Very disappointing to lose Gary Lewin to England
England will pay him more. And that seems wrong.
It’s weird that an international physio should earn more than a club physio.
However, Arsenal fans are accustomed to losing key personnel.
Gary Lewin is a great guy who saved Eduardo’s leg and has done fabulous work for 22 years.
A physio looks after injuries and rehab, as everyone knows. But the job is far more than that because a physio often becomes a friend, a brother, a father, a confidante, a priest who hears their confessions. Years ago I heard that early one morning, during the George Graham era, Tony Adams had been out drinking all night and turned up at the training ground and Gary was there and Tony said, “Don’t let the gaffer see me like this.”
In his interview with Arsenal.com Gary is asked about whether he becomes involved with emotional issues as well.
He says,”You almost become a social worker. We use sports psychologists, fitness conditioning coaches but the all-round general health is done by the medical team which includes myself, Colin, Ian Beasley, the club doctor, and masseurs.”
I don’t know why Gary Lewin is leaving Arsenal. And I can’t guess because I don’t know Gary. I only met him once at Highbury when I went to do my first one-on-one interview with George Graham. I was sitting in the marble hall, waiting to be summoned, and Gary came to tell me George was ready to see me now.
On Arsenal.com, Gary Lewin talks about the England job, the future, his great memories, and about coming to Arsenal as a goalkeeper and not being good enough. Then he was influenced by club physio Fred Street.
Fred is a lovely, lovely man. My chat with Fred turned out to be one of the most interesting football-related interviews I’ve ever done.
On Sunday you can see FOR FREE the amazing singer-pianist, Angelina, who is Russian-born but has lived in London since she was 10.
Her tune My Passport is fantastic.