Godfather Of Champions

    Chapter 56: End: When I was 60 years old

    The dim light from the crystal chandelier on the ceiling can't completely illuminate the Pub, but in this rainy autumn, it can bring a little warmth to the heart.

    There are a lot of people gathered in the old-fashioned Pub. They are gathered together in groups of three or five, maybe the topic is different, but everyone is squatting at the door and seems to be waiting for someone.

    The soothing music in the Pub is an old song, The Beatles' "When I am 64" (when_im_sixty-four).

    When I am old, my hair is gone.

    A lot of years later.

    Will you still send me a Valentine's Day gift?

    A birthday card, a bottle of wine.

……

    The Pub is not noisy, so the Beatles' soft voice is clear.  Everyone lowered their voice and chatted in the air.

    There is a sign hanging on the outside door – it has been closed.

    Kenny Burns, who had white hair and a little camel on his back, sat behind some broken wooden bar, holding a cup in one hand and a towel in one hand.

    His eyes looked straight ahead, and he saw the outside through an old-fashioned glass window covered with a layer of water vapor.

    Across the street is a construction site that is breaking ground.  The white fence was pushed to the ground, and it fell into the mud and became dirty.  There was an excavator parked on the side of the road, the rain was a little big, and the construction site was stopped.

    A year ago, it was still a row of two-story residential areas.

    It is said that a large supermarket will be built two years later.  Behind Pub Forest is also a construction site where several high-rise buildings will be built as new office buildings.  Wilford Lane became the new development center for Nottingham.

    The Pub at the corner stands alone between the two sites and is surrounded by construction machinery.  It seems to be an island surrounded by mechanical monsters.

    The roar of the car motor sounded outside the door, followed by the parking sound.  I heard this voice.  Everyone in the house stopped talking and turned their eyes to the door.

    The person who opened the door did indeed have a woman's face.  Everyone was disappointed at first, but then they all stood up.

    Wife  "They all respectfully greeted the woman who had only revealed a face at the door."

    "You scared me, this suddenly stood up…"The woman who spoke opened the door, but did not come in immediately, but who was waiting.

    Seeing her like this, the big guy is looking forward to it, everyone is like a duck hanging on a crossbar.  Stretched his neck and looked out the door.

    The second person to appear at the door is George Wood, who is familiar with them.  Wood took over the work of the woman and blocked the door.  The woman then quits.

    Although I haven't seen anyone yet, everyone has heard the familiar, hoarse voice.

    "Don't mix me, can I look like I can't walk?"

    "Okay, I want to take me, I can do it with my arm, but don't show up to help the patient…"

    The voice just fell, and the owner of the voice appeared at the door.

    When the little camel appeared in the doorway.  Everyone in the Pub shouted loudly and shouted: "Head!"

    Seeing this scene, the old man opened his mouth and laughed.  He raised his hand: "Long time no see, guys.  ”

    The person who is waiting for the entire Pub, Tony Twain, is finally here.

    And the woman who supported him was naturally his wife Shania.

    Twain took off the old-fashioned wide-brimmed hat worn on his head.  Wood wanted to catch it, but Shania took the lead.  Next, the gray scarf and the black windbreaker were handed over to her.  Shania went to hang clothes and Twain sat down on the chair.  Surrounded by people, he raised the soda cup on the table: "I don't drink, you are free.  ”

    Then someone came up and wanted to talk to Twain.

    The first successful person was the owner of this Pub, Kenny Burns, who was older than anyone at the venue.

    He slowly walked over to Twain and took the chair and sat down.  When everyone saw it, they all dispersed with interest.

    "Hey, you are all old."  Twain grinned at Burns.

    "You can't go anywhere, Toni.  Burns looked at the man opposite, his hair was a lot whiter than before.  However, the spirit is good, the face is ruddy, and it is indeed much better than myself.

