Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
ANDY BOOTH will hang up his boots at the end of the season, but the Town legend will remain at the club in a new ambassador role.
The 35-year-old striker’s decision to call time on his career will add an extra dimension to Saturday’s final home game of the League I campaign against Brighton.
Town are calling the clash the ‘Andy Booth tribute match’ and merchandise is on sale at their stadium and stores.
Huddersfield-born Booth, whose two goals in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Walsall took his Town tally to 148, also has the trip to Leyton Orient on Saturday week in which to try and reach the magical 150 milestone.
The third-highest scorer in Town’s history behind George Brown (159) and Jimmy Glazzard (154), Booth bagged a further 34 in his five-season stint at Sheffield Wednesday.
He has made 450 Town appearances (the fourth highest figure in the club’s history) and 608 in all in a career which also includes a loan stint at Spurs. But he will always be most closely associated with Town, who received £2.7m when he moved to Wednesday in July 1996 and paid £200,000 to bring him back in March 2001. It proved to be a masterstroke, because the talismanic frontman has scored more times in his second spell (85) than his first (63).
He also added a League II play-off triumph (in 2004) to that from League I (in 1995, when he scored in the 2-1 Wembley win over Bristol Rovers). Booth, who won three England Under 21 caps and represented the Football League during his first spell at Town, would love to have marked Town’s centenary by helping the club to another promotion. But the man whose playing registration will be retained in case of emergency, is optimistic about the future.
“It’s an exciting time for the club, because I’m sure that under (incoming chairman) Dean Hoyle and (manager) Lee Clark, we will go forward,” he said. “It’s fantastic to think I can be a part of that, albeit in a different kind of role. “I’ll be working on the commercial and marketing side, and also trying to develop links with the community, and it’s a new challenge I’m looking forward to.
“My career has been fantastic and I’ve made some great friends, but I feel the time is right to move on. “Being part of the centenary season was a big thing for me, but in the back of my mind, I thought I would be retiring at the end of it.
“I had to have back surgery midway through, so that cost me quite a few games, but my target was to figure in the last 10 or so games, and I’ve managed that. “It would be lovely to get a couple more goals and make 150, but helping the team continue this winning run is the main thing.”
My favourite Town player ever 
Cant even be at his last match either as I fly to Berlin for the weekend on Thursday. Cant believe i'm going to miss his last home match for us. Gutted is not the word
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aewajd
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Registered: 26th Jan 09
Location: BURNLEY
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bothered...
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Marc
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Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
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Hate it when your favourite players retire/leave the club!
I've seen all the greats leave, Solskjaer reitre - Was gutted when that happened, so many good memories of watching him play. The same will happen when Giggs, Scholes, Neville and Brown retire as then none of the players I've grown up watching will be left. A day I can't really imagine at the moment!
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LukeD
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Registered: 23rd Jan 07
Location: Shropshire
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Can remember when Steve Bull retired for wolves... was gutted.
nice to see players stopping at clubs a number of years and showing their commitment.
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jr
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Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
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Even Valentino rossi knows about andy booth 
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by jr
Even Valentino rossi knows about andy booth
I know 
He fucking went and scored didn't he. What a legend. So so so so so gutted I wasn't there to see it mind
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by Marc
The same will happen when Giggs, Scholes, Neville and Brown retire as then none of the players I've grown up watching will be left. A day I can't really imagine at the moment!
Even though Man Utd are twats, I feel the same. Neville played in Euro 96 so my memories of him stretch back furthest. Same goes for Beckham, when he decides to retire it will be gutting.
Him and Owen are the last of that era of players.
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eddiewhiteley
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Registered: 10th Mar 05
Location: down in albion
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it'll be strange when giggs hangs up his boots, i was there when he made his debut in march 1991 as a 13 year old lad, and he's still playing and im now 31, married with a kid, mortgage and all the other grown up stuff!
also seen keane, cantona, schmeichel amongst others play there united carrers out and feel pretty lucky to have been going to united regularly from the mid 80s onwards, seen some great (and not so great!) players come and go. i loved the 1994 team at united and giggs is the last man standing from that team, will be the end of an era when he goes.
[Edited on 27-04-2009 by eddiewhiteley]
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Scored yesterday in last ever game to take him to 150 goals for us.
Not embarased to say I shed I tear while celebrating. The man is a true Legend 
When he went off even the Orient fans were clapping him. Seeing the whole stadium on its feet paying respect to him was very moving to witness.
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