Hey all - been a REAL long time since I've posted on this forum. I apologize for my absence (not that it was noticed, I'm sure), but the combination of work life and an active season for my hometown Portland Timbers has kept me away from the Shed End. My passion for CFC has certainly not waned in the slightest, however! As Mad Mac can attest. I hope everyone has been well.

Anyway, remember John Spencer, who played with the club in the 1990's? He is about to be named the head manager of my local club, the Portland Timbers, who will begin play in the American MLS next season. He played in the MLS from 2001 to 2004, and then has been in the assistant manager ranks for various MLS clubs since then. He has been an assistant with the MLS Houston Dynamo since 2007, and they have won 2 championships during that time. He today resigned from the team "to pursue other opportunities," and it has been a badly-kept secret for months now that he has been Portland's top choice. A few players confirmed to the media that he is about to be named our head coach.

A pic of Spenny then...

... and now ... (he's the short one!)

Cheers, all. Hope to begin contributing again this season.

Manny

Still the smallest bloke on the pitch.

Welcome back Manny. So the Timbers are moving up eh?

Edited July 14, 201015 yr by Scott

Spenny was very well thought of at Chelsea and scored some stunning goals, the best two being his length of the field effort in Vienna and the flying volley v Liverpool. Hope he has a great time out there!

loved Spenny! wish him the best of luck.

I'll echo that, thought he was magic an I saw an interview with him about a year ago when he was clearly loving working in America, the passion for the game is still obvious as well!

meet john he;s a gent

we share a birthday I think, he was my first 'favourite chelsea player'.

little diamond.............not quick but great balance and could turn on a haggis - decent shot and great movement and could drop a shoulder - worked non-stop

met him a couple of times in the west stand bar..............decent bloke (strong accent!)

don't always like jocks, but spenny up there with the best

Manny, because of you I have been avoiding the "Sounders Craze" that seems to be sweeping Washington because I know if the rivalry between them and the Timbers. Even watched the game between them the other day, but I'm goinig to really have to root for the Timbers now!Might have to come down for a game, have a great friend that lives right by the stadium!

Scott

i remember that goal against vienna, and spenny's little legs scampering the length of the pitch....brilliant.

who else formed the diddy men back then, speedy was long gone but wee john, stein, wise, peacock was no giant but i'm sure we had others....was fleck still there?

Edited July 26, 201015 yr by c3blu

was kevin mcallister also there?

wee john was a half pipe marty pellow from wet wet wet, excuse the pipe pun.

Watched Spence's Portland Timbers go down 2-0 to Toronto FC today, which makes their MLS record played two, lost two.

Spencer is definitely going to have his work cut out this year with Portland - hopefully he can turn them into a contending team and make a name for himself as a manager.

If i remember John Spencer was one of the 1st Catholics to ever play for Rangers ... unheard of at the time ... he was a tidy wee player but therein was his problem he was also a tiny wee player

Edited April 6, 201115 yr by WHFBlue

was kevin mcallister also there?

Nah not at that time I don't think.

I think Spencer was a Porterfield signing in the summer of 1992, along with Robert Fleck. Who do you think was the best value for money? LOL!

That goal in Vienna was one of my all time favourites, crazy celebrations after a day on the Austrian lager.

Anyone on here remember the overturned sausage cart? Everyone walking about with as many hot dogs as they could carry

Cracking little player, I'd loved to have seen him in the team we have now.