Manchester City's Kidd no longer the new kid in town

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Walking into the cavernous Georgia Dome on Wednesday, with its climate-controlled environment, will be a bit different for Manchester City assistant coach Brian Kidd than when he first walked onto a soccer field in Atlanta 29 years ago.

He flew to the city from his home in Manchester, England, in 1981. On the day he left the northwest of that country, it was snowing. When he arrived in the southeast of this country, the temperature was above 90 degrees.

He later was driven to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, put on his uniform and was ready to run onto the field with his new teammates when an Atlanta Chiefs' official stopped him. Kidd said he was unsure why he wasn't being allowed to go. His papers were fine. Everything was good to go. What could be the hold up?

The stadium's public-address people needed a few more seconds to get his intro music ready: "New Kid in Town," by the Eagles.

"It was so strange," he said, "but it was part of the promotional aspect of the [North American Soccer League]."

Intro music was not something he heard during prolific stops at Manchester United, Arsenal or Manchester City, to name a few of the teams he played for in England's first division.

Chiefs coach Dave Chadwick signed Kidd on loan from Bolton in England because he said he needed an experienced goal-scorer.

"Me and my assistant coach were looking at the roster and freaking out because we didn't know where our goals would come from," Chadwick said.

Kidd put those fears to rest, scoring 22 goals in 29 appearances before he returned to England.

Graham Tutt, a former teammate and an Atlanta soccer pioneer, said that Kidd had a unique ability take one of his 65-yard throws off the chest or thigh, turn and shoot in one powerful motion.

And when Kidd hit it, Tutt said watch out.

"He could hit the ball just a little bit extra, a little bit extra speed," Tutt said.

The two roomed together in 1981. Tutt, also from England, laughed when asked what other parts of this culture perplexed Kidd.

He said the cheerleaders were something that stunned all the Englishmen on the team, and the fast food, particularly hot dogs, were unlike the fish and chips back home. But Tutt said Kidd never let any of that distract him from the game.

"He just had his act together," Tutt said. "He didn't realize how great of a player he was."

Kidd said his favorite memory was scoring two goals against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to clinch the division title.

The Chiefs later were eliminated by the Strikers in the playoffs, something that Kidd said still disappoints him.

After Bolton, Kidd came back to the United States to play for the Strikers for three seasons.

He went into coaching after his playing career ended in 1984, eventually assisting Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in the early 1990s, when the Red Devils became one of the world's most successful and popular teams.

Over the past 29 seasons he has watched soccer develop in this country and believes it has a bright future.

"It might not happen in my lifetime, but the U.S. will definitely win the World Cup," the 61-year-old said.

Though he hasn't visited Atlanta since 2005, when he visited Chadwick, Kidd said he is reminded of the city every day when he runs. He has "New Kid in Town" loaded onto his Ipod.

"It is a fantastic city," he said. "It was a wonderful experience. That's the sport of soccer, the memories it gives you and the friends you make."

*****

Aaron's International Soccer Challenge

Who: Club America vs. Manchester City

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Georgia Dome

TV: ESPN Deportes

Tickets: ticketmaster.com