    But think again, I am 75 years old this year, and Toni is only 60 years old, 15 years younger than myself.  I don’t think it’s the same spirit when I was sixty years old. People always get older, this is the law of nature.

    "I almost couldn't find a way when I came, and the changes around you are really big.  ATwain laughed.

    Before he was sitting in the car all the way to find it.  I saw this environment and Burns's Pub on the spot and laughed.  Made Shania and driving Woodwood didn't know why he laughed.  Of course they will not find it.  They may not know it for a lifetime.  Seeing the Pub Forest surrounded by construction machinery and smashed construction sites, Twain's mind naturally came up with such a word "nail house."  In Twain's opinion.  Kenny Burns is clearly the nail house here, the buildings adjacent to the Pub are all demolished, and only this Pub is retained.  But it is said that it is impossible to escape the fate of being demolished.

    "To re-plan.  Burns looked at the excavator outside the window.  "When the day is over, my Pub will be completely closed.  ”

    Twain was not surprised, he nodded: "Where are you going?"

    “Take me home.”  ”

    Hearing this sentence, Twain stunned and then reacted to Burns's home not here, but in Scotland.  He has lived here for decades and made himself think that he has been a Nottingham person…

    The City Ground was demolished, and the Wilford Lane Training Grounds were also demolished, and now even the Pub has to be removed.  Twain suddenly became silent as the witnesses of the past years disappeared.

    Burns knew what Twain was thinking, and he patted the table.  "Fortunately, both Pub and Stadium can be removed, but the memory can't be removed.  ”

    He said so.  Twain smiled on his face and he thought of a song.  Burns, this song, has certainly not been heard, but the meaning is exactly the same.  He nodded: "The memory is still there.  John, what about them? ”

    He also remembers the lovely fans.

    "It’s not as hot as it used to be. After all, they are getting older.  But now it’s their turn to have their children crazy, but they just don’t come to me.  The young people said that I looked awkward and not suitable for young people.  ”

    Twain laughed awkwardly.  Burns This Pub is indeed old and run down, although he was cleaned quite cleanly.  But I can't get rid of a yellowed photo, the old film feels.  Very, the time he saw when he first came here did not change.  It’s just that there are a lot of photos on the wall that led me to win Champion, but those photos now look a little faded.

    "I haven't seen them for a long time…"

    Twain muttered.

    Today is the first time he has come to this Pub after ten years.  Quite something is a feeling of human beings.

    Since retiring ten years ago, he has lived with his wife all over the world.  United States of America West Coast residence time, United Kingdom Nottingham live time, even China they have also lived, and let people who don't know them think they have lived in China for many years.

    As the media said, his retirement life is quite chic.  If it wasn't for a physical illness at the beginning of last year, he might have to continue to do so.

    "They sometimes ask you.  Burns looked up at the excavator outside the window.  "A group of old guys are together.  The most talked about is what happened at that time.  I have seen John teach his son, slap on the head, and don’t want to fart here if he hasn’t experienced anything, ha…"

    Twain is curious about what John said his son.

    "In fact, there is nothing. John just said that Don is not worse than you."  ”

    I heard this.  Twain laughed.

    "John just yelled at him. In the ten years of Tang, he only took two Champions. Compared with your sixteen sixteen Champions, what is worse than you? Old guys always like to remember things in the past…"

    False.  When they started to recall the past.  That means they are old.  Twain corrected it.

    "Are we still not remembering the past?"

    "So we are old too.  Twain replied.

    Pepe and Pique took a few people on the defense line and came up with Twain.  Twain told them that they had their own bronze statue outside Crimson Arena, which was completed four years ago and is still very fresh.  Pepe said that there are real people in front of him. Why do you want to take a photo with the bronze statue? His words were widely endorsed by the big guys, so after a democratic vote, Twain became the best photo group.

    Several people are in front of the camera, trapping Twain in the middle.  The smile under the flash is very bright.

