Yorke: I waited all night for a call.

[Grande]

I waited all night for a call.
By: Cameron Bell (Daily Telegraph).

       

A shattered Dwight Yorke says Sydney FC's decision to offload him to Sunderland has left him "gutted" and "completely devastated".
Yorke has labelled the past week as equal to the most heartbreaking period of his career, when he was off-loaded by Manchester United in 2002.
An emotional Yorke said he sat up until 5am on Friday, waiting for someone from Sydney FC to call and save his career with the club. But the call never came, forcing him to say goodbye to the city and club he loves.
"I sat by the phone until 5am Friday, just waiting for the call,'' Yorke said. "Just waiting for someone from Sydney FC to say they didn't want me to go, that they still wanted me.
"But that call never came. I'm very emotional about it. I'm absolutely gutted, to say the least. I'm devastated, just devastated.
"The thing is, the more I think about it, even if I got a call from someone at the last minute and they said 'Dwight, we don't want you to leave', then I think there and then I would have stayed. I definitely would have stayed.''

The letdown

"The least Sydney could have done, if they had shown any interest at all or wanted me to stay, was offer me another year, but it never happened,'' Yorke said.
It wasn't my call. They had the ace card where they can say, 'yes, no, we want to keep him, he's not for sale'. They had my obligation to the club on a contract.
"But they played the ace card. They didn't have to play it, but they did. They didn't have to until it was due in 2007, they could have kept the card but they played it.
"I can't break my contract I have with Sydney unless Sydney wants me to do that. Sydney had all the power in controlling my decision.
"They've got 600 grand out of it - I came here for free and they've got 600 grand. If I was such a major product for the league, ie as a marquee player, you would have thought they would want to hang on to you as a prize asset.''
As of yesterday, Yorke had still not heard from the likes of Frank Lowy or from celebrity supporter and club director Anthony La Paglia.
He had not heard from anyone with any real power at the club apart from chairman Walter Bugno.
"Bugno called me to tell me the deal was complete and that's it,'' Yorke said. "That's the only person I've spoken to. There was no attempt to say, 'Dwight, we want you to stay' or 'Dwight, do you want to stay?' That's the most hurtful thing.
"I think I was doing a reasonable job. In all my life in football, if you are one of the major faces in a major team, they tell you they don't want you to go.
"But I never had that impression from anybody who makes the major decisions at the club. (Coach) Terry Butcher wants me to stay. The backroom staff want me to stay. The players want me to stay. But the guys who have the major say never called me and said they wanted me to stay.''

The rumour mill

There are those who believe Sydney insiders instigated a campaign after their title win last season, suggesting Yorke wouldn't be back.
Yorke said those rumours were never addressed by the club and, again, he didn't get a phone call reassuring him all was sweet.
"Those rumours started at the end of last season and never really got sorted,'' he said. `During that time, I turned down a few clubs back in England - Premier League clubs - who were interested in me.
"I just didn't want to leave. If I wanted to stay away it would have been the perfect scenario to stay away. To kick up a stir. It would have been easier for the club if I stayed away and did not come back. But I came back because I wanted to.''

The money

Yorke wants people to know he isn't leaving because of money. If that was the case, he would have taken the $3.9million a season he was offered to play in Qatar before he settled on Sydney for less than a third of that.
While he will be well paid at Sunderland, he would have been happy to remain in Sydney for less.
"It's great because in the end I've got a great move back to the home of football and all that,'' Yorke said.
"But the money is irrelevant. If I wanted money I wouldn't have come to Sydney in the first place. I would have gone to Dubai or Qatar and made shitloads.''

The biggest regret

Yorke doesn't have a bad word to say about any of the football staff at Sydney FC, many of whom have become his close friends.
"If you have a chance to play football and live in an environment like Sydney you should jump at the occasion,'' he said.
"The backroom staff at Sydney FC have been brilliant. The physio Stan, the kit manager Joe, the goalkeeping coach Jimmy and reserve coach Cookie, fitness trainer Anthony. I just can't fault these guys. They havebeen absolutely wonderful to work with.
"It's so sad I've got to say goodbye to these guys in a few days. They have become personal friends.''

