Thought For The Day – Tuesday 28^th November 2023

Pictured above is the then Barcelona men’s football team manager Terry Venables, who passed away at the weekend, and who had previous to this photograph being taken brought Barcelona their first league championship for eleven years, celebrating as his team have reached the European Cup final in 1986.

But notice the student on the left of the picture. This is a fifteen-year-old Josep Guardiola, who would become a wonderful player and an outstanding coach and manager, who was then at the club’s “La Masia” academy, helping get and give the ball when it went out of play at matches.

Yesterday, ‘Pep’ (pictured also below) joined the many wonderful tributes paid to Terry Venables, the professional and the person:  “His impact was incredible. He introduced many, many things; a true gentleman. He introduced something that had never been before, especially a certain type of pressing…It was the first time I saw us win “La Liga”. I wasn’t thinking I’d play for Barcelona or become a manager. I just thought how much fun it is to see my club winning games.”

Good luck, and thank you, to all Year 11 students representing the school XV for their final rugby fixture this afternoon. 

Your TBSHS sporting journey began one autumn of 2019 at Jobbers Wood for that iconic first training session.

Thank you to all staff, parents, carers and siblings who have tirelessly given opportunities over many years.

We always play for them. 

It starts when we are young, with a dream, a hope, an inspiration, a love and a passion.

And this remains with us throughout our lives.