    With the help of his grandfather, Pique entered the Board Club of the Barcelona Club and is expected to become the chairman of the Barcelona Club.

    Pepe ran in Brazil and Portugal. He opened the restaurant in two places and has no work on football.  Pepe, who runs the restaurant, looks a little thicker than before, and has a round belly and is quite prominent in the crowd.  His original round face is even rounder.

    Gareth Bale, Rafinha, Akinfeev, and Pepe and Pique.  The main defense line of the Forest's most prosperous period gathered around Twain.  Give people a feeling of time back.  The Russians returned to their home country and became the Goalkeeper coach of FC Lokomotiv Moscow.  Now it is the Goalkeeper coach of the Russia National Team.  Most players will choose football-related work after they retire.

    Rafinha was employed by Arsenal FC and became Arsenal FC's Scout in Brazil, where he was responsible for excavating the excellent Brazil seedlings for Arsenal FC.

    Bale entered the Wales Football Association.  After he was a Giggs, the most successful player in Wales football, entering the Football Association is a matter of course.  Now, Bale can't see the "Little Monkey" in the past, and he is infinitely close to the official.

    Only when Twain called him "Little Monkey", he was very happy to agree.

    After the people on the back line went away, they came to the field as a few people in the midfield.  Twain was very surprised. "Are you discussing it well? All the waves come and go? ”

    Everyone laughed and hagged him in the middle, leaving a photo.

    When Ribéry left the Forest team, he was suspected of running away.  In the future, everyone met on the field and there was a conflict.  But nowadays, mentioning those past events, more are "a smile and enmity."  It’s just that he’s still hard to read with a smile, the scar on his face is still, and it’s not so scary as he gets older.  He has now experienced an Agent company himself and started a lot of Agents for the France player. He is a successful business person.  In today's Nottingham Forest FC, there is a France player that he introduced as an agent.

    These two people have set a precedent.  Everyone took turns to take photos with Twain. There are groups and single people.  Twain took a few moments to take a photo with them and find out what they are up to.

    The guys who were in the middle of the Stadium and the European Football were all retired, and they became the middle-aged men in their forties.  Some of them still keep in touch, and some people only meet again because of this gathering.  Usually everyone has another identity, their career and life.  But today.  In this Pub, which will be demolished, they reverted to their original identity, the Nottingham Forest FC player, Tony Twain's Warriors.

    After the group photo, they continued to chat together in the three or three, telling the missing thoughts for many years.  Or talk about the years when you were on the Stadium.

    Twain didn't get involved. He sat down with his wife, Shania, and quietly looked at everything in front of him, feeling deeply satisfied.

    He found that when he arrived, the memory became very good.  He suddenly remembered a long-standing past.  Usually he can't think of it.

    If you remember correctly, it should be May of 2004, where he attended a similar gathering.  But the protagonist at the time was Brian Clough and his soldiers.  They are celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the capture of the Champions League.  At that time, I looked at those people who talked together and recalled the years in the late seventies. He himself was very envious of this outsider.  He has an illusion in his heart – one day, he can sit here with his former men and remember the years of Europe.

    Today  Fantasy comes true, things are human.

    As the Assistant Coach of the Championship Team, Don is also invited today.  He is still the Manager of Nottingham Forest FC, and he specially took time off to attend this party.  At this moment he sat on the side and chatted with the old colleagues.  Twain found him.  I don't know if his innermost feelings will be as embarrassing as he was at the beginning.

    He got up and walked slowly and sat down next to the coaches.

    "Man, see you all still.  I am so happy.  ”

    The big guy saw Twain coming over.  They all rose up and expressed respect.  After Twain sat down, they were seated.

    Twain glanced around: "What about Freddy?"

    "He.  He said that he was a player and went running with his old teammates.  "Older than Twain, David Chrislake pointed to a direction, and Twain looked down."  Sure enough, Eastwood was chatting with Ribéry.

    He grinned and took his eyes back.

