Craig Bellamy: Difference between revisions
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He scored nine goals for Celtic in the remainder of the season. His first goal for Celtic was in the cup against Clyde and scoring a superb goal against Aberdeen which won over the media on Scotsport and was revered by the hoops, (the fans) and was part of a squad that went onto win the [[Scottish Cup]], his only career trophy so far. Many Celtic fans wanted Bellamy to stay, as he was seen as the new [[Henrik Larsson]], and the club were keen to sign him permanently, but on [[7 July]] [[2005]] it was announced that he was to return to the Premiership with [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] for a transfer fee rumoured to be between £2.5 million and £5 million. He signed a four year contract, and he was reunited with former Wales manager [[Mark Hughes]], scoring seventeen goals for Blackburn in a successful season which sparked renewed interest in him from a handful of top clubs. |
He scored nine goals for Celtic in the remainder of the season. His first goal for Celtic was in the cup against Clyde and scoring a superb goal against Aberdeen which won over the media on Scotsport and was revered by the hoops, (the fans) and was part of a squad that went onto win the [[Scottish Cup]], his only career trophy so far. Many Celtic fans wanted Bellamy to stay, as he was seen as the new [[Henrik Larsson]], and the club were keen to sign him permanently, but on [[7 July]] [[2005]] it was announced that he was to return to the Premiership with [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] for a transfer fee rumoured to be between £2.5 million and £5 million. He signed a four year contract, and he was reunited with former Wales manager [[Mark Hughes]], scoring seventeen goals for Blackburn in a successful season which sparked renewed interest in him from a handful of top clubs. |
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Craig Bellamy made himself un-welcome even further at St James' Park by sending nasty text messages to club captain and legend Alan Shearer. Strangely out of character Shearer publicly threatened to "knock his block off" if Craig Bellamy returned to Newcastle United. |
Craig Bellamy made himself un-welcome even further at St James' Park by sending nasty text messages to club captain and legend Alan Shearer, after Newcastle's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United. At the time, Shearer was with the Newcastle squad in [[Ireland]] for [[Jackie McNamara]]'s testimonial golf day, and his agent has insisted his mobile had been lost at the time. Kenneth Shepherd, son of Newcastle chairman Freddy, also received gloating text messages. Strangely out of character Shearer publicly threatened to "knock his block off" if Craig Bellamy returned to Newcastle United <ref> http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/print/sport/6017873.shtml</ref> |
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==Liverpool== |
==Liverpool== |
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Revision as of 21:25, 24 September 2006
- This article is about the Welsh footballer. For the rugby coach and former rugby player, see Craig Bellamy (rugby league footballer).
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Douglas Bellamy | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Liverpool | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 August 2006 | |||
Craig Douglas Bellamy (born July 13, 1979 in Canton, Cardiff) is a Welsh international football player. He is a quick, hard-working striker, and currently plays for Liverpool in the English Premiership.
Early career
Bellamy came through the youth system at Norwich City. His first team debut for the "Canaries" came at Crystal Palace on 15 March 1997. Craig became a first team regular in the 1997-98 season, making 38 appearances with 13 goals. It was during this season that he made his international debut for Wales, playing in a friendly game against Jamaica.
Bellamy missed two months of the 1998-99 season through injury after a clash with Wolves defender Kevin Muscat. He still managed to have a successful season amassing 17 goals in 38 appearances.
1999-00 again saw Bellamy miss a substantial amount of the season after sustaining a knee injury during a pre-season game against Southend. He only returned to action in April 2000. The summer of 2000 saw much transfer speculation surrounding Bellamy with Newcastle United, Tottenham, Celtic and Wimbledon all reportedly interested. Bellamy eventually completed a move to Coventry City for a sum of £6.5 million (money they had gained through selling Robbie Keane to Inter Milan).
Coventry City
Bellamy had an unsuccessful start to his career with the "Sky Blues", scoring only three goals by December. This fueled rumours of a return to Norwich, but it never materialised. Coventry themselves were struggling in the Premier League and Bellamy made it clear that he would not stay with the club if they were relegated to the First Division. By the end of the season Coventry were indeed relegated and in June 2001 they sold Bellamy to Newcastle for £6 million. Craig Bellamy set a record in the FA Premier League by missing 23 one-on-one situations on goal.
The Coventry City fans and Craig Bellamy have held a long running feud ever since he publicly damned the fans for not supporting him. Craig Bellamy was later voted "Worst Coventry City Player Ever" by the London Supportors Club, getting got 89% of the vote, ahead of Paul Trollope's 4%.[citation needed]
Newcastle United
Bellamy's Newcastle career got off to a flying start as he scored on his debut in their 4-0 win over Belgian side Lokeren. Under manager Bobby Robson he formed a productive striking partnership with Alan Shearer, Bellamy's pace complementing the former England captain's guile. At the end of his first season, Bellamy was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award, ahead of players such as Steven Gerrard.
During his second season at Newcastle came probably his most important moment for the club as he scored two goals (including the winner) in the 3-2 win over Feyenoord which took Newcastle through to the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, in the next match (a 4-1 defeat to Inter Milan) he was sent off for kicking out at an Inter defender, which resulted in a three match ban. His aggression has at times been his achilles heel and in March 2003 he was alleged to have racially attacked someone at a nightclub in Cardiff.
