PLAYING FOR DEAR OL’ DAD : Talk Turns From Father to Future With Newman

For Socker defender Guy Newman, the question stalked him as relentlessly as a shadow.

“What’s it like playing for your dad?” he was asked so often that he tired of the question.

Then came a serious knee injury. With his career in jeopardy, the questions turned to more pressing matters.

“How’s the knee?” he was asked. “Are you ever going to play again?”

Some of the answers about his knee, and his career, became clearer last Sunday night in San Diego’s exhibition game against Schalke 04 of West Germany. Newman, 28, made his first appearance since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the 1984 North American Soccer League championship series against the Cosmos.

“Games are definitely different than practices, but it felt better than I thought it would, and there were a few times when I got carried away and made some tackles,” Newman said.

In the 1983-84 season, when Newman led the NASL in blocked shots, he was a daredevil who made sliding tackles and diving leg blocks. That also was when his every move on the field was scrutinized by players and fans because his father was the coach.

“It’s hard to gain recognition and easy for people to dwell on my mistakes because of who I am,” Newman said.

“When I first came to San Diego I thought it might be better for me to go somewhere else because my dad was the coach.

“But I got on great with all the players. Now, when it comes to the team, I don’t think of him as my dad. We have two different relationships. One as a coach and one as a father.”

Newman’s toughest critic--his father--also is his staunch supporter.

“It’s hard for him to be his own personality,” said Ron Newman. “You’ve heard of ‘Son of Flipper.’ Well, Guy is always referred to as ‘Son of the Coach.’ Guy has always been a good passer with a lot of courage. He has the strength of wanting to win the ball. He is a positional player who knows what to do with the ball and he doesn’t seem to feel pain. But he’s never given the benefit of the doubt because I can’t afford to do that.”

San Diego players, normally a vociferous bunch, had little to say when asked about Newman.

“It’s hard when we hold team and union meetings because you don’t know where Guy stands,” said a player who asked not to identified. “That is a difficult subject to talk about . . . However, I will say that he sure has had his ups and downs as a player.”

The accent seems to be on the downs, though. Besides the knee injury, Newman has suffered a stress fracture of the pelvis, a broken leg, and has separated both shoulders.

The injured knee has been the most frustrating. Newman rested during the offseason in hopes of avoiding an operation, but was unable to train at the start of the 1984-85 indoor season. He had no choice but to undergo surgery and spend more than a year in rehabilitation.

“I think I was a big headache for Rita (his wife),” Newman said. “I don’t think she realized all the trouble of looking after me. And going to games last year was a killer. I was so nervous. I used to sweat more than when I played.”

Newman spent much time with his father discussing international soccer results. Lately, however, their conversation has turned to Guy’s future.

“He’s never had luck, and I asked him if it’s worth it,” Rom said. “He said he wants to play. Nobody wants to be forced into retirement when his mind is still young.”

Giving Guy different advice than e did nine years ago, Ron suggested he might attend college.

“When Guy was 19 and was offered a lot of college soccer scholarships I told him he should try the professional game if that’s what he really wanted to do,” Newman said. “At that time, college soccer wasn’t too big. With his injuries, it didn’t look like such good advice from the old man.”

Guy has since taken business courses at Mesa College and coached a youth soccer team, but they were merely distractions to help get him through the rehabilitative period.

After all, the thought of never playing again was devastating to Newman.

“A lot of soccer people told me I would never play again, but there is only one thing that really interests me and that is playing soccer,” Newman said.

Ron Newman remained optimistic, and encouraging.

“I think he’ll come back,” Ron said. “He’s worked so hard to get fit. I thought he did better than I anticipated in last Sunday’s game.”

Ted Wallace, Socker trainer, said Newman is progressing as anticipated.

“The strength in his left knee is good,” Wallace said. “He had a good solid repair. It’s s a matter of allowing him to feel confident with it. He is getting to where he can cut and do things more sharply. It is a matter of patience.”

When Guy’s contract expired last November, the Newmans wondered just how patient the Sockers would be. After all, he hadn’t appeared in a game in more than a season.

But he was given a one-year option on his contract.

“That was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as far as team personnel is concerned,” said Bob Bell, Socker owner. “Honestly, my decision was made totally separate from the fact that he is Ron Newman’s son. And none of the players have expressed any displeasure to me. He has earned the respect of the players, and I didn’t have to cut someone to keep Guy.

“I felt the kid deserved another chance after all he has gone through. Every time he is out on the field, he runs through walls for you. And now he has undergone a long rehabilitation. Besides, he has always been a very low paid player. Quite frankly, for what I got from Guy, he was our most cost-efficient player.”

Bell said Guy earned between $500 and $1,000 a month when he had an amateur contract with the Sockers. Though his recent contract was not disclosed, Newman is one of the least-paid players.

“Guy has always been a low paid player,” Ron said. “You can’t limp into the owner and demand more money. But Bob (Bell) believes it’s not morally right to let a player go who is injured.”

The Newmans have been a part of the Sockers’ organization since the 1980-81 indoor season. However, their careers crossed paths before that.

Guy played for his father in Ft. Lauderdale in 1979 and both were associated with the Miami franchise of the American Soccer League in 1980. Ron, who held an administrative position, left before the Miami team folded. Guy, who was a player, came to San Diego after it folded.

“At the time Guy was visiting we couldn’t bring players over from Europe because of a problem with the union,” Ron said. “Therefore, we had to go with local boys. I asked Guy to play indoor for us. He was in the right place at the right time.”

And it didn’t hurt that his last name was Newman.