By Tony Attwood
Maybe before matches we ought to do manager previews as well as referee previews. Especially when it comes to Tony Pulis.
Tony Pulis. I’m embarrased to share a Christian name with him. But here goes.
As a player
| Years | Team | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1981 | Bristol Rovers | 85 | 3 |
| 1981–1982 | Happy Valley (Hong Kong) | 13 | 0 |
| 1982–1984 | Bristol Rovers | 45 | 2 |
| 1984–1986 | Newport County | 77 | 0 |
| 1986–1989 | Bournemouth | 74 | 3 |
| 1989–1990 | Gillingham | 16 | 0 |
| 1990–1992 | Bournemouth | 16 | 1 |
| Total | 326 | 9 |
As a manager
| Teams managed | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1994 | Bournemouth | ||
| 1995–1999 | Gillingham | ||
| 1999–2000 | Bristol City | ||
| 2000 | Portsmouth | ||
| 2002–2005 | Stoke City | ||
| 2005–2006 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| 2006–2013 | Stoke City | ||
| 2013–2014 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 2015– | West Bromwich Albion | ||
Pulis we will remember as the manager of Stoke. But before that he was promoted to the position of manager with Bournemouth in 1992, following the Redknapp decision to leave the club for West Ham United (subsequently renamed).
Pulis was later out of work for two years before getting the Stoke job. Then he fell out with the owner, got sacked, and then came back for a second bash and made Stoke what we know today. He got into the Europa League (the competition Tottenham love so much they had to go their this season even though the Champs League was on offer) with Stoke through losing a cup final, and got knocked out by Valencia.
Very curiously Pulis was named manager of the month for April 2007, after Stoke picked up eleven points from five league games and eventually he took them up. But eventually even the bizarre and appalling supporters of Stoke had had enough and so had the chairman and kicked Pulis out.
There then followed a period in which Pulis circulated the TV networks particularly being feted and loved on Sky who talked him up and up and up and up as the most wonderful manager in the history of football. Match previews, talk shows, he did the lot.
And then on 23 November 2013 Pulis was appointed manager of Crystal Palace on a two-and-half-year contract taking over from Ian Holloway. Really? That was the question on the lips of most people. Did Palace actually want Pulis????
But as we predicted and contrary to the love-in with Sky, he let them down. Just before the start of the 2014/15 however, Pulis suddenly left the club claiming it was “by mutual consent”, just 2 days before the start of the season, adding that it was because he was not being backed in the transfer market by the Palace board.
A dispute broke out and then after a court case, the Pulis character’s “mutual consent” was found to be not “by mutual consent at all” and he was ordered to pay Palace no less than £3.77m after he was found to have deceived a Premier League managers’ arbitration tribunal.
The dispute was over a £2m “survival” bonus he was due for saving Palace from relegation. Palace agreed to pay Pulis the bonus more than two weeks before it was due but demanded he return it after his sudden and unexpected departure two days later.
In March the Premier League’s mediation panel found in favour of Palace, and Pulis was ordered to return the bonus and pay a further £1m in legal costs and damages for breach of contract.
Pulis as you might expect (given what we know about how he approached football with Stoke) always believes he is right, and so appealed, but a ruling from the commercial court ordered him to pay damages for £1.5m as well as £2.276m damages for “deceit”. He is as far as I know the first manager to be ordered to pay costs for deceit.
Judge Sir Michael Burton rejected Pulis’s appeal after upholding the panel’s verdict he had made two fraudulent misrepresentations.
The first related to a claim Pulis had assured Parish he was committed to the club and would be staying until at least 31 August 2014, when the bonus was due to be paid. He had told Palace he urgently needed the money early so “he could buy some land for his children” but Sir Michael found there was a “lack of evidence” to support this claim.
Pulis had also alleged a “heated players meeting” happened on 12 August; but the mediation panel ruled it had taken place on 8 August – four days before he received the payment. In short the court said Pulis was lying. Steve Parish part owner of Palace said that Pulis had not been at the training ground, and it then turned out that Pulis had acutally been at his hairdressers when he said he was at the ground.
Steve Parish even went so far as to give evidence of taxi fares, of telecommunications evidence called as expert evidence.
The panel added that Pulis was “not willing to concede the heated players’ meeting did not occur on 12 August because he otherwise had no explanation for his departure”.
The original ruling found Pulis’s standards of conduct had “been shown to be disgraceful”. Sir Michael’s final decision effectively agreed.
The judge said he had analysed Pulis’s complaints about the arbitrators’ decisions and concluded his challenge should be dismissed. He said he would enforce the damages awarded by the arbitrators. He added that he had also analysed Pulis’s challenge at a private hearing – in line with judges’ normal policy but thought it appropriate his ruling should be made public.
So there we are. The great favourite of Sky, his sins against football in terms of Stoke’s approach always ignored by the media, but now we see a little more as to what the courts and the arbitrators think of the man. Mind you seeing how Stoke played under him, it is not really surprising is it? What reasonable man would ever get a team to play like that?
