Godfather Of Champions

Kenny Burns’ Forest Bar had not been busy like today since the World Cup ended.

Once it opened for business since eleven o’clock in the late morning, people constantly pushed the door open to come in, ordered a beer, and then gathered together muttering in discussion.

By the time Skinny Bill appeared in the bar, the muttering sounds finally developed into a loud argument. The originally united fans had split into two factions at this time. No one was willing to give in to each other. Stop short of beer glasses being thrown and swearing, the atmosphere was unfriendly.

Burns continued to wipe the glass in his hands that could not be cleaned for a very long time. He had no intention of coming forward to stop it.

When John pushed the door in, the argument in the bar temporarily dissipated after seeing him.

John stood at the entrance and looked around the room. The fans in the bar stood clearly divided on both sides, with fewer people on the left side and more people on the right. Everyone was a little worked up as made fully evident by the flush in their faces under the influence of alcohol.

“Bill, what are you doing again?” John caught the main contradiction at once. He stared at Bill, who sat on the right side.

“Nothing. Just discussing how to ‘welcome’ Tony for tomorrow’s game.” Bill casually mentioned as he swirled the whiskey in the glass.

“Can’t you let it go? Tony has his own freedom…”

The fat man had just spoken when he was rudely interrupted by Bill. He suddenly stood up and stared at John with reddened eyes as he said, “Screw freedom! That’s right! We don’t care how many ordinary managers leave because they are worthless to us! But Tony Twain is different! It took him eleven years to prove that he belonged only to Nottingham Forest! A Nottingham Forest team without him is not our favorite Nottingham Forest team. He is also not the Tony we like…when he’s without Nottingham Forest!”

John waited for him to finish roaring and then he still calmly said, “You said you like Tony, but do you understand him? He was not happy working there. He should at least have the right to choose to leave, shouldn’t he?”

“Ah ha, he was not happy at work, so he had the right to choose to leave. So, we also have the right to choose to hate him!” Bill changed his tone and spoke sarcastically, “He made himself scarce and walked away. What about us after he abandoned us? What about the players who followed him wholeheartedly and the fans who trusted and supported him so much that they called him king? Did he ever think about how they felt when he left? Did he empathize with them? We saw him as the man who could get Nottingham Forest to the top, and this was how he treated our expectations?”

John felt that Bill had fallen into a frenzy. There was no way to communicate with Bill like this. He shook his head and ignored the hysterical Bill. He went straight to the left side and sat down. Then he raised his hand to ask Burns for a beer.

Burns personally served the beer. But John stared blankly at the drink and asked, “A disposable paper cup?”

Burns smiled at him and replied, “So that I don’t worry about any fatalities when you guys start fighting in a while.”

John heard this and suddenly was in a bad mood. Before he and the people across were good buddies who watched the games together. They would run around and follow Nottingham Forest’s glorious footprint. They would come back here to celebrate when they won a game. They would also be back here to drink to drown their sorrows and curse when they lost a game. No matter what happened, they never had an infighting like they had today, not even when Michael left.

But Tony Twain was gone unexpectedly, and they split up. That man is the devil himself. He’s gone and yet the influence he has left can still make people who were once friends turn against each other. Ah Tony, Tony, what am I supposed to say to you? What was on your mind when you decided to leave Nottingham Forest? Also, in tomorrow’s game, can you imagine what kind of treatment you will encounter?

John was not in the mood to sit here and drink. He got up, looked at Bill and shook his head. Then he walked out alone.

Those sitting on the left side departed one by one after John left. Soon, Bill and his gang were the only ones left in the bar. They came together and discussed how to “welcome” their old friend tomorrow.

Burns continued to wipe the glasses, as if he had turned a blind eye to all of this. His gaze had crossed the entrance and drifted into the distance. He also had no idea why Tony Twain had chosen to leave. But he knew that Twain was not the kind of man described by Bill. An ungrateful man would not visit Gavin at least twice a year.

Some people were used to encasing themselves in thick shells. Unwilling for other people to easily understand his inner world, Tony Twain should be this kind of person.

※※※

The day before the game, the scene at the Forest Bar continued to unfold repeatedly elsewhere in Nottingham. The city, which was first split between the two teams, Notts County and Nottingham Forest, had now been divided into three divisions – the Nottingham Forest fans were in a state of infighting.

Tony Twain would be back in Nottingham with the England team for tomorrow’s game. How should we treat him at that time? Should we thank and welcome him from our hearts, or greet him with boos, verbal abuse and middle fingers?

They could not forget the many trophies and joys that “His Majesty” had brought them. But similarly, they could not forget the shock Twain brought to their hearts when he and the Forest team broke up. The hard to describe complicated emotions surged within their hearts. Mixed with shock, disappointment, sadness and anger, it messed up their lives. One should not assume that the power of football was not so strong. Football had such power in this country and city.

The Nottingham Evening Post used this headline in the newspaper published that day:

King or Judas?

It was a good illustration of the Forest fans’ conflicting moods.

※※※

“I’m going to hug the boss before the game.” Pepe announced his decision in the locker room, drawing everyone’s attention.