The realisation

Yorke admits he hasn't slept for the past two days. He has been too upset. He walked off The Lakes golf course last Friday having played with former pro Adam Wilcox. Asked how Yorke went, Wilcox said: "I think he had a bit on his mind.''
One of the first people he called to discuss his plight was friend and fellow Trinidadian Brian Lara.
"He's always the first person to help out in tough situations for me ... he couldn't believe what had happened, really,'' Yorke said.
"It is a crying shame how it ended. When things are going so well you hope for the fairytale ending but that just won't happen.
"The fact is I was looking forward to leading Sydney and looking forward to defending the championship. I can't believe I'm leaving. I really can't believe it.''

[palos]

Dwight been around the game long enough to know business is business and it eh have no sentiment in the business of football.

Sunderland want him, they have him and he will do well for them.  But they will treat him same way if they figure he surplus to requirements.  Harsh but daz de life in professional sports.  But, as Midknight did say...players are human beings and as much as they know that football is a business....some of the harshness does still rattle...no matter how long dey bin in de game.

Use dat emotion yuh have as fuel Dwight and ram a nex one down dey throat to de one's who've been doubting you throughout your career.  Yuh would think they would have learnt by now...I have cause I doubted you after u had to leave Man Boo....but some head tuffer dan others.  Some will never learn.  Jes do yuh best.

[TrinInfinite]

i fine yorkie could tear up de championship, he will be an excellent captain and also great midfielder for them, i think he could suit up for 2010 and lead de youths in another world cup, some may doubt me but yorke is a boss, wish him all de bess

[royal]

I really taught Yorke was involve in dis deal.What probable really hurting him is dat he turn down a few Premiership clubs.Anyway I guess business is business.

[Cocorite]

From his emotional responses, it is clear that York was in his element in Sidney. I'm not sure he would have the same drive in England. Too many sharks nipping at him there. There is absolutely no doubt about his ability; but his heart was in sidney. . . .

[Papasmurf]

Dwight will rip them up in the championship. He is still a commanding presence on the field.

[supporter]

Why I fear for the A-League
Syndey Herald Danny Weilder
September 3, 2006
EXCLUSIVE

Advertisement
AdvertisementDEPARTING Sydney FC star Dwight Yorke fears for the A-League's future.

After a dramatic 48 hours in which it was announced the league's best-known player would leave for Sunderland in England, Yorke said he didn't want to leave Sydney.

He denied the club had resurrected his career and said he would leave Australia confused and disappointed but with his head held high.

Asked if he believed the future of the A-League was in jeopardy, Yorke told Channel Nine: "To be truthful, yes, I do. But I hope it survives. I hope they can bring in some more so-called 'names'.

"It's not good to see the CEO resign and the major marquee player leaving the league in the space of one week.

"Football in Australia will continue to progress on the international level, but it's important to keep it progressing in the A-League. I hope the league moves on from here and doesn't come to a standstill.

"The players deserve a lot of credit for what they've done. I hope people still support the A-League."

Yorke said Sydney FC had had every chance to keep him, as he was under contract for another season and had the support of almost everyone at the club. "I'm employed by Sydney FC and they tell me what they want me to do," he said.

"If Sydney FC want me to stay, I have no choice. I had another year on my contract and I had every intention of seeing it through.

"I wouldn't have been moving my stuff here, having friends and family coming out to see me - I wouldn't have been making these arrangements if I wanted to go back. It is a very sad day. I've got no dramas in moving on, but the bottom line is that I had a two-year contract.

"My experience [in football] is if someone wants you, they'll come out and say they want you to stay.

"They won't say, 'Go on, go ahead and do a deal'. They'll make it known that you're not going anywhere and there is another year on the contract.

"I haven't received that conversation. The manager, the players, I'm sure behind closed doors, really want that. I'm sure not everyone wanted me to go. But there were people who did. I didn't get a phone call or anyone saying, 'We don't want him to go'.