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23 December 1978. Tottenham H 0 Arsenal 5. The Brady goal from this game has regularly been used as part of the pre-match entertainment at the Emirates. John Motson’s commentary has also become famous as he said, “Look at that, oh look at that. What a goal by Brady!” Sunderland got a hattrick, Stapleton the other. The result left Arsenal in 4th and Tottenham in 11th place.
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Hi Tony
I’m replying to your post as a West Brom fan, someone who is not Tony Pulis biggest fan and who has, until very recently had a real issue with his footballing style. I’ve never however taken a moral stance over his behaviour so I suppose I was trying to work out the point of your article. Like you, I may view his behaviour as less than acceptable but you’ll be hard pushed to find a football club that does not have an individual whose behaviour ions would regard as wrong. For example, whilst Pulis was not found “guilty” of a misdemeanour (he lost an appeal and was told some hard home truths by the judge), George Graham, the then Arsenal manager, was found guilty in 1995 of accepting bungs (bribes to you and me) and was banned from football for twelve months. I notice you don’t mention this as a contextual point in your article I.e. the object of your article did huge damage to his own personal reputation whereas Graham did untold damage to the reputation and integrity of football. Best regards. Steve
In as much as Tony Pulls could be unreasonable as he brings his Baggies team to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners will bake the Baggies to brown colour in the Ems’ oven after molding them 4 times over during the match before the final whistle ending the encounter between the us is blown by the referee.
Even Tony Pulis knows in the bottom of his heart that this is actually the naked truth he’s going to face at the Ems on Sunday. But despite this odds that’s seemingly looking against him, he has no choise but to bring his Baggies team to the Ems for formality sake so as to evade being sanctioned with a heavy fine and points deductions by the FA.
All things been equal in the rank & file of the recent playing Gunners 1st team. My starts and bench again for this WBA match are as follows:
Cech
Paulista Holding Koscielny Gibbs
Elneny Xhaka
Bellerin Ozil Perez
Sanchez.
My bench:
Ospina jenko/Niles Monreal Coquelin Walcott Iwobi Giroud.
I’ve decided to depart from our starts who lost back to back PL games to start a highly mobile starts that will overrun the Baggies team by 4 quick goals to nil within the first 15 minutes of the match or thereabouts to game over. It’s worth noting to see that I’ve start the mobile Bellerin at right-wing. And I start the better at RB than CB Paulista at rightback. He can adequately wingback attacked too. My changed starts from the last ones in our last games at Everton & Man City are only for this WBA match who I strongly believed will do the job successfully on Sunday. Le Prof could revert to his normal starts again for the would likely be Sam Allardyce’s C Palace team at the Ems. But first, has he agreed with my starts & bench for our WBA match?
Gabriel Armado de Abreu
In as much as Tony Pulls could be unreasonable as he brings his Baggies team to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Gunners will bake the Baggies to brown colour in the Ems’ oven after molding them 4 times over during the match before the final whistle ending the encounter between us is blown by the officiating referee.
Even Tony Pulis know in the bottom of his heart that this is actually the naked truth he’s going to face at the Ems on Sunday. But despite this odds that’s seemingly looking against him, he has no choise but to bring his Baggies team to the Ems for formality sake so as to evade being sanctioned with a heavy fine and points deduction by the FA.
All things being equal in the rank & file of the recent playing Gunners 1st team. My starts and bench again for this WBA match are as follows:
Cech
Paulista Holding Koscielny Gibbs
Elneny Xhaka
Bellerin Ozil Perez
Sanchez.
My bench:
Ospina jenko/Niles Monreal Coquelin Walcott Iwobi Giroud.
I’ve decided to depart from our starts who lost back to back PL games. But to start a highly mobile starts that will overrun the Baggies team by 4 quick goals to nil within the first 15 minutes of the match or thereabouts to game over. It’s worth noting to see that I’ve started the mobile Bellerin at right-wing. And I start the better at RB than CB Paulista at rightback. He can adequately wingback attacked too. My changed starts from the last ones in our last games at Everton & Man City are only for this WBA match who I strongly believed will do the job successfully for us on Sunday. Le Prof could later revert to his normal starts again for the would likely be Sam Allardyce’s Crystal Palace team at the Ems. But first, has he agreed with my starts & bench for our WBA match? I doubt if he would.
Tony Pulis?
Apparently Fat Sam is at CPalace. Oh joy!
‘ ….that Pulis had acutally been at his hairdressers when he said he was at the ground.’ What ? Why was he had the hairdressers ?
Or am I the only one reading more into this than it should , seeing that he is bald and all ?
And are the Palace fans pleased with the early fat Christmas turkey they have been served ?
Truth in names .
I was at the junction while waiting for the lights to change, when I saw a woman with a little child. The child was walking a bit faster than the woman and the woman shouted, “Degree! Wait for me!”
I was so amazed hearing that name. So to satisfy my curiosity, I walked closer to the woman and asked, “Madam , why do you call this child Degree?”
The woman laughed and said, “I sent her mother to the University and this is what she brought home !”
