Santos: I'm No Bad Boy

By: Tony Hamilton
Date: 22/09/2002

GEORGES Santos, the former Tranmere and Blades midfielder, has spoken out about the "bad boy" image which he has picked up since the brawl that marred last season's infamous Sheff Utd-West Brom game.

Santos (32) was red carded for a two-footed lunge on West Brom's Andy Johnson that sparked a 16-man brawl. The game in March 2002 was abandoned when United were reduced to six men after Patrick Suffo and Simon Tracey also saw red and two further players limped off with "injuries".

Neil Warnock's side were fined £10,000 for their part in the fiasco and Santos never played for the Blades again, being released from Bramall Lane in the summer.

Now on trial at Grimsby Town after spending the summer looking for a new contract in his native France Santos spoke to the Grimsby Telegraph about himself. "Some people want to say that I am a bad boy. I am not a bad boy," said Santos, who likens his style to that of his fellow countryman Patrick Vieira.

"I like to play football like Grimsby play but I am physical as well. I like to pass the ball and get up and down the pitch. I am perhaps like Patrick Vieira. Not the same, but that kind of player.".

Georges had played alongside Town 'keeper Danny Coyne at Tranmere then went on to play for West Brom then onto Sheff Utd, and had a trial with Kilmarnock in the summer, but has been try to fix himself up with a new club since then.

Santos played down the part his involvement in the "Battle of Bramall Lane" played in his release from the Yorkshire club. "I was really, really surprised that I did not get a new deal at Sheffield. He dropped me off the bench for no reason.

"I think a lot of people were surprised that I didn't get a new deal. But that is over now and I am 32, I have six years left and I want to play football.

"I will give my 100 per cent to stay here but the situation in England is very difficult. Grimsby have no money but I will try hard and try and make them interested.

"I'm not looking for big money. Of course, the money is important for my life, but I want to play first. I want to sign for Grimsby and they may well want me. But first it is about training and playing some games."

George was at Bramall Lane to watch the Mariners go down 2-1 to Sheff Utd and before the game had a long chat with Danny Coyne about training with the Mariners

"I watched the game and I asked Danny if it was possible to come to Grimsby to train. Paul Groves gave me his permission to train and we will see what happens.

"Danny is a good friend and I have known him for four years now and we did a good season together at Tranmere." Speaking about the Grimsby's 2-1 defeat on Tuesday Santos went on to say: "Grimsby played well and they were unlucky not to win. I think they deserved to win and after 20 minutes they had wasted three great chances to kill the game.

"I was very, very surprised that they lost because Sheffield United were not very good.

"Grimsby tried to keep the score but they played a little too deep in the second half. If they had played like they did in the first half they might have scored one or two more goals."

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