"I know that the manager, Terry Butcher, didn't want me to go, the staff didn't want me to go, the players didn't want me to go.

"I can only go from what I know."

Yorke's departure comes amid claims that his appointment to Sydney had been a lifeline for his career. But Yorke disagreed. "That's a bit premature," he said.

"I did leave Birmingham City to come to Sydney and, no disrespect, but [I left] arguably the best league in the world when I could have sat there and continued to play. I felt I needed to get out and I had an opportunity. It wasn't about money.

"There were people who wrote me off and said I was the wrong person to come to Sydney. But I proved it was a very wise choice.

"I can understand people wanting to say they resurrected my career, but let's not get carried away. I left the best league in the world to play in a league people had hardly heard of.

"I'd like to think that I repaid them in many ways. It's flattering to know that crowds were up at different venues when I played and I hope I've repaid the A-League in that respect.

"I've come here and done what they asked of me. I'll walk out of here with my head held extremely high.

"It's hard to say why, but I'll be leaving in the next few days. It's been a very emotional time for me because I've met so many wonderful people, and they've made me feel extremely welcome. The weather, the area I've been living in - it's the perfect scenario and I would have loved to have seen my contract out."

Danny Weidler is a sports reporter for Channel Nine news and The Footy Show.

FORGET THE RHETORIC, ACE STRIKER WAS KEEN TO JOIN ROY
DWIGHT Yorke should not be saying Sydney FC could have done more to keep him. They couldn't. He should not make out that Sydney wanted to get rid of him. They didn't. He should not worry that the future of the A-League is in jeopardy. It is not.

Yorke was halfway through a two-season contract worth $1.6 million. He was offered another two-year contract for triple the money playing under his mate Roy Keane at Sunderland.

Keane took over as Sunderland manager on Monday, approached Yorke immediately and he was interested. Sydney FC found out about it on Wednesday.

The club faced a dilemma: offer Yorke a new contract that would match or exceed the Sunderland offer, or tell the English outfit to shove it and hold on to a player who wanted to leave.

Insiders at the club say Yorke made it clear he wanted another year after this and, if Sydney wouldn't give him that, he would take up the other offer - despite what he has said publicly. And that's what happened.

He waited to see if there would be a counter offer from Sydney. But - however valuable he might be and however much they wanted him to stay, they simply couldn't afford to compete. Instead, the club's stance became: "If you're not going to be happy here, off you go."

Yorke was flashy but also a hard worker. The players are disappointed about the timing of his departure, a week into the season. Nevertheless, they made it to the Club World Championship in Japan without him and, under great pressure, they won the A-League last season.

A one-man team doesn't win championships.

With Yorke and former coach Pierre Littbarski gone, the players can finally kick the "Bling FC" tag they hate and be seen for their talent, while coach Terry Butcher decides who replaces Yorke.

"I did leave Birmingham City to come to Sydney and, no disrespect, but [I left] arguably the best league in the world when I could have sat there and continued to play. I felt I needed to get out and I had an opportunity. It wasn't about money.

"There were people who wrote me off and said I was the wrong person to come to Sydney. But I proved it was a very wise choice.

"I can understand people wanting to say they resurrected my career, but let's not get carried away. I left the best league in the world to play in a league people had hardly heard of.

"I'd like to think that I repaid them in many ways. It's flattering to know that crowds were up at different venues when I played and I hope I've repaid the A-League in that respect.

"I've come here and done what they asked of me. I'll walk out of here with my head held extremely high.

"It's hard to say why, but I'll be leaving in the next few days. It's been a very emotional time for me because I've met so many wonderful people, and they've made me feel extremely welcome. The weather, the area I've been living in - it's the perfect scenario and I would have loved to have seen my contract out."

Danny Weidler is a sports reporter for Channel Nine news and The Footy Show.

