A postscript on Albert

Since blogging on Albert yesterday, I have had an e-mail from his daughter Alicia. I copy and paste...

Thanks so much for blogging about my father, Albert Johanneson. I didn't know that Billy Bremner spoke of him in such glowing terms. I know that a lot of things have been written about my father, some true and some untrue, and, unfortunately people tend to repeat the erroneous information disseminated about him. I don't know where you got your information from about my dad, but I would like to take the time to clarify a few points you made.

First and foremost, my father, while being an excellent footballer, was also a human being who suffered from the ravages of alcoholism. Contrary to what you wrote, I'm sure he did want to be helped, but like anyone who experiences a disease like alcoholism, I'm sure there were times when he couldn't have given two figs about his well-being; he probably just craved another drink and nothing more. Nevertheless, I'm convinced that when he was sober he did want to be helped, but often times probably didn't know how to fully appreciate the love and concern meted out to him in that regard.

Secondly, my father was not buried in an unmarked grave. As you know, it takes some time to create a headstone for the deceased, and since my sister and I requested that the wording on the headstone be taken from a Maya Angelou poem, we had to secure permission to use it. Hence the delay in putting up the headstone, which, by the way, was paid for by Leeds United management.

Anyway, I just wanted to take some time to clarify those points and thank you once again for shedding some positive light on my dad and his place in British football.

With gratitude,

Alicia S. Johanneson