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Topic Originator: buffy
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:08
Sportsound has very sadly advised that Jimmy has passed away.
Sorry, I was in a bit shock hearing it.
Some great memories of his managerial career with us but also his lovely off field smiles. Always the gentleman and friendly to all.
Condolences to his family.
Rest in peace, Sir
”Buffy’s Buns are the finest in Fife”, J. Spence 2019”
Post Edited (Sun 19 Jan 12:24)
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Topic Originator: steaua
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:14
Condolences to his family. One of my favourite people , he was a lovely man and cared so much for the fans. A great memory of mine, when we were going to Holland for pre season he booked our hotel near the team hotel to make sure we were safe. Loved that man. RIP.
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Topic Originator: Rigger Al
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:17
Sad news,loved watching our games under his management .RIP Jimmy
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Topic Originator: Bertie Paton
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:18
RIP Jimmy.
I chatted to him a couple of times years ago. A down to earth nice man. An excellent football manager who built a fantastic Pars team.
Thank you for the memories. Never be forgotten.
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Topic Originator: OzPar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:20
Sad, sad news. Deepest condolences to his family.
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Topic Originator: Angus_W
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:22
JC - A fine manager & a real character. We got to see some great football under his stewardship.
Jimmy “Tremendous” Calderwood RIP
“.........it ain’t over till the Pars score!”
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Topic Originator: SusieQ
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:26
Sad news - many happy memories from that era.
If the officials had spotted Balde`s handball, we might just have brought that cup home but I`m forever grateful to the 2 Jimmys for allowing me to realise my dream of watching us play in Europe, even if they weren`t there with us in Reykjavik.
RIP Jimmy 🫶
COME ON YE PARS!
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Topic Originator: Raymie the Legend
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:31
Sad news and an awful disease.
RIP, Jimmy
It`s bloody tough being a legend
Ron Atkinson - 1983
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Topic Originator: jake89
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:34
Most successful Pars manager in decades. Made many great memories for Pars fans. RIP.
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Topic Originator: General Zod
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:35
Best manager we’ve had in my lifetime and some of my favourite memories were under his management.
RIP Jimmy.
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Topic Originator: SeasonedPar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:38
Sad news. Some great times under the 2 Jimmy’s, 7 upfront, Scottish Cup final.
Condolences to the whole family
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Topic Originator: istvan kozma
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:39
That was quite an era under his management. They were glorious days. Would often see Jimmy C in lourenzos with the players celebrating many a victory.
His 5 upfront strategy to come back from 2 down to beat St Johnstone in the cup! What a night that was.
KOZMA
Post Edited (Sun 19 Jan 12:56)
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Topic Originator: The Boss
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:42
RIP Jimmy. Some great memories.
I like black and white (dreaming of black and white)
You like black and white
Run run away
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Topic Originator: NMCmassive
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:43
Such sad news! He really brought a lot of happy times to EEP. A maverick tactician that always had us on our feet
RIP Jimmy
COYP
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Topic Originator: LochgellyAlbert
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:45
Sad news, condolences to the family, RIP Jimmy😮💨
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Topic Originator: Fethiyespar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:49
RIP Jimmy, great manager for us.
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Topic Originator: CitizenPar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 12:50
Very sad news. One of the best, who left us some great memories. RIP, Jimmy.
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Topic Originator: 87Par
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:08
A fantastic time to be a Pars Fan and one in which I`m sure we all aspire to replicate in the coming years.
Great guy and gave me so many amazing memories. RIP Jimmy C.
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Topic Originator: da_no_1
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:08
Sad day for us all. RIP JC
"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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Topic Originator: Rusty Shackleford
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:09
So sad, it`s no age really these days and a desperately difficult disease.
Our best tactician ever, rarely a dull moment in that era.
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Topic Originator: Bletchley_Par
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:18
It`s such a terrible condition, I`m sure many of us here have experienced it in our own friends and family and we lose them before they are gone.
If the yardstick for success of a football club is solely on the pitch then Jimmy was no doubt successful.
He was the type of character that made every crowd or setting he was in happier.
My family and my own thoughts are with those who loved him.
RIP Jimmy.
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Topic Originator: ipswichpar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:19
RIP Jimmy and condolences to family and friends.
Certainly gave us all a lesson about how life is so much better with a positive attitude.
Gave us all some brilliant memories throughout that time.
