davieG Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 Tim Flowers interview: Leicester City was a good club from top to bottom By Leicester Mercury | Posted: July 04, 2015 By Rob Tanner Martin O'Neil and Tim Flowers when the keeper signed for City VIEW GALLERY Comments (0)Tim Flowers had been at the pinnacle of the English game. He had played for England, become the most expensive goalkeeper in English football when he moved to Blackburn for £2.4 million in 1993 and in his second season at Ewood Park he lifted the Premier League trophy. But, in 1999, he was out of the Rovers side and contemplating his future. Out of favour under new Blackburn boss Brian Kidd, Flowers needed to kick-start his career. It was then Martin O'Neill came calling and Flowers admits his time at Leicester City was a wonderful finale to his glittering career. "I came in from Blackburn, where we had a special team, a fantastic side with some great players in it," said Flowers, who is back working with Kidderminster Harriers as a goalkeeping coach after leaving Nottingham Forest last season when Stuart Pearce was sacked. "I went there in 1993 and when Brian Kidd came in to manage at Blackburn he made it clear I wasn't going to play, so I had to stay there for the whole season not playing. "I think I played one game. I had to sit and watch. I wanted to go out on loan but wasn't allowed. "Fortunately, the following pre-season I got pulled into the office and the first team had a pre-season friendly at Oldham. "Kidd told me I was going to play that night because Martin O'Neill had made contact. They had agreed a deal and he was coming to watch me play. That was that. "I played and the next day I was told they had done the deal and to go down to Leicester to do what I needed to do. "Simon Grayson was going in the other direction in the deal and we basically passed each other in the corridor. "As much as I loved my time at Blackburn, it was a massive relief to get out and play first-team football. "It was huge for a manager like O'Neill and the staff he had, to want me. It was a no-brainer." Flowers admits the family atmosphere within the City camp under O'Neill made it easy to settle in and what followed were some of the best times of his career, although when he first saw his new team-mates in action it did not quite go so well. "It took me just two days to feel a part of the squad and get involved in it," he said. "I went to the training ground at Belvoir Drive and Martin O'Neill and John Robertson were there, but the rest of the lads were in Greece for pre-season. They had a tournament in Athens. "They had remained behind to speak to me and we agreed everything in about 60 seconds. "We then jumped on a plane to Athens and Martin said to me, 'you watch the first game' because we were playing pretty much as soon as we landed. "It was against AK Athens and I was supposed to play in the second game. "We drove to the stadium and after 40 minutes they were 4-0 down, but the heavens opened and the game was abandoned. We were getting ripped to bits. "I went back to the hotel and met the boys and they were different class. I felt at home straight away. "They were proper men and I loved it from the first minute. "The following year we finished in the top half of the league, won the League Cup and qualified for Europe. "It was a terrific season. I loved it. I loved playing for Martin and they were such a fantastic group of lads. They were all personalities. "You get mixed bunches in most dressing rooms but they really were a real blinding group of lads." Many of that side remained in Leicestershire after their playing days were over and Flowers has also put down roots just outside the county. "There is a special connection with the club," he said. "It is a fantastic club. When I was there we were playing at Filbert Street. "It was probably an asset for us because a few teams didn't fancy going there. "It was tight and the fans were on top of people. It wasn't quite as plush as some of the big grounds around. "We had a good record at home. We were hard to play against. We were big and physical with a manager who knew how to push people's buttons. "He knew when people were tired and needed a kick up the bum. He worked people out and was a great man-manager. I loved him. "It was a good, close-knit club from top to bottom, with the board who were good straight men. "When I moved to Leicester in 1999, I bought a house in Hockley Heath. I was 45 minutes from the training ground and I have never moved. "A lot of the lads from that era still live in Leicestershire. "It is a lovely county and a nice place to live, so it doesn't surprise me the lads have hung around and set up their lives there. "I speak to Matty Elliott. He came with me when I had a little go at managing Stafford Rangers. "I see Muzzy Izzet around and I saw Neil Lennon last year when he was on the circuit. "They are all good lads and that was a special time." Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Tim-Flowers-interview-Leicester-City-good-club/story-26827774-detail/story.html#ixzz3eu1otAoz Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Weasel Fox Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 Tim Flowers interview: Leicester City was a good club from top to bottom By Leicester Mercury | Posted: July 04, 2015 By Rob Tanner Martin O'Neil and Tim Flowers when the keeper signed for City VIEW GALLERY Comments (0) Tim Flowers had been at the pinnacle of the English game. He had played for England, become the most expensive goalkeeper in English football when he moved to Blackburn for £2.4 million in 1993 and in his second season at Ewood Park he lifted the Premier League trophy. But, in 1999, he was out of the Rovers side and contemplating his future. Out of favour under new Blackburn boss Brian Kidd, Flowers needed to kick-start his career. It was then Martin O'Neill came calling and Flowers admits his time at Leicester