After Bobby Robson's departure in August 2004, Bellamy had a very public falling-out with his replacement as Newcastle manager, Graeme Souness. On 23 January 2005, Bellamy was omitted from the team for a Premiership match with Arsenal. Before the match, Souness said that Bellamy had a hamstring problem, but contradicted himself in a post-match interview, claiming that Bellamy was benched for being unprepared to play as a right-side midfielder. Minutes later, Bellamy gave an interview of his own saying that he was prepared to play in any position. He admitted that he had threatened to fake injury ahead of the Arsenal match, and in a later interview accused Souness of lying about him. Two days after the match, the club fined Bellamy two weeks' wages (about £80,000). On January 31 2005 (transfer deadline day) Bellamy was sent on loan to Celtic F.C. of the Scottish Premier League for the remainder of the season. He rejected a move to Birmingham City.
Bellamy's feud with Newcastle United resurfaced in September 2006 following Liverpool's victory over the Magpies. Assistant Manager Terry McDermott branded Bellamy a "little upstart" after he was said to have interrupted a conversation McDermott was having with referee Mark Halsey after the match had finished.[1]
Celtic & Blackburn Rovers
He scored nine goals for Celtic in the remainder of the season. His first goal for Celtic was in the cup against Clyde and scoring a superb goal against Aberdeen which won over the media on Scotsport and was revered by the hoops, (the fans) and was part of a squad that went onto win the Scottish Cup, his only career trophy so far. Many Celtic fans wanted Bellamy to stay, as he was seen as the new Henrik Larsson, and the club were keen to sign him permanently, but on 7 July 2005 it was announced that he was to return to the Premiership with Blackburn Rovers for a transfer fee rumoured to be between £2.5 million and £5 million. He signed a four year contract, and he was reunited with former Wales manager Mark Hughes, scoring seventeen goals for Blackburn in a successful season which sparked renewed interest in him from a handful of top clubs.
Craig Bellamy made himself un-welcome even further at St James' Park by sending nasty text messages to club captain and legend Alan Shearer, after Newcastle's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United. At the time, Shearer was with the Newcastle squad in Ireland for Jackie McNamara's testimonial golf day, and his agent has insisted his mobile had been lost at the time. Kenneth Shepherd, son of Newcastle chairman Freddy, also received gloating text messages. Strangely out of character Shearer publicly threatened to "knock his block off" if Craig Bellamy returned to Newcastle United [2]
Liverpool
On 20 June 2006 he was the subject of a transfer bid from FA Cup winners Liverpool, rumoured to be in the region of £6.5 million. The offer triggered a clause in Bellamy's contract involving bids from clubs playing Champions League football, and Blackburn were obliged to allow him permission to talk to the club.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez subsequently stated that Bellamy "has the ability, the pace and the talent we've been looking for", and that he expected talks to go well, particularly as Bellamy is known to have supported Liverpool in his youth.[3] He signed for the club on 23 June 2006 and officially became a Liverpool player on July 1 2006.[4] The sum of all Bellamy's transfers now stands at circa £20 million.
On 9 August 2006, Bellamy scored his first competitive goal for Liverpool in their 2-1 win over Maccabi Haifa in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third round qualifier and in the 2006 FA Community Shield against Chelsea, Bellamy set up the winning goal, crossing the ball in for Peter Crouch to head home to lead 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining.
Personal life
Craig’s father, Douglas, was the manager of the Allied steel and wire plant in Cardiff before being made redundant a few years ago when the firm went bankrupt. Craig bought his dad an Audi sports car as a present. Craig’s mother Angela was a care worker. Craig’s grandfather is ethnic Maltese. Craig has two brothers, one older one Paul (who works in a SWALEC call centre) and one younger brother named Matthew (who is an apprentice welder).
Craig attended Baden Powell school in the Splott area of Cardiff where he lived as a toddler. The Bellamy family then moved to the Trowbridge, Cardiff council estate were Craig attended Trowbridge junior school and Rhymney High school. It was brother Paul who first informed the Dad that Craig has a real talent for football. Since then his supportive dad Doug drove Craig to football events all over the country.
Bellamy has a long term childhood sweetheart Claire Jensen, and the couple have two young boys, Ellis (b. 1998) and Cameron (b. 2002).
On Saturday 3 June 2006 the couple married at their local St Bride's Church in St Brides-super-Ely, Vale of Glamorgan near Cardiff, followed by a lavish reception at their nearby Grade2 listed country home.[5]
Bellamy hired a pink Rolls Royce for his bride, and drove himself to the ceremony in his Black Bentley.[6]
Their honeymoon was interupted as Bellamy was due back in Cardiff to answer to Magistrates over his bail extension, following an alleged assault on a 19-year-old girl in a Cardiff nightclub in March 2006.[7] He was later charged with assault.[8]
Honours
Celtic
- 2004–05 Scottish FA Cup
Liverpool
- 2006–07 Community Shield
Personal Awards
References
- ^ "Craig Bellamy is branded a "little upstart" by Terry McDermott". 22 September 2006. Retrieved 24 September.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/print/sport/6017873.shtml
- ^ "Rafa: Bellamy is a very good footballer". Liverpool FC Official Website. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 22 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Craig Bellamy: The first Liverpool interview". Liverpool FC Official Website. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 23 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Bad Boy Bel weds". The Sunday Mirror. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 23 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Wedding bells for Bellers". Wales on Sunday. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 23 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Footballer Craig Bellamy arrested". BBC News Online. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 23 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Footballer Craig Bellamy charged". BBC News Online. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 2 July.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
- Welsh footballers
- Wales international footballers
- FA Premier League players
- Current FA Premier League players
- Liverpool F.C. players
- Blackburn Rovers F.C. players
- Celtic F.C. players
- Coventry City F.C. players
- Newcastle United F.C. players
- Norwich City F.C. players
- Football (soccer) strikers
- 1979 births
- Living people