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Topic Originator: kozmasrightfoot
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:25
Awwww man, that`s really dreadful news.
Air hugs to his friends and family.
Rest in peace you absolute Dunfermline legend. If you see Norrie, tell him we still love him.
Pars fan.
Magpies fan.
Mens tennis fan.
Alternative rock fan.
Not a fan of much else.
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Topic Originator: Never10yairds
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:28
Sad to hear this. Best period to be a pars fan during my life was under his management. Thanks for the memories Jimmy.
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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:33
Those were the days when the fans hardly gave a thought to what was happening off the park. He gave us some great days though.
RIP
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Topic Originator: Dandy Warhol
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:34
Ah this is sad to read, really is, condolences to his family and friends.
I don`t wanna go down like disco.
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Topic Originator: GG Riva
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:38
Loved his madcap tactics when we fell behind. It worked well v St Johnstone, 0-2 to 3-2 after going 2-4-4.
Not so well v Hearts; 1-2 at halftime, became 1-7. 🙄
RIP, Jimmy. Thanks for the memories.
Not your average Sunday League player.
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Topic Originator: Par Dan
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:44
Sad news . RIP Jimmy . COYP 💔
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Topic Originator: rawpars
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:48
Really shocked about this. Such fantastic times during his time at Dunfermline. The most under rated managers in scottish football and a total gentleman of the park\
R.I.P jIMMY
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Topic Originator: MikeyLeonard
Date: Sun 19 Jan 13:50
RIP Jimmy. . .thanks for the memories.
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Topic Originator: kozmasrightfoot
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:01
Only 69, far too young. Once again, rest in peace Jimmy.
Pars fan.
Magpies fan.
Mens tennis fan.
Alternative rock fan.
Not a fan of much else.
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Topic Originator: bigdonnie
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:04
never boring with jimmy if pars losing went to 2 at back had you biting fingernails sometimes worked like 2-0 down to dundee at home won 4-2 then at tynecastle 1-0 down player sent off went to 2 at back ahnialated 7-1 lol took us to 4th in league and scottish cup and league cup finals another great man took down with that horrible dementia never mind jimmy will meet denis on the way up r.i.p
donald mcneil
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Topic Originator: Buster_Brown
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:10
I’m absolutely gutted, I was 19 when Calderwood was appointed and was in the Royal Navy based in Portsmouth then. I regularly travelled up for games just because I loved the football we played under him. Although I’ll always have eternal respect for Leishman & Paton, Jimmy’s time was just extra special. I love my football being played a certain way, and I think that came from watching Paton & Calderwood’s Pars and I was so lucky to have lived through his 5 years and get home as much as I did during it.
I’ve never experienced anyone with dementia but have spoken to people who have and it’s obviously horrendous, so sorry for him to have his diagnosis and feel for those closest to him at this time.
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Topic Originator: Skid Chicane
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:14
Sad news indeed.
4-1 midweek win at Easter Road was a highlight. We battered Hibs that night.
The football was never dull through that era.
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Topic Originator: DJAS
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:18
Best memories as a pars fan have came during his era. RIP Jimmy
Predictor league winner 2012/2013
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Topic Originator: AdamAntsParsStripe
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:23
RIP Jimmy. He was always approachable and keen to hear what fans had to say about the match on a Saturday night in a pub.
Some of his tactics were a hit or a miss for sure such as the kamakaze one at Tynecastle but on the reverse side, the turnaround vs St Johnstone was amazing but the overriding memory is the cup run in 2003/04 season getting us to our first Scottish Cup final in 36 years.
Despite losing, no fan will forget the feelings at half time being a goal up or the day itself.
Thoughts with his wife and family
Zwei Pints Bier und ein Päckchen Chips bitte
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Topic Originator: Buspasspar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:25
So so sad .. thoughts and sympathy with all Family and Friends .. RIP Jimmy you will never be forgotten
We are forever shaped by the Children we once were
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Topic Originator: eastendalloapar
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:32
We had some brilliant games with him in charge. RIP Jimmy.
matt forsyth
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Topic Originator: Athletico
Date: Sun 19 Jan 14:54
Gutted about this one, my late teenage years were during the Calderwood era, a time when I got my first ever season ticket. An absolutely brilliant time to be a fan. Just popped down to EEP to tie a scare to the doors. RIP Jimmy, thanks for the memories. ❤️
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Topic Originator: veteraneastender
Date: Sun 19 Jan 15:32
More sad news.
