/ 20 December 2006

Death of legend Puskas completes sad year for sport

Football legend Ferenc Puskas, one of the greatest soccer players of all time, was one of several big names in football who died during the year.

Puskas, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and had been confined to a hospital bed for the past six years, died of respiratory and circulatory failure in November aged 79.

One of the best strikers ever to play the game, with a fearsome left foot, Puskas, known as the Galloping Major, led Hungary to Olympic gold in 1952, won league titles in both Hungary and Spain and three European Cups with Real Madrid.

Puskas scored a remarkable 83 goals in 84 international matches from 1945 to 1956, when the Hungarian squad was simply known as the ”Golden Team.”

The ”Golden Team” signalled its dominance with a stunning 6-3 thrashing of England at Wembley in 1953, becoming the first overseas team to beat the English national side on their home soil.

Hungary then hammered England again 7-1 in Budapest and were hot favourites to win the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, although they eventually lost in the final to Germany.

Other football deaths included Ron Greenwood, who led England in the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain, former West Ham manager John Lyall, Chelsea star Peter Osgood and Jimmy Johnstone, one of the Lisbon Lions who won Britain’s first European Cup for Celtic in 1967.

Italy’s Giacinto Facchetti, who won 94 caps (70 as captain), was part of the team that won the 1968 European title and finished runners-up to Brazil at the 1970 World Cup. Facchetti played for Inter Milan from 1961 to 1978.

Tele Santana, who coached Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals and also led São Paulo to the Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993, died in April aged 74.

Perhaps the most dramatic death of the year was New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, who died in October when the small plane he was piloting smashed into a 50-story Manhattan building, leaving Major League Baseball players, coaches and fans in shock and disbelief.

Another death from baseball was Minnesota Twins legend Kirby Puckett, who helped the Twins win the 1987 and 1991 World Series crowns, made 10 consecutive All-Star Game appearances, won six Gold Glove fielding awards and was a four-time American League batting champion.

And American Hall of Fame golfer Byron Nelson, whose 11 straight victories in 1945 were part of the greatest single season in golf history, died in September at the age of 94.

Rugby union deaths included former England lock Maurice Colclough, who played on England’s 1980 Grand Slam winning team, former France captain Guy Basquet, Welsh Rugby Union president Keith Rowlands and Jean Desclaux, who coached France to the 1977 Five Nations Grand Slam.

In cricket, England fast -bowling great Fred Trueman, the first man to take 300 Test wickets, passed away, as did former Pakistan batsman Wasim Raja and former India wicketkeeper-batsman Budhi Kunderan.

Trevor Berbick, who beat Muhammad Ali and lost to Mike Tyson in historic fights, was found hacked to death at his Caribbean island home in October.

In sports officialdom, Marc Hodler, the Swiss IOC member who sparked the 2002 Salt Lake City scandal, died, as did Istvan Gyulai, the general secretary of the IAAF, and former Hearts chairperson Wallace Mercer.

John Spencer, who won the world snooker title in 1969, 1971 and 1977, also passed away, as did Australian Andy Caldecott following a crash on his motorbike in the Dakar rally.

Other deaths included American women’s golf pioneer Patty Berg, Czech soccer player Imrich Stacho, believed to be the first keeper to score in international football, and Egyptian soccer player Mohammed Abdel Wahab, who died of a heart attack while training.

Willie Pep, the former world featherweight champion acknowledged as one of the greatest defensive boxers in history, has died, as has English snooker player Paul Hunter, who died of cancer aged 27.

Japanese motorcyclist Jun Maeda died during a crash in practice for the Isle of Man TT races and Michelin chief executive Edouard Michelin also passed away. Another motorsport death was that of Jorg Bastuck, a 36-year-old German rally driver who was killed after being run over when changing a tyre.

American swimmer Eric Namesnik, who won two silver medals at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Games, died from injuries from a car accident. — Sapa-AFP