[情報] Tony Banks - a Chelsea life
http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?hlid=351409
Tony Banks - a Chelsea life
Sunday, Jan 08, 2006
Nothing gave Tony Banks, who died earlier this evening, greater
pleasure than spending time with his football heroes of the 1955
Championship team.
In 1995, 40 years after they had won their title, he united the
remaining members of the side at a dinner at the House of Commons. Many of
them had not met for those 40 years. It was the team's first reunion, and
it was a major feat to find them and bring them together.
He did it for one major reason — the players themselves. He wanted
them to be acknowledged for their achievements, and believed the only way
to do it was to make them a team again. Then, despite being a campaigning
left-wing Labour MP, he took them to the office of Conservative prime
minister John Major, a Chelsea fan himself who had attended games that
Championship season, and introduced them to the leader of the country.
Since then, Tony has spent many hours in supporting those old boys,
players who never enjoyed financial success from the game. He tirelessly
raised money for them, organised regular reunions, and continued to enjoy
their company.
But that wasn't his only Chelsea team. Every side since then has been
a team he has supported. In the last few years he has held regular lunches
to discuss and celebrate all things Chelsea, including organising pressure
to bear on Chelsea authority on numerous issues, at which ex-players and
supporters spanning the last 50 years have been present.
One moment encapsulates his attitude to supporting Chelsea perfectly.
On the night of January 25th, 1997, he had a dream. Chelsea were playing
Liverpool next day in the FA Cup and won 4-2.
Next day on January 26th, of course, Chelsea were playing Liverpool
in the FA Cup. So he put ￡20 on us winning 4-2. At half-time Liverpool
led 2-0. With ten minutes remaining Gianluca Vialli scored for Chelsea to
lead 4-2. Tony was sitting in the directors' box, and raced forward to
shake chairman Ken Bates from behind and tell him how glorious the
afternoon was but that we mustn't have anymore goals. He returned to his
seat as the teams kicked off again, but immediately went storming back
down to the chairman, shook him once more and exclaimed: “Oh, **** it!
Let's score again!”
Once he became an MP in 1983 and found it easier to gain access to
the people in authority at Chelsea, he was constantly at their door and on
the phone. He developed a love-hate relationship with Ken Bates, he openly
challenged the assumption that the arrival of Roman Abramovich was
automatically good, he met regularly with new chairman Bruce Buck in order
to express and allay his fears, and ultimately he joined the Centenary
Committee on which he was the leading light.
Recently he had been in talks with the club about setting up a trust
fund for old players who hadn't enjoyed the benefits of the lucrative
years of being a footballer.
In essence, if someone was ‘Chelsea’ he loved them because they
shared his indomitable passion.
He loved the European trips. Earlier this season he was out in
Seville for Chelsea's game with Real Betis, walking round the city with a
group of friends, enjoying the local restaurants, and speaking out about
the dull pre-match press conference which he managed to witness and the
disappointing performance of the team.
His time as sports minister interfered with his support of Chelsea,
and he regularly dashed by train or plane from some function in order to
make Stamford Bridge at kick-off. He cursed his responsibilities — and he
cursed them colourfully — when he had to miss a match.
Like any fan, he was in love with the club because he loved being at
matches. He kept books, programmes, mementoes, he bid at auctions for
memorabilia — especially if it was going to a Chelsea cause, he became a
regular on Chelsea TV where he was always entertaining. Last time he was
on live he joined 1955 hero Frank Blunstone, and took him out for dinner
afterwards.
At 62 years old, he may have died young, but with his incomparable
energy he has packed several lifetimes of supporting Chelsea into his own.
Many people, especially the players of 1955, will miss him enormously. But
all fans and the club itself will miss his contribution to our progress. A
very bright light has gone out. Thankfully, it has left its mark.
by Neil Barnett
--
當我漫遊在斯坦弗森林時，我看見了雀爾西，米爾斯的女兒，在傍晚初升的明月中，
在泰晤士河旁一處林地空間上翩然舞蹈。所有痛苦的記憶都離開了我，我像落入迷離
幻境中一般，因為雀爾西是伊露維塔兒女中最美的一位。她身上那襲藍色的衣裳宛如
萬里無雲的晴空，她灰色的眼睛像是傍晚群星閃爍的天空；她的斗篷上繡著金色的花
朵，她的頭髮漆黑如暮色中的陰影。她的榮光與美好，就像樹葉上的光芒，像是潺潺
流水，像是這迷離世界上方閃爍的繁星；她臉上有閃亮的光輝。
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