I mind when we went 7 games winless but the board stuck by Jimmy C and things settled.
R.I.P.
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Topic Originator: StevenPar77
Date: Sun 19 Jan 15:40
Very sad news indeed. The best of times was had by many. Without a doubt, it was my favourite times as a Pars fan. The semi-final replay up at Pittodrie was incredible.
He was within touching distance of emulating the likes of Jock Stein.
There`s some array of Pars legends having a chinwag up there.
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Topic Originator: par-ticular
Date: Sun 19 Jan 15:59
Loved his tenure.
Kept you on your toes, you never knew what was happening next. Bringing in players from all over. Never a dull moment!
So sad rip !
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Topic Originator: GG Riva
Date: Sun 19 Jan 17:46
Quote:
veteraneastender, Sun 19 Jan 15:32
More sad news.
I mind when we went 7 games winless but the board stuck by Jimmy C and things settled.
R.I.P.
Think it was worse than that, if memory serves, VEE. We actually lost some 7 games in a row and Big Yorkie gave JC a new, extended contract. I must admit I thought the erstwhile Chairman had lost his marbles. I think we then went some 8 games unbeaten.
Not your average Sunday League player.
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Topic Originator: cfad
Date: Sun 19 Jan 18:41
RIP Jimmy. Thanks for the memories of some great times as a Pars fan.
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Topic Originator: Alter Ego
Date: Sun 19 Jan 19:07
First I had the Bert/Dick era then got the seasons of the 2 Jimmys between the age of 13-24…great times and Jimmy C turned the team into a passing side. Great memories and RIP Jimmy C!
Mon the Pars!
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Topic Originator: TAFKA_Super_Petrie
Date: Sun 19 Jan 19:32
Some great memories.
The cup run, a few one off games in particular (Hibs away) and a period of time where you could feel relatively confident that we`d get a result in every home game, outwith the Old Firm at least.
RIP
---------------------------------------------------------------
"People always talk about Ronaldinho and magic, but I didn't see him today. I saw Henrik Larsson; that's where the magic was."
Post Edited (Sun 19 Jan 19:32)
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Topic Originator: veteraneastender
Date: Sun 19 Jan 19:35
"He was within touching distance of emulating the likes of Jock Stein."
JC had a good track record at EEP - but hardly the same achievement scenario as Big Jock.
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Topic Originator: GG Riva
Date: Sun 19 Jan 20:45
Quote:
veteraneastender, Sun 19 Jan 19:35
"He was within touching distance of emulating the likes of Jock Stein."
JC had a good track record at EEP - but hardly the same achievement scenario as Big Jock.
Correct, VEE. Big Jock worked on a shoestring budget. He inherited a squad who were seemingly destined for relegation and kept them up by winning the last 6 games of the season. The following season, he led those players to a historic SC victory. Every season, a player was sold to balance the books, and Jock would find a replacement from local junior or juvenile clubs.
JC, on the other hand, was able to bring in players from the likes of Hibs, Aberdeen and Rangers by offering salaries comparable or superior to what they`d been on at those clubs. He did very well, but let`s not compare him to Stein.
Not your average Sunday League player.
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Topic Originator: Bertie Paton
Date: Sun 19 Jan 20:49
I`m quite surprised how sad I have felt about Jimmy`s death today.
I didn`t realise how much of an impact he had at my club and how many happy memories he helped create in my life.
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Topic Originator: StevenPar77
Date: Sun 19 Jan 20:49
I meant in terms of winning the Scottish Cup. I appreciate the resources are night and day, but that was a multi million pound Celtic side.
Anyway, I hope and I am sure that the club will ensure a fitting tribute is made.
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Topic Originator: Big T Par
Date: Sun 19 Jan 21:32
So sad. He gave us so many fantastic memories. That half time in the Scottish Cup Final, was one of the best 15 minutes, I`d ever had in my life. Amazing, really thought we were gonna do it, So, thank you for that JC
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Topic Originator: da_no_1
Date: Sun 19 Jan 21:36
Quote:
Big T Par, Sun 19 Jan 21:32
So sad. He gave us so many fantastic memories. That half time in the Scottish Cup Final, was one of the best 15 minutes, I`d ever had in my life. Amazing, really thought we were gonna do it, So, thank you for that JC
Yeah 1-0 up and Fields of Fire over the tannoy. Thought it was happening but not be. 48 hours later and they were off to Aberdeen. What could`ve been.......
