Jim Leighton Interview | I've never spoken to SAF since

[Paul778]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46411576
Surprised no one on here is mentioning the Leighton article on BBC right now saying he would still not shake Fergusons hand.

I remember that final well. I remember how much of a basket case he was and how unsettled he made the back four. I remember how everyone thought Leighton was one of SAF favourites since he'd known him from Aberdeen days and that no matter how bad he would never be dropped (cough Lukaku) . Hell i was in the crowd one rainy afternoon in the 80s when he managed to drop a crossed easy catch backwards into his own net without a player within 30 yards of him...

It was actually quite a defining moment for Fergie. I assume the message in the dressing room was pretty stark.

If only now... but if wishes were horses beggers would ride.

 

[Glaswegian]

Before my time but I've read and seen a bit of Leighton, he always had a howler in him, didn't he? Les Sealy came in and was an immediate improvement.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

"The players and Archie Knox, who was the assistant, get together and we have a WhatsApp group," he said. "If he came on it, I would go off it, which is quite sad, but I am not alone."

I would advise Mr. Leighton that he probably needs to grow up a bit.

 

[Paul778]

True about always having a howler in him. He had McGrath in front of him for a while til Dolly & Daisy appeared.

Imagine him with Phil Jones in front

 

[Borden]

You don't get to 48 trophies without making a few enemies.

"Damage had been done to a lot of us." You entered the club's most successful period ever in the following three years, so it must've been pretty minor.

 

[Pexbo]

"The players and Archie Knox, who was the assistant, get together and we have a WhatsApp group," he said. "If he came on it, I would go off it, which is quite sad, but I am not alone."

I would advise Mr. Leighton that he probably needs to grow up a bit.

He’s right. I doubt he is alone in that.


However, I bet Ferguson has well over a thousand contacts in his phone and I also bet that if he bumps into any one of them in person, he will know them by their first name, ask about their wife by their first name, ask how their kids are doing at Uni and even know the course they are studying.

Jim feckin Leighton.

 

[FujiVice]

A 60 year old man still bitter from something that happened almost 30 years ago. If you are still carrying that around all these years, you need to see a couselor or something.

 

[sullydnl]

Because he was dropped for the final? He should really get over it. That's football, it happens.

 

[SirAF]

WhatsApp

 

[devilish]

Whose Jim Leighton?

 

[Paul778]

WhatsApp

With the state of his handling i doubt he could type very fast on a phone.

Stick to emails Jim. Less chance of making a fool of yourself again.

Alternatively go buy a big ass bluetooth keyboard for your clown hands

 

[redshaw]

Les Sealy.

I still remember the relief as a young lad Jim Leighton was no more in our goal. Nothing personal.

 

[Glaswegian]

Whose Jim Leighton?

His wife probably.

 

[Foxbatt]

He should accept that it is the Manager's call and Fergie was vindicated in his decision. This is not a place for personal favours. I think Berbatov has more justification in being upset because he was not even in the squad for the CL Final but came back and fought for his place and still Fergie treated him badly by not giving him game time later in the season though he carried the team's scoring early part of the season when Rooney was not playing.
Yes Fergie could be a prick sometimes.

 

[Sandikan]

One outrageously bitter bloke

 

[17Larsson]

Manchester United would be in such a better place today had Ferguson only treated poor Jim a bit better

 

[clarkydaz]

Bit young to remember him play, but do remember the condom joke

 

[11101]

"The players and Archie Knox, who was the assistant, get together and we have a WhatsApp group," he said. "If he came on it, I would go off it, which is quite sad, but I am not alone."

I would advise Mr. Leighton that he probably needs to grow up a bit.

People usually don't take kindly to being told they're not good enough. Doesn't mean it's any less true though. We were better off without them and their hurt feelings.

 

[Chairman Steve]

Going by the fact that Leighton and Sir Alex go way back to the Aberdeen, I’d say his situation with Sir Alex is none too different than Roy Keanes

Probably great buddies in their successful times together. Leighton probably had a lot of influence in the Utd dressing room and to the point where he thought he was almost equal to Sir Alex, then one day Sir Alex drops him and Leighton feels betrayed by it, even though he was just a player the whole time.

 

[golden_blunder]

Leighton was actually a good keeper, I remember being excited that we signed him. But unfortunately he couldn’t handle the pressure at United. He had a good career when he returned to Scotland

 

[The Brown Bull]

I remember it well, Leighton was a decent keeper but in poor form and had a very poor game in the 3-3 drawn final.His confidence looked shot, the boss really had no option but to drop him in my opinion.I believe Les Sealey actually gave Leighton his winners medal afterwards! What a noble gesture from Les!
Leighton should take a leaf from the book of Sealey!

