McCormack lifts lid on captaincy bust-up (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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SWINDON TOWN: McCormack lifts lid on captaincy bust-up
6:00am Monday 25th February 2013 in Sport By Sam Morshead
'UNFORTUNATE': Alan McCormack
ALAN McCormack has spoken openly about the incident which saw him stripped of the captain’s armband by Paolo Di Canio just two days before the Italian resigned as manager of Swindon Town.
As reported by the Advertiser, McCormack missed a training session on Saturday, February 16 in order to visit a walk-in centre in Swindon to get medical advice after he had been laid low by a virus.
The defender had been sent home from training the day before and notified former Robins assistant manager Fabrizio Piccareta of his intentions to go to see a doctor on Saturday morning.
However, Di Canio did not take kindly to McCormack making the decision to seek a diagnosis away from the club and removed him of the captaincy. Simon Ferry led the team out at Tranmere last week.
Following Di Canio’s departure, joint player caretaker managers Darren Ward and Tommy Miller restored McCormack as skipper and, after the 1-1 draw with Preston on Saturday, the Irishman revealed exactly what had gone on over a few manic days.
“I’ve got no problems speaking about it.
“I was ill on Friday, I got sent home halfway through the training session on Friday because I couldn’t continue to train,” he said.
“I woke up Saturday morning even worse. It felt like I was swallowing razor blades and shaking and it felt like the virus I had the week before at Colchester was coming back.
“I asked the physio to go and see the doctor, I tried to ring the club doctor and there was no answer so I went to the walk-in centre in Swindon at half eight in the morning.
“I thought I’d be in and out in an hour but unfortunately it was nearly two hours by the time I got seen to. I had no infection so there was no antibiotic, I came to the training ground and without saying too much the manager wasn’t very happy.
“He thought I was just trying to do things my own way because he hadn’t been in for a few days before it.
“He thought I’d just take a day off because I had a tickle in my throat and it escalated from that.
“I never really got to tell him my side of the story, it all came from Fabrizio who I texted that morning.
“It was unfortunate because being called unprofessional is the one word I don’t think I’ve ever been called in my career.
“I can only praise the lads for being around and sticking by me for the last few days and still believing in me to do the job.
“If they had come into me and said they’ve stick with Si I’d take it on the chin. I’ve got no problem with that.
“It’s something that happens to players in their careers.
“It’s not nice but you’ve got to be big enough and man enough to take things like that.
“I’d still get out and give my all in a Swindon shirt and give my all for the 10 other lads I’m playing with.”
Comments(15)
Last step
says...
7:09am Mon 25 Feb 13
Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio.
At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa
tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that.
Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.
Psychedelic Syd
says...
8:43am Mon 25 Feb 13
STFCman&boy1973
says...
8:44am Mon 25 Feb 13
Last step wrote:fully agree, very good post, it seems to me that there trying so hard to make Paolo out to be a tyrant, thus ensuring he doesn't come back...shame really...
This is hardly dark!
Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio.
At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa
tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that.
Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.
Town Of The Future
says...
8:56am Mon 25 Feb 13
Lanky
says...
9:14am Mon 25 Feb 13
Chish and Fips wrote:"Dark"? He's not a mass murderer mate!
Probably a few more of these snippets of situations with PDC will be sneaking out I expect as time goes on.
Hey Ho that was PDC credit to him for what he achieved, but there was a dark side to him.
Basically this article says "Di Canio is a disciplinarian. Like everyone didn't know that already!
At the end of the day he got results through this management style. If it was a choice of STFC having a "dark" manager who gets results, or a fluffy friendly manager who lets players go and get smashed up Old Town, pop off to the doctors during training etc, whilst our results mean we languish in mid-table, I think i'll go for the "sinister" character!
STFC Higworth
says...
10:05am Mon 25 Feb 13
Last step wrote:And still fans a blinded by PDC. Great for what he has done for club. I will stick with what I have said all along that he needs to take some of the blame for the clubs money issues. But please how pathetic is he. He went to the doctors to try and sort things out not to go against PDC wishes. To be fair the way he played Saturday I would say he still had it.
This is hardly dark! Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio. At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that. Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.
dacoo
says...
12:15pm Mon 25 Feb 13
STFC Higworth wrote:Blaming the manager for money troubles is just a little short-sighted don't you think? After all it's not his money and there are other BOARD MEMBERS and EXECUTIVES that look after that side of things and therefore ultimately have the final say! A manager will indicate players he would like or thinks he needs. He doesn't have free reign over the boards cheque-book though
Last step wrote: This is hardly dark! Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio. At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that. Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.And still fans a blinded by PDC. Great for what he has done for club. I will stick with what I have said all along that he needs to take some of the blame for the clubs money issues. But please how pathetic is he. He went to the doctors to try and sort things out not to go against PDC wishes. To be fair the way he played Saturday I would say he still had it.