"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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Topic Originator: Big T Par
Date: Sun 19 Jan 21:57
Oh yeah, forgot about FOF getting played. That was amazing.
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Topic Originator: Boomer
Date: Sun 19 Jan 22:07
Met him the day he me joined us and was in his company many weekends going forward. Picked him up at Edinburgh Airport when he was coming back from Amsterdam a few times along with Kris Mampae the goalie from Belgium. He loved the Pars and was a sound guy. Condolences to his family sadly missed!
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Topic Originator: twin par
Date: Sun 19 Jan 23:48
Yes,so sad.Gave us ,so many great memorable games, always seemed to get the best out of players. Was not afraid to try something different. We`ll, he did and we were entertained.
Post Edited (Sun 19 Jan 23:49)
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Topic Originator: veteraneastender
Date: Mon 20 Jan 09:14
Quote:
StevenPar77, Sun 19 Jan 20:49
I meant in terms of winning the Scottish Cup. I appreciate the resources are night and day, but that was a multi million pound Celtic side.
Anyway, I hope and I am sure that the club will ensure a fitting tribute is made.
So were Everton, the so called “Bank of England” club when Big Jock masterminded their defeat in the Fairs Cup.
The won the English championship that season.
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Topic Originator: da_no_1
Date: Mon 20 Jan 09:34
Quote:
veteraneastender, Sun 19 Jan 19:35
"He was within touching distance of emulating the likes of Jock Stein."
JC had a good track record at EEP - but hardly the same achievement scenario as Big Jock.
I`m fairly certain he only meant by winning the Scottish Cup.
"Some days will stay a 1000 years, some pass like the flash of a spark"
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Topic Originator: wetherby
Date: Mon 20 Jan 12:27
Good obit on official club site written by Duncan Simpson, worth a read.
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Topic Originator: bigdonnie
Date: Mon 20 Jan 17:38
so sad now since 1980,s only got 2 great surviving pars managers left bertie paton and big leish leish still only manager to have us top of premier league in 1989 for 1 game hope they go on for ages
donald mcneil
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Topic Originator: Paralex
Date: Mon 20 Jan 19:05
Because of a personal family illness similar to Jimmy`s, I spent a fair amount of hours in the company of Jimmy and his wife, in the last year. Although so limited in his ability to communicate he was a gentle man and daily in the company of very dedicated nurses and his attentive and caring wife Yvonne. It was a great delight for me to have been in the company of a Pars legend, albeit sharing in the personal experience of this terrible illness.
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Topic Originator: parsfan
Date: Mon 20 Jan 20:06
I came across this earlier. It`s in Dutch but worth having a look at, as I haven`t translated the pictures.
From vi.nl
via Google translate
Page 1 of 4
Jimmy Calderwood has died at the age of 69. The striking Scot with a colorful past as a player and trainer in the Eredivisie had been ill for some time. In 2017, he spoke candidly in VI`s Balverliefd section about the Alzheimer`s disease he suffered from. In memory of Calderwood we are bringing this story to your attention again. It is free to read for all our visitors.
When Jimmy Calderwood asks for the third time whether the reporter in front of him has been to Scotland before, it is time to broach that one subject. How are things really going with the former coach of Willem II, NEC, Go Ahead Eagles and De Graafschap? Or, to be precise, what impact does Alzheimer`s have on his life? Calderwood falls silent. He turns to girlfriend Yvonne, who has just got home from work. “He already knows about it,” Calderwood tells her softly. She sits next to him and holds his hand.
