Death Notices

[Billys Boots]

He always reminded me of a set-dancer appearing in ballet.  A great servant to the cause. 

[muppet]

Not sure about combative. I thought he was more of a midfield passing lad. I remember the beard. RIP.

He partnered Brady most of the time he wore the green. I'd say Brady did the passing.

Hard working is the expression that is appearing in most tributes online. I am not criticising him in any way, looking at our current midfield I would be delighted to have Tony Grealish playing.

RIP.

[Declan]

Nice tribute here:

Donal Cullen
Given the recent posts on the YBIG forum about the lack of passion amongst the stars of today and especially the vilified response to the announcement of the retirement of Steve Finnan, it is nice to look back at a time when playing for Ireland was not as high profile as it is today, and at a player who gave his all when he was in the team.
The year 1984 was the fourth of Eoin Hand's Irish term of office and so far things had been going well enough. He had inherited the job from Johnny Giles and a group of players who were to be Ireland's golden generation. However, like England's Steve McClaren discovered with his golden generation, having the players does not mean success. Hand had a wonderful 1982 World Cup campaign which almost got us to Spain but fell at the last hurdle to France and Belgium. There followed a disastrous tour to South America and the Caribbean and a poor showing in the qualifiers for Euro '84. His last chance was the 1986 World Cup and his attempt to get us to Mexico began well with a 1-0 win over the Soviet Union. Then things began to go wrong when Ireland lost their next match in Norway, who were useless then. The final match of 1984 was in Copenhagen against Denmark.
Ireland's team for the Denmark match had some of Irish great soccer names. Mark Lawrenson, David O'Leary, Kevin Sheedy, Frank Stapleton and, perhaps the greatest, Liam Brady and confidence was high. However they ran slap dab into one of the best teams Denmark ever had and were played off the field. Ireland lost 0-3 and had but one chance on goal - a weak volley by Sheedy. To the television viewers back in Ireland, accustomed then to defeat in away games, the result was not so much of a disappointment as the poor showing by the players. The one abiding memory of the night was when Ireland were totally taken apart by a brilliant Danish move for their second goal, scored by Preben Elkjaer, and one player so totally devastated and disappointed by the whole thing that he threw his arms up in the air and walked back to the centre circle shaking his head in frustration. His show of emotion was not directed at team-mates, or even the Danes, it was because he was passionate about Ireland and wanted them in the finals. That player was Tony Grealish who was a somewhat limited player (compared to his illustrious team-mates) but one who was loved by the fans.
Anthony Patrick Grealish was born in Paddington, London, to Irish parents. His dad was a fervent GAA fan and young Tony took up football - representing London GAA in the All-Ireland (if that isn't a mis-nomer!). However it was the foreign sport which grabbed a hold and at 18 he joined local club Orient. It was while playing as a right-back for the London club that he came to the attention of Irish manager Johnny Giles who called him up for a friendly with Norway in 1976. He was one of three players to make his debut in the match and all three (Grealish, Ray O'Brien and Mickey Walsh, who scored) impressed but only Grealish was to enjoy anything close to a decent international career even though his first two caps were awarded at full back. There was a break of two years before Grealish got another chance in the Irish team, this time in midfield in Norway. He made his first competitive start three days later in a 3-3 draw with Denmark when he scored his first goal. Grealish then played at full back in the 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland before he then established himself in Ireland's most difficult position in the time, midfield.
For a younger readership, Grealish is possibly not that well know from an era which had Brady, Gerry Daly and Johnny Giles in midfield for Ireland but at the time Grealish was Ireland's Lee Carsley. He could not hope to compete with the skills of a Brady or Giles or the scoring prowess of Gerry Daly but he was in the team on merit. Grealish was a battler and always gave his best. He also tried to keep up with Daly in the goalscoring stakes and his 8 goals was second only to team-mates Daly and Stapleton at the time he finished playing for Ireland. If the YBIG was around at the time and they asked the fans then to pick a team it would more-then-likely include a midfield trio of Brady, Grealishand Daly (Giles was about to retire from playing). Ashley Grimes, Mick Martin and Kevin Sheedy were around at the time but Grealish was to retain his place in the team until 1985, by which time he was only 29.
In 1981 Grealish moved from Luton to Brighton to join an increasing Irish contingent at the South Coast club. It was while at Brighton that he played in the FA Cup final and the team nearly pulled of the shock of the century when they almost beat Manchester United. At 2-2 Michael Robinson burst into the United box and squared the ball to the unmarked Smith who should have scored but fluffed it. Grealish captained the Brighton side in the replay but they lost 0-4.
Grealish left Brighton to join WBA who were then managed by Johnny Giles. Giles did not last long but Grealish did until he got an offer from Manchester City which he could not refuse. However he made only 11 appearances before moving on to Rotherham for a few seasons and then Walsall. He even ended up in Portugal with Salgueros on loan before finishing his playing career at Bromsgrove Rovers and Halesowen Harriers.
Grealish was 40 then but it was with Ireland that he is best remembered. He played in Eoin Hand's last match in charge of Ireland, a 1-4 home defeat by the Danes and of the 13 players used in that game was only one of two (Seamus McDonagh the other) who did not get a look in when Jack Charlton took over. Charlton had plenty of options in midfield when he arrived on the scene but Grealish never got the chance to prove his worth even though he would be playing on for another 8 seasons in League football and a further 4 in non-League.
Anyone who remembers the time before Big Jack brought Ireland places we could only dream of at the time would remember Grealish and he goals for Ireland. He played with and against some of the best players around at the time and would be best described as "an honest pro". He did the work, scored the goals and had a passion for Ireland which marked him out as a fan favourite at the time. That and his Captain Birdseye beard would mark him out as one of Ireland's better players from our own failed golden generation.

