Source: Daily_Mail
THE MIDLANDER: Reo-Coker was wrong to tackle O'Neill - just as I was
Nigel Reo-Coker was wrong.
How do I know? I've been there.
Well, I wasn't ACTUALLY there, but I've stood in Reo-Coker's shoes.
Honestly, I have. Two years ago, I received an invite to play in a Press match up at Bodymoor Heath. But it wasn't any old Press match.
Oh no. The twist in the tale was that the club's sponsors, 32red.com, had arranged for Martin O'Neill to manage one of the teams.
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Martin O'Neill
That was a terrible pass: Neil Moxley's inaccurate delivery made Martin O'Neill's blood boil
Great, thought I, let's see what all the fuss is about.
Now, just to put this into context, I have played a bit.
Not to the level of a professional, but I wasn't bad. I played for Birmingham County Under-18s many moons ago with a claim to fame that I lined up a few times alongside Coventry City's Steve Sedgley.
It went downhill from there. Twenty years on the Sunday morning football circuit later and here I am.
Like I say, I'm not a professional. Nowhere near as good as a professional. But I'd like to think I know my way around a pitch.
So, picture the scene. First touch of the ball from the kick-off and, standing at left-back, I play a ball inside to my centre-half, Steve Walford.
The pass, honestly, was but one foot off course. Unbeknown to me at that time, Steve could hardly move because of his dodgy knees.
Result? Jonathan Northcroft (Sunday Times) gallops through and blazes wide. Thankfully.
The rest of the half, passes by and I'm doing okay. I race over the pitch to cover my right-back at one point, spend the next ten minutes recovering and go in at half-time for a welcome cuppa.
The following conversation ensues:
Martin O'Neill: Ah, Mr Moxley, what did you think you were doing?
Me: Sorry, Martin, er gaffer, when?
Martin O'Neill: That pass to Wally after about 30 seconds. What did you think you were hoping to gain?
Me: Er, keeping possession. There wasn't anything to hit up front.
Martin O'Neill: All you succeeded in doing was giving them a cheap shot at goal. If you are going to play that game, your margin for error in that position is minute. Remember that.
Me: I didn't know Steve couldn't run. (Mistake, just a mistake. I can see that now)
Martin O'Neill: It doesn't matter, it just goes to show if you play that kind of ball - and I don't know why you would - then take care.
Me: (thinking, not saying: It wasn't that bad, Wally can't run)
Martin O'Neill: Anyway, you redeemed yourself by covering for the right-back a few minutes before half-time. That was taking responsibility. I loved that. Well done.
I cannot tell you how fantastic that made me feel.
I would have run through the proverbial brick wall for Martin O'Neill in the second-half.
In fact, I did. Only to find that he went 20 minutes before the end. Story of my life.
(Just as a footnote, any Aston Villa fans reading this, Gordon Cowans is still THAT good. He was up against a recently-retired ex-Chelsea player who was at least 15 years younger than him. And 'Sid' absolutely ran the show. The man has eyes in the back of his head, I swear.
(And, any Forest fans reading this, I stood behind John Robertson and in the second-half he dropped his shoulder and 20 other players on the pitch all leaned to one side. Quite brilliant).
There are three further things to add before I finish this trip down memory lane.
First, O'Neill donated his not insignificant four-figure fee to one of Villa's chosen charities and he watched the game with the same intensity as he would on a Saturday afternoon.
Secondly, O'Neill was absolutely right to say what he did to me.
And thirdly, Nigel Reo-Coker was wrong.
Believe me, regardless of the respect issue, if he's gone toe-to-toe with Martin O'Neill on a footballing matter, trust me, he just was.