There have been rumors in the football world for some time about the health of the colorful Scot. Anyone who enters his name on the Internet will arrive at websites where he is associated with dementia. Calderwood and his girlfriend didn`t notice. No one ever asked about the disease. For years they thought they were carrying a big secret. It suddenly appears on the table on a rainy Monday afternoon. Even close friends never told them anything. And now? They are not annoyed or disappointed that the subject is brought up, on the contrary. Rather relieved. “It had to happen at some point,” says Yvonne. Calderwood nods. `It`s time to come out with my story. Now I still feel good and hopefully I can do something for other people.`
During the previous hour he seems bitter. On the sofa in a suburb of Glasgow, behind closed blinds and staring glassily at a tennis match on TV, he lets out deep sigh after deep sigh. Three and a half years ago, he resigned from the hornet`s nest De Graafschap after 29 days. Since then he has been waiting for a new club to call him. Every night he goes to bed hoping that the next day, somewhere, a director in need will finally shout his name. Jimmy Calderwood, team builder and motivational artist on call. Trainer who can help limited football players rise above themselves. Sometimes he wonders if everyone has forgotten what he did; how he transformed NEC from relegation candidate to mid-engine, how he guided the puny Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup final, how he allowed Aberdeen to hibernate in Europe again after more than thirty years. The walls are closing in on him at home. “Phew… It`s just annoying that I don`t know what I did wrong. Man, it`s eating away at me.”
Scotland, Netherlands, England; Calderwood doesn`t give a damn. As long as he can be on the field somewhere with a bunch of players again. Laughing and fooling around with them, but also spanking them unceremoniously. As he has always done, in the spirit of Bert Jacobs. The thought of the man who trained him with Willem II helps to dispel dark clouds. `What a world-class guy he was. After games, Bert could get terribly angry in the locker room. Cursing and ranting, really, that just scared you. Ten minutes later we were sitting in the cafeteria and he was the nicest man on earth. “Guys, what do you want to drink?” Sometimes we would all roll out of the café at three o`clock in the morning. I have experienced such wonderful things with Bertus. If we won, he could just climb up on the cafeteria table and sing. What a guy. But what if you got into trouble with him? He was as strong as a bear and afraid of no one. We were once at a training camp in Germany, and some German guy in the hotel started nagging at him. “Wait a minute, boys,” said Bertus. Phew, he knocked that guy straight to the ground.`
Jacobs became his friend and source of inspiration. The two remained in touch until the untimely death of the striking football man, just before the turn of the century. `Not long before his death I visited Bert again. He had just come out of the hospital, was very weak and looked bad. He once clapped his hands and said: “Come to the pub.” I couldn`t believe it. But a little later we were actually drinking beer together. Bert did not want to give in to his illness. He was hard on others, but also on himself.` It is not his last memory of Jacobs. `A while later I met him at the gym. Bertus was working out on fitness machines, until he got into another argument with a young guy. I don`t remember how it started, but it went nowhere. Bert was just being stupid again. He was really sick then. But guess what? He hits that guy like that, boom, in the nose. A few months later Bert was dead.`
The rain hits the window of the terraced house. Calderwood`s face falls again. He turns his head to the television. The tennis commentary is loud. `Why? Why? That`s the question I keep asking myself. Why don`t I get to work anymore? I don`t think I`ll ever get the answer.”
Barbaric
He talks about his childhood in the rough working-class district of Govan, five miles south. In his Protestant family, the belief in Glasgow Rangers was self-evident. Growing up in a divided city was not without danger. `Every morning I had to walk past the Catholic school. There I had all kinds of things thrown at me, and not just swear words. They threw stones at me, a little boy with a backpack. Every now and then I got a beating. The same thing happened to Catholic boys near my school. Terrible.`
Young Calderwood didn`t want to fight, just play football. At the age of sixteen, he signed a contract as a student professional with English Birmingham City. `I will never forget my first training there. It was two o`clock in the afternoon, I didn`t know anyone and I was amazed. The trainer approached me and said: “Now we are going to teach you the best way to break someone`s leg with a tackle.” Believe it or not, that`s how it went. English football was still so barbaric at that time.`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The universe is ruled by chance and indifference
Post Edited (Mon 20 Jan 20:16)
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Topic Originator: parsfan
Date: Mon 20 Jan 20:07
Page 2 of 4
After eight years and almost 150 games for Birmingham City, Calderwood crossed the North Sea. Sparta was his first introduction to Dutch football. 'A relief. Everything was so well organized here, the football was so technically arranged.' Exactly the game that Calderwood wanted to play. But in practice he often had to do the dirty jobs. 'I later covered Johan Cruijff a few times at Willem II and Roda JC. Bloody hell. Those trainers thought: a Scot like that will kick him out of the match. I tried that too, but Johan was still very fast in his old age. I didn't stand a chance. A few years ago he was in Scotland for a golf tournament. I went there with a journalist friend, who hoped to ask the great Cruijff a question. “I don't know if I'm going to start doing that,” said Johan, “because Jimmy used to kick everywhere he could hit me.” Then he started laughing. Luckily he forgave me. That reporter ended up spending an hour and a half with Johan. An hour and a half! He couldn't believe his luck. World guy, Cruijff.'