There were people in the locker room who had good feelings toward Twain, like Pepe, who still could not forget the boss’ kindness till this day. There were also people who had disdain for Tony Twain, such as the new players who had just joined the team. They had not experienced the era of Twain at all and could not understand why someone like Pepe would go mad for an outgoing manager.

The Brazilian center back, Thiago Silva, who had just joined the club, was such a representative. He joined the Forest team to replace Kompany and was obviously excited to join a team that had just won the Treble. He was eager to make a big splash here and he did not care what happened to the Forest team before. He also somewhat could not understand why there was always talk in the locker room about a manager who had left.

“Pepe, aren’t you afraid that the top brass will be unhappy with you?” Bale pointed to the ceiling.

“They don’t need to care so much.” Pepe uttered with a despising look on his face. He was the first player in the team to make clear his dislike of the top brass. Anyway, if he really offended the club chairman, worst came to worst, he could leave. The boss was not here anymore. What was the point of staying?

Some of the players envied Pepe’s courage to love and hate, as well as the courage to accept the consequences of his actions. Some people disdained it as beneath contempt and brushed it off, thinking that Pepe was just shooting off his mouth. Anyone could move one’s lips.

Cracks began to quietly appear in what was originally a united and tight knit locker room in this way.

Bale looked at Pepe and turned toward Wood to say, “George…”

Wood looked at him and did not answer.

“You, uh… Are you going to hug the boss too?” In the team, everyone knew how good the relationship between Wood and Twain was. Perhaps no one would even disagree if it were to be said that Twain was Wood’s father.

But today Wood did not give an answer that fitted with this relationship. He shook his head and said, “I’m not that sappy.”

Bale felt Wood’s indifference, and he stopped talking. Since the boss was gone, the atmosphere in the locker room had changed and the change made him uncomfortable. It used to be a form of enjoyment playing for Nottingham Forest. Now, it was gradually becoming a form of torment. The feeling was particularly pronounced for some of the players who had the closest relationships with Twain.

He silently busied himself with his own things to do while the other players gathered and whispered in groups of three or four. It was most likely something to do with tomorrow’s game.

Bale was no longer interested in their discussions. There was nothing to discuss. Everything would be revealed tomorrow.

※※※

Evan and Allan were in the club chairman’s spacious office, looking at each other but no one spoke.

The silence lasted for a while before Evan changed his posture and leaned back on the back of the chair. The back of the leather chair squeaked, breaking the silence of the room.

“It’s truly a coincidence.” Allan laughed and said, “When I booked the game, I did not expect him to be the England team’s manager.”

“Isn’t that good? As far as I know, there are a lot of people in Nottingham who are unhappy with his sudden departure. This game may be a way for them to vent their frustrations.”

“Do you enjoy seeing this?” Allan asked.

Evan spread his hands and said, “Isn’t better than having those people protest and hold demonstrations at our doorstep all the time, is it?” When he suddenly took the initiative to hold a press conference, he had intended to put the main responsibility inexplicitly on Twain. Now he saw that his purpose had basically been achieved. There were still dissenting voices against the club, but they were too insignificant as compared to those who hated Twain.

It could be said that Tony Twain’s character and consistent image in the media helped Evan Doughty. Had it not been for his bad temper and rotten image, the public would not have targeted the attack at Twain so easily.

If Twain usually appeared with an image of a Mr. Nice Guy in front of people, that his character was gentle and low-key, and he did not offend so many enemies, how could he have fallen into such a plight? A person’s character determined his fate. These words were so true.

Allan stood up to take his leave as he said, “Tomorrow’s game… is full of anticipation. It’s to our advantage. What’s supposed to just a normal friendly match, is now different because of Tony. Outside the stadium is chock full of reporters. You’ll see later when you leave here. Just be careful of them.”

Evan smiled, “Excellent free advertising. We should all thank Tony.”

Allan did not answer. He turned around and went out.

※※※

Since Twain became the England team’s manager, the happiest people had not been Twain’s hardcore fans but Mr. Carl Spicer.

It was like he had rediscovered the center of gravity in his life. He laughed and greeted everyone in the television station. People who were familiar with him shook their heads behind his back at how he lived for Tony Twain. It was not known how Spicer would feel if he knew this.

After the end of the World Cup, the football programming was in a slump. Initially, the match between the England national team and Nottingham Forest was not an important one. Nottingham Forest wanted to use it to test their new squad, while the England team certainly would not send its main squad. Such a game was of little value. But it was different now, because Tony Twain became the England manager.

The main subject was a news making machine. Wherever he went, that was where the news happened. Carl Spicer did not have to worry about what he could say on the show anymore. Now looking at the previous episodes of the program he did, it was enough to let him stuff his head into his pants – they were dry and bland. The clever words which he was most proud of were nonexistent. His eyes wandered about when talking, as if he did not know why his mouth was wriggling and what was being said. He did not know what to say without Twain.

Now he did not have to worry about these things. Whether it was to attack or ridicule, there was now a target in front of him.

