Brooking is the man

14 April 2012

As a player Trevor Brooking was never quick, but he always got there. He might fall along the way, but he'd always get up. People up north thought he was a soft touch but those at Upton Park knew otherwise.

In his early days the other West Ham players used to call him 'Cyril', after Cyril Lord, the carpet king. "I was always on the floor because I used to get knocked off the ball easily," he recalled. "Then I learned to lean into the challenge as the tackles came in."

Some time later, on an end of season tour to the USA, the West Ham team watched a baseball match. "The Baltimore Orioles had a big hitter called Boog Powell," Brooking recalled. "He could hit the ball for miles but he was heavily built and his running between bases could best be described as leisurely.

"Of course, the lads immediately spotted the resemblance. He's about as quick as you, they said. From that day they called me 'Boog'. Even today, when I see Billy Bonds he'll say 'Boogie, how are you?'"

'Boogie' learned his lessons quickly and became one of the great players of his generation. He will take the same diligence and perseverance into his new job as the Football Association's director of football development.

It's a big job and may require some revolutionary ideas. But Brooking is big enough for the challenge. As always, he will take his time, but he will do the job properly. He knows no other way.

As a young man he learned accountancy and business expertise and now has one of the country's biggest bookbinding companies. He learned how to be a TV personality. He learned how to duck and dive in the world of sports politics and was an enormously successful chairman of Sport England for four years.

And, when he had to recall what he'd learned under Ron Greenwood and John Lyall at West Ham all those years ago, he was able to summon all that experience and take charge of the team for 14 matches in difficult circumstances. West Ham lost just one game.

It would be unfair to burden him with too much expectation but the fact is Brooking takes great care over what matters to him. Nothing matters more than his family but, after that, football stands alone as his great passion. As he has been a friend for many years I must declare an interest, but I doubt the FA could find a more committed individual to provide wise, honest and imaginative leadership.

He will work closely with new chief executive Mark Palios and England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson in devising policies for technical improvements in a sport that has experienced vast change. Palios recognised the need for a Brookingtype figure a couple of months ago and in a series of meetings convinced him he could play an influential role.

Brooking has the personality and status to galvanise those in the game and produce a blueprint that will benefit all from the grass-roots to the very highest level. Palios will find him a useful ally because he, too, cherishes honesty and sportsmanship. Never sent off in a 17-year career, he now finds some of the behaviour of modern players hard to defend. His two brief spells as caretaker manager at West Ham introduced him to the new mercenaries in football.

"When I was playing you took pride in your performance because you were always aware that you were playing for an improved contract-next time around," he once told me. Because of a possible conflict of interests, Brooking has resigned his role as a non-executive director at West Ham. This will disappoint the club and the fans.

He was influential in the appointment of Alan Pardew as West Ham manager and is convinced that he will lead the club back to the Premiership.

The FA job will initially involve him in a steep learning curve and there are areas of possible responsibility that need to be clarified.

But it is almost certain that, in the interest of impartiality, he will have to consider whether he can continue working for the BBC.

His contract with them is due to expire in the summer but he can hardly be on the FA payroll and sit in TV commentary positions proclaiming: "Sorry Sven, but I think you've got that one wrong!"

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