Bobo Balde

Found this on Etims, thought it was quite a good wee read.

Bobo is no longer GonnyGetYie
Written by Bedford Falls
Tuesday, 22 September 2009


This summer we said goodbye to the monster sized centre-half Dianbobo “Bobo” Baldé. The gigantic defender's passing probably comes as a surprise to most people who thought that he had left two years whence. You see, Bobo and WGS just didn't get on and the last remaining survivor from the team who started in Seville went out with a whimper. I can't help feeling that Bobo shouldered a lot of the blame for the Artmedia disaster and subsequent four goals lost at Motherwell.



To start with the end seems counter-intuitive but in the case of Bobo it is a pertinent place to begin. The popular Guinean fell out of favour with WGS (and in particular Peter Lawwell - Ed) early in the flame-haired manager's tenure and from there Bobo's cards were marked – there were the fines (still being contested through Uefa), training with the kids and the numerous attempts to jettison him from the wage bill. The only issue was that Santa O'Neill and the board had given Bobo a £28k per week deal that had the most amazing free transfer clause inserted for the first few months. Bobo, despite numerous offers, decided to see out this contract: as was his prerogative. He was last seen cleaning the toilets in the North Stand with a toothbrush and a cold Lemsip.



But this inglorious end does nothing but suggest that Bobo was happy to pick up the guts of £1.5m a year for nothing. I mean, who would be? Tsk. That said, there are many who feel Bobo sullied his Celtic legend by not accepting a move when the cash being offered was the same, and in particular a couple of moves to Birmingham broke down over Bobo’s reticence to move without some lolly in return from Celtic. It was as if Bobo was happy not to play after being sidelined by Strachan (and in particular Lawwell - Ed).



Bobo's stay at Celtic was a surprisingly long eight years. He was signed by Martin O'Neill and if ever there was an identikit centre-half for O'Neill then Bobo was it; kind of like a defensive John Carew. Bobo was a giant of a man and reminded me of the black pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean, only Bobo was scarier.



He joined the Club from Toulouse on what turned out to be a free transfer and an absolutely fantastic piece of business. O'Neill had already made some impressive moves in the transfer market and Bobo was a gem of a signing. He made his debut in September 2001 against Dunfermline and went on to enjoy a stellar few years with the club and he ended the season scoring in the 3-2 Scottish Cup final defeat to they-who-must-not-be-named.



Of course, there were the downsides and Bobo played his part in the heartbreaking exits from the Champions League in 2004 and 2005. The lapse against Lyon was particularly gut-wrenching, but not as much as his sending off in Seville was. He had walked a tightrope for the bulk of the game, and in the end was sent off for what was a decent challenge. Jose Mourinho had brought in Greg Louganis to train the Porto players in the lead up to final, it seemed, and Bobo fell for it hook, line and sinker. But the wholehearted commitment in Bobo’s performances made the big Guinean a deserved favourite with the fans and the chant “Bobo's Gonnae Get Ye”, inspired by the excellent Reebok advert, rung out whenever some poor striker had been crunched for having the audacity to be in the same galaxy as Bobo.



In his time at the Club, Celtic won five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two league cups; as well as the glorious run to Seville. He was also voted the inaugural Celtic Fan's player of the year. His was a colossus at the heart of the Hoops defence and was an integral part of the team who conceded only 18 leagues goals in 2002.



His passes out of defence tended to bounce off of satellites, but how we could do with that no-nonsense approach that Bobo brought to the team. The only time I can recall Bobo ever getting bullied in a game in Scotland was when Ricardo Fuller played the part of a human battering ram for the Edinburgh Evil Brigade at Celtic Park in a 3-2 win for the good guys. He wasn’t the most intelligent footballer, and most certainly wasn’t a ball player, but by *, he was a defender.



Let us remember the Bobo of the last ditch block, the thunderous challenges, the man mountain who probably * dynamite and drinks molten lava. Let us remember the crunching and crazy tackles as well as the infinite number of headers won. Sure, the charge could be levelled that he was a greedy * who decided that cash for nowt was better than working for a living, but in all the time that Bobo was playing keepy-up with twelve year olds there were few in the support would have been unhappy to see him back in the team displaying his remarkable range of clearances, where the ball would go higher-higher-higher.



Bobo leaves Celtic as player who could have been a legend but instead will be recalled in years to come with fondness and admiration. It is unlikely he will return to do a windfall draw. Good luck, wherever you end up Dianbobo. Hail Hail.

 

No time for the greedy * and I'm delighted that he doesnt have a club.

 

Think some people are harsh on the big man, I would have loved to see him get a chance under strachan but it just didnt happen, I think he would have been a major part of the team. Every centre half should aim to be like the big man on his day, ustoppable, wish him all the best for the future

 

Pity it all went so sour, as he was so immense in O'Neill's team, but staying on as he did, I find it hard to stand up and give 3 cheers for Bobo.

He should have had some dignity and left when the writing was on the wall. By staying on as he did, he will not be reverred in the same way I recall other Celts of the O'Neill era, that WGS didnt favour, such as Chris Sutton or Alan Thompson, who did move on.

 

Strachan had a mandate from the Board/Lawwell to sell high earners and replace them with players within the new wage structure. Its not a case of Strachan not favouring them, its a case of Strachan doing what was asked of him before he was given the job.

Why build a team around players that you know wont be given new contracts unless they take huge wage hits. The only player to sign a contract with a huge reduction in money was Lennon.

 

exactly

The article seemed to forget to mention that he was also prone to the odd bomb scare moment.

He was a good player for us, he just hung around a few years too many and for the disrespect he showed to Danny McGrain, a true Celtic great, he deserves to be without a club having ruined his own career.

 

Can someone fill me in on this??

 

glad he is left , but will always remeber him for the man mountain that was bobo balde

 

When sent to train with the reserves he was disrespectful to Danny McGrain and insinuiated that he wasn't qualified enough to train him, it was after this he was demoted even further to train with the U19 squad.

 

That and i think the squad was getting on a bit when strachan came so theres was two priorities the one you have mentioned and getting the age of the squad down.

Liked the big man unfortunatly what happened happend, best of luck to him i say.

 

Mercenary!,* him!

 

Miss the big guy would be the perfect no nonsense partner for van dike, imagine balde van dike and wanyama in their prime in the same team would put the fear through every European striker.

 

Was he *.

* you........

 

You tell him

 

Loved the big guy, my idea the way a centre half should be. When he cleared the ball he cleared the striker as well, if l remember right l don't think he was booked that often.

 

Always remember taking to bertie auld in the toilets whilst doing a pish, told me the big guy was an absolute gem and he was * over in the end, always wanted to play. Also told me throughout his entire career he sent half of his wages over to his family in Guinea......

 

I have nothing but fond memories of him growing up. One of my favourite Celts.

 

Loved him rock solid.

 

:icon_mrgreen: Yeah I liked that about him.

 

Fantastic player for us.

What he lacked in finesse, he made up for in attacking the ball / player..