[Shamrock Shore]

Cheers Declan for finding that.

Couldn't have said it better.

[ziggy90]

Thanks Declan for the above. I often wondered what became of Tony Grealish, a great servent for Irish football. I wonder where he died, and when and where his funeral will be held? I ask because I see his last two clubs where Bromsgrove Rovers and Halesowen Harriers, these would be both in the greater B'ham area and I'm wondering did he settle hereabouts ( he also had strong connections with WBA)?

RIP Tony. 

[Sandino]

Country music legend George Jones has died aged 81. What a singer!

[sans pessimism]

Country music legend George Jones has died aged 81. What a singer!
R

as P Flynn wud say -class act

[mouview]

A list of famous (showbiz) people still alive, and now, very aged;

Kirk Douglas
Eli Wallach
Olivia De Havilland (last surviving star of Gone With The Wind)
Joan Fontaine (estranged sister of the above)
Luise Rainer (Austrian-born double-Oscar winner from the 30s)
Deanna Durbin
Vera Lynn (forces sweetheart from WWII)
Shirley Temple
Doris Day


Practically all above in their 90s and Rainer over 100. Relics from a bygone age.
Any others?

Deanna Durbin can be removed from above list, death announced earlier.

Forgot to add the venerable Mickey Rooney to the list above.

[Hardy]

Ah Mickey Rooney - the subject of the best put-down ever.

Rooney to Anne Bancroft - I'm gonna have my way with you before we finish shooting this movie.
Bancroft - If you do, and I get to hear about it, you're in deep shit.

[thejuice]

RIP Jeff Hanneman

Reign in Blood was a ground breaking album largely down the power of the guitar playing.

[theskull1]

Would love to have been in the mosh pit during raining blood

RIP

[Hound]

RIP Jeff Hanneman

Reign in Blood was a ground breaking album largely down the power of the guitar playing.

Killed by a spider.

A rock'n'roll way to go!

[CC1]

Would love to have been in the mosh pit during raining blood

RIP

Been in it a few times during their concerts, great preparation for games!

Great guitarist and composer, inspired generations of musicians that came after him. Gonna belt out Reign in Blood and a few others when I get home in his memory.

RIP Jeff.

[Sandino]

Visual effects master Ray Harryhausen, whose stop-motion wizardry graced such films as Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, has died aged 92.

[From the Bunker]

Visual effects master Ray Harryhausen, whose stop-motion wizardry graced such films as Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, has died aged 92.

Very painstaking work to! Not like today where Technology does the work!