Newcastle-Online comment: 21st July 2004
Well
sort of...
For those who didn't get to see the live press conference that was
held at St. James' Park this afternoon to unveil Patrick Kluivert
as our new signing I took the liberty of taping it and then writing
it out word for word - enjoy.
A women ushers in Sir Bobby, quickly followed by Patrick kluivert
clutching a Toon top. They sit down in front of the press, Kluivert
sits to the left of Bobby.
Kluivert:
"Hello Sky"
Sky Reporter:
"Patrick, welcome to Newcastle"
A smiling Kluivert:
"Thank you"
Sky Reporter: "Your name
has been linked with a move to the club for sometime, how happy are
you that it's now happened and how happy are you to be joining a club
of this stature and what do you think you can achieve here?"
Kluivert: "Well first of all I'm very happy
to sign a contract with Newcastle United, as you said my name is linked
for a long time and finally I'm very happy to join join the club (Looks
at Bobby and smiles), with lots of perfect young players, and that's
very important for me."
Sky Reporter:
"You said for some time you are looking forward to playing in the
Premiership, do you see it as one of the most competitive Leagues
in the world and how are you looking forward to playing alongside
Alan Shearer in it?"
Kluivert: "Well
it's for sure, one of the competitive competitions in the world. I've
played in two different football countries already Italy and Spain
and England...I didn't play in it yet and that's why I'm very happy
to play to play this year, I hope, alongside Shearer...or the other
two strikers."
Camera pans to Bobby who looks as if he's dying to let out his beaming
excitement - sit still Bobby man, yer like a bairn.
Sky Reporter: "Sir Bobby, you have worked with many
great players across Europe, how do you view Patrick and what do you
think he will bring to your squad?"
Sir Bobby:
"Well, we are obviously delighted to sign Patrick on. I've known Patrick
for many years. As you know he played for arguably the top club in
Holland in Ajax, he certainly played for the top club in Catalonia
(grins as wide as the Tyne) - and maybe Spain. He's a player of immense
experience and of great stature, he's an international player of high
repute, he's a player who's played for the top clubs in his career
and he's at a very good age - he's just 28.
"We have,
as you know at the club, a stream of very young talented players but
we need a balance, we've just lost a very experienced player in Gary
Speed and while Patrick is not the same position as Gary, he's a player
of the maturity that we need to balance the youngsters. He's high
profile, he's a dazzling player. I think it's a great move for him
at a very important time of his life, I think he's probably got the
best years of his career ahead of him. I've always felt you know,
27, 28, 29, 30, 31 - will be the best years of your career so to balance
off, you know, the splendid youngsters that we've got in the side,
he will be, I think, additional value in that respect.
"So he goes in with Alan shearer and Shay Given and one or two of
our more older players, Laurent robert of course, so I'm absolutely
delighted. I think we've got a dazzling player. I wish him every success.
If he reaches anything like his potential he'll be popular here, he
knows he's come to a club where if he does well, he'll be an icon
almost immediately. He's come to a very good club and I've explained
to him what Newcastle is to the area, how vibrant it is as a City
and what a great footballing city it is as well and if he does well
he'll literally love it."
Sky Reporter:
"Sir Bobby could you clarify the terms of the deal for us please,
is it a loan signing or a permanent deal.
Sir
Bobby: "No, it's a straight 3 year deal, both clubs have
amicably arranged the transfer to suit both clubs so we are delighted
to say that Patrick is a Newcastle United player and we hope that
over the next 3 years he'll be a fantastic acquisition.
Other reporter: "Clearly not a player for the long-term
future - he's a player for the present, you are setting your stall
out here to win something in the time that you've got left here at
this club as well Bobby?"
Bobby: "Well...(laughs,
what is the future in football? Nobody knows the future of football.
(Laughs). It's...we hope short term success, but we hope it's long-term
success and you know with Shearer in the ranks, we've also got Shola,
we've also got Bellamy - you know, we've got a terrific strike force
at the club. I think as good as any in the Premiership in all honesty.
"And you've seen what's happened at Newcastle...err
sorry, you've seen what's happened at Manchester United, adding Smith
to their quota. You've seen what's happened at Chelsea, we know about
Arsenal anyway. And we want to be amongst the big boys, we have been
there for the last 3 years and we want to continue that and that's
why I think Patrick's acquisition will just keep us...(points his
arm up towards the ceiling)...in that top-class category.
