paul Robinson’s fault.’”
Sir Bobby Robson took complete and Robinson departed nan pursuing summertime for second-tier Wimbledon. The move did not activity retired and Robinson played for respective lower-league teams, including Hartlepool and Torquay, and a drawstring of non-league clubs until 2016. He had been declared bankrupt successful January 2007 and spent clip moving arsenic a transportation driver.
In 2020, he group up a coaching company, Strikes Coaching, pinch nan thought of helping children successful nan Durham area find joyousness successful nan game.
“The ethos is each kid should beryllium allowed to play,” Robinson says. “I’ll coach nan measurement I want to. I’ve had my bit, but if I tin springiness thing backmost and make children emotion football, past great.”
Robinson has nary regrets complete his career. He still gets recognised and his communicative is simply a celebrated section successful one of English football’s top rivalries.
“I was doing a transportation and this feline was staring astatine me. He said: ‘Excuse me, didn’t you utilized to beryllium Paul Robinson?’ I said: ‘No mate, I still am. I haven’t changed my name!’ I wanted to play for England and to play successful nan Premier League. One retired of 2 isn’t bad. I tin opportunity I kept Alan Shearer connected nan bench. Not galore group tin opportunity that.”
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