Ron Newman was a gifted storyteller. His players remember him for that. As they warmed up for practice, Newman, the first coach in Kansas City Wizards franchise history, would often launch into one.
In 1979, for example, Newman removed legendary winger George Best from a match, and Best threw his jersey at him in a fit of anger. When reporters asked Newman about the incident after the match, he quipped, “What’s there to be mad about? I just got the jersey of the best player in the world.”
“I just used to love hearing him tell stories like that,” former Wizards player Jake Dancy said.