Post by QPR Report on Sept 7, 2009 6:50:48 GMT
If you're old enough to remember him!
I remember what a 'splash' it made when he quit football. (And remember his brother "Nice One" Cyril, who died some years back:'(
From The Sunday Times September 6, 2009
Best & Worst: Peter Knowles, Wolves- Rob Maul
What was the best moment of your career?
In April 1964, I played for England in an under-18s tournament in Holland and scored in the final in a 4-0 victory over Spain in Amsterdam. I hadn’t scored in any of the previous rounds so that was very special. During the trip, I shared a room with Harry Redknapp. We were great friends. From a club perspective, I’ve two highlights: my league debut for Wolves at Leicester City and then scoring my first goal, at home to Bolton.
What was the best thing about being a footballer in your era?
What I remember about the Sixties and Seventies was the individual flair on display, players who could change a match: Law, Best, Charlton, Bowles, Dougan, Wagstaffe, Greaves. My former Wolves manager, Ronnie Allen, would say, ‘Go out there and enjoy yourself’. As players we had no rules or restrictions. Players today aren’t worth the money they get paid. With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, everybody is so predictable. There’s no flair. They’re like robots.
Who was your best opponent?
Bobby Moore. A real gentleman. Footballers today play well once every three or four weeks; Moore played well every Saturday.
What was the best advice you received?
My older brother Cyril, who played for Tottenham, once said, ‘Football is better than going down the pit’. I never forgot that. My father was a miner, so too were my friends. I was supposed to be one at 16 had I not had an eye for a ball.
What was the worst thing about being a footballer?
Well, from the age of 17 to 23, I wasn’t a nice person. I was a very arrogant individual. I was a loner. Think about it: I came from a mining village in Yorkshire and then, all of a sudden, I’m in the Wolves first team, in the England under-23 side, with my name in the paper and on television. Some people can take it, some can’t. I was an arrogant so-and-so. I can’t blame anybody but myself.
Why did you retire from football at the age of 23?
One day I received a knock on my door from two Jehovah’s Witnesses. I invited them in and said to this gentleman, who I’d never met before, ‘Why did my dad and two sisters — who’d done nowt wrong — die?’ He answered that question. He then answered other questions which I’d never had answered before. I listened to what they said and thought, ‘Yes, that makes sense’. My wife wasn’t happy at first but, as time went on, she started to look into it with me. Before that, I was an atheist. When I started looking into the Bible, I learnt that ‘all men are [created] equal’. I’m no better than anybody else but when I put a football shirt on, there was a difference. People began to worship me, idolise me. They treated me differently to an ordinary person. Now I am just an ordinary fellow. And I’m happy with that.
What was the response when you retired?
My mother was upset. Very angry, in fact. The biggest problem was me becoming a Jehovah’s Witness. That’s what people couldn’t cope with. Everybody — players, family, Wolves supporters — said, ‘He’ll be back in six months’. I played my last game 40 years ago today. Wolves put my strip out for about a year and sent me a contract for 10 years. They thought I would re-sign. But I knew what I was doing. People like Sinatra retire but come back because they haven’t made the right decision. I did.
Have you regretted your decision?
There hasn’t been one day in 40 years where I have turned around and said to myself, my wife or my friends, ‘I wish I hadn’t packed up football’. It’s the best decision that I’ve ever made. I’m content with life. When I look at my standard of living and how it has dropped over the years, it doesn’t matter. I have my health. I’m still married — and if I had carried on playing football I wouldn’t have been!
Where are you now?
All footballers from the past are really thick. None of us knew, for example, how to order a paper, change a car tyre or obtain an MOT because we had it all done for us. When I gave up football I worried. ‘What am I going to do?’ So, initially, I started delivering milk to schools at four o’clock in the morning. I also cleaned windows and worked in a tile shop. Then, about 10 years ago, I joined Marks & Spencer in Wolverhampton as a warehouse lad. I couldn’t do nowt else in life apart from play football. I’ve been married to Jean for more than 40 years and we have no children. When I retire next year I will spend more time preaching. Basically I work, preach, read the Bible and go to Jehovah's Witnesses meetings. That’s my life and I’m dead chuffed with it.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/wolverhampton_wanderers/article6823151.ece
I remember what a 'splash' it made when he quit football. (And remember his brother "Nice One" Cyril, who died some years back:'(
From The Sunday Times September 6, 2009
Best & Worst: Peter Knowles, Wolves- Rob Maul
What was the best moment of your career?
