Mark Schwarzer - talksport interview

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binghamered

Member
Interesting interview with Schwarzer last night seems quite biter about the way the club & fans treated him when he left. Did serve club for 9 years during our best times. Left & club sent him a typed standard letter thanking for his service a few months after he left. Southgate wrote him a personal thank you letter. Said fans booed him when he played Boro in our relegation season. One threw ball in his face when he picked it up for a goal kick at craven cottage & the fans blamed him for the relegation. Didn’t return to the club for a number of years because of this. Went to play off final as son massive Boro fan & asked the club for tickets. He was happy to pay but his wife had to go to post office to collect tickets and pay for the postage. Felt maybe he deserve better due to his service. Fans spotted him at Wembley and everyone was great with him. Sounds like since that day he has made peace. My guess only heard his version of events so not sure if he caused trouble in last year. Boro usually honour great servants and he was undoubtedly one.
 
I think it was an open secret he wanted off in his last season and many thought he was less than committed in that season.

I remember my friend going ballistic at him away at city as he barely moved for the ball and def wasn’t putting the effort in he had in prev seasons.

of course the events at Upton Park def scarred him and his willingness to come out.

but I loved his time here and it was great having a big commanding keeper at the back.
 
Best keeper I ever saw playing for Boro and we’ve had some very good ones. One of our biggest mistakes was letting him go; I don’t recall him playing for a move, I rather thought when he went he was angry that the club hadn’t tried more to keep him.
 
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Shame to hear that. Always seemed like one of the good guys and was a great keeper. I met him at Harrogate station once, the day after a 2-2 draw with Newcastle. He was very friendly and spent a good few minutes chatting with me.
 
The club show a distinct lack of class at times. True club legend and should be treated as such, but feels like there's some resentment from the hierarchy towards him.

As for the fans, well we're a fickle bunch aren't we? I think any ill feeling was a combination of familiarity breeding contempt (definitely taken for granted towards the end), a bit of transfer speculation over the years which has been interpreted as a lack of loyality and getting his place back off Crossley which many felt was unfair.

Pleased it sounds like it's water under the bridge now and if his son is a fan he can't have been that bitter about it all.
 
Love the big Aussie me. Boro legend. Hope to see him play the touted charity match and for him to be given the standing ovation he deserves.

That penalty save against Robbie Fowler was one of the most memorable moments in my time as a boro fan. Unbelievable scenes
 
Two sides to every story ! Hope I’m wrong but be interesting to hear the Boro version

Ps still haven’t forgiven him for the mistake against Bolton at Cardiff , he cost me at least 3 years of my lifespan .
 
Yeah the penalty save was massive.

But I think it was his performance in the Carling cup final that I found most impressive. To play like that after making probably the biggest individual error of your career requires some pretty incredible mental strength. He was flawless after that, not to mention pulling off a few worldies.

Lesser players would have crumbled or at least looked a bit ropey (see karius in the CL final). He just moved on from it immediately, was as if it never happened. And that in a massive game and an incredible atmosphere. Must have ice running through his veins.
 
To think, there was a significant proportion of our fans during his decade between our sticks that thought he was *****. I bet plenty of them didn't hang around to see the likes of Brad Jones and Tomas Mejias flapping around on their debuts.
 
A brilliant keeper and a shame he had that experience in the final season, and after leaving us. He was definitely under appreciated, and we've had numerous awful keepers since he left
 
Did he handa transfer request in, or at least there was rumours he did. Fans can be very quick to turn against a player when they do that. They like to assume that players don't leave us unless we want them to leave, not the other way around.

He was a far better keeper than any we have had since. I think at the time it was a case of not knowing what you have until it's gone.
 
boromike85 said:
Did he handa transfer request in, or at least there was rumours he did. Fans can be very quick to turn against a player when they do that. They like to assume that players don't leave us unless we want them to leave, not the other way around.

He was a far better keeper than any we have had since. I think at the time it was a case of not knowing what you have until it's gone.
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In the link I posted it states we offered him a contract to stay but he thought it was unsuitable and he turned it down. He says we had not come back in with a better offer.
 
He was a brilliant keeper for us, without doubt our best imo. I met him one day in Guisborough in his last season for us, when the rumours about his imminent departure were rife. I told him fans would love him to stay but he just smiled and was non-committal.
 
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