Mick ‘Baz’ Rathbone Talks to Joys and Sorrows

If you are under 35 years of age, you will probably go WHOOO! (Actually if you are over 35, you STILL might go WHOOO!)

Baz was at Blues when Willie Bell / Jim Smith were managers, late 70’s into the 80’s. He didn’t have that big an impact, so… hang on I’m doing all this wrong. Baz should be telling us his story. Baz has a new book out called “The Smell of Football.” I read it while I was on holiday, and really enjoyed it. I got approached by his publisher and asked do I want to chat with Baz, so I said yes. I hope you enjoy it, Baz is a down to earth Brummie with a great sense of humour, (aren’t we all), and I really enjoyed talking to him.

Oh and by the way, there is a free book on offer. Answer the question at the end and send your answer via the contact page with the title BAZ, and whoever is randomly picked, will win a book.

Right, enough preamble, let’s get down to business.

Baz thank you for talking to me, before we start on you – what are your thoughts on the Blues just now?

Pleasure Kev. Hmm, to be honest I think it is going to be difficult for them. They’re not going to fly back up are they? When you have to sell your best players that HAS to have an impact doesn’t it? It’s always difficult when you’re selling. Chris Hughton is respected in the business and he has done the job before at Newcastle. There may be a period of consolidation initially but I do believe the trend will be upward.

I did see Blues play v Coventry as I was working for them for a short while, and Blues obviously won with a late goal. I have to say it wasn’t a great game though. I haven’t seen them since mind.

 Thanks for that. OK let’s talk about you. I’ve been reading your book and really enjoyed it. You’ve clearly written it how you think. It’s like you are chatting on a chat show.

To be honest Kev, I’ve tried to just “spit it out!” (I add – well you’ve succeeded and it’s come over well!) Well I hope so, I’m no John Grisham, (he laughs at this point), but I hope it’s received well. I hope the chattiness makes it a good read, I deliberately put a lot of stories in. 

OK, let’s go back to the beginning. Tell us about your early days.

I was bought up in Sheldon. I grew up kicking a ball around on King George V playing field. We used to walk down to Sheldon shopping and spent time in the Wheatsheaf pub. I became an apprentice at the Blues, I could either walk or catch the 159 up to the airport.

So how did that happen for you and what was your first impression as a player? 

I was picked up at school. I was Captain for Birmingham Schools. I then got selected to play for Warwickshire schools and the scouts used to come along. I got picked by a number of the clubs, including a short time at the Villa, but I always wanted to play for Blues. I got invited to a few games, and I was sat watching football for free – I couldn’t believe it. I used to stand on the Kop or Tilton. I was then asked to become an apprentice.

Blues were a decent side with some very good players playing pretty decent football. Willie Bell had taken over after Freddie Goodwin had been sacked. I remember the crowds were good too. I wanted the book to talk about a period of time that was a “byegone era!” The bottle of milk after the game etc. (Edit – Baz talks about this in more detail in his book).

When I spoke to Kenny Burns, he spoke very highly of Willie Bell, what was your take on him?

Willie was great, I really liked him. I saw him a couple of years ago actually. He came to the Everton training ground about 5 years ago and  although he was obviously quite old, he looked about 50! He remembered the time very well. Really nice man.

So you are now an apprentice cleaning the boots of your heros, how does a young lad cope with that?

Well I didn’t it was too much for me. You wake up in the morning and look at the wall covered in posters of them and then just a short bus ride away, you’re stripping off next to them. I didn’t feel I deserved to breathe the same oxygen as them! I failed and I played badly and it became a vicious circle.

I eventually started playing for the 1st team, but continued to play badly and got loads of stick which made me feel worse, which made me play worse which got me loads of stick. I ended up in a pretty bad place.

You go into great detail about this in the book, which I think is very brave

I suppose so, but couldn’t finish the book saying I then went to work for Dyno Rod (all explained in the book), I mean I went to Blackburn and things were better. I guess it was brave because I could show that I did something with it. It does all come out good in the end.

Just to finish the bit about the Blues, Jim Smith let you go in the end although he didn’t want you to

Yeah I guess he did see something in me. As you know part of my problem was because of idolising Trevor. I remember when Trevor went. I’d emigrated to Tamworth to stay out of the firing line. I was driving along the road by Bodymoor Heath and Trevor was coming the other way in his white XJS and I realised the rumours were true and he was on the way to Nottingham.

With Trevor being such a hero, for you he appeared to be the catalyst of your fear. Had the damage already been done despite him going? Could you have possibly stayed and broken through?

I couldn’t have turned it around, no chance. I couldn’t perform at St Andrews. I couldn’t pull that shirt on, I just couldn’t do it, there was too much baggage. The point is though as well Kev, certainly not intended as a criticism of the Blues fans, I did get a lot of stick. I talk a lot about this in the book. To be honest I deserved to get it. The Blackburn fans loved me, but the Blues fans would have too if I’d have gone on to play better – that’s how football works. It is not a criticism of the Blues fans, it’s what happens when you don’t play well. I genuinely don’t blame the Blues fans for the stick at all.

