LONDON – For a soccer highlights show, Scotland’s BBC TV “Match of the Day” was packed with more punch than usual in its most recent edition this past weekend. Yes, there were the usual customary analysis of glorious goals and wonderful saves, but what most viewers remembered about this one was the first on-air assault anyone could remember.
On the receiving end was John Barnes, a TV reporter, who had asked Jim McLean, the president of Dundee United, about his club’s dismal performances this season. A 4-0 pasting at home to Heart of Midlothian has just left United stranded at the foot of the standings with an 0-2-9 record, six goals scored, 25 given up and McLean in no mood for a friendly chat.
Barnes began by asking McLean whether he was inclined to ax his coach anytime soon. “You think I’m going to answer a stupid question like that? “raged McLean, walking off-camera while muttering “don’t ever ask met hat again.”
Suddenly the nerve that Barnes had exploded into a Tyson-style rampage. McLean turned on his heel to wallop the TV man, splitting his lip perhaps not in full view of the camera but close enough to leave viewers in no doubt as to what had happened.
The presenter of the show called the attack a “serious attack” and while Barnes could press charges, McLean’s immediate resignation, accompanied by a sheepish public apology, may be enough to persuade him to hold fire.
McLean, now 63, was coach when Dundee United won the Scottish championship, and when the club reached the UEFA Cup Final three years later. Now he’ll be forced to sell his sizable stake in the club, and after facing a tribunal next week, that could be followed by a life ban.
The only comparable case was French hot-head Eric Cantona’s incredible attack on an abusive fan while he was playing for Manchester United in January 1995. Cantona was suspended but back in action by September, barely inconvenienced by a fine of $15,000.
Cantona went on for a few seasons, picking up a glittering collection of medals along the way. Older but not wiser, McLean will be left to rue his unfortunate reaction for the rest of his days.
Maybe it was the full moon, but the off-field violence didn’t end there either. It was just the right way to close out a successful day’s work for half-a-dozen Liverpool players as they gathered in a wine bar for an evening meal accompanied by their wives – but wound up witnessing a gunfight.
After winning 4-0 at Derby earlier in the day, the players were winding up their evening at around 10.30 p.m. when three men in full face masks burst into the bar and opened fire at random. Two men were hit and hospitalized, though the Liverpool contingent was safely tucked away in a back room.
ARSENAL’S French striker Thierry Henry is beginning to make the extraordinary look routine. Over weekend he notched another wonder goal with an acute sidestep that forced an Aston Villa defender on to the backfoot, blocking his own goalie, Henry cashed in with the entire left side of the net unguarded.
Just as he did two weeks ago against Manchester, Henry won all three points for his team with an inspired piece of improvisation. More than anyone, Lazio will have to keep close tabs on Henry when Arsenal visits Lazio in the latest round of Champions’ League action tonight (Tues.).
Lzio-Arsenal is tonight’s most glamorous matchup, with Arsenal aware that a tie would probably be enough to secure a place in the next round of the competition after its impressive 2-0 defeat of Lazio in Game 1.
But Lazio was caught cold on that occasion, with the Italian season barely under way. But judging from the efficient 3-0 dismissal of Perugiua last weekend, Lazio has now hit its stride.
The Rome club could count on divine intervention after several players and officials dropped in on a former goalie from Poland, the Pope himself, at Peter’s Basilica. Now, having presented Pope John Paul II with his own Lazio club shirt, they just might have God on their side.
The countdown to one of the biggest events in European soccer has already begun, with Real Madrid traveling to the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona Sunday. On any occasion the ingredients for this particular brew are potent, but this time there’s an extra few spoonfuls of spice thrown in too.
For one thing, both teams are producing their trademark fast-flowing moves after typically indifferent starts to the new season in Spain.
Real rocketed from fifth place to first in the standings by steamrolling defending champ, Deportivo Coruna, emphasizing that however much a committed squad can raise its game, there’s no substitute for real class. Raul bundled the ball into the net for the opening goal, then Fernando Hierro added a penalty and Guti iced it with the kind of flying, headed goal that has become his specialty as Real coasted 3-0. But while all that was going on, Barcelona racked up six goals inside 40 minutes and climbed to fifth in the standings.
Rivaldo, who had threatened to walk out on the club after being jeered at by home fans, will have regained their respect, at least temporarily, with the first two goals. Next up for Barca is tomorrow’s Champions’ league match at Milan; Madrid has a Euro encounter of its own, at home to Bayer Leverkusen tonight.Then with these games out of the way, the imminent showdown becomes an all-consuming passion in Spain with Luis Figo, who defected from Barca to Real for a world record $56 million over the summer.