In April 1964, I played for England in an under-18s tournament in Holland and scored in the final in a 4-0 victory over Spain in Amsterdam. I hadn’t scored in any of the previous rounds so that was very special. During the trip, I shared a room with Harry Redknapp. We were great friends. From a club perspective, I’ve two highlights: my league debut for Wolves at Leicester City and then scoring my first goal, at home to Bolton.
What was the best thing about being a footballer in your era?
What I remember about the Sixties and Seventies was the individual flair on display, players who could change a match: Law, Best, Charlton, Bowles, Dougan, Wagstaffe, Greaves. My former Wolves manager, Ronnie Allen, would say, ‘Go out there and enjoy yourself’. As players we had no rules or restrictions. Players today aren’t worth the money they get paid. With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, everybody is so predictable. There’s no flair. They’re like robots.
Who was your best opponent?
Bobby Moore. A real gentleman. Footballers today play well once every three or four weeks; Moore played well every Saturday.
What was the best advice you received?
My older brother Cyril, who played for Tottenham, once said, ‘Football is better than going down the pit’. I never forgot that. My father was a miner, so too were my friends. I was supposed to be one at 16 had I not had an eye for a ball.
What was the worst thing about being a footballer?
Well, from the age of 17 to 23, I wasn’t a nice person. I was a very arrogant individual. I was a loner. Think about it: I came from a mining village in Yorkshire and then, all of a sudden, I’m in the Wolves first team, in the England under-23 side, with my name in the paper and on television. Some people can take it, some can’t. I was an arrogant so-and-so. I can’t blame anybody but myself.
Why did you retire from football at the age of 23?
One day I received a knock on my door from two Jehovah’s Witnesses. I invited them in and said to this gentleman, who I’d never met before, ‘Why did my dad and two sisters — who’d done nowt wrong — die?’ He answered that question. He then answered other questions which I’d never had answered before. I listened to what they said and thought, ‘Yes, that makes sense’. My wife wasn’t happy at first but, as time went on, she started to look into it with me. Before that, I was an atheist. When I started looking into the Bible, I learnt that ‘all men are [created] equal’. I’m no better than anybody else but when I put a football shirt on, there was a difference. People began to worship me, idolise me. They treated me differently to an ordinary person. Now I am just an ordinary fellow. And I’m happy with that.
What was the response when you retired?
My mother was upset. Very angry, in fact. The biggest problem was me becoming a Jehovah’s Witness. That’s what people couldn’t cope with. Everybody — players, family, Wolves supporters — said, ‘He’ll be back in six months’. I played my last game 40 years ago today. Wolves put my strip out for about a year and sent me a contract for 10 years. They thought I would re-sign. But I knew what I was doing. People like Sinatra retire but come back because they haven’t made the right decision. I did.
Have you regretted your decision?
There hasn’t been one day in 40 years where I have turned around and said to myself, my wife or my friends, ‘I wish I hadn’t packed up football’. It’s the best decision that I’ve ever made. I’m content with life. When I look at my standard of living and how it has dropped over the years, it doesn’t matter. I have my health. I’m still married — and if I had carried on playing football I wouldn’t have been!
Where are you now?
All footballers from the past are really thick. None of us knew, for example, how to order a paper, change a car tyre or obtain an MOT because we had it all done for us. When I gave up football I worried. ‘What am I going to do?’ So, initially, I started delivering milk to schools at four o’clock in the morning. I also cleaned windows and worked in a tile shop. Then, about 10 years ago, I joined Marks & Spencer in Wolverhampton as a warehouse lad. I couldn’t do nowt else in life apart from play football. I’ve been married to Jean for more than 40 years and we have no children. When I retire next year I will spend more time preaching. Basically I work, preach, read the Bible and go to Jehovah's Witnesses meetings. That’s my life and I’m dead chuffed with it.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/wolverhampton_wanderers/article6823151.ece