FORGET THE RHETORIC, ACE STRIKER WAS KEEN TO JOIN ROY

DWIGHT Yorke should not be saying Sydney FC could have done more to keep him. They couldn't. He should not make out that Sydney wanted to get rid of him. They didn't. He should not worry that the future of the A-League is in jeopardy. It is not.

Yorke was halfway through a two-season contract worth $1.6 million. He was offered another two-year contract for triple the money playing under his mate Roy Keane at Sunderland.

Keane took over as Sunderland manager on Monday, approached Yorke immediately and he was interested. Sydney FC found out about it on Wednesday.

The club faced a dilemma: offer Yorke a new contract that would match or exceed the Sunderland offer, or tell the English outfit to shove it and hold on to a player who wanted to leave.

Insiders at the club say Yorke made it clear he wanted another year after this and, if Sydney wouldn't give him that, he would take up the other offer - despite what he has said publicly. And that's what happened.

He waited to see if there would be a counter offer from Sydney. But - however valuable he might be and however much they wanted him to stay, they simply couldn't afford to compete. Instead, the club's stance became: "If you're not going to be happy here, off you go."

Yorke was flashy but also a hard worker. The players are disappointed about the timing of his departure, a week into the season. Nevertheless, they made it to the Club World Championship in Japan without him and, under great pressure, they won the A-League last season.

A one-man team doesn't win championships.

With Yorke and former coach Pierre Littbarski gone, the players can finally kick the "Bling FC" tag they hate and be seen for their talent, while coach Terry Butcher decides who replaces Yorke.

[supporter]

Big names want to clock on for Sydney and work the Dwight shift
Sydney Morning Herald David Sygall
September 3, 2006

SYNDEY FC have been flooded with inquiries from players' agents interested in what the club would offer a new marquee signing, as the fallout from the Dwight Yorke transfer turned sour.

Coach Terry Butcher and CEO Tim Parker have been overwhelmed by expressions of interest. Butcher was focusing on the game in Melbourne last night but Parker said "some surprising names had popped up".

"We've already had enough contact to know that this [marquee signing] is not as unlikely as it might seem," he told The Sun-Herald yesterday. "There is a surprisingly large number of people available.

"All I'll say is that we're well on the case and reasonably optimistic we can pull it off. Most of the names you've heard, there's been some contact.

"But it's been one way, from them to us. We've become very popular to players, partly because of what Dwight's done and also because of what we've done for Dwight.

"What happened with him is a standard other players would look at and think, 'I wouldn't mind that' - and it's not just people at the end of their careers. It's a credit to the A-League and the founders of Sydney FC."

One name to emerge is Alan Shearer, who'll be in Australia in a couple of weeks for a coaching clinic.

Parker said the $500,000 negotiated transfer windfall the club receives for Yorke would go towards a "war chest" for club players, facilities and the next marquee signing.

However, he said: "We're disappointed. Forty-eight hours ago he wasn't leaving. Forty-eight hours ago, we were happy to have him for the rest of the season.

"We were confronted with an ultimatum, saying he's agreed to personal terms and it's up to you to agree to terms to let him go. The implicit threat was that, if you don't, you'll have a very disgruntled player on your hands."

Yorke said he wanted to stay and the club could have done more to keep him.

"He would [say that he wanted to stay]," Parker said. "Had we gone back to him and made a counter-offer and extended his contract, we might have had a deal.

"Well, that was never going to happen. We were called late on Wednesday night and told, 'You have to work something out'.

"We had 24 hours to make it happen. We could have put the phone down and said, 'No, get stuffed, we're not paying him more money, we're not giving him another year - why should we, it's not in his contract'.

"But the way we've handled it, given the time we had, has been good. We were told on Wednesday he'd agree to terms. It must have happened pretty quickly because [Roy] Keane only went there on Monday.

"The first I heard about it was [on the net], that he was in conversation with them. We got official confirmation about 6pm that day.

"We're disappointed to see him go. He was a huge part of our first year, but life goes on. It's an international game and player trading is part of it."