Camera pans back to Kluivert who leans his head forward waiting intently
for the soon to be asked question.
Other reporter:
"Patrick, when you played here for Barcelona you were giving
a great reception by the Newcastle supporters, you even applauded
them as you left the field, did you hope even then, that you might
play here for Bobby one day?"
Kluivert:
(Big smile adorns his face) "Well, first of all, the audience
first clapped at me and for a player this is a very good feeling if
you have a good connection and that for sure as come in my decision.
Camera pans back to Bobby.
Other Reporter:
"And Sir Bobby, how many more players do you hope or expect to
bring to St. James's before the start of the Season?"
Sir Bobby: "Well as you know, this is our second
signing, we have young Milner and we would like to, I think, introduce
young James to the people of Newcastle at a later date. We tried to
simultaneously do it together but young James in on a different mission
today so we will introduce James a little bit later on. You know me,
when we've done some business, we'll let you know...so the recruitment
policy is till ongoing but who they are and when they will be...we'll
let you know."
Camera pans back to a the smiling Kluivert.
Sky
reporter: "Patrick, a fresh start for you in your career,
you've won honours obviously with Ajax and Barcelona, how confident
are you that you can add to those here at St. james' Park.
Kluivert: "Err...difficult question. No, I am
feeling 100% fit, what you just said, I have won quite some prizes
and I hope that I can also win some very big prizes with Newcastle
United and I think it's possible with the players I have in my team.
Camera pans back to Bobby:
Sky Reporter:
"And Sir Bobby, you've now got I suppose a selection headache
with 4 top strikers at the club, but does that cause you any sleepless
nights do you think?"
Sir Bobby without
the smile: "It never does, the headache is when you
don't have players to chose from - so the headache has been removed,
all we've got now is a quartet of terrific players and its a long
Season, we have to play a lot of games and we are in several competitions
as you know and the more players you've got the better chance you've
got of getting one of them competitions and that's our hope, that's
our ambition and we hope Patrick will add to that.
Sky
Reporter: "So do you see yourself more in the game of
rotational policy rather necessarily finding the..."
Bobby cuts him off, flinging his arms about.
Sir
Bobby said: "Well...I don't want to listen...I don't
really want to talk about that right now, we are just delighted Patrick
has decided to join us. I think he will be one of the most significant
signings that Newcastle's made for many many years. In my feeling,
my gut reaction is that its very similar to the feeling within the
City when the club decided to bring Alan Shearer back home. In a way
he's similar to Alan, but in other way he's dissimilar to Alan. And
we know he's a big player and I just think its a great catch and to
acquire a player of Patrick's ability, at his age and his experience,
and we haven't paid 25m...10m...and all the dazzling figures that
you see being banded about for strikers at the moment, we've been
very clever, I think frugal in our dealings..."
Bobby pauses, looks at Kluivert and pats him on the back quipping:
"He's not cheap...(The media and Patrick laugh)...he's not for
nothing you know, but we are very happy with the deal and we know
it will be great value for the club and that's all we can think about."
Camera pans back to Kluivert.
Other Reporter:
"Patrick can I just ask, what number you have been giving?"
Bobby turns to him and says: "You can
do that"
Kluivert holds up his shirt up to reveal the number 11 and Kluivert
emblasoned on the back.
Bobby lets out:
"Oooooh"
Kluivert asks: "Good
number or not? I will wear my shirt OK"
Kluivert gets up, mumbles to himself and attempts to put his shirt
on, after 50 or so seconds trying to put it on he eventually does
before turning his back to the cameras for pictures. He then sits
down and sorts his collar out.
Kluivert: "It feels good"
And then the Sky News presenters cut in and they ended their live
transmission of the press conference.
Impressions:
Kluivert seemed relaxed and he had a little twinkle in his eye, he
looks excited and couldn't stop smiling. All of those reports suggesting
Bobby didn't want Kluivert but Freddy Shepherd did, couldn't be further
from the truth on this showing. Bobby was bursting with pride the
moment he entered the room and he could hardly contain his excitement.
When Bobby is happy he goes off on a tangent and talks about everything,
when he's unhappy he is very blunt and very defensive, as he was when
the reporter asked him about a rotation policy.
This has took me over two hours to write, but it was worth it - welcome
to the Toon Paddy :)
*Picture:
Sky Sports
This Transcript is © Newcastle-Online.com
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