Gabby’s Father’s Day Tribute to Terry Yorath
Happy Fathers’ Day to All our Members who are Dads!!
Coventry News Service run by CCFPA Associate Member Kev Monks reports a particularly poignant public Father’s Day tribute in ‘Fabulous’ magazine to one of our Members Terry Yorath by daughter TV Sports presenter and celebrity Gabby Logan. Gabby is currently out in Brazil covering the World Cup. The site reports as follows:-
‘Gabby Logan has admitted, on Father’s Day, how proud she is of her dad Terry Yorath. The former Coventry City midfielder battled depression following the death of his son Daniel at the age of fifteen.
Yorath, who managed the Wales (1988-93) and the Lebanon national teams and held coaching positions at Bradford City, Huddersfield Town and Margate, also battled against alcoholism and Logan, who went to school in Coventry, admitted that she is so proud of her dad for turning things around. Logan told Fabulous Magazine: “Dad is being more positive about everything. “He just seems happier generally with life. During the London Olympics, he’d ring me every night to talk through the show and say ‘I’m so proud of you”………..“He comes down a lot when I’m away working, so he can help out and take the kids to school. He loves them.”
The support from his daughter will be particularly welcome for Terry given that, along with four other Leeds United legends Norman Hunter, Paul Reaney, Mick Jones, and John Hendrie it is reported that earlier this month he has been axed from the Club’s matchday hospitality team as Italian owner Massimo Cellino continues his cost cutting at Elland Road (see
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/leeds-owner-massimo-cellino-sacks-3671229#ixzz34j3FEwNk)
Terry, who had an illustrious playing career, was an exciting capture from Leeds United for whom he made almost 200 appearances. Signed up by (now fellow Association member) Gordon Milne in August 1976 to add flair, guile and tenacity to the Sky Blues midfield, Terry was our midfield general and captain during much of the era of the formidable Wallace-Ferguson goalscoring partnership and saw his team achieve two top ten finishes. Virtually ever present until he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in close season 1979 Terry clocked up 107 first team appearances in total for the Sky Blues and scored three times. Terry also frequently captained the Welsh side for which he played a leading role in a total of 59 internationals (20 as a Sky Blues’ player).
At Spurs Terry made a further 70 appearances before dropping down from the top flight having spells at Vancouver Whitecaps in Canada (1981), Bradford City (1982) and Swansea City (1986) before moving into management at both these clubs – first (in 1989) Bradford City and then in 1990 at Vetch field. His was then poached to manage his home country’s national team from 1991-1994 (and later did the same job for Lebanon) before plying his managerial and coaching skills at the likes of Cardiff City (1994), Huddersfield Town (1997), Bradford City (again), Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town (again 2003-6) and Margate FC (2008).
Terry, of course became the Association’s 200th member, a mystery signing until announced at the Legends Day celebrations of March 2012 (he is pictured being presented with a commemorative shirt by CCFPA chairman Jim Brown).
