Man Utd Thread:

[Boycey]

Big Norm made his debut 38 years ago today, a beast at 16.

https://twitter.com/NormanWhiteside/status/1253575084553515011?s=19

[Milltown Row2]

Big Norm made his debut 38 years ago today, a beast at 16.

https://twitter.com/NormanWhiteside/status/1253575084553515011?s=19

He was an outstanding player, career cut short with injury, seen him for Utd and Everton one time, he scored a hat-trick

[Maroon Manc]

Big Norm made his debut 38 years ago today, a beast at 16.

https://twitter.com/NormanWhiteside/status/1253575084553515011?s=19

Not many 16 year olds like Norman, a really nice bloke by all accounts.

[Boycey]

Norman had everything except speed, which I think he blamed on rehab from a schoolboy injury....

Had pints with him in Copenhagen some years back after a United game, sound fella.

[Gmac]

Lots of snippets of early to mid 80s games on YouTube to watch these days , forgot lots of stuff and players,  great to watch. Stapleton and whiteside as a partnership for example.

[michaelg]

What a goal this was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVbUoGm4lw0

[Boycey]

I see guys on Twitter falling over themselves to apologise to Luke Chadwick today....

[NAG1]

I see guys on Twitter falling over themselves to apologise to Luke Chadwick today....

Even at the time this felt wrong and OTT.
But now it is a disgrace and the apologies are merited if too late.

[Boycey]

Easy to ignore because they are in the public eye but they can be vunerable youngsters too. It's better now in the media I think, well more subtle anyway, but probably even worse with social media etc ..

[J70]

I read the article in The Athletic.

How times have changed over the past few years. In the 90s and early 2000s, we thought we were so enlightened compared to the dark past of bananas being thrown at John Barnes or Tommy Smith casually racially abusing Howard Gayle at Liverpool training, yet it was still ok to ridicule a lad like Chadwick purely for his appearance, with not a thought given to the (now) obvious effect it must have been having on him.

Fair fucks to him, and good to see him doing well, but unfortunate in that he probably didn't have the career he could have because of the abuse. I wouldn't be critical of United or Ferguson; this was a societal thing, and I'm sure the same happened at every club. Think poor Ian Dowie. Society doesn't see stars as human like the rest of us.

And still, we've yet to see a top footballer come out as gay. How long will that take? One barrier at a time I guess.

[Milltown Row2]

I read the article in The Athletic.

How times have changed over the past few years. In the 90s and early 2000s, we thought we were so enlightened compared to the dark past of bananas being thrown at John Barnes or Tommy Smith casually racially abusing Howard Gayle at Liverpool training, yet it was still ok to ridicule a lad like Chadwick purely for his appearance, with not a thought given to the (now) obvious effect it must have been having on him.

Fair fucks to him, and good to see him doing well, but unfortunate in that he probably didn't have the career he could have because of the abuse. I wouldn't be critical of United or Ferguson; this was a societal thing, and I'm sure the same happened at every club. Think poor Ian Dowie. Society doesn't see stars as human like the rest of us.

And still, we've yet to see a top footballer come out as gay. How long will that take? One barrier at a time I guess.

Ian Dowie though didn't suffer from confidence I don't think. Remember him and the N.I squad in Bob Cratchits one night, went up to my wife (girlfriend at the time) said "where have you been all my life?"  I wasn't worried though to be fair 

Chadwick in fairness looked as if his 'abuse' was taking its toll on him and confidence was low, always liked him as a footballer and looked out for his career when he moved.

[BennyCake]

Chadwick looked a great prospect. Unable to get many games though as United had a big squad with big names, and he wasn't going to oust Beckham or golden boy Giggs.

[Taylor]

He looked fragile if that makes sense which was unusual for a player at Utd during the Fergie era.

A decent player & could have made it at a mid table club but obviously things didnt work out for him and this type of stuff didnt help

[Boycey]

I'm not sure Chadwick was his good enough to stay in the top tier of football or that this bullying or whatever you want to call it played any part in his not making it. His career followed the path of a lot of guys, I'm just glad he seems to have made it through it and seems a stronger person.

Jason Lee, theres another lad who was the subject of derision over his haircut....

[TabClear]

I'm not sure Chadwick was his good enough to stay in the top tier of football or that this bullying or whatever you want to call it played any part in his not making it. His career followed the path of a lot of guys, I'm just glad he seems to have made it through it and seems a stronger person.

Jason Lee, theres another lad who was the subject of derision over his haircut....

Always though Chadwick's abuse was more directed and nasty.

Jason Lee's hair style was a choice  and was intended to be more good humoured. However, a lot of that seemed to be doen gto Lee's personality He seemed to take it well, I am nearly sure he appeared with Skinner/Baddiel a couple of times. Interesting article by him here
https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/for-more-year-kept-out-2041951

Edit:I stand corrected. Boycey's article says he never met them.