Harry Harris - Ruud Gullit - Portrait of a Genius

Harper Non-Fiction

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in hardback 1996 by CollinsWillow

First published in paperback in 1997

Copyright © Harry Harris 1997

Harry Harris asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

Source ISBN: 9780002187817

Ebook Edition © JUNE 2016 ISBN: 9780008192068

Version: 2016-06-03

To Linda … a true Chelsea fan

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Copyright Copyright Dedication Acknowledgements Introduction 1 ‘I’m Not A Foreigner – I’m a World Traveller’ 2 Rebuilding the Bridge 3 Gullit Mania 4 A New Season, a New Challenge 5 Dreaming of Total Football 6 Cup Battles 7 The Troubleshooter 8 Ruud Awakening 9 Italy – the Dream that Turned Sour 10 World Stage 11 Private Life: The Man Behind the Dreadlocks 12 Boss of the Bridge 13 A Cup-Winning Season Career Highlights Index About the Author About the Publisher Harper Non-Fiction An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk First published in hardback 1996 by CollinsWillow First published in paperback in 1997 Copyright © Harry Harris 1997 Harry Harris asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication. Source ISBN: 9780002187817 Ebook Edition © JUNE 2016 ISBN: 9780008192068 Version: 2016-06-03

Dedication Dedication Dedication Acknowledgements Introduction 1 ‘I’m Not A Foreigner – I’m a World Traveller’ 2 Rebuilding the Bridge 3 Gullit Mania 4 A New Season, a New Challenge 5 Dreaming of Total Football 6 Cup Battles 7 The Troubleshooter 8 Ruud Awakening 9 Italy – the Dream that Turned Sour 10 World Stage 11 Private Life: The Man Behind the Dreadlocks 12 Boss of the Bridge 13 A Cup-Winning Season Career Highlights Index About the Author About the Publisher To Linda … a true Chelsea fan

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements My thanks to close Dutch friend and colleague Marcel van der Kraan for his expert views on the young Ruud Gullit; Godric Smith at the Conservative Party Press Office; and to former Prime Minister John Major for offering his views on Ruud. Plus all the other MPs, celebrities and people in the game who contributed their opinions. My thanks also go to Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, chief executive Colin Hutchinson, Ruud’s UK advisors Jon and Phil Smith of First Artists Corporation, and Sky TV press officer Chris Haynes. The Daily Mirror provided a number of pictures for the book, and it was nice to get so much co-operation from my ‘Fleet Street’ colleagues, notably Michael Hart and photographer Frank Tewkesbury for the snap of Ruud winning the Evening Standard Footballer of the Month award for January 1996, for which Ruud insisted all his team-mates appear! At publishers HarperCollins, praise too for Editorial Director Michael Doggart for recognising straight away my conviction that a biography of Ruud Gullit would make such fascinating reading; Tom Whiting for his patience and helpful suggestions; and Andrew Clark and David Williams for their diligent sub-editing. Finally, a special thanks to Dutch photographer Peter Smoulders for his excellent portfolio of Ruud Gullit pictures.

Introduction

1 ‘I’m Not A Foreigner – I’m a World Traveller’

2 Rebuilding the Bridge

3 Gullit Mania

4 A New Season, a New Challenge

5 Dreaming of Total Football

6 Cup Battles

7 The Troubleshooter

8 Ruud Awakening

9 Italy – the Dream that Turned Sour

10 World Stage

11 Private Life: The Man Behind the Dreadlocks

12 Boss of the Bridge

13 A Cup-Winning Season

Career Highlights

Index

About the Author

About the Publisher

My thanks to close Dutch friend and colleague Marcel van der Kraan for his expert views on the young Ruud Gullit; Godric Smith at the Conservative Party Press Office; and to former Prime Minister John Major for offering his views on Ruud. Plus all the other MPs, celebrities and people in the game who contributed their opinions. My thanks also go to Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, chief executive Colin Hutchinson, Ruud’s UK advisors Jon and Phil Smith of First Artists Corporation, and Sky TV press officer Chris Haynes. The Daily Mirror provided a number of pictures for the book, and it was nice to get so much co-operation from my ‘Fleet Street’ colleagues, notably Michael Hart and photographer Frank Tewkesbury for the snap of Ruud winning the Evening Standard Footballer of the Month award for January 1996, for which Ruud insisted all his team-mates appear! At publishers HarperCollins, praise too for Editorial Director Michael Doggart for recognising straight away my conviction that a biography of Ruud Gullit would make such fascinating reading; Tom Whiting for his patience and helpful suggestions; and Andrew Clark and David Williams for their diligent sub-editing.