    "You are all old.  ”

    "You are not, Toni?"The big guy answered him this way.

    Most of these people continue to do their previous work in the Forest team, which can be said to be the least changed group.  For example, David Chrislake is also the Assistant Coach of the Forest team, and Eastwood is the head of the youth camp.

    "How about your two daughters, Toni?"Someone in the crowd asked.

    Twain came to the spirit when he heard the problem. He stood up and proudly said, "Teressa is very beautiful. As for Liv…Fortunately, she looks more like her mother.  ”

    There was a burst of laughter in the crowd.

    Teressa is fourteen years old and looks very handsome.  Whenever she saw her, Twain felt sorry for Teressa's biological parents in her heart. How can she be thrown away with such a beautiful and lovely daughter?

    Liv is Twain's youngest daughter, the baby Shania gave birth to him the year he retired, and now he is almost ten years old.  Unlike Wensher's Teressa, Liv is lively and active, typically a Western girl character.  Much like her mother.

    To his delight, Liv and Teressa have a very good relationship, and there is no cold and bully introverted sister.  This may be related to his lead with Shania – after Liv was born, Teressa was worried that he would lose the love of his parents, but the husband and wife answered with more love.

    What bothers him is that, compared to the chilly United Kingdom, Liv prefers the sunny West Coast of United States of America, and her personality is a bit like American.  Lively too much.  So in order to satisfy this little guy, the family spends more time away from the United Kingdom. For this reason, Twain also gave up the work of bbc5. Now he just publishes his own articles in newspapers and on the Internet, but he does not rely on it. This life.

    In the heart of Twain, there is no one who tells the private heart.  He hopes that his two daughters will like China, so apart from United States of America and United Kingdom, the place where he spends the most time is China.  He misses there.  Especially as he grows older, his thoughts grow stronger.  Perhaps the soul of China in the bones is doing something, it is an instinct of "falling back to the roots"…

    In any case, these two treasures are the greatest pride and achievement of Twain now.  For him, he has been a brilliant achievement in his 16 years of coaching career.  The sixteen important Champion trophies have long been thrown into the clouds, not worth mentioning.  Perhaps the fans and Club players of the Forest team are proud of the trophies that Tony Twain has ever achieved. Perhaps there are still many people who would like to talk about Twain’s 16 years of legendary experience. Perhaps the media now complain about the present. The stars are clowns who are sensational.  One side misses the "clown" that most hates them, maybe…Twain didn't care. He felt that his greatest honor in life and the Champion trophy was to have a happy family, a wife who loves him, and two healthy and beautiful daughters.  When he passed over twenty-six years ago, he lost his affection, but he didn't care at that time, because he felt that he was young when he was doing something.  Now he feels that he has circled a big circle.  What is the ultimate goal of doing a career? In order to be able to form a happy family, in order to make your family's life worry-free, in order to be able to have family…

    God let him understand this matter in the year of 50, and spent another ten years to make him cherish more.

    Nothing in life is more important than family, and it is always the same to death.

    Twain is excited to tell the old guys who have not seen for many years how cute and smart their two daughters are.

    Yes, he is showing off and showing off his family.  No one thinks that he should not do this.

    He is now looking like a flying girl.  The same fascinating man more than twenty years ago is disappearing from everyone’s sight.  No one feels sorry.

    How nice this is.

    David Chrislake raised a glass of wine for Twain: "I saw you so happy.  MeHe looked back at the old colleagues around him and turned to look at Twain.  "No!  We are very happy.  ”

    Twain raised his soda and greeted the old men who raised their glasses.

    "thank you all.  ”

    The person who toasted Twain also had a familiar Twain, but he had never spoken.  There was some tiredness between the corners of the eyes, some of them were white, and the wrinkles on the forehead were significantly more.  Seeing him gave Twain the illusion that time and space would reverse the mirror.  Because he saw his original appearance in his forties.

