Terry Lineen
The 79-year-old All Black great who was missing in London has been found and taken to hospital.
Terry Lineen, who was a midfield back in the 1950s, went missing at Heathrow Airport shortly after arriving from Auckland, missing his connection to Edinburgh.
He had been missing since 13:00 BST on Thursday (00:00 Friday NZ Time).
However, on Friday evening (NZ Time) his daughter-in-law Lynne said Lineen had been found by police in Twickenham and was in an ambulance on his way to hospital.
Her post on Facebook said Lineen was found at 07:00 BST (18:00 NZ Time) after a member of the public reported seeing a distressed man with a bleeding arm, who they thought had been hurt in a hit and run accident.
Lineen’s son Sean was being collected by police from Heathrow Airport so he could be with his father in hospital.
He was to join his son on a 7-week holiday during the Rugby World Cup. He was last seen on CCTV leaving Terminal 5.
Sean had travelled to Heathrow to assist police in the search. Before Lineen was found, Lynne posted several statements to Facebook pleading for help in the search.
“He is in a very confused state after being in transit for 40 hours,” she wrote.
“He appears to be be very confused and disorientated.”
She also said the family knew Lineen boarded a flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh the morning before his disappearance but got off the plane before it took off.
British Airways dropped him off in the arrivals hall with no assistance or supervision, she said.
From there he walked out of the arrivals hall and left the terminal without his luggage.
“He was very confused and muddled.”
Lynne said Lineen had £ 100.00 (NZ$ 239.00), no credit cards and no phone with him when he left the airport.
He had a notepad with Sean’s number but he never called.
A police helicopter had searched outside the terminal in case Lineen had fallen asleep outside.
Lynne said Terry suffered from a range of health issues, and that he may have been emotional as Thursday was the anniversary of his wife’s death.
“Whether the emotion of losing his wife plus the long-haul flight had made him disorientated, we don’t know, but we don’t know where he has gone,” she said.
“He has had 2 hips replaced, and at the beginning of this year he had 1 of them replaced again.”
“He has had bowel and prostate cancer and he has a blood cancer which he is taking medication for. He has all that medication with him, but it might be in his case, so we are also worried about that.”
Lineen’s promising career was cut short by a shoulder injury.
Lynne Linee tweeted the following this morning : “Terry found in Twickenham. Now on way to hospital. Injured. very confused walking streets all night. Sean on way”
stuff
A distressing, emotional time for the family, thankfully Terry Lineen has been found but really hope that his injuries are not too bad and that he makes a speedy recovery.
Eish!
On another eish point of news, our big friend, Pietman, has a bereavement of his own today, his Mom passed away in the very small hours of the morning and he is on his way from Saudi to SA to join the family here in SA.
To my friend Pietman… my deepest sypathies, my thought are with you, all the way!
@ grootblousmile:
Ai not good news.
My Mother’s advancing age is something that I think about almost daily of late, and with her also living half a world away it is always a worry.
Pietman, if you do manage to read this, please accept my deepest condolonces.
Travel well, and be the strong man I know you are for the rest of your family.
3 @ Scrumdown:
Make a plan to go visit, my friend… make a plan.
5 @ grootblousmile:
Keep talking about taking our daughter over before it’s too late, but life always seems to intervene.
No time like the present I suppose.
Pietman, sorry to hear this, man.
Sterkte boet.
Pietman,
My Sincere Condolences.
No one really knows what to say,
but take comfort in knowing they tried.
cane.
@ Scrumdown:
When the time comes,
we are all a long time dead.
Don’t leave go,
what may become a lifetime regret.
Condolences Pietman. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Jammer om te hoor Pietman.
Terry Lineen.
This from Allblacks.com
“Even though he had a successful rugby career and is regarded as one of the most gifted midfield backs of the 1950s, Terry Lineen was perhaps a shade unlucky in that his playing days may have come a generation too soon. For Lineen was one of those players who may have been at his peak at slightly the wrong time and who have been born a generation too soon.
Rugby in the 1950s and early 60s was very much a 10-man exercise and the rare attacking ability which Lineen possessed may have developed even further with a more expansive style. Lineen was one of those players of yesteryear who may have thrived more had professionalism been in place during his prime”
He Toured SA in 1960and played in 3 Tests.
His son Sean played for Scotland.
Terry was before my time, but some of my older associates, just loved this guy.
Perhaps he was our John Gainsford.
Condolences to you and your family Pietman sorry to hear of your loss. Wishing you lots of strength through this time.
12 @ cane:
Never saw Terry Lineen play but from that write-up it sounds like he was a quality player. Sean Lineen must be a chip off the old block as he also played centre, was before my time in Scotland but from little footage have seen at times he looked like a gifted player too. What I like about Sean is that he didn’t just come over here and play for Scotland then leave, he stayed behind and made and is still making a contribution on the coaching front, now for the U21s and before that as head coach at Glasgow Warriors and credited by many as the man who played a big role in the start of the success of the Warriors.
12 @ cane:
From ‘Wiki’ –
Sean Lineen as a player :”Lineen played at centre 29 times for Scotland, and for Boroughmuir RFC. He was a member of the notable Scottish Grand Slam team of 1990.
In the 1985/6 season he made his first journey to the UK, playing for Pontypool. In October 1988 he came to Scotland and played for Boroughmuir. He qualified for Scotland through his grandfather and made his international debut on 21 January 1989 against Wales at Murrayfield aged 27.”
As a coach: “Following his international career, Lineen divided his time between coaching Boroughmuir – during which he was involved in both cup and league triumphs – and running the Scottish Rugby magazine. Lineen was appointed assistant coach at Glasgow Rugby (now Glasgow Warriors) for the start of the 2003–04 season and became a member of the Scotland national coaching team under Frank Hadden in the summer of 2005, coaching the backs.
On 28 March 2006 he was appointed head coach of Glasgow Warriors. He had applied to be head coach of Edinburgh Gunners but the SRU insisted that the new coach of Edinburgh must already have experience as head coach.”
He started coaching Scotland U20s in 2013 and Gregor Townsend (who similarly had been backline coach of Scotland just prior to) took over as head coach at Glasgow.
@ Bullscot:
Terry (with the help of many others), found his Dad.
And he is now safe and secure.
But we have to ask ourselves about the wisdom of a trip like this, for one so frail.
And thank you for your info on Sean.
I’ll pass this on to my “Old Associates”.
😉
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