122: Craig Bellamy, Coventry City, Merlin’s F.A. Premier League 2001 Official Sticker Collection

We are in the capable hands of Emlyn Jones for today’s post with another icon of Welsh football. For some bizarre reason EA Sports’ Euro 2008 game didn’t have the licenses for the Welsh team’s names so today’s subject went under the pseudonym of Colin Belmont and formed a potent strike partnership with Roderick Earlshow. I’ll let Emlyn take it from here.

 

I return to the players of the literal land of my father, Wales, and a journeyman striker who racked up £47m in transfer fees. And once went a bit mental with a golf club.

Craig Bellamy was born in Cardiff in 1979, and trained with Bristol Rovers before signing with Norwich at 15. Debuting at 17, 32 goals in three seasons encouraged significant interest from the Premier League by 2000. Lacking an agent, Bellamy took his financial adviser to meet with Coventry City manager Gordon Strachan. Bizarrely mutual client John Fashanu turned up too and the pressure resulted in Bellamy signing against his judgement. Although finishing as joint top scorer, partnered with international team-mate John Hartson, Coventry were relegated, and he moved on to the club beaten to his signature a year prior, Newcastle United.

 

Bellamy was an immediate favourite, scoring his first league goal against rivals Sunderland. However, disciplinary problems began to appear, including a chair thrown at coach John Carver. Bobby Robson was able to man-manage Bellamy, but after Graeme Souness replaced him, Bellamy was ostracised, eventually moving on loan to Celtic. Linking up again with Hartson, Bellamy had a prolific season, but ultimately moved to Blackburn Rovers, reuniting with former Wales manager Mark Hughes. A successful season followed before another move, to boyhood favourites Liverpool.

 

Things started well at Anfirled until a training camp ahead of a Champions League tie against Barcelona and a bizarre incident with teammate John Arne Riise. Riise recounts: “Rafa told us we could have one beer. Some had more than one”. How many that equates to is unknown but following Riise’s refusal to sing karaoke, an enraged Bellamy followed him upstairs brandishing a golf club, with which he proceeded to smack the Norwegian fullback across the arse. He also demanded Riise show up to ‘discuss’ things at 9am; he did, but to no response. Bellamy was hugely apologetic, receiving a two-week fine. Newspapers nicknamed him “The Nutter With The Putter”; on a pedantic note, it was an eight-iron. Bellamy scored against Barcelona, celebrating by miming a golf swing. Funnier than the trumpet/DJ celebrations that did the rounds a few years prior I suppose.

 

Liverpool reached the Champions League final that season, substitute Bellamy forced to watch on as Liverpool lost 2-1, Benitez bringing on defender Álvaro Arbeloa at 2-0 down rather than an attacker. Despite Dirk Kuyt’s goal, Liverpool were beaten, and on the flight home Benitez informed Bellamy he was free to leave the club.

 

An injury-hit year at West Ham United followed, before newly flush Manchester City swooped to reunite Bellamy and Hughes. After a strong season, the bloated City squad restricted his game time and led to an injury-hit hometown loan spell at Cardiff City, eventually losing to Reading in the playoffs. Bellamy transferred to Liverpool, and the club were keen to retain him after a decent season, however marital difficulties led him to return to Cardiff, and a self-described “impossible dream”; Cardiff achieving promotion to the top tier for the first time in 52 years. Bellamy managed a sole Premier League goal, significant in marking the seventh team for which the forward had scored in the division; to date the only player to achieve this. He retired at the end of the season, going on to coach with Cardiff and Anderlecht.

 

Bellamy’s international career began in 1998. His first training session featured an impromptu wrestling match between Bobby Gould and Hartson that left Gould bloodied, an experience Eyal Berkovic can probably sympathise with. As discussed prior, Wales rarely impressed, but with Mark Hughes’ appointment, fans were treated to the Euro 2004 qualifier against Italy. At 1-1 in the seventieth minute, Hartson played in Bellamy to score a winner past Gigi Buffon for a famous victory. Sadly, the qualification campaign petered out, ending in a playoff loss to Russia with Bellamy injured. The games were not without controversy – more on that another time (cheating Russian bastards).

 

Bellamy was appointed captain during John Toshack’s harrowing reign as Wales manager, and remained in the side under friend Gary Speed. Speed’s tragic death in 2011 profoundly affected Bellamy, but he played on until 2013. He also played in the 2012 Olympics for Team GB, scoring once, and angering fans by refusing to sing ‘God Save The Queen’: “I sing one anthem and that’s that. That’s my country’s anthem. I’m not being anti-English or anti-British.”

 

Bellamy suffered heavily from injuries and depression throughout his career, possibly contributing to his disciplinary issues. On the one side, he ran a foundation in Sierra Leone for child victims of the civil war, and raised money for Cardiff hospitals. On the other, convictions for assault and bust-ups with teammates. Certainly a more complex story than the nutter with the putter.