City was a wonderful finale to his glittering career."I came in from Blackburn, where we had a special team, a fantastic side with some great players in it," said Flowers, who is back working with Kidderminster Harriers as a goalkeeping coach after leaving Nottingham Forest last season when Stuart Pearce was sacked. "I went there in 1993 and when Brian Kidd came in to manage at Blackburn he made it clear I wasn't going to play, so I had to stay there for the whole season not playing. "I think I played one game. I had to sit and watch. I wanted to go out on loan but wasn't allowed. "Fortunately, the following pre-season I got pulled into the office and the first team had a pre-season friendly at Oldham. "Kidd told me I was going to play that night because Martin O'Neill had made contact. They had agreed a deal and he was coming to watch me play. That was that. "I played and the next day I was told they had done the deal and to go down to Leicester to do what I needed to do. "Simon Grayson was going in the other direction in the deal and we basically passed each other in the corridor. "As much as I loved my time at Blackburn, it was a massive relief to get out and play first-team football. "It was huge for a manager like O'Neill and the staff he had, to want me. It was a no-brainer." Flowers admits the family atmosphere within the City camp under O'Neill made it easy to settle in and what followed were some of the best times of his career, although when he first saw his new team-mates in action it did not quite go so well. "It took me just two days to feel a part of the squad and get involved in it," he said. "I went to the training ground at Belvoir Drive and Martin O'Neill and John Robertson were there, but the rest of the lads were in Greece for pre-season. They had a tournament in Athens. "They had remained behind to speak to me and we agreed everything in about 60 seconds. "We then jumped on a plane to Athens and Martin said to me, 'you watch the first game' because we were playing pretty much as soon as we landed. "It was against AK Athens and I was supposed to play in the second game. "We drove to the stadium and after 40 minutes they were 4-0 down, but the heavens opened and the game was abandoned. We were getting ripped to bits. "I went back to the hotel and met the boys and they were different class. I felt at home straight away. "They were proper men and I loved it from the first minute. "The following year we finished in the top half of the league, won the League Cup and qualified for Europe. "It was a terrific season. I loved it. I loved playing for Martin and they were such a fantastic group of lads. They were all personalities. "You get mixed bunches in most dressing rooms but they really were a real blinding group of lads." Many of that side remained in Leicestershire after their playing days were over and Flowers has also put down roots just outside the county. "There is a special connection with the club," he said. "It is a fantastic club. When I was there we were playing at Filbert Street. "It was probably an asset for us because a few teams didn't fancy going there. "It was tight and the fans were on top of people. It wasn't quite as plush as some of the big grounds around. "We had a good record at home. We were hard to play against. We were big and physical with a manager who knew how to push people's buttons. "He knew when people were tired and needed a kick up the bum. He worked people out and was a great man-manager. I loved him. "It was a good, close-knit club from top to bottom, with the board who were good straight men. "When I moved to Leicester in 1999, I bought a house in Hockley Heath. I was 45 minutes from the training ground and I have never moved. "A lot of the lads from that era still live in Leicestershire. "It is a lovely county and a nice place to live, so it doesn't surprise me the lads have hung around and set up their lives there. "I speak to Matty Elliott. He came with me when I had a little go at managing Stafford Rangers. "I see Muzzy Izzet around and I saw Neil Lennon last year when he was on the circuit. "They are all good lads and that was a special time." Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Tim-Flowers-interview-Leicester-City-good-club/story-26827774-detail/story.html#ixzz3eu1otAoz Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook Fantastic goalkeeper and what a team we had back thenAmazing really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 You should of kept me on.....I got you into the Premier League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacnah Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 Still remember his one handed save against villa (if memory serves me right) in the semi final of the league cup at filbert street and also the fact that he would leap up and down in celebration after every game we won. Terrific goalkeeper and we were lucky to have him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayfox Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 Nice to see our club spoken about in a positive light occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Walsh5 Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 I thought Simon Grayson had left us a few years before Tim flowers had signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facecloth Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 I thought Simon Grayson had left us a few years before Tim flowers had signed. He did, went to Villa a couple of years before. He joined Blackburn as Flower left to come here though, maybe he got confused and was thinking of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fazzyfox Posted 4 July 2015 Share Posted 4 July 2015 Flowers not picked for the Athens game? Thanks a bunch (although the fuscia was bright for him and he rose to the challenge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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