He marched into his own standalone office at a brisk pace. With a light flick of his foot, he closed the door, and then twirled around as if he was dancing. He turned around and walked to his desk. He picked up a dart on the table and threw it at the office door.

With a “pop” sound, the dart was stuck in the dart board. That dart board was special because it was a picture of Tony Twain laughing with his mouth wide open.

The dart happened to strike on Twain’s teeth which looked a little comical.

Spicer laughed like Twain did in the photograph. He said, “It’s been a long time, Mr. Twain. The England team is more difficult to lead than Nottingham Forest.”

The photograph of Twain was still grinning even with a dart stuck to it. It did not answer him.

※※※

“Tomorrow’s game is in the spotlight for the simple reason – Tony Twain is back again. This time he returned to Nottingham as a visitor.” The BBC reporter, holding a microphone, said to the camera. Behind him was the red behemoth, the Crimson Stadium.

Although the game was still a day away, the parking lot outside the new Nottingham Forest home ground, the Crimson Stadium, was already full of broadcast vans. The many media outlets gathered here to report the news of Twain’s “homecoming” for the first time.

The reaction of the fans, the reaction of the Nottingham Forest players… These were what the reporters were desperate to know.

The sale of the tickets to the game began a week ago with fifty thousand tickets out of sixty thousand tickets sold three days ago. It was estimated that sixty thousand tickets could have been sold out in big cities such as Manchester, Liverpool or London.

“The fans are very enthusiastic.” The reporter walked up to the fans who had lined up to buy tickets and was going to do a street interview.

A thin man appeared in front of the television camera and shouted excitedly at the reporter’s extended microphone, “We’re going to welcome Tony very, very, very warmly! This game will be extremely unforgettable for him! Ah ha!”

The reporter resurfaced on the television camera. He and smiled and said, “It looks like Tony Twain is still a big influence, and the fans still miss him. Tomorrow’s game must be very exciting!”

※※※

The players who finished their training went out of the training ground in succession and prepared to change to go home. The reporters, waiting for a long time, flocked to surround them. They wanted to make sure that they talked about tomorrow’s game.

“It’s just a normal friendly match.” The team captain, George Wood pushed away the reporters blocking in front of him coldly and squeezed his way out.

The reporters shrugged it off and took aim at the other players. They basically could not get what they needed from Wood’s mouth.

“I’m looking forward to a reunion with the boss!” Pepe said what the reporters wanted to hear, especially that name. This matter had too much to write about. If Martin O’Neill had heard this, how would he react?

“It’s a little strange… I’d never thought I will be competing against him before.” The man who said that was Gareth Bale, who was a little bit more even. He said, “But it must have been an interesting experience.” What he said was nonsense, which was equivalent to saying nothing.

Most of the other players were mentally conflicted and did not want to talk more about tomorrow’s game. They just managed with a few words and left in a hurry. Even while they were signing autographs for the fans, they looked distracted.

When Martin O’Neill came out from the training ground, all the players were almost gone. Some of the reporters were still gathered there waiting for him.

“I have nothing to say.” O’Neill knew what they were going to ask, so he raised his hands in advance to signal that as he said, “I know what you media are so interested in. But for me, it’s a normal friendly game. I don’t care how you hype it. I just want to remind you that you don’t affect my players.”

But the reporters did not want to let him go. “Hey, Martin. Does your predecessor have a big influence on you while you work here?”

O’Neill pursed his lips without answering. In fact, he had to thank Twain for not mentioning Nottingham Forest. Otherwise, the pressure would be even greater. Even so, the former manager’s influence was still everywhere which bothered him greatly. He must have been crazy when he agreed to take over the team at the time. He actually neglected Tony Twain’s influence.

“One more question, Mr. O’Neill. Care to give your opinion on Tony Twain?”

O’Neill pretended not to hear.

The reporter was unyielding and continued to ask, “Are there any contradictions between you two?”

O’Neill could not pretend that he did not hear the question in case the reporters were unkind enough to interpret his silence and really turn it into “Martin O’Neill’s dissatisfaction with Tony Twain.” That would throw himself at the heart of the struggle. He was not Twain. He did not like to be a news personality that received too much media attention.

“No.” He stopped in his tracks and answered with a smile, “I’ve always had a good relationship with Tony. He’s a very good manager as you can tell from the many championship titles he has won. As the new manager of Nottingham Forest, I hope I can continue this glorious tradition.”

In the end, he was still forced to answer the first question and even put himself in a lower standing.

Having said that, he quickly walked out of the encirclement of reporters. He no longer cared about the reporters shouting in the back and just strode away.

Pierce Brosnan was also among the reporters entangling O’Neill. As he watched O’Neill making his quick escape, he thought of Tony Twain in his mind.

From the start to finish, Twain did not show up to say a word regarding the game, but it sent so many people into a frenzy. At the same time, was the man hiding in the dark and watching the show while secretly laughing? He must be feeling smug, right? He had already left and yet his terrifying influence made countless of people willing to go crazy for him.

That man was truly a fiend that stirred up public sentiments with false statements.