[SHOTTA]

watch yuh signature dey supporter. read up on fifa rules and tack back

[Brej]

de way yorke put it rel saddening i hope things work out well it's hard to just read about it

[Socafan]

Aye....anybody here does say dey "gutted" for some disappointment?

Just curious.

[Sam]

It have so much women in England I doubt Dwight wait for that call all night....

But yea, Dwight right, Sydney look like they couldn't afford to keep him and had to let him leave, but in de end it might benefit Yorke...

Yorke helped Sydney alot and in many ways on and off de field....

Doh study it Dwight, big up yourself..

[Filho]

Sorry, but I find that sounding suspiciously like ole talk frm Yorkie

So what if the big wigs wanted to do a deal. That is the business of football. If Yorkie really wanted to stay he would be there all now. The club can't sell him by force, since he is under contract and the manager wanted him to stay so there was no threat of him rotting on the bench or in the reserves. If he had real passion for the club he woulda still be there. I think Yorkie fine with the deal, but does not want to let down the Sydney public and has found a clever way to take a parting shot at the club executives who he find didn't kiss his a$$ enough to stay.

[andre samuel]

by de way, didnt yorke want to play in the premier league after the world cup?

Didnt he go on record saying that he wanted to show the world that he could still play at a high level and right now he is just waiting on the phone to ring?

Hmmmmmm.

I know that this story is sincere, but i know that if some premeir league clubs really came calling for Dwight, he would have be gone in a heart beat

ah love it!!

[Tongue]

pay back is ah bitch! all dem bad ting that Yorke promise tuh call and didden call because he meet another better and easier bad ting....is only fair he get what was coming tuh him. not ah call from Sydney

[berris]

What goes around comes around ...I remember when Yorke leave Blackburn and was heading to Celtic,last minute  he choose to go Birmingham saying he still had something to prove in de EPL,whatever that was, and  tell Stern he shuddn't feel ''ah way'' becuz dais de nature of de business, is nothing personal,but that basically push Stern out of Birmingham ...
Well hard luck Dwight you shud know now that 'dais de nature of de business' so doh come now ah whine bout ''you hurt'', yuh din hear Stern bawling bout Dwight f#$k him up,he take he thing like ah true professional and move on ...you shud now take ah lesson from Stern and do de smae ...stop whining like ah baby...is de nature of de business,yuh forget or what ?

[Remie]

I think Yorke also forced Aston Villa into selling him to Man Utd. That was the time that John Gregory, who was Villa manger at the time, said that if he had a gun he would have shoot him.

At the end of the day football is a cut-throat business and what goes round comes round.

If this article is actually true i have lost some respect for Yorke as at his age he should not be coming out with these immature statements.

[croc]

bad week down under breds...lost Yorke now Steve Irwin( croc man) gone....very sad times.

[dyansie]

Dwight Yorke Keep up the good work and keep on fighting

[Remie]

bad week down under breds...lost Yorke now Steve Irwin( croc man) gone....very sad times.

Steve Irwin must have been a national hero. Thats sad news man.

[Savannah boy]

Oh gorm man, how Stern come in dis?  You come like Infinite now...jes now he go post here in dis string bout Hardest.

[andre samuel]

It's stern fault yorke ent get ah call!! 

[berris]

Oh gorm man, how Stern come in dis?  You come like Infinite now...jes now he go post here in dis string bout Hardest.

Well if yuh had taken de time to read instead ah bumping yuh gum fust, then yuh wudda relize how Stern come een dis.

[morvant]

yorke phone was probally ringing off the hook

de man busy with hoes

anyways i look foward to seeing yuh play in england bossman

best header of the ball the world has ever seen

[daryn]

not sure if this was posted, but youtube has an interview with dwight talking about the whole thing

[Grande]

not sure if this was posted, but youtube has an interview with dwight talking about the whole thing

Nice find daryn, thanks fuh that 

[Tongue]

a very thoughful interview by Yorke.

[StoreBayLimer]

not sure if this was posted, but youtube has an interview with dwight talking about the whole thing

That is a good find.  Always prefer to hear and see the original source.