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Tony Mowbray speaks bravely for the first time about his cancer diagnosis

Tony Mowbray speaks bravely for the first time about his cancer diagnosis, in an interview with the BBC ahead of Middlesbrough v Luton.

The 60 year old has really been through it the last year, from being burgled to having cancer. Earlier this year indicates that he stepped down from his managerial role at now-League One club Birmingham City to undergo medical treatment.

He has been having treatment, and it will be a few months yet before he is fit enough and ready to return back to the touchline.

An incredibly brave, open, interview, puts life in perspective, tearing up just listening to it. Have a listen…

INTERVIEW:

Tony says to BBC Tees: “The toughest year of my life, of our lives, because I talk as a family really, you know. Out of the blue my illness was diagnosed, you know, I probably was still a Sunderland manager this time a year ago, and then pretty soon, I think I was, because I remember my house got burgled, believe it or not a year yesterday, and, I was at Sunderland in a board meeting, and, and I got a call from my young son. And so I left that meeting and raced home to to be see the house full of police officers and and everything. And, so it the start of this year started really badly for us as a family. And, and then pretty strangely but I understand football.

“I lost my job at Sunderland. Had an amazing phone call and a meeting about joining Birmingham City and the plans that that football club had, and and they saw me as the guy who could bring that together and take that on the journey, hopefully, back to the Premier League for them. And, I was happy to do that. And then my world came crashing down, really.

“I’ve had a doctor’s appointment through the league management association to go to Manchester and have a check over. You get one every year, sort of a, like, a full body MOT really, everything, your hearing, your eyesight, everything. And, I went along and out of the blue, part of it was having a colonoscopy because I’ve mentioned that I’d had some issues, my toilet, the way I would go to the toilet had changed, and so they had a look and and I got diagnosed with bowel cancer, out of nowhere really. And it’s quite shattering.

“I had to go to the football club. I was just newly employed. I’d only been manager. I think when I left, I’d had 8 games, won 4, drew 2, lost 2, and we were doing pretty well. And, we’ve just beaten Sunderland and Blackburn, my 2 previous clubs, and things were looking good. The place was bouncing, the stadium was full, and, and I was really looking forward to having a great time there. Unfortunately, 10 days later, I was in a hospital bed in Manchester having a 10 hour operation, and my life changed really.

“It’s the sadness of it. But professionally, I feel I watch Birmingham every week, and I look at the players, and they have changed the practically the whole team. There’s only maybe 2 or 3 left from when I was there, but I knew the plan that the owner had, and it was gonna be an exciting part of my career, I think. I wish them very, very well all the very best, and hopefully, they can get the job done in League One this year.

“But, mainly it’s about when you get an illness like I got, it’s about the family really. I remember sitting in a hospital bed in Manchester, not on Teesside in Manchester, and my kids were tears in their eyes. Not sure whether I was gonna get through it or not, to be honest. It was very very ill. I did come home from that, and and and the period is very up and down. Some days you were feeling great, and other days I would collapse and black out and find myself on the kitchen floor.

“And, I phoned I realised I sat down with my wife, and I phoned the chief executive at Birmingham and told him that health and family is what life’s about, and I need to get myself right really in there. And so I left that job. I would like to say on record that both Sunderland and Birmingham City have been amazing to me. So it’s like a year without work really, a year without money, and yet those football clubs have looked after me and honoured the contracts that I’ve signed, and, it’s again, that’s quite humbling really that the people are almost giving me money not for working for them, but because I signed a contract in good faith, and, and and they they deserve that. I mentioned that that would be so fantastic for me and my family.

“Yeah. And that’s it really. I don’t wanna go too much into into things other than I still have issues. I’m still, at this moment, not 100% ready for work. I am thinking in my mind, hopefully, another couple of months, and my body will settle down after a recent operation that I had, and, and I do wanna go back to work.

“Football’s in my blood. It’s what I do. I wanna get involved with a group of young men and try and talk to them about life and football and what it takes to be a winner and what it takes to get to the next level, really, the sacrifices you have to make, and, try and inspire them with some of the stories I tell about life and and fighting and work and quality and talent, and, and that’s what I wanna do. Somewhere down the line, not quite ready. My body’s telling me I’m not ready yet.

“I’m here today. I almost phoned this morning and said I had a really bad night last night, really bad night. And, but I wanted to come because I wanna come and watch live football. I would love to go to been my whole life, and, I, hopefully, will see a good victory, a good performance today. And somewhere down the line, hopefully, I bring another team here to Middlesbrough, and and I can, applaud the fans before the game. And, hopefully, what they know is they’re gonna be 2 great teams on the pitch trying to win a match.”