Calderwood also got along well with Louis van Gaal. The two were teammates at Sparta and became friends. A combination that seems somewhat unlikely at first glance: the jovial Scot and the straightforward Amsterdammer. 'Shut up, Louis is a fantastic man. At Sparta he was always up for a joke. Only he had to have the last word, even then. But I could deal with that well. I had a very good relationship with Louis and his first wife Fernanda, a lovely person. Later our contact waned a bit, but I still visited him every now and then. I visited him in Manchester.'
Calderwood buries his head in his hands. 'Beforehand I had told everyone in England that Manchester United had appointed a truly fantastic manager. But I was sweating in front of the television. Of course, Van Gaal went about it all wrong with the press. I went to warn him. Louis, you're the best trainer on the entire island, you work at the best club in the world, why are you making it so damn difficult for yourself with that stubborn stuff?! You have to change. He thought differently about that. “That's who I am and that's how I want to do it.” I then warned him: Then start packing your bag. He didn't like it. I also always liked to point out that Louis is a fantastic coach, but that of the two of us I was definitely the best football player. Did you see that face? Angry…'
Cowboys
Slowly but surely the old Calderwood is coming back. His generous laugh resounds through the room as he remembers drinking beer with Bud Brocken at Willem II, of the great man Gène Hanssen, who happily knocked down some walls on a construction site before training at Roda JC, of his experiences as coach of NEC in the nineties. 'I had all kinds of cowboys under my wing there. Patrick Pothuizen, Marcel Koning, Jack de Gier... Boys after my own heart. They performed in the pub, but also on the field. I had a great time at NEC. Good people there. Rock hard. Delicious.'
And so he thinks back fondly on all his Dutch stops. Except for that strange blue Monday at De Graafschap. Calderwood left within a month, after the club management saddled him with a double agenda to dismiss assistant coach Richard Roelofsen. 'I fit in for that. I'm still really disappointed about it, because De Graafschap is normally also a fantastic club. But I'm not going to let people play with my nuts.'
Then it became quiet. The football world seems to have forgotten Calderwood. 'I really don't think I'm perfect. I have also made plenty of mistakes as a trainer. But I can't accept the fact that no one has thought about me anymore. Maybe they think I'm too old-fashioned, I sometimes think. And rightly so, because I am old-fashioned. I'm a football guy. Not a computer guy. Nowadays you see boys everywhere who have just left school and act as if they invented the game. Apparently clubs have more confidence in such guys than in someone who has been around football all his life.' Deep sigh again. 'I've been depressed. Now things are better. I have a beautiful life. But yes, something is missing. What I miss most is the camaraderie. You know what's the worst? That I couldn't say goodbye to football. Other people have determined my fate for me.' His faithful dog eyes have become watery. 'I miss football so much. But who knows. If a club calls today, I will be on the training field tomorrow.'
Just then his phone rings. Calderwood's expression brightens. It won't happen, will it? It is his partner Yvonne, who has finished a day's work as a new construction agent and calls to say she will be home soon. “Yes, it's unbelievable but true, but he was able to find it,” says Calderwood, winking at his visit. 'I can never find my way around here. And I've been living here for six months. Or twelve months, or three years. Okay love, see you later.”
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The universe is ruled by chance and indifference
Post Edited (Mon 20 Jan 20:15)
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Topic Originator: parsfan
Date: Mon 20 Jan 20:12
Page 3 of 4
Four years ago, Calderwood left his wife for Yvonne. The way in which this happened resulted in a scorching Scottish scandal press and a disturbed relationship with his four children. `It sucks how things turned out, but I am very happy with Yvonne. She is a fantastic woman and takes very good care of me.` They already went on holiday to Marbella and Florida together this year. In this way, Calderwood maintained the Trumpian orange hue for which he is known in his own country. The difficult years have scarred him, but he does his best to stay fit. `I go to the gym three times a week. I then torture myself there for an hour or two. That`s good for me, and it`s distracting. I also watch a lot of football on TV. And I bought a season ticket for Rangers. I`m a bit afraid that I`ll just sit in the stands and just sit there and agonize. The level in Scotland certainly doesn`t make you happy, and then Celtic is also supreme. We won`t find them out in the next ten years.`
Alzheimer`s
During the conversation it became clear that his memory occasionally fails him. The age of his girlfriend, his father`s profession, the last time he was in the Netherlands... Calderwood knows it, but he can`t think of it right now. Some anecdotes are repeated a second time. And then there is that inevitable question. About Alzheimer`s and what the disease does to his life.
