Stuart Pearce does not look like football star. Even in the relatively democratic 80's, when players have not yet completely differentiated into a special caste bohemian millionaires, he seemed a black sheep. The whole world knows by the nickname Psycho Pearce, and this is felt not only a tribute to his style of play - hard, strong, assertive, uncompromising, but also the recognition of a very extraordinary character.
Suffice it to say that Pierce struggled in the big football from the back door. In childhood and adolescence Stewart rooting for Queens Park Rangers, who in the 70's experienced a tremendous blossoming. He was a regular at Loftus Road and wanted to wear the shirt in a custom white-blue stripes as his idols Rodney Marsh, Don Givens, Stan Bowles, Ian Gillard. However, neither talent, nor even physique young Pierce did not stand out, and the nature and obsession Stewart children's coaches could not convince the CRC. Football education he received in the battles for the small teams of native district of London, the so-called pub-timy.
After school, Pierce was thinking about whether to enlist or go to serve in the police. Having been refused and there, and there, for example, Stuart Ray's older brother went to study in an electrician.
It should be noted that the father of brothers, Pierce was a great lover of sports and was hoping that Ray would be able to achieve great success in boxing. He was a champion of London, young men, but married young and left boxing to have a stable job and feed the young family. However, Ray did not forget about the sport and was able to make a career ... as a football referee. At the time of this very few people knew, but Ray even tried one of the matches involving Stewart (Nottingham League Cup match at Brighton)! 
Psycho had not been a difficult teenager. He loved punk rock, and remains faithful to this anarchic style so far. But Stewart never wore mohawk and did not use other external attributes of punk. "This music became my flesh and blood. Many years later, Pierce met and became friends with many idols of his youth, and in the intervals between matches during Euro 1996 it was he brought it with him for the company of Gareth Southgate, opened the concert resurgent Sex Pistols. In addition, Stewart is on the cover of one of the albums of other legends of punk, The Lurkers.
In his youth, Pierce did not differ from their peers from nuclear families with working-class suburbs of London. He liked to drink in the company and slightly pobuzit. Sometimes, though, in their tricks and festivities Psycho went too far. "It's good having the breasts, we love to steal cars .... There is no crime - just wanted to hurry to get home. And the next day returned the car to the place. But once we were stopped by police. I was sitting behind the wheel, and therefore gave the order not palitsya friends and no in no case be called their real names. But when police asked about my personality, I blurt out: Stuart Pearce! "
In short, he had three drives in the local court and the penalty of fines. For judges Pierce saves the original statement, which was given the servants of Themis in confusion: "I am innocent, but pleaded guilty."
My father has stimulated the desire to Stuart to play football and persuaded not to give up after the failure in the CRC. Beginner Electric Pierce received an offer semi Ueldstoun Club, who spoke at this Conference. In the team had problems with left-back, and Stewart made his debut just at this position. "In the first match of me knocked out all the crap. And it did not even an opponent, the defender, but that absolutely disgraceful, winger!" So he learned to be tough. When a few years later Bobby Gould looked Pierce for his Coventry coach enough twenty minutes to understand - it is the defender that needs his team: Stuart several times put "their" player, that he "flew out of the stadium."
At the amateur level, Pierce played up to 21,5 years. Some time Stewart joke along stood for a pub with the name Tim Kingsbury ... Dinamo Kiev. And playing the goalie position! "I acted in a free manner, was for those who are simply referred to as the goalkeeper-gonyaloy. Yes, it brought back funny goals, but in the same season was the best scorer of the team!"
As part of Coventry, the eternal fighter for survival in the elite, Pierce immediately established itself with the best side. Inadequate equipment he compensated for excellent speed and a powerful kick, which was used in the game, as well as the performance penalty and a penalty. During a professional career, he distinguished himself 103 times and personal best set in sezone-1990/91, when he scored 16 goals. And the penalty spot in the season, Pierce, for obvious reasons did not beat!
Over time, Stewart has learned to skillfully conduct contests and even for him the reputation reckless player, although he was accused of uncontrolled aggression, but in fact his long career Pierce was only four red cards! And one of them - to talk with the referee. Only once Psycho removed two warnings. He loved the first minutes to scare his opponent, having played against him too harshly. But if the referee got a yellow card, Stuart became the embodiment of caution and accuracy, and that it compares favorably with other noble tough guy in those years - left bek West Ham Julian Dix. Here's someone who really was quite crazy!
Pearce was happy in Coventry, despite the unattractive prospects of the team, but after less than two seasons, he called Brian Clough in Nottingham. The first meeting with a great manager Stuart remembered for a lifetime. "Just then I have been deprived of rights for drunk driving, which I confessed to Clough, but only when under the contract were all signed. He rose:" Am I invited to the team dipso and liar? "And then, suddenly changing the subject, was interested, if I have a girl. I told him about her Liz. When he wanted to know where I'll relax in the summer. I replied that I'm going to America with one of his friends. "Why did not Liz? What are you, of these, from "blue"? "Five minutes ago, I believed that God grabbed by his beard, and now sat depressed: my new manager is suspected in my alcoholism, deceit and homosexuality!"
