There's sore losers then there's Terry Butcher......

[Over the Bar]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/18112008/58/int-football-fist-butcher-threatens-maradona.html

Scotland's assistant manager Terry Butcher has said he will never forgive Diego Maradona for his Hand of God goal at the 1986 World Cup.

Butcher was part of the England side that lost the infamous quarter-final 2-1 to Argentina, as Maradona scored with a clear handball before adding a magnificent solo run.

The former defender said he was still angry with Maradona, who coaches the Argentina team that play Scotland at Hampden on Wednesday, and even joked that he might use the "fist of Terry Butcher" to exact revenge.

"I can never forgive him for what he did. It was probably the best chance England had of winning the World Cup since 1966," said Butcher.

"At the end of the day it is not nice when you lose a World Cup quarter-final under those circumstances. It's very hard to forgive and forget in the circumstances.

"But it was 22 years ago. I think I'm 4-1 to get a red card in the tunnel - it would be the fist of Terry Butcher rather than the hand!"

Butcher also revealed that he encountered Maradona after the game when the pair were required to do drugs tests along with his England team-mates Gary Stevens and Kenny Sansom, and the Argentinian claimed he had not handled the ball.

"It could have been a warzone in there but it wasn't. I wasn't next to him; if I was I might have done something. I would pay a few thousand pounds to be in that drugs room again if I knew he was going to be in there," Butcher said.

"He came in and celebrated. He was the last person you wanted to see because, remember, he had also scored a wonderful goal on the way to which he beat me twice. I felt it more than anybody else.

"When I signalled to him about the head or the hand, he pointed to his head. Maybe that was because it was a small room and there were three Englishmen, not very happy, so he probably took the safe option.

"But that irritated me even more. If he had come in and said 'It was my hand, I apologise' then I would have only [wanted to] hit him four or five times instead of 20."

The Scotland assistant said he wanted to concentrate on Wednesday's match, and predicted that the home side could cause an upset.

"Scotland have traditionally done well as underdogs against the top sides," he said.

"It is like when teams play the big four down south or the Old Firm in Scotland, you play above yourself because you do not want to get smashed.

"The spotlight is on us at home so we have to adapt with the players we have here. The key thing is adapting quickly and wanting to play on the big stage.

"These are the games that can forge reputations but doing well or scoring a goal; they will remember that for the rest of their lives but other people will remember it too. It is a big thing for the Scotland squad.

"It is not a case of feeling inferior, it is a case of going out and being the ones in the spotlight."

[SidelineKick]

Good to see men in the medias spotlight just saying how he feels instead of saying what is expected of him!  Thats a long grudge all the same!  My favourite part:

"If he had come in and said 'It was my hand, I apologise' then I would have only [wanted to] hit him four or five times instead of 20."

[stephenite]

I'd still be pissed off if it happened against Ireland

[lurganblue]

its a long grudge to hold but i cant argue with him.  I'm also glad that he is able to come out and say what he actually feels...
the wee man would have found another way to win it anyway 

[Over the Bar]

In fairness to Butcher my opinion of him went up considerably when he went against the omerta of English commentators and called Steven Gerrard a cheat for his diving antics.

[full back]

Good to see the 'hard man' image is alive and well

[Billys Boots]

In fairness to Butcher my opinion of him went up considerably when he went against the omerta of English commentators and called Steven Gerrard a cheat for his diving antics.

Good man OtB, but you don't like Dunphy for making similar points about Ronaldo.   

[Over the Bar]

In fairness to Butcher my opinion of him went up considerably when he went against the omerta of English commentators and called Steven Gerrard a cheat for his diving antics.

Good man OtB, but you don't like Dunphy for making similar points about Ronaldo.   

Ronaldo gets plenty of criticism, some deserved, from all quarters of the media & press.  With Gerrard it's almost a taboo subject.  Why do you think this is?

[Billys Boots]

It certainly isn't with me - for me, what's even less forgiveable about Gerrard is that when nothing's on, he'll still try a 50 yard pass.  I'd love to see the stats on his completed passes - if I was interested enough (or had enough time) to look.

[orangeman]

What an angry old man !   

[Minder]

In fairness to Butcher my opinion of him went up considerably when he went against the omerta of English commentators and called Steven Gerrard a cheat for his diving antics.

He went up in your estimation because it was Gerrard, he would have went down in your estimation if he had said the same about Rooney.

[magpie seanie]

Rather than talk a good fight 22 years later perhaps Butcher should have tried to stop Maradona walking round him for the second goal. That's the one that really hurts I think.

[Minder]

If i was Butcher i would ask Peter Shilton how a midget out jumped him for the "Hand Of God" goal.

[Over the Bar]

If i was Butcher i would ask Peter Shilton how a midget out jumped him for the "Hand Of God" goal.

[Over the Bar]

He went up in your estimation because it was Gerrard, he would have went down in your estimation if he had said the same about Rooney.

Not so.  Anyone who pulls on an England shirt is equally distainful