When Calderwood and his girlfriend have recovered from the shock a little later and have discussed what to do, they decide to talk about the disease together. “Four years ago, when we first got together, I noticed that Jim often repeated himself,” says Yvonne (60). `He also forgot things. We all do it sometimes, but for him it happened all the time. When this started happening more and more often, we went to the doctor. We thought everything would be fine. And then came the diagnosis: Alzheimer`s. That was two and a half years ago now.`
Calderwood: `That was a blow, of course. I hadn`t noticed anything. But I was also able to quickly accept my fate. I feel fine, I just have to take a pill every day. Every now and then I forget something. But not when it comes to football!` Yvonne nods. `That is very striking. Jim can tell you in detail about football players, matches, results and goalscorers, and it will all be correct. But he may now have forgotten something he did this morning. It is also strange that Jim sometimes has to search for the right words in Scots these days. While he still has a fluent command of Dutch.` Laughter can be heard next to her. “I had to put so much effort into mastering that wretched language that I will never forget.”
Calderwood knows his illness is nipping at his heels. Time inexorably gnaws away at his memory. “I`m not as sharp as I used to be, which sucks.” On April 22 this year, he was confronted with his own limitations when he appeared on Scottish TV to analyze the Aberdeen-Hibernian cup match. `It didn`t go well at all. I didn`t feel comfortable. I used to do a lot of TV and it was never a problem for me to complete a broadcast. Now I was ashamed to accept that thousand pounds for my cooperation.` According to Yvonne, things that evening did not go as bad as Calderwood says. `My son is always honest and critical. He also looked and thought Jimmy was quite calm, but very good in terms of content.` The former professional lowers his eyes. `It`s not that my memory failed me that day, but my confidence was gone. That`s not for me.`
He now lives from day to day and wants to postpone his decline as long as possible. Partly due to the frequent visits to the gym. His girlfriend tries to get him to eat healthy. That doesn`t quite work yet. Vegetables and salad are not for Calderwood.
`I don`t like greens. They remind me of Celtic`, he laughs. Yvonne rolls her eyes demonstratively. `Sometimes he`s like a big child.` But his smile does her good. `Jim is usually very positive about his situation. He is doing well so far. Most people won`t notice anything about Jim. He doesn`t wander around the house or anything. It`s in small things. That he asks my daughter what she did last night and asks the same question a little later. Furthermore, we take the disease as it comes. Don`t go digging on Google. We just hope that we have many good years ahead of us together. We have been told that people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer`s around the age of sixty can live with the disease for twenty years. The first ten years you have to try to enjoy it twice, because then the symptoms are usually not too bad.`
Obstinate
She hopes that Calderwood can, among other things, restore the bond with his children in the coming years, all four of whom live in the Netherlands. In any case, there is careful contact again with son Scott, former professional of Willem II and Heracles Almelo. `That`s a start. But Jim is not an easy one. He is so stubborn.”
“Who, me?”
“You yes. The same with football. How many times have I told you that you have to take initiatives yourself to get a job somewhere? Sending letters, handing out cards.` Calderwood makes a dismissive gesture. “I`m not like that.”
Apart from their own children and a few friends, they never informed anyone about his illness. Yvonne: `We assumed that the Scottish newspapers would soon get wind of it and braced ourselves for what was to come. But nothing came at all.` Calderwood: `I`m surprised that people in the Netherlands apparently did know. Nobody called me. But I`m glad we can finally talk about it now. Coincidentally, I was talking about it with Yvonne last week. Now I still feel good and I can share experiences. Tell me about what`s going on with me. I have that need very strongly now. I hope I can do something for other people.`
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The universe is ruled by chance and indifference
Post Edited (Mon 20 Jan 20:15)
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Topic Originator: parsfan
Date: Mon 20 Jan 20:14
Page 4 of 4
Calderwood wants to make his brain available to science after his death. He has also decided to keep a diary of his disease process. In this way he hopes to contribute to new insights. But he especially wants to help draw more attention to the dangers of Alzheimer`s in football.
