Back On A Familiar Beat

Downing Down In Devon – Again

Keith Downing enjoying the view from Plymouth’s most famous landmark.

It was part reunion, part introduction and part celebration of longevity in the game.

Keith Downing, a boyhood Wolves fan and then a hugely popular figure across 228 first-team games, has now been a coach for four times as long as he was a member of Graham Turner’s squad.

At 59, he probably sees an end to his time in the dug-out in senior football looming. But such are his reputation, network of friends and knowledge that there’s every chance a new door will open in another area of what has become a massive industry.

The blond power-pack who snapped into tackles across two lower-division title triumphs at Molineux, with the icing of Sherpa Van Trophy glory at Wembley in between, is thoroughly personable and engaging, as underlined over the weekend when we had a second meeting with him in two and a half months.

That was part of the reunion element of this story. Blackburn’s fine start to the season brought them to Plymouth during our own time in the south-west and the fixture, in turn, spelled a return for Keith to the club he served as no 2 to Steve Schumacher three seasons ago.

“I enjoyed my time at Plymouth, although it was only for six months until the close season,” he said. “The trouble is that it’s a long way from everywhere!

“We came down on Thursday for this game and didn’t get here until midnight after a terrible journey. But there had been a massive hold-up on the M5.

Downing ‘directs the traffic’ while Rooney surveys the action.

“I know a pitch at Saltash where we could train, though, and it’s a change of scenery for them right by the sea.”

Downing had a flat just along the coast while no 2 to the man recruited and just sacked by Stoke and chose one of his favourite coffee shops on The Hoe for our chat in between two walks along the city’s most famous landmark – one that’s something of a ritual alone after breakfast, the other a loosener with the players shortly before noon.

As we walked, he was greeted by a small group of Rovers fans and by two of Saturday’s substitutes queueing for their caffeine at a nearby kiosk. But match-day was also about meeting those he was less familiar with.

Along the Home Park touchline was Wayne Rooney – controversially drafted in by Birmingham last autumn despite the fine St Andrew’s start overseen by John Eustace to that point.

The ditched ‘Bluenose’, who had had ex-Birmingham midfielder Downing alongside him at St Andrew’s for the first time, was then appointed in February by Blackburn and the backroom team were reunited.

Rooney, as everyone knows, ‘bombed’ in the West Midlands and had a mixed time of it three days ago, coaxing his side to a third successive home win but being sent off near the end for disputing Rovers’ equaliser.

Banned from attending post-match media conferences, he had longer than usual over a drink with the opposition camp – and to reflect on the hero worship he is enjoying with the Argyle faithful.

Danny Batth in his Wolves years.

Returning to the reunion theme, we were delighted also to have a quick pre-match catch-up at Blackburn’s hotel with Danny Batth who has become a regular in their defence since signing there in the summer.

He is on course to bring up his 500th appearance in senior fooball some time before Christmas, the first 212 of those having come for Wolves.

Like Andreas Weimann, this game did not end happily for him – both were replaced at three-quarter time in their side’s 2-1 defeat.

 

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