That must have hurt actually being a Blues fan yourself

Yes it did, and you can’t move away from it. You’re in the town. I used to go the pub and was always getting told that I’d played poorly and needed to be dropped etc. You better believe that hurt. At the end of the day though, I WAS rubbish – so I DID deserve it! (Cue laughter from both of us!)

You come over as a really likeable bloke in the book Baz,

Well I wanted that, for the book to work there has to be a bit of sympathy. I don’t want to come over as a knob, (more laughter).

So you begged Jim to let you go. Had you had an approach from Blackburn? (Stupid question alert as I had read the book but couldn’t remember!)

No not at all. I was going to leave. I had a job lined up to work for Dyno Rod in Acocks Green. Couldn’t wait to leave football. However Jim said I just needed a break and he sent me out on loan to Blackburn as they needed a defender. I’d have been a really good Dyno-rodder though!

Just as an aside Baz, I did meet you at Elmdon. I have your signature in one of my programmes. So whatever you were going through, you were good enough to sign a school kid’s (me) programme

I’m amazed that I was already famous enough to be asked. (Me – I probably didn’t know who you were to be fair!)

So you go to Blackburn and things go well. I guess you start to feel like a footballer now!

Yeah, this is how it should have been. Team mates, winning games, getting on with each other, people phoning the radio saying what a great player. It was a complete turn around. I was there for 8 years. People used to come to me and it was totally different.

Then you moved to Preston, why was that?

Purely a time for change. The team had changed somewhat at Blackburn also a new manager – it just seemed the time for a change for me. When Preston came in for me with their amazing history, it was a perfect move for me. I had 4 really good years there.

So Father Time catches up with you at Preston

Yeah it’s an awful realisation because you’ve had this envelope every week whether you’re playing, dropped, injured whatever, even in the summer – but then it’s gone after 18 years. You’re then waiting for the phone calls because everyone seemed to like me, but 3 weeks go by and nothing.

You went to get a job didn’t you?

Yeah I had a mate who sold clothes and I started doing that. You realise at 32 in football you have at least half your life left and you have to earn somehow. Football is only about a quarter of your working life.

The guys of your era must have done OK but nothing like today’s players

Well yeah, I always describe it this way Kev. I was on the same wages as a good plumber. If I’m playing and winning I’m on the wages of a doctor. That’s the kind of difference. My last contract I was on £375 per week and £60 a point. So you win a game and win the mid-week game and your money goes right up. However all of a sudden the money wasn’t coming in. So I went selling clothes. I did OK but nothing like that sort of money.

So what happened next?

Well we had visitors and I was made to go to a course that the PFA were putting on to get ex-players qualified as a Physiotherapist at Salford with about 10 other ex-pros. To be honest I owe him everything. I went to a decent school and always did well academically, so it went well. I was 33 when I started. I was also at Halifax so it was hard. I never had a holiday for 4 years!

In the book, the relegation run at Halifax is really well written, it must have been tough going through that AND studying. How did you fit it all in?

Well you just do. I lost a lot of marks on my clinical assessment because of my job at Halifax and the run in. It WAS very difficult. That reinvigoration by hard work really kept me going.

Then you left Halifax

Yeah I was made redundant. However that worked in my favour as it coincided with my final exams. After that I got a job with Preston as Physio and that’s where I first met David Moyes. I had 7 great years there. He then took me to Everton where things were just completely different.

As a training and development person, tell me about that moment where you found out you had suceeded in your qualification

If you do a degree, you will pass. I worked really hard and I actually got the highest mark of all the players. I got a 2-1, despite losing all my marks on the placement. I didn’t find the academic side difficult, it was the travelling and the workload that I found tough. As a result there wasn’t a great wait for the envelope for me. The final push was the last 8 weeks and I knew I’d already passed to be honest. I was pretty confident as an ex player becoming a physio, I’d have no problem getting a job. I got the Preston job even before I had my final result.

You developed a close working relationship with David Moyes

Yeah he is a terrific person to work for. He is demanding, intense and hard working, but wouldn’t ask you to do something he wouldn’t do. He’s a winner, and has very high standards. He is a very nice fella.

 How did it feel achieving in the Premier League as a Physio rather than a player?

It was great. It was a big challenge, but fantastic. Working with these famous players that I can now cope with, whereas a kid I couldn’t, it was the trappings, the lifestyle – all of that.

Was it a healing process for you then?

Yeah definitely. For me the 1st quarter is about the Blues, then Blackburn / Preston, then Halifax and finally Everton. The Everton fans have bought the book in their droves. Apparently they really love the story where I nearly drowned Yakubu!

What are you doing now?

I run a private rehab working with players who need prolonged treatment and also work with the England U17s. I’m enjoying it very much.

Well Baz thank you very much for your time

No not at all Kev, I’ve really enjoyed it.

Ladies and gentlemen, a REALLY REALLY nice bloke – Mr Mick Baz Rathbone.

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If you would like the chance of winning a copy of The Smell of Football, please answer the following question:

Which team did Baz go to as Physio when he first qualified?

Send your answer to the contact page with the subject BAZ. The submission date will close midnight 2 weeks after the blog is published.

If you are not successful with the competition, you can buy The Smell of Football book here.