Ex-Chelsea keeper Petar Borota dies today
By dixon9
February 13 2010
At 56, former Chelsea goalkeeper Petar Borota sadly passed away in Italy earlier today. Borota will be fondly remembered by Chelsea fans from the John Neal era as a spectacular yet eccentric, erratic player who in the space of minutes could do something apparently suicidal and follow this up with a save that nobody had the right to make.
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Borota signed in 1979 for a reported £70,000 from Partizan Belgrade making his debut against Liverpool in a 0-0 draw.
I recently saw an interview with him from an old “The Big Match” where he was asked how he felt about playing in the English league after leaving the then Yugoslavia; the interviewer (may have been Brian Moore himself) was expecting a reply of something like “Well, I hope I can make this big step up in this higher standard league” but instead was told that he was a professional footballer with a lot of experience so of course he didn’t anticipate any problems – what did he expect?! Typical of the total confidence Borota had in himself, totally unfazed (or perhaps oblivious!) of the potential extra dangers involved.
Borota made 114 appearances for us and he was voted Chelsea player of the year in 1981 after keeping 16 clean sheets.
Borota really did fit the stereo-type of a “mad Serb”. I remember him taking throw-ins to speed-up play (even though there were opposition attackers close by!) before scampering back to guard his goal-mouth, dribbling up field towards the half-way line, coming miles off his line to direct play and shout at his team-mates (Wiki says he used throw the ball against the crossbar sometimes before taking goal-kicks – I don’t remember that – but I may well have decided to blot if from my memory or simply have refused to acknowledge what I had just seen!) but as I said before, I had seen him make some absolutely superb saves.
Chelsea fans from his time at the club will be deeply saddened by the loss of such a character. He was a main ingredient of an up and down, nostalgic and yet enjoyable era of our club – he was “proper Chelsea”.
RIP Petar.
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R.I.P.
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Dignity is nothing. Dinner is everything.
You are right Dixon
Eccentric but brilliant. A man who can pull off great saves against Liverpool, but let in SIX at Rotherhan (I was there) 3-0 down inside 15 minutes.
Petar RIP
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RIP LEGEND.
Partizan fan.
We all loved you Petar.
Thanks for the memories. From a fan of the eighties when we had loyal players not mercenaries.
Barney
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
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CFCUK: Did you know Petar Borota is dead?
Barnett: No.... I will ring you back
(Barnett rings back)
Barnett: His facebook status hasn't been updated
CFCUK: Thats because he is dead
TRUE STORY. Just proves what an idiot Barnett is!!!!
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Quote:Since 66
Well done Cardiff for respecting and joining in with the minutes applause for Petar.
Hear Hear
The game being featured is Chelsea v Liverpool (4/3/1979) - the late great Petar Borota's debut.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:02:25:15:23:28 by Since 66.
That save from Dalglish. Borota was sensational
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That day I was in the East Stand Upper
Ron Harris got booked for kicking McDermotts ankle after the ball had gone.
Top stuff
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:02:25:15:38:12 by Since 66.