 

[Chris Amesbury]

I agree. He's very bitter. Though I must thank him as if he didn't become a useless error prone keeper we might not have signed the great big dance.

SAF is God so f off Jim.. Be thankful for what he gave you

 

[Hugh Jass]

Sounds very bitter. Like someone who is narcissistic. Lacks object relations. People are either in your good books or bad books.

 

[lsd]

He took it well then

 

[arthurka]

Who gives. . Not sure Fergie gives one either

 

[204Red]

Wasn't he still at the club for a season or two after he was dropped? Clearly not the #1 keeper, but still collected a pay-cheque and presumably showed up for training. May even have played in a league cup match or something like that.

 

[BigRon1985]

I don't know why he's still bitter - he was awful in the Final and it was the right decision to drop him as the replay result showed. His handling of the ball was as if it were a wet bar of soap as I remember.

 

[Member 39557]

Remember him being dropped after that amazing 1990 final. The replay was a dire game, and i remember Palace players trying to kick us off the park, including our keeper, presumably because it was his debut. Les Sealey came in and did well and we never looked back. Les wasn't the best keeper in fairness, but he had heart and desire in spades and used to scream at the defenders.

I remember it well, Leighton was a decent keeper but in poor form and had a very poor game in the 3-3 drawn final.His confidence looked shot, the boss really had no option but to drop him in my opinion.I believe Les Sealey actually gave Leighton his winners medal afterwards! What a noble gesture from Les!
Leighton should take a leaf from the book of Sealey!

As much as I hate to link to the Daily mail, it mentions the medal business here.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...eper-changed-Manchester-United-s-history.html

 

[Tiber]

Before my time but I remember reading about this in Fergie's book. Sounded like a tough but correct decision

 

[Kaj45rpm]

I'm old enough to remember Jim Leighton as he was Utd and Scotland keeper. He was a good shot stopper but when the pass back rule came in he was dodgy with the footwork.
I heard the interview today and it was quite humbling. Fergie ripped him a new rsol and when Aberdeen won the cup he wouldn't let them drink the champagne as he felt they played poorly.
F*k knows what he's thinking now watching this shower of shite wearing Utd shirts.

 

[nore1975]

I can understand on a personal level Leighton's disappointment. He must have felt close to Ferguson and expected Ferguson to stand by him when he made a mistake. The problem was though that their can be small margins between winning and losing. Ferguson was manager of Manchester United not Jim Leighton. No matter his personal feelings towards Leighton, and remember he and Ferguson went back 12 years by 1990, he had to do what he felt was right for the club not the player. It must have been humiliating for Leighton to be dropped like that but Ferguson overriding responsibility was to the club.
In the managerial sense managing Manchester United for Ferguson was like reaching the Everest of management. If he won the FA Cup it could put him on the road to sustained success. Ultimately Ferguson was ruthless but importantly he was right.

 

[bonusroller]

Reminds me of the old joke in the late 80's.

What have Michael Jackson and Jim Leighton got in common?

They both wear gloves for no reason.

 

[RedDevilRoshi]

A bitter bloke.

If it wasn’t for Sir Alex, no one would have even heard of who Jim Leighton was.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Leighton should get over himself. If Fergie have stood buy him it would have cost him his United job. He wasn't worth it. No one is. No way anyone chooses their livelihood over you.

 

[EwanI Ted]

After the shambles of the Wales vs Scotland game where Jock Stein died, it’s a miracle that SAF agreed to work with Leighton ever again.

 

[BigBebe]

Jim would fit right into our current squad of fragile primadonnas.

 

[Jeppers7]

What a baby

 

[vidic blood & sand]

We struggled with keepers from when Bailey was struggling with his knee injury. Chris Turner, Gary Walsh, Jim Leighton and Les Sealey. None of them great. Tommy Doc wanted Shilton, but Busby baulked at his £250 a week pay demand. We should have bought Shilts, and eventually replaced him with the big Dane.
Remember the 1990 cup final, and yes it was the right decision to drop Leighton for the replay. He wasn't great in the first game.

 

[Brophs]

If he’d been half as good at holding onto the ball as he is a grudge, the soft cnut would still be playing in nets for us.

 

[MoskvaRed]

It was the right decision. Leighton was all over the place in that cup final and, let’s not forget, Fergie’s job was far from secure back in 1990 - it was no time for an old pals act.

IIRC Leighton then made a howler for Scotland in the World Cup a month later.

 

[.Phil1968]

He can't really complain about being dropped, he was awful in that final and hadn't had that great a season either. Sir Alex did what he had to.