Source: Daily_Mail
Twins peak! The brothers Holdsworth set for unique battle of the bosses this weekend
[LNB]Twin peaks: David and Dean (left) face each other when Bolton played Sheffield United[LNB]David and DeanHoldsworth are notlike most twins.[LNB] Theirpersonalities divergewildly at times David is endearingly serious,Dean incorrigibly flippant but it only proves thatfootball managementaccepts all sorts. [LNB]On Saturday for the first time inrecorded British football history,twin brothers will face each otheras managers in a league game whenNewport County (Dean) hostMansfield Town (David) in theBlue Square Bet Premier. [LNB]For all his flippancy, Dean wasonce chairman of the PFA and hasnow set up the NLFA, anon-League equivalent for playersfrom park football to the BlueSquare Bet Premier. [LNB]For all David's sensible nature, itwas he who was almost run out ofWatford when the pair wereteenage trainees at the club for notbeing tucked up in bed early on aFriday night. [LNB]Dean, who was, hadto cover for him. [LNB]'I saved his backside,' said Dean,the ever-present mischievoustwinkle in his eye. [LNB]'David had goneround to his girlfriend's house. Hewas only going to be home a littlebit later, but Tom Whalley, who ranthe Watford youth team, phoned. [LNB]'Tom was a big disciplinarian andhe'd ring up to check you were in. My mum knocked on the bedroomdoor and said, 'Tom's on thephone, he wants to speak to you'. [LNB]'Isaid hello and he said, 'Where'sDavid?' I said he was in bed, so hesaid, 'Go get him'. [LNB]'I went through the motions, wentback to the bedroom, came out,rubbed my eyes and said, 'Hello,Tom' in a different voice. [LNB]Full of promise: a star-studded Watford youth team featured from left) Dean Holdsworth, Tim Sherwood, David James and David Holdsworth[LNB]'He said,'That's Deano'. I said it wasn't buthe insisted, 'I'm telling you, that'sDeano'. [LNB]'I said, 'No, it's David,Dean's gone back to bed'. So hesaid, 'Go get him again'. [LNB]'I went inand out of the bedroom again, cameback to the phone and he said,'That's Deano. You were David'. [LNB] 'The thing was we lived inWoodford Green and he was inWatford. There's no way he wouldhave driven round so I just had tostand on it even though he wasswearing profusely when he putthe phone down. [LNB]Model pros: David (left) and Dean in suits during their playing days[LNB]'The next day Tom was drivingthe team bus and he grabbed holdof David round the neck, saying,'You were out last night'. [LNB]'I was atthe back hiding behind the seat. Istill don't think Tom knows thetruth of it.' [LNB]The Holdsworths, 41, are mirrortwins. When they were younger,David broke his left arm. Deanbroke his right arm. David has ascar on the left of his top lip. Deanhas one on the right. [LNB]When theywere seven, Dean went down withappendicitis and was rushed tohospital, only to be let out thatnight. The next day David wasrushed in with a burst appendix. [LNB]Then there was the time whenDavid was playing for Watfordreserves. Dean was sitting at homein east London and said to theirmother:[LNB]'I've got a funny feeling.I don't feel very well and I thinkDavid's in trouble.' [LNB]David was introuble. He had damaged kneeligaments in a challenge and camehome on crutches.Put them together, though, andthe two halves fuse as one. [LNB]'We canbe out and we will laugh at thesame things, stupid things andunderstand each other's thinking.Some people find it a little bitimposing but it's just a twin thing,'said David.[LNB]'Dean was a striker. He played atWimbledon, had a good career andwas in the spotlight. He was ahigh-profile player and he livedthat lifestyle. I was a defender andvery content sitting in thebackground. [LNB]'I'm a quiet bloke, I live a privatelife and don't surround myself withfootball people. The glamour wasn'tsomething I sought. I'm happywith a cigar and a pair of wellies.' [LNB]As players, the brothers facedeach other several times. Davidremembers an FA Cup tie betweenWatford and Wimbledon. Hemarked Dean and it finished 0-0.[LNB]Dean prefers to recall scoring twogoals against David's SheffieldUnited and a last-minute penaltyat Birmingham, while playing forBolton, which he converted in spiteof David chirping away in his earbefore he took it. [LNB]Stern: Mansfield boss David will challenge Dean on the golf course, before they go head-to-head at Newport on Saturday[LNB]Now they are both managers ofentertaining teams. Dean led Newporton a canter to promotion lasts eason, while David hasMansfield currently in the play-offplaces. [LNB]David is meticulous andmethodical. He was instrumentalin Gretna's rise up the Scottishleagues, building the club from thebottom and so assiduous in scoutingteams and players before thechance came to take over atIlkeston Town that he had dossierson more than 2,000 players. [LNB]He added: 'I had done all myanalysis on teams, so whateverdivision I went in at I was preparedfor. I studied the Championshipinside out and I want to managethere as soon as possible.' [LNB]Having experienced the Wimbledonway under Joe Kinnear, Deanwas not so keen on the structuredapproach. [LNB]He said: 'Sometimes I'ma non-conformist to rules. I tookmy coaching badges reluctantlybecause I had worked undermanagers who I wouldn't havethought even had any scoutsbadges. [LNB]'I like to manage with acuddle, not a stick.' [LNB] All smiles: Dean Holdsworth ahead of the clash against his twin brother[LNB] The banter will begin early. Davidis travelling down to South Waleson Friday for a game of golf withhis twin. [LNB]'I'm the better golfer,' hesays. [LNB]Dean's response is typicallycheeky: [LNB]'The most important thingthis weekend is to talk him out ofhis swing, so that he shanks theball.' [LNB]They will have dinner together onFriday evening, while Dean'srelaxed touchline demeanourmeans the game will pass withoutfraternal friction. [LNB] 'Saturday will be amazing,brilliant. We're both proud of eachother. We're both individuals, butthe rivalry for me left when we were12 or 13. [LNB]'We're always going to bejudged as twins, though, and wecan't get away from that. [LNB]'Our mum won't worry about theperformance, only that we hadfallen out. She'd want it to be adraw every time and that we shookhands afterwards.'[LNB] MARTIN SAMUEL: Abramovich's real goal is to make Chelsea Masters of EuropeAfter Antonio Valencia's horror injury, Sportsmail recalls the worst bad breaks suffered by Premier League playersJamie Redknapp: Torres is a class act (just ask my son). But he must work[LNB] [LNB]