Interviewer: “Look. Thank you for being so open and honest because you didn’t have to do that, and everybody listening, look. They love you already, obviously, don’t they, from a Boro point of view, and beyond, of course. But it puts everything into perspective. You just told us what the last 12 months have been like. But I think as well that you’re very keen to use your status as a reluctant legend as to be said, but we’re not letting you get away with it. You are you are one, reluctant or not, to kind of get a message out there about if you don’t feel right, no matter what it is, just go and get checked out.”

Mowbray continued: “Well, listen, that’s the strong message, really. I wasn’t at James Cook. I was in Manchester for my whole treatment. Through my insurance, through the League Managers Association, really, and the doctors that look after the managers in the league in football, it’s all based in Manchester. So I went to where I got looked after, and, I know what they’re saying is it doesn’t need to happen. Men could and I know there’s a really high profile, Chris Hoy at the moment telling men, and he’s got a horrific, you know, situation, but he’s actually telling people.

“And I think it’s right. If there’s something not right, not normal in your life, whether it be prostate and and it’s more difficult to to go to the toilet, For me, it was the back end of my body, and and and I needed and it was different. It wasn’t I couldn’t go. It was different, and I wanted it checking out. And so they stick a camera up, and and if I didn’t do that, I probably would have not been here today, or I would have been in a situation where I wouldn’t have been able to have an operation and recover.

“That’s the situation with me. So the message from me loud and clear is men particularly, but this is both sexes, of course, but I know men generally don’t like to go to the doctor. I feel as I’m a normal working class lad from from the northeast. Don’t really wanna go and see the doctor. And, you know, I’ve been fortunate all my working career to have a club doctor, which has been a big help.

“And without that club doctor, I might not have been here today. It was the club doctor who’s ultimately the one who said, let’s have a colonoscopy, which is what happened. And, so if there’s something not normal, don’t be afraid to go and see your doctor. It’s it’s make it make an appointment. I know they’re difficult sometimes on the NHS to get an appointment, but, make an appointment.

“Go and have a chat with the doctor. And if they think colonoscopy or they wanna do a a test for your prostate, it’s worth it. Because it because it’s not only you. Think about your family. If you’ve got kids, think about your kids and what they’re like, and they don’t they wanna see their dad until he’s an old man, and they can hopefully take him on holiday or push him around in a wheelchair or whatever he might be.

“And, but it’s about your family. That’s what I found, sitting in that bed in Manchester and making a big decision I was gonna leave a job and and have no money coming in, no work. Because I need to be ready and in that life for them and for my wife.”

Fans gave their reaction as Tony Mowbray speaks bravely for the first time about his cancer diagnosis…

@TonySweeney: Top man and well spoken Mogga. I got a bowel cancer checking kit out of the blue a couple of months ago due to my age and thought ‘there’s nothing wrong I’ll not bother’. A call from the doctors chasing it up prompted me to do it last week. Felt a bit weird doing it TBF but I got over that and got the results back today. Fortunately I got the all-clear but it’s worth doing these things for piece of mind.

@GarrySummerson1: Love Uncle Tone 💜🙏

@GoodLaughTerry: Listening now. What a man. All the best Tony, hope it’s all behind you. Legend.

@neilinfrance: Important message! Is he enjoying the view from up there? @BBCTeesSport?

@_toosb: Everyone at Sunderland wishes him well. Lovely bloke.

@FTM1042: Boro & Sunderland fans love you mogga ❤️ proper gentleman & a true football brain 🧠 we love you Tony. Middlesbrough fans be delighted to see you up in the commentary box today.

@andreawilsonie: We love you at SAFC Tony. X

@FlossyMcphee: Lucky mascot Mogga. Brilliant to see you here today. UTB ❤️💪

@PlasticHead55: All the best to Tony, well liked and respected at Rovers.

@LucyClough1: Fantastic to hear him speak! Pride passion and determination UTB ❤️ how he played the game!

@PeterBeuster: All the best Mogga lad. #SAFC

@daveb8196: It’s fabulous to hear the voice of Tony Mowbray today, I to had a colonoscopy two weeks ago, it came out of the blue, and a great shock, fortunately it was clear, i concur with Tony that we need to have these checks and don’t let fear stop us.

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