Davey Gravey
says...
1:12pm Mon 25 Feb 13
jillyh
says...
1:22pm Mon 25 Feb 13
dacoo wrote:Dacoo - I made that comment some time ago and was lambasted as accusing JW? You are quite right. The manager puts forward who he is interested in and the Board sign the cheques. Unfortunately some of our fans just want to blame the wrong person.
STFC Higworth wrote:Blaming the manager for money troubles is just a little short-sighted don't you think? After all it's not his money and there are other BOARD MEMBERS and EXECUTIVES that look after that side of things and therefore ultimately have the final say! A manager will indicate players he would like or thinks he needs. He doesn't have free reign over the boards cheque-book though
Last step wrote: This is hardly dark! Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio. At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that. Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.And still fans a blinded by PDC. Great for what he has done for club. I will stick with what I have said all along that he needs to take some of the blame for the clubs money issues. But please how pathetic is he. He went to the doctors to try and sort things out not to go against PDC wishes. To be fair the way he played Saturday I would say he still had it.
Personally, I think we will slip to mid table now and the new consortium will look to bring in someone cheap (to balance books that have been out of control for three years) and we will be back to where we started. I so hope that they prove me wrong.
Before anyone has a pop I think Tommy and Darren have done a marvellous job but cannot continue trying to be managers and concentrating on their games - it's just not fair on them and we need
STFC Higworth
says...
2:31pm Mon 25 Feb 13
jillyh wrote:Please read my post I said some of the blame not all of the blame.
dacoo wrote:Dacoo - I made that comment some time ago and was lambasted as accusing JW? You are quite right. The manager puts forward who he is interested in and the Board sign the cheques. Unfortunately some of our fans just want to blame the wrong person. Personally, I think we will slip to mid table now and the new consortium will look to bring in someone cheap (to balance books that have been out of control for three years) and we will be back to where we started. I so hope that they prove me wrong. Before anyone has a pop I think Tommy and Darren have done a marvellous job but cannot continue trying to be managers and concentrating on their games - it's just not fair on them and we needSTFC Higworth wrote:Blaming the manager for money troubles is just a little short-sighted don't you think? After all it's not his money and there are other BOARD MEMBERS and EXECUTIVES that look after that side of things and therefore ultimately have the final say! A manager will indicate players he would like or thinks he needs. He doesn't have free reign over the boards cheque-book thoughLast step wrote: This is hardly dark! Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio. At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that. Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.And still fans a blinded by PDC. Great for what he has done for club. I will stick with what I have said all along that he needs to take some of the blame for the clubs money issues. But please how pathetic is he. He went to the doctors to try and sort things out not to go against PDC wishes. To be fair the way he played Saturday I would say he still had it.
Yes JW is part of the issue as well but PDC threating to leave everytime he did not get his own way was not right. We wnt into a embargo and still he threatened to leave if he did not get his own way. I am not saying it is all his fault but some of it must land on his shoulders. 44 players signed in 18 months. That is well over the top.
Davey Gravey
says...
3:19pm Mon 25 Feb 13
burley01rs
says...
5:35pm Mon 25 Feb 13
We have also had a few passengers flown in and out.
Cirenred69
says...
6:42pm Mon 25 Feb 13
ely. Will he be back?...you never know!
Whatever happens we need to unite as a club and as supporters and get behind the team. It's too late to apportion blame and futile anyway. Let's support not finger point!
mancrobin
says...
7:17pm Mon 25 Feb 13
STFCman&boy1973 wrote:Fully disagree. Why this protection of an archaic and inefficient management style? And before someone points out all of his achievements, let's just reflect on how many good players have left or have been sidelined due to 'falling out with Paolo'.
Last step wrote:fully agree, very good post, it seems to me that there trying so hard to make Paolo out to be a tyrant, thus ensuring he doesn't come back...shame really...
This is hardly dark!
Can't really see the point in reporting stuff like this. It's old news and only seems to be useful to people who want to have a pop at Di Canio.
At the end of the day, McCormack went behind the club and manager's back and missed training without permission/authorisa
tion. As a player you have to accept there will be some sort of comeback for that.
Glad he's back as Captain, obviously, but lets just drop this story now.
Had PdC stayed we'd probably be reading now that McCormack was out on loan to Cheltenham and unlikely to return to the Club.
Chish and Fips says...
6:38am Mon 25 Feb 13
Hey Ho that was PDC credit to him for what he achieved, but there was a dark side to him.