Former Grimsby Town boss Brian Laws gives his take on Bonetti bust up
BRIAN Laws has finally lifted the lid on ‘that’ run-in with Ivano Bonetti and the moment when “all hell broke loose”.
As reported in yesterday’s Telegraph, the former Grimsby Town boss has waited 16 years to tell his side of one of the club’s most infamous tales.
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TENSION: Brian Laws, right, has given his account of his Grimsby Town changing room bust-up with Ivano Bonetti. Below, Laws addresses the press after the incident in February 1996 alongside then Town chairman Bill Carr and a patched-up Bonetti, third from right. Inset bottom, Laws with a copy of the Grimsby Telegraph at the time.
But now, through his new book, Laws has given Mariners fans his account of the changing room bust-up which hit the national headlines.
Reports at the time suggested the Town manager was so incensed by his side’s defeat at Luton in February 1996 that he launched a plate of chicken wings at Bonetti, leaving the Italian with a fractured cheekbone.
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But, talking to the Telegraph, Laws insists the midfielder threw sandwiches and a punch in his direction before the Mariners boss retaliated and hit him back.
He said: “I’ve no idea where the chicken leg or wing part of the story came from! It almost put a bit of humour to it, but we felt it was best to leave things be and put things right later on.
“That incident gets brought up quite a lot and people laugh at it now – and I do as well – but at the time it wasn’t very funny or nice to be involved in.
“It was an incident which unfortunately spilled out into the press and all hell broke loose at the time.”
The former Nottingham Forest defender continued: “It just spiraled out of all proportion – at the time it was so raw and the advice I was taking was to let it die down.
“You end up having a slanging match, if not, and it just wasn’t an appropriate thing to do.
“I’ve not really wanted to talk about it for many years but I just felt it was time to give my side of the story.
“My exploits at Grimsby have always been hidden and this is my chance to put the record straight.
“I’m sure there are a few interested parties, particularly in Grimsby, who would like to know just what did go on in that changing room.”
Laws was appointed as Town’s player-manager in 1994 following Alan Buckley’s departure to West Brom.
And the man who went on to manage Scunthorpe United, Sheffield Wednesday and Premier League Burnley admits his two years at Blundell Park represented a steep learning curve.
“It set me off in management and I’m eternally grateful to the likes of Bill Carr, who gave me huge support, and Peter Furneaux who was chairman when I was appointed,” he added.
“It was a fantastic opportunity for me to move into management and I’ve no regrets whatsoever.
“However, during that period I had to deal with a lot of things that even an experienced manager wouldn’t have to deal with.
“Obviously the Bonetti scenario came out of that – and it was a fast-track to learning football and learning management.”
Find out more about Brian Laws’ time as Grimsby Town boss in his new book ‘Laws of the Jungle’.
Comments
by stevegk1970
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 4:15PM
“Hello gy82a I have only just read your reply to my previous post. I totally understand where you are coming from with your comments about Laws had the backing of Wharton's money and the time to build a decent squad at Scunthorpe during his time at the club.
Whether Laws was totally responsible for this but they also seemed to have an excellent scouting system finding the likes of Steve Maclean, Paul Hayes, Billy Sharp, etc all who went on to play at a higher level,etc.
Sadly money does talk especially in the Blue Square Premier with the examples such as Fleetwood and Crawley whereas York got promoted with a decent manager in Gary Mills and a bunch of players who worked hard for each other and good team spirit.”
by oshea2707
Monday, September 10 2012, 7:53AM
“He never lost the dressing room after this because he was actually just standing up for himself when provoked by bonetti and his agent after letting a two goal lead slip in the FA cup. I never really liked the guy but the players had a lot of time for him, and although Bonetti was a loveable rogue type character to the players he had this coming and despite being a very good player, he left a lot to be desired as a man, as we and dundee found out all too late. It was one bloody good punch!”
by 10f4pontoon
Saturday, September 08 2012, 9:43PM
“Laws. Not interested at all.”
by gy82a
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:58PM
“he`d get sacked off the dole....”
by gy82a
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:57PM
“steve .. when he was at scunny he had whartons money and long enough to do it and we all know it only takes cash to climb in football these day even for a imbacile like laws...”
by enfieldmarine
Saturday, September 08 2012, 1:08PM
“i was at that game, laws should have punched a few more players, we should have won that game easily, thinking back it was incredible how we lost it.
i heard Laws hated Bonetti for non footballing reasons, and that sparked the punch up”
by stevegk1970
Saturday, September 08 2012, 11:20AM
“I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall that day and know the REAL story.
Ultimately Brian Laws lost the respect of the dressing room and it cost him his job....but I also believe that Bonetti used this club and conned the supporters who set up the fund to raise money to keep him here.
I actually believe Laws when he is so grateful to GTFC for giving him his first managerial role and who is to say that if the Bonetti situation had never happened that he may have gone on to produce the success with this football club that he achieved when he went to Scunthorpe.
Love him or hate him.....admittedly he hasn't done that well in recent years with spells at Burnley and Sheff Wed but what he achieved at Scunthorpe was incredible.....and Nigel Adkins continued from where Laws left off.”
by Madasahatter
Saturday, September 08 2012, 10:30AM
“Should have punched him harder!”
by thealmighty
Saturday, September 08 2012, 9:28AM
“not the story i was told,”
by gspearson
Saturday, September 08 2012, 9:18AM
“Carrot to make us buy the book ?”