How Craig Bellamy almost became an Everton player

He's a winner if you can channel him right and keep him on the pitch. But a lot of work.

I remember this lad behind me, the fifth time he was speeding towards our goal, shouting in a panicked voice 'Close him down, Unsworth!!' as the 33-year-old Unsy was struggling to make his little legs go faster.

"I was honestly very interested in signing for Everton," he said, "until I got to the meeting and had to listen to David Moyes, mostly talking all about himself."

So Moyes had somehow been blissfully unaware of Bellamy's various arrests while at Newcastle, his ill discipline and generally scandalous behavior until someone gave him a heads up after he'd already convinced Bellamy to sign up?

As dim-witted as he is self-regarding and stubborn.

ATTENTION

Horrible little red shite, I couldn't stand the bloke.

No disrespect to Marcus Bent at that stage, but he was limited and had ran his race by then as a lone forward. Bellamy would have given our attack a threat with a different dimension.

I always look back at that summer -- and I'll bet Moyes does too -- with some regret.

We could have had Parker, Bellamy, Distin (albeit he joined eventually) could have had Robbie Keane. Instead, we ended up with flops like Krøldrup, Valente, Ferrari, Van der Meyde (Shandy Man, lol)

Even 21 years on, still feels like a badly missed opportunity that summer.

So what does old "9 Iron" do... go ballistic and tell Moyes where to go?

Apparently not. He fidgets, sheepishly looks down at his feet and mumbles almost inaudibly "Of course, Mr Moyes, that sounds perfect... just get your people to contact mine to finalise things."

As soon as he leaves Moyes's house, "9 Iron" is on the phone to his agent... "Just tell them... blue doesn't suit me or whatever, anything that doesn't make me look bad."

I don't recall Moyes ever being a binge drinker and recurrent drunk driver, beating a sleeping teammate with a golf club, throwing a female student out of a car, swearing at managers, feigning injury, getting the fastest red card in Champions League history or abusing a youth team player in his charge.

I'll take Moyes's character over Bellamy's every time.

A lucky escape and one in the plus column for Dour Dave.

62 leagie goals in 9 seasons with plenty of controversy. He fell out with most, Risse golf club, Sourness, Mancini, got injured on nights out, refused to play, demanded free transfers, numerous issues with the police.

2002 Caution: While at Newcastle United, Bellamy received an official police caution for common assault following an incident with a student.

2006 Charge and Acquittal: In March 2006, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting two women in a Cardiff nightclub. He was subsequently charged but cleared of all charges in November 2006,

2011 Arrest: In January 2011, while playing for Cardiff City, Bellamy was arrested on suspicion of assault following a nightlife altercation, and was later released on bail, The Guardian reported.

These issues were separate from a 2019 bullying investigation at Cardiff City, where he was not directly involved in criminal allegations, but stepped down from his coaching role.

Presumably plenty of other stuff that wasn't reported, with money making the problem dissappear.

The article implies Moyes dithering, but in reality he dodged a trouble maker, that struggled to stay fit and only delivered double figures in the league twice in the top flight league.

League goals - 13, 7, 2, 7, 10, 11(championship), 6, 4, 2.

Personality is what I wrote, yes he was a cunt off the pitch but he had a fiery will to win on the pitch... something that safety first, flat line, does what it says on the tin Davey doesn't.

Before he even signed him, it comes across that he was trying to suppress Bellamy's onfield character. it would never have worked.

Moyes did run though the club’s disciplinary procedure with Bellamy... apparently way worse behaviour.

But would he have done the club proud? I think you know my opinion.

At least we agree on his attributes as a player.

He was going for decent fees back in the day, and was technically a good footballer. Young Player of the Year a couple of years earlier, but he could and should have been more.

Perhaps Bobby Robson was too soft with him, Dyer, and Bowyer. None of them delivered the potential that they really had. Souness was the wrong man to reset the discipline.

It would be interesting what Alex Ferguson could have done with them 3.

He was quick and direct but probably never achieved what he should have.

While the Ferguson we had wasn't all that good on and off the field but was an idol to many Everton fans and his goalscoring record wasn't much either.

Dyer was a good goalscoring midfielder. Bowyer an aggressive box-to-box type that was under rated, and Bellamy, as Tony points out, a goalscorer without being a centre-forward.

Ability wasn't the issue. It was injuries and discipline.

Bellamy hasn't got a criminal record then?

Did anyone accuse him of that?

On this thread... I mean

He sounds like a complicated guy. Maybe ADHD. But definitely not complete and utter scumbag Joey Barton-level.

Joey Barton... low bar but probably fair

Have a look at the evidence @15 m'lord.

Neither are a role model

Bellamy is a scum bag. I just don't understand how it took Moyes two meetings before he cottoned on to that when it was public knowledge.

Its the posting of the incidents that makes the suggestion.

Give me his attitude over a passive player every day of the week mate.

i would have taken two seasons from him.

I knew who you meant — I was just comparing Duncan with Craig.

I remember every time we played Coventry in the mid to late 90's they always had players that could run rings around you, Huckerby was one of them, the Moroccan lads they had at the time were a pain in the arse too, can't remember, Hadji and Chippo or something like that?

Huckerby was very highly rated at Newcastle but came about when they had Gillespie on one flank and Daveeed Ginola on the opposite.