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Paul Mariner: Former Ipswich and England striker dies aged 68
'Brave as well as skilful - Mariner one of the finest of his time' BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty Paul Mariner was a striker of the highest class who mixed the old-fashioned virtues of physical presence and aerial power alongside a complete all-round game. He will be remembered as one of Sir Bobby Robson's most astute acquisitions when he moved to Ipswich Town from Plymouth Argyle in 1976, going on to become a key figure in their greatest period. Mariner played in the FA Cup final win against Arsenal in 1978 and also when Ipswich Town won the Uefa Cup in 1981, scoring in the first leg of a 5-4 aggregate win over AZ Alkmaar. It was a regret that Ipswich Town did not win the title despite coming close during his time at the club but Mariner's consistency, goals, character and outgoing personality made him one of their true legends of a golden era in Suffolk under Robson. Mariner's quality earned him England honours, the high point of his international career coming when he scored in the 3-1 win over France at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He mixed modern attributes, was brave as well as skilful and at his peak was one of the finest British centre-forwards of his time.
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They had some good stories about him on this weeks Iron On Wrestling Podcast - good to hear more about what happened to him after his WWF run ended
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@mikethesnow said in RIP 2021:
Off to Valhalla
Andy ‘The Viking’ Fordham
Certainly not a picture of health when he was playing but definitely part of the reason I enjoyed Darts on sky back in the day. RIP.
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Philip Sherry.
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@donsteppa said in RIP 2021:
Philip Sherry.
That's another of the voices from my youth gone. Always seemed to come accross as as a pretty classy bloke
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@donsteppa said in RIP 2021:
Philip Sherry.
A few firsts in there - I remember him on the first TV3 news bulletin and TV 1 news before that, but a long, illustrious career apparently.
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He would be in his 80s I assume? Not many left from that era of TV news readers. Tom Bradley is one.
Article said 87. Dougal Stevenson still alive as well
Douglas Stevenson always has a place in my heart for his Blerta work. He just seemed to drop off the face of the earth in the 80s, no idea why.
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@donsteppa said in RIP 2021:
Philip Sherry.
I didn't realise he was still alive
Neither. I assumed he slipped off quietly years ago.
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All Black number 628 Bruce Watt
A Hunterville boy, Bruce Watt received his secondary education at Wanganui Technical College where he captained the 1st XV in 1955.
Playing for the Hunterville club he represented Wanganui in 1957-58 whilst still a teenager before moving to Canterbury, a union he represented from 1959 to 1968. He first appeared above provincial level when given an All Black trial in 1958, then played for New Zealand Juniors in 1959 against the Lions, a New Zealand XV in 1960 and the South Island in 1960-61.
His All Black debut came in 1962 on the tour to Australia where he scored two tries in his first test match. After two tests against the 1963 English team he toured Britain and France with the very strong 1963/4 All Blacks. Bruce Watt was one of the tour successes, playing in 20 of the 36 matches, including the tests against England, Scotland and Wales, dropping a goal in the latter game.
His All Black career ended with the first test against the 1964 Wallabies, though he continued to win selection for the South Island and All Black trials until 1967 and was perhaps unlucky not to be selected for the 1967 tour of Britain, Canada and France.
Standing a stocky 5'8" (1.72m) and weighing 12 stone (76kg) Watt was a sharp efficient five eight and accurate dropkicker who played 29 matches for his country, including 8 tests, and appeared in 197 first class games, 117 of them for Canterbury.
He competed with a formidable range of five eights, Steve Nesbit, Adrian Clarke, Tony Davies, Neil Wolfe, Mack Herewini, Peter Murdoch and Earle Kirton for All Black honours during the 1960s.
After retirement he served as a South Island under 18 selector 1972-75 and as Co-Coach for Marlborough (1976) and Nelson Bays (1978-79). As a cricketer Bruce Watt had three years in the Wanganui Tech 1st XI and represented Rangitikei at Hawke Cup level.
ALSO
During his rugby career Bruce Watt ran a number of marathons. On Canterbury's Queen's Birthday trips to play Buller and the West Coast Watt would strip down and, when given the nod by the bus driver, would run on the spot in the aisle. He would pound away until the bus driver told him they had travelled 26 miles and 385 yards. He even suffered an injury, trading on some broken glass and nearly missing the next round of club matches.
RIP 2021