Brain damage in sports
Articles about former players suffering from the disease are increasingly appearing in the British press. Among them were three members of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup: Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson. Former star footballers Danny Blanchflower and Jeff Astle died after being struck by Alzheimer`s in middle age. The latter`s death fifteen years ago led to the creation of the Jeff Astle Foundation, to promote research into brain damage in sports. Last year, the foundation had already collected more than three hundred examples of former football players with Alzheimer`s. “The tip of the iceberg, it could be thousands of cases,” said Dawn Astle, daughter of West Bromwich Albion icon Jeff.
Calderwood remembers fellow countryman Frank Kopel, who died three years ago from complications of Alzheimer`s. The former defender of Dundee United and Manchester United was only 65 years old. Germany was shocked by the news about Gerd Müller suffering from dementia. Michel van Egmond wrote in VI about the tragic fate of Wout Holverda, diagnosed in his fifties with what was previously considered a typical disease of old age. The news about his former Sparta teammate has escaped Calderwood. `Wout too, yes? Are you serious? Damn. Such a good guy. I`ll have to contact him soon. It is no coincidence that so many former football players are diagnosed with Alzheimer`s at such a young age. My doctors were clear: there is a very good chance that my illness was caused by a lot of heading. You hear it again and again. Wout was also a real heading specialist. Not so much as him, I`m not as tall either, but I have also fought countless aerial duels in midfield. In my youth I saw those old-fashioned leather balls. Especially in the rain, those bitches became very heavy. If you had headed away a few of those things, you would leave the field with a headache. In retrospect, that was all very irresponsible. But we didn`t know any better. Now it`s different.`
Researchers worldwide have now proven that heading the ball can indeed be harmful to brain development. The English players` union has already pushed for the banning of headings from youth matches, without success so far. In the United States, there has been a heading ban for players under the age of ten for two years. Calderwood believes that other countries should follow suit as soon as possible. `I am in favor of abolishing headings in youth football. So until about sixteen years old, yes. A rigorous measure that will change the game as we know it, but people`s health is at stake. There is no more important argument. Clubs still use gallows. That is completely incomprehensible with today`s knowledge. Those things should be banned first.”
He wants to take the lead in an important discussion in the coming period. But first inform the media in your own country about his illness. Calderwood will hold a press conference in Glasgow as soon as this story is published. `Then we first get on a plane to let everything sink in for a few weeks. Then it`s time for the next step. I`m not looking for pity. What I want is to draw attention to Alzheimer`s and help make football safer.`
One question still arises: all those texts from him earlier this afternoon, about how he really wants to work as a trainer again, how can they be reconciled with what was put on the table afterwards? Calderwood is silent for a moment. `Deep down, there`s nothing I want more. And I think it should still be possible, with a good assistant. Nobody tells me anything about football.` He gently squeezes his couch. “But if I`m very, very honest: I shouldn`t want it anymore.”
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The universe is ruled by chance and indifference
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Topic Originator: parsmad68
Date: Mon 20 Jan 20:48
I hope Jimmy has some peace knowing what he did, made a difference to a large number of people.
We think of the man and wish his anguish, that was evident during his time with this terrible disease, gone and for the happiness he brought to many of us never to be forgotten.
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Topic Originator: 87Par
Date: Mon 20 Jan 21:16
Quote:
Paralex, Mon 20 Jan 19:05
Because of a personal family illness similar to Jimmy`s, I spent a fair amount of hours in the company of Jimmy and his wife, in the last year. Although so limited in his ability to communicate he was a gentle man and daily in the company of very dedicated nurses and his attentive and caring wife Yvonne. It was a great delight for me to have been in the company of a Pars legend, albeit sharing in the personal experience of this terrible illness.
I genuinely cannot imagine Jimmy with this awful awful condition. It`s heartbreaking. Must`ve been quite surreal as a Pars man to be next to him in the latter stages. Seeing what he was for us as a manager to the sad ending of his life. I`ve been genuinely sad about this. It was peak Dunfermline for me when he was mamager and I loved every minute of it.
SNW put out a statement today about the gathering for the Raith game etc but no mention of a flag or tifo for JC. Hope the club are sorting something I think it`s merited.
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