    It is the current Manager of Nottingham Forest FC, Chinese, Tang.  I exchanged my soul and body with my brother.

    Found Twain looking at him, Tang returned with a smile.

    He moved over and sat down beside Tang.  He lowered his voice and asked a question in Tang’s ear: "Dad, mom are all okay?"

    Don nodded quietly and said: "Very good.  ”

    With this answer, Twain raised his head again and his face smiled.  Then the two people looked at each other.

    Although Twain is running around the world, he is still concerned about the Forest team, but he has never evaluated the Forest team in any public place.  Now facing the current Manager of the Forest team, he still does, not to say anything.

    Just like when I was coaching at the Forest team, Brian Clough didn't say anything, no matter what he did.  In addition to telling him not to be too stressed, not to be too proud, his achievements are almost nothing.

    I was very naive at the time, but now Tang is not naive. He knows what he should do and what not to do.  In the past ten years, hasn't he done quite well in the Forest team? Although only two League Titles were obtained, Twain's previously unfilled foundations were rigorously rigorous.

    Nottingham Forest FC is led by Don.  I am getting rid of my influence a little bit.  The story that Burns tells is a good reflection of this. The new generation of fans feel that Tang is doing a good job. Isn't that the best reward for his ten years of coaching?

    This is quite good, you don't need to come out and tell yourself what influence you still have on Nottingham Forest FC.  Retired people must have a retirement, otherwise it is better to continue to coach.  Worried about the failure of coaching, but also want to be the club's behavior is a coward's behavior, Twain disdain for it.

    So they look at each other.  Twain doesn't say "doing well" and doesn't say "not good enough". Tang will not take the initiative to talk about Twain's coaching achievements. He also has his own self-esteem in front of Twain.

    Twain lifted the cup in his hand to Tang: "Happy 10th Anniversary, Tang.  ”

    Don Hui: "I wish you good health, Toni.  ”

    When the sky is getting darker.  The rain outside is getting bigger and bigger, and the enthusiasm in the Pub is extraordinarily warm.  Everyone talked about Xingzheng, and the sound in Pub was getting bigger and bigger, and the music was already suppressed.  It is not only Twain that has not been seen for many years.  There are other people who are also busy with their own lives and careers after retiring. They usually have no chance to get together and chat like this.

    This five-time Champions League 15th Anniversary Party gave them such an opportunity.  Of course, I have to catch a few words from my friends in the past, ask about the situation over the years, recall the memories of the years I spent together, talk about those interesting people and things, even the contradictions of the year to this afternoon. .  They have become extraordinarily warm memories.

    In this case, Twain is going to go home.

    He knocked on the desktop in front of his wife and said to her, "Let's go back.  ”

    Shania was a little surprised: "No more waiting for a while? You are not saying that there are many words to tell the old guys? ”

    "It was like this, but after I saw them, I suddenly had nothing to say.  Just looking at them feels good, and I see enough.  I am a little tired.  ”

    Shania knew that Twain was really tired, so she nodded and agreed.  "Let's say hello to them before leaving.  ”

    When two people stood up, they immediately attracted the attention of some people at the place.

    "He was seriously ill.  But without you so spirited.  Shania tells everyone that Twain is leaving early.

    Twain pouted.  "Don't listen to her, I got sick last year."  Now I am in good health.  ”

    "The lady's words are right.  Head, you have to listen.  "Someone in the crowd said so.

    "Yes, Toni.  Take care of your body and we will be able to meet again in ten years.  "Everyone reached out and waved to Twain, making a ten-year contract.

    "Okay, meet again in ten years.  Twain put on his coat with the help of Shania, and put on a scarf. He finally took the hat, pinched it in his hand, and waved at everyone.

