Ray Wilkins RIP

[Sutekh]

Only 61, another sad loss. Cardiac arrest.

Well remember seeing him play several times for England at Wembley in the 80s before TV started showing everything. Real event for schoolkids to go and watch then.

Great player, great passer of the ball and seemed a genuinely nice guy on and off the pitch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43644529

[Sanguine]

Can't think of Ray and not remember Byron Butler's infamous piece of commentary, I think from the '86 World Cup QF.

'And Wilkins plays an inch perfect pass...to no one in particular'.

[Brum Royal]

Always came across as one of the really good guys in the game. Enjoyed listening to him as a pundit or on co-commentary. He'll be a big loss. RIP.

[BR0B0T]

My word!

[Hendo]

A great story from Nigel Quashie on Ray Wilkins

1hr 30 mins before kick off you name the team and I was in it and that’s how my debut went, I didn’t even get to think about it because all you said was your number 18, here are your boots and shin pads, just go and play, have fun and treat it like your over the park with your mates.

My mum never had a mobile phone back then because we couldn’t afford anything like that and everything went through her work or home phone.

I asked you after the game if I could call home to speak to her, you said use my mobile and call this number, it was my mum on the other end of the line and she said she was outside by the away team bus.

I went outside to see her and asked how did you get here because I knew she couldn’t afford it.

She told me Ray had got the club to pay for her train ticket to come to the game and then told me Ray got the club to give us our first mobile phone in life during the week and he wanted to surprise me knowing I was making my debut.

Class.

[Green]

One of the good guys. RIP.

[From Despair To Where?]

I don't think he was really fully appreciated during his playing career. In an era where every team still had one player who's sole role was to run around a lot, kicking the opposition, Wilkins just seemed to stroll around in his languid style, all the time in the world, laying off simple passes and not giving the ball away.

20 years before his time and by all accounts, an absolutely top bloke.

R.I.P.

[Old Man Andrews]

Here he is nearly making some scumbag from The S*n newspaper cry.

https://youtu.be/9mITkG8bXGA

Top man Ray. RIP.

[From Despair To Where?]

Here he is nearly making some scumbag from The S*n newspaper cry.

https://youtu.be/9mITkG8bXGA

Top man Ray. RIP.

Listening to that, I decided to search out the free kick in question, which I asume is the one against Celts Vigo and Wilkins was absolutely spot on. The keeper is standing behind his wall and leaves half the goal unguarded and Rashford plonks the ball exactly where the keeper should have been standing, wasn't even in the corner, it was about a yard inside the post. Dreadful goalkeeping and you don't need the experience of a 20 year top flight career to call it. Wilkins was actually quite soft on the journalist.

[Old Man Andrews]

Here he is nearly making some scumbag from The S*n newspaper cry.

https://youtu.be/9mITkG8bXGA

Top man Ray. RIP.

Listening to that, I decided to search out the free kick in question, which I asume is the one against Celts Vigo and Wilkins was absolutely spot on. The keeper is standing behind his wall and leaves half the goal unguarded and Rashford plonks the ball exactly where the keeper should have been standing, wasn't even in the corner, it was about 2yds inside the post. Dreadful goalkeeping and you don't need the experience of a 20 year top flight career to call it. Wilkins was actually quite soft on the journalist.

Yep he was right on the money. Ray kept his cool, even apologised to the "journalist" if he took offence. Classy bloke.

[From Despair To Where?]

Its almost like the journalist was being contrary just to start a full blown argument and when Wilkins stayed cool and didn't give him what he wanted, it just wound him up even more. Wilkins just showed him up to be an ignorant prick.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm nobody" says the player who, on his international retirement, was the 4th most capped Englishman of all time.