WHO DUNNIT?

Last updated : 23 October 2002 By Editor

This from the Guardian on dressing room harmony and thieving team mates.

Who hated whom in the Manchester United dressing room? And did Bobby, Denis Law and George Best ever get annoyed at the fact that they had to play next to eight mediocre cloggers?

Bobby, Denis and George were never close, particularly in their later years.
Denis thought Bobby was over-rated and, as a proud Scot (he once said that
30th July 1966 was "the blackest day of my life"), he disliked the way Bobby
had come to symbolise English success.

George Best found Bobby dour and aloof, while Bobby hated Best's lack of
professionalism. So bitter was the Best-Charlton feud in the early seventies
that they would not even pass the ball to each other. And this sort of
animosity could be seen throughout United under Busby: Bobby thought that
Pat Crerand was a loudmouth and Crerand regarded Bobby as an "imposter".

Nobby Stiles was crucial to Bobby's success with United and England. Here is George Cohen on the subject. "It's not recognised that Nobby was a very good distributor of the ball, but he fed Bobby Charlton time and time again. Bobby could see Nobby go into a tackle, was confident he'd come out with the ball, moved into space and Nobby would find him. That was a very good partnership."

Did one of the Charltons steal that bracelet before Mexico 70? We all know
that Bobby Moore (God rest his soul) wasn't responsible. But he still took
the fall. A hero in every sense. Do we have to wait for the guilty brother
to pass on before the tawdry details of this coward and thief are revealed?

I'm pretty sure that neither of the Charlton brothers was involved in the
theft of the bracelet. There is no evidence to support any such claim.

Shortly before he died, Bobby Moore admitted that one of the younger England
players may have been guilty. "Perhaps one of the younger lads with the
squad did something foolish, a prank with unfortunate consequences." I have
had a name suggested to me but I fear the libel law prevents me spelling it
out.

Forumistas it's over to you to sort out who did it.