Terry Venables' mum never saw him manage England before dad's sudden death
Terry Venables, who has passed away aged 80, was brought up in Dagenham, east London, by his parents Fred and Myrtle.
He was born on January 6 1943 and had a lucky escape, with the family’s previous home being bombed during the Second World War. Fred, a petty officer in the Royal Navy, was just 20 when he married 18-year-old Myrtle, who was described as “staunchly Welsh” by Venables in his autobiography, Born to Manage, and even wanted him to represent Wales at football.
Venables’ parents ran a pub in Romford, Essex, meaning he spent a lot of time with his grandparents from his mother’s side, Ossie and Milly. Despite his parents spending a lot of time away from home to work, Venables grew up with “a lot of love around”.
It was Venables’ mother who had the biggest influence on his playing career, insisting that he play for England Schoolboys so he got an education. “She lived through me, but wasn't happy at the idea of me being a pro footballer with no alternative employment,” he writes in his autobiography.
“That did not suit her Celtic mind-set, which demanded everything had to be just right for her. I may not have thought so at the time, but her influence taught me about respect for others and how to behave.
Cas star Jacob Miller says Trinity's Lewis Murphy has "nothing to lose" in NRL
“She was aware that I was beginning to get interest from various clubs, but she also worried it might come to nothing, as it has for countless youths who have over the decades been sucked into the system then discarded. So she told me she would agree to my trying out as a professional footballer only when I had been selected for England Schoolboys.”
Venables’ career progressed from there and he played for Chelsea, Tottenham, QPR and Crystal Palace before retiring in 1976 to pursue a career in management. He enjoyed success as the coach of Palace, QPR, Barcelona and Spurs before the England job came calling in 1994. Unfortunately, his mother, Myrtle, passed away before she could see her son’s crowning achievement.
Terry Venables with his father Fred, in April 1965 (Norman Quicke/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)“My parents took great pleasure in my success, although Mum died before I became England manager,” Venables wrote for the Guardian. Fred and Myrtle separated, in part due to his mum’s wish to move back to Wales, but Fred was present at the end of her life.
“When she became terminally ill with lung cancer, he was beside her at the end,” he wrote. “I remember sitting outside with her at the hospital after she had had her hair done. It was a hot day and cricket was being played on the green. Even today, when the cricket is on, that picture of her having her hair combed comes into my mind.”
Venables took England to the semi-finals of Euro 96, with his side playing eye-catching attacking football and mixing up their tactics. It was a seminal summer for players and supporters alike.
Terry Venables with his first wife Christine and their daughters, circa 1970 (Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Terry Venables led England at Euro 96 (Mark Sandten/Bongarts/Getty Images)But there was to be more sadness for Venables when Fred passed away years later. He said: “I was in Sunderland with Crystal Palace when I took a call from Yvette, my wife, to say Dad had had a heart attack. I hurried back to London, but when she met me at the station he had already passed away.”
After stepping away from management in 2007, Venables and his second wife Yvette Bazire, who he met in 1984 and married in 1991, moved to Spain where they ran a hotel. The couple opened La Escondida hotel and restaurant in Penaguila, near Alicante, in 2014.
“She’s the Basil Fawlty role,” Venables told The Times of Yvette’s role at the hotel in 2017. “I’m front of house. I walk around, have a chat to people. I like it. It keeps me busy, keeps me engaged. If you want to keep going on, you’ve got to keep fit, stay busy.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