    George Wood, who was still very involved with the teammates, was crowded in from the crowd: "I am sending you home.  ”

    Shania shook her head: "I can drive."  If you are not easy to get together with everyone, just play for a while.  ”

    George Wood, who retired four years ago when he was thirty-eight years old.  As the greatest Captain in the history of Nottingham Forest FC, his retirement is comparable to Twain's departure.  The scene was sensational, so that Wood, the tough guy, had tears in his eyes when he said goodbye, and he choked several times.  Twain was in the Stadium box and witnessed this scene.  When the audience of 60,000 people shouted "Saint George", his eyes were also wet.

    George Wood's retirement completely ended the golden age of Nottingham Forest FC. Twain's last familiar player left the stage of world football. Since then, the most brilliant time of Nottingham Forest FC has been rummaged from historical data.

    In the summer after retiring, Wood married Nuvi Vivian, who had been in love for more than six years, to form a new family.  Now their children are three years old and have a happy life.

    Now Wood looks really a model of a mature man, and the child goes all the way.

    Now that mature Wood heard the words of Shania, he turned his attention to Twain.

    Twain nodded. "Listen to her, George.  Even I have to listen to her, haha! ”

    The big guy laughed again.  Wood gave up his plan and let it go.  Just as Twain passed by him, he whispered: "I will see you again in a few days.  ”

    "Well, bring your wife, and your son.  Twain nodded lightly.

    With Shania's help, he walked to the door, Twain clasped his hat on his head, and he dressed his hands and waved his hand to the big guy: "Don't send it, it's raining outside."  Goodbye, guys.  It’s so happy to see you still alive and kicking, haha! ”

    In the laughter, Twain turned and Shania opened an umbrella for him, covering both of them underneath.  The two walked into the rain like this, and the rain hit the umbrella and made a creaking sound. The water in the road reflected the reflection of the two of them.  The crowd gathered around and saw that Shania held the umbrella with one hand and supported Twain while driving the door in one hand, which was inconvenient.  In the crowd, several people suddenly rushed out to help.  Eventually Wood grabbed the umbrella in Shania's hand, and Bale held Twain, and Eastwood opened the door for Twain: "Hey, please get on the bus.  ”

    Shania didn't do anything. She stood by Twain and smiled at him: "You see, a grand farewell ceremony."  ”

    Twain turned to look at Eastwood, who drove the door for him, and smiled.  Then he looked back at the door of the Pub, where there was already a crowd of people, and everyone stood at the eaves and looked at him.

    Twain waved at them and motioned them to go back.  Then he turned and got into the car.

    Eastwood closes the door for Twain.  Wood took an umbrella for Shania and sent her around the door on the side of the driver's seat and sent her to the car.

    Shania rolled down the window and found her hand to say goodbye to them: "Goodbye, thank you!"

    Everyone has returned.

    Then the car started, slowly passing through the construction machinery parked on both sides of the road, splashing the water on the side of the road, leaving everyone's view, only the yellow taillights looming in the rain, and finally the light of the taillights disappeared. In the rain and fog.

    The rain is still falling, hitting the ground.  The players are still gathered at the door, looking at the direction of the head.

    For a long time, Bale asked: "Was the head left?"There seems to be some disbelief in the tone.

    "Well, I am leaving.  Wood replied.  "Go back, let's continue.  ”

    Even so, he did not move his own steps. Everyone, like him, stood at the door and continued to look at Twain's direction.

    Burns didn't go out. He was in the Pub, through the window filled with water vapor, and saw the scene of Twain's car leaving.  Everyone was outside, and it was still hot, and the steaming Pub suddenly vacated and quieted down.

    The music played in the sound just finished the round and turned to the song at the beginning.

    At that time, you are old, as long as you say that you need me,

    I am willing to stay with you.

    I will be by your side, repairing the fuse for you,

    When your light is off.

    You can knit a sweater by the fireside.

    Go for a ride on Sunday morning,

    Repair the garden, except weeds,

    I won't have more requirements.

    Do you still need me then, will you still serve me?

    When I was sixty-four years old…