One interesting word in English- OXYMORON –
An Oxymoron is defined as a phrase in which two words of opposite meanings are brought together….
Here are some funny oxymorons :
1) Clearly Misunderstood
2) Exact Estimate
3) Small Crowd
4) Act Naturally
5) Found Missing
6) Fully Empty
7) Pretty Ugly
8) Seriously Funny
9) Only Choice
10) Original Copies
11) Open Secret
12) Tragic Comedy
13) Foolish Wisdom
14) Liquid Gas
Mother of all Oxymorons is-
15) “Happily Married”.
16) Arsenal supporters ?
17) The FA
18) Fair refereeing
19) Brilliant politicians
20) Informative newspapers
21) Unbiased media
22) Investigative journalism
23) Loud mimes
During the Soviet dictatorship of Stalin, he (Stalin) came to one Politburo meeting with a live chicken. He started to pluck its feathers one by one off.
The chicken quacked in pain, blood oozing from its pores. It gave out heartbreaking cries but Stalin continued without remorse plucking feather after feather until the chicken was completely naked. After that, he threw the chicken on the ground and from his pockets, took out some chicken feed and started to throw it at the poor creature. It started eating and as he walked away, the chicken followed him and sat at his feet feeding from his hand.
Stalin then told members of his party leadership “This chicken represents the people, you must disempower them, brutalise them, beat them up and leave them. If you do this and then give them peanuts when they are in that helpless and desperate situation, they will blindly follow you for the rest of their life.They will think you are a hero forever. They will forget that, it is you who brought them to that situation in the first place.”
Does this sound familiar?
I don’t know if Fat Sam is a turkey, or a goose.
another oxymoron, military intelligence
Steve – a fair point, no I didn’t mention George Graham, although to put our side of things I have before, and I also edit to blog of the Arsenal History Society where we have delved into his case. In fact we have pointed out a number of times that Graham’s crime was indeed worse than just the issue of the bung, but the way the Arsenal team that had twice won the league under him, once going all season only losing once, had sunk to mid-table and was looking to sink further. Worse, although he gave us what was then the unique Cup Double, in that season we scored the least number of goals and conceded the least number of goals, which made for very boring football.
We have over the years on both sites done a lot on corruption – and I do agree a bit of context might have helped, and that context could go all the way back to the match fixing of Liverpool and Man U in 1915 for which neither side was ever punished…
So, thank you for reminding me – its a fair point and one I will keep in mind, not least as we are soon to play Palace, and all the connotations and connections of their new man.
Ironically, the same Joseph Stalin of yesteryears is still ruling Russia today alia in a disguise form through Vladimir Putin. Thus basically remained the same old repressive regime with Russian nationalism being the alibi this time around.
–
Some nuggets from Aunty Bleeb:
About one of their favourite plundits, one they’ve been supporting in recent months:
“Joey Barton has been charged with misconduct, with the Football Association claiming the midfielder placed 1,260 bets in the past 10 years.”
About the completely discredited former England manger who was also previously hounded out by the fans of west ham and Newcastle football clubs:
“Sam Allardyce: Why Big Sam is right for Crystal Palace”
This gem in regard to the completely discredited and disgraced former England manger who was also previously hounded out by the fans of west ham and Newcastle football clubs:
My thoughts and sympathies go out to the Palace fans.
Just who do the Bleeb think that they are kidding?
Should any sane being be surprised how or why the Arsenal is attacked with the kind of venal yet stunted attacks from the same “journalists” that excrete the standard of gibberish quoted above?
I’ve always seen Biggus Sammus as a masticating and toothless Walrus, though if were looking at birds then there’s always the Dodo.
Am I paranoid or has anyone else noticed how nearly all the managers apart from Arsene are called by their ‘pet’ names in the media, Harry, Big Sam, Poch, AVB, Jose, Fergie, Stevie (Bruce), Moysie, Pep etc etc. When it comes to Arsene though it’s always Wenger, usually said with the appropriate amount of disdain.
MickHazel
24/12/2016 at 3:34 pm
That has always been how they refer to Arsene.
I would suggest that it is obvious that Arsene Wenger is the consummate professional, and should be addressed as “Sir”. And the English press just cannot bring themselves to do so.
Hi Tony, I also meant to say in my original response that I actually think Arsenal is a quite outstanding adding club and, among those considered the big 6/7 in the EPL, the only one I would pay money to watch. This is primarily because I feel Wenger’s footballing philosophy is what the game should be all about. I know that Arsenal fans seem to becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of silverware but, when he’s gone, they’ll miss him and what he brought to the club. Be grateful, you could have Pulis’ style of football, although even we are seeing a change in this now. I genuinely hope Arsenal win the league this season….but that we take points off you tomorrow ?
@ SamuelAkinsolaAdebosin
”Ironically, the same Joseph Stalin of yesteryears is still ruling Russia today alia in a disguise form through Vladimir Putin. Thus basically remained the same old repressive regime with Russian nationalism being the alibi this time around”
Lol
i guess you need a strong man like Putin to sort out Nigeria et al