Two years later, Clough made the Pierce team captain, but relations between them have always been uneasy. Stewart Clough immensely grateful for having managed to grow in his team to the level of player the England team for what has won trophies, played in the FA Cup final, took third place. However, in the last season of the Clough with Nottingham captain did not speak with the coach. "I had talks about a contract, and Brian always late and sometimes does not come to the meeting. Am I to deserve such a treatment?"
In addition, Clough always said Pierce, that believes that a good electrician, but a poor defender who has nothing to do in England. It is possible that this was one of the most famous examples of motivation "by Clough," but the coach was sincere in regard to the abilities of Psycho as an electrician. Becoming a professional soccer player, Pierce continued to practice their profession. In Coventry, he did it for my own pleasure, repaired the wiring and appliances for coaches and teammates. But in Nottingham with the permission of Clough in the club programm Pearce ads - they say, who needs an electrician, contact the team captain. And treated, and Stewart diligently carried out orders. Free. At Newcastle he had at the request of the wife defender Warren Barton plugging into their apartment and a new chandelier for the accident resulted in an alarm. Police arrived a long time to grasp where he had seen earlier this electrician ...
In England Pierce appeared in 1987, replacing the match with Brazil, the injured Kenny Sensoma. Sensei is probably one of the best in the history of English football left-back, was much stronger in his role, than Pierce. But Stewart was able to bribe the coach Bobby Robson's character and leadership qualities, but because it has become a major Psycho, when Kenny career came to an end.
World Cup 1990 in Italy played just Pierce, and there, in the stuffy and hot Turin, Stewart won the fame of which he is trying to forget so far. In the semifinal against the Germans Pierce, noble penaltist with impeccable reputation, made a blunder in the post-match series. Later, Robson acknowledged that it was in Stewart was convinced more than the rest: "He had nerves of steel, he always punched the 11-meter powerfully and without a chance for goalkeepers." And here Bodo Illgner foot shot repelled Psycho. In England, Stuart, as well as the whole team, greeted warmly, but then at the stadiums of the country he had heard singing in his address: "Pierce - German!"
Since then, a Stewart firmly reputation "Almost Human". Many times he was at a distance of one match, a few minutes from a major success, but most stayed in the losers. Winner of the spirit, Pierce has not yet been delivered and is trying to overcome evil fate. At the Euro-96 Psycho volunteered to hit a penalty kick in the quarterfinal with Spain, and scored. In his celebration was so much sincerity and emotion that remain indifferent to this unflinching warrior was impossible. Implemented Stewart and penalty shoot-out in the semi-final with Germany, but now the team lost not his fault.
"In 1998 I was in a horrible car accident when a truck lost control, rolled over at speed and fell down on my Range Rover. Instinctively I could go back on the front, and I was not only crushed by my sturdy chassis cars. From the mess I am escaped without a scratch, and at that moment I understood that to be "Man Almost" is not so and bad. "
The fact that Pierce at the end of a career switch to coaching, there is little doubt. But he managed to try bread manager even during vigorous action on the field. In December 1996, the leadership of the club, firing Frank Clark, unexpectedly invited Stewart to the end of the season to lead Nottingham. "The first match of the championship leader Arsenal, I was prepared very carefully. A few hours poring over the best option ended, and finally satisfied with the scheme of the game and the selected players. Showed the note to his wife, and she carefully studied the composition, she asked in surprise: Why I removed the main Goalkeeper Mark Crossley? glance at the paper, I realized why my scheme struck me as flawed: I have three defenders, five havov and Bryan Roy at the two assailants. Eleven field players without a goalie! "
Nottingham beat Arsenal 2:1, but to save the team from relegation novice coach failed. Pierce played six more seasons and retired in Man City at the age of forty years. In the last match Stewart on the last-minute penalty kick hit the goal 43-year old Dave Byzantium and missed.
Some time Pierce volunteer to help manager Kevin Kiganu townspeople. He enthusiastically studied without the need for salary, and waited in the wings. When Keegan was tired of football, it was Stewart picked up the team and nearly led her to the UEFA Cup. In the decisive match against Middlesbrough goalkeeper David James, chasing won a penalty in the final minutes, but Robbie Fowler has not scored.
That was not quite the Man City that now. Pierce has worked without serious money, but because when it was proposed by the Football Association to lead the national youth team, he did not hesitate. The British junior Psycho came out first in the semifinal of the European Championship and then the final. He is a coaches Fabio Capello and hopes one day to lead the first team. Even now, Stuart Pearce is different from some other coaches - he was painfully aware of the failure, because it wants to succeed, not making money.
Alexey Ivanov, specifically for the Bay Run, football.ua