by Big Foot »
27 Jan 2013 09:58
Tommy Youlden's Ears Super Kevin Bremner! I oxf*rd loved Kitson as a player. He was so hungry to win it was unreal. Loved seeing him sprint 40-50 yards back to make big tackles on the half way line. One of my favourite strikers we had at the club too.
Normal bloke though? *Jim Royle mode on* Normal bloke my arse!
He wore the fact that he used to be a shelf stacker at Sainsburys like a badge of honour round his neck. He thought he was the only professional footballer who understood what it was like to live in the real world, and used to bitch about his fellow pro's (maybe not Reading fellow pro's but then again I'm sure he HATED Lita) all the time. I even think he had a dig at those who got caught drink driving in their flash footballer cars - and I think there were just a few massive LOL's when he got caught doing the same.
Then he used to come out and publically whinge about the two hours of training his £20K a week necessitated him to do. Coppell, who IS a true Reading legend used to whince every time Kitson had his say in the papers, and came out and said that he needed to concentrate on his football.
Remember 'Ginger Day'? Sidwell thought this was hilarious, whereas Kitson got the right hump and went off on one about all the stick he'd got in his life for being ginger. I'm sure Sidders wasn't immune to that same stick.....
Awesome player, too full of hypocrisy to be an awesome pro though. He hated the lifestyle so much but he got paid too well for him to really care about his own principles! Massive sell-out, and whinges like a baby, but yes, one of my favourite ever RFC players.
I'd rather have all that than the Shearer/Owen type bland PR cut out. Kits said some stupid things, but then most say nothing at all.
Yes he should have trained better - he'd have had fewer injuries and stayed at the top for longer. But I loved him as a player, and enjoy him as a flawed but interesting bloke. Will get a big welcome from me today.
I'm sure I read an interview with Kitson soon after he joined us where he said that an ex-manager at Cambridge United (John Ward, IIRC) had trained him into the ground and made him get on mad weights which had done him more harm than good; hence he was vulnerable to more injuries than most.
People talk about the 05/06 season but the 2 seasons before that he was magnificent too and our top scorer in each season, I'm sure. He was one of the best penalty takers I've seen for RFC - am sure I saw him take them with both feet and fly into the net with the same panache regardless of which side.