Blast From The Past - Alan Knill

It is quite possibly the greatest footballing tale of all time. The year is 1988, Swansea are in the fourth division, the season has started well and we've just won 2-0 away at Southend. The team coach is dropping Yorath off at Heathrow as he takes charge of the Wales team for the midweek game away at Holland. It is bad news for Yorath, Wales are up against the deadliest strikeforce in world football and his defensive players are all pulling out of the squad (Hall, Blackmore, Philips, Aizelwood, Jackett). From the back of the bus Alan Knill, our tall, gangley, ginger haired central defender, tells Yorath he has a Welsh grandmother and before he can say 'but I haven't got my passport', he is on a plane to Amsterdam. Just 3 months before this game, Marco Van Basten had destroyed England in the European Championship, scoring a hatrick in 15 minutes, Adams and Wright were made to look like a couple of pub team defenders time and time again. In a press conference the day before the game a journalist cheekily asked Knill where Tony Adams went wrong. Knill meant to answer 'he gave him too much space' but it came out as 'he gave Van Basten too much respect'. Cue lots of sniggering and lots of backpage tabloid mickey taking. The nicest part of this story is the Southampton link. Alan Knill is a huge Saints fan, he played for their youth team and was a trainee there. Unfortunately, McMenemy didn't think Knill would make it and when he told Alan that he wouldn't be offered a contract, Knill stormed out of his office with the words, 'I'll prove you wrong'. When the Wales team came up on the television before the game, Lawrie almost choked on his tea. He ran upstairs to his office and faxed the stadium. With just minutes to the game a Dutch official walked into the Welsh changing room with a note for Alan, 'you've proved me wrong - Laurie McMenemy'. Knill played the game of his life, Van Basten, the most lethal finisher football has ever known didn't get a sniff at goal. Knill stuck to him like glue. Unfortunately, a late Gullit goal won the game for the Dutch but this was hardly deserved. Alan was never picked to play for Wales again. After a couple of glorious seasons with the Swans making 89 appearances he was sold to Bury, he then went to Scunthorpe and finally up the M18 to Rotherham. After finishing playing he took charge of their youth team. Following Ronnie Moores departure earlier this season, Knill stepped in as temporary manager and made a valiant effort to keep Rotherham in the Championship. He was rewarded for his work and has been appointed as assistant to Hartford for the coming season, I look forward to welcoming him to White Rock.

Submitted By Nottingham Jack

Photo: Action Images

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