Hi All For anyone who needed any reaffirmation that Nigel Adkins is just te most committed bloke to our cause, I was at St Marys this evening for a meeting and saw Mr Adkins in the car park. It was 5:20 pm as he pulled into the carpark to go back into work. He got out of his car with armfuls of work and was as gracious and humble as ever. When I said what a good start we'd had, he simply replied "the players are doing great and working hard, it's down to them" No game for 10 days and he's in to work in an evening. Top man, very committed. Brilliant
Utterly brilliant. If you see him again, FLT, send our sincerest congrats and cheers. I was in a lousy mood earlier, but I've brightened up considerably.
Couldn't help yourself eh..? I remember once when I went to a DVD signing for Matty's re-issue of his Unbelieveable video. I had it all worked out. I was going to pitch up and say [as the great one signed his name].. Thanks for all those great years and fantastic skills, Matt. You brought so much pleasure to us all Instead, what came out was... eh, er, ber, er... ta, for all the years, Matt, mumbled in an almost unaudible fashion. Thankfully le god understood every stumbled syllable, and said.. well thank you, it was a pleasure. I have never been so humbled in my life..!
Lol. Beer does the trick When Shearer nearly knocked my 3 pints out of my hands (a round not all for me) at the Lincoln City exec bar when he made his debut for Newcastle without looking up I said 'Watch it mate' then looked up and I guess my expression changed. lol. He winked at me. I was only 21 so can be forgiven. Beer was ultimately important at that age
For the record, I left the stadium at 7.30pm and heard a security guy say that Nigel hadn't left yet!!!
Share that one. I once met Saint Mick. I had been fortunate enough in my work to meet many a VIP and be able to converse reasonably coherently. Was now reduced to monosyllables and grunts. Fortunately, the great man expresses himself like that all of the time, so we were all right!
I was once stood in a queue behind my all time greatest Saint's hero Ron Davies at a till in Owen & Owen the department store that was by the bargate. I wanted to say to say to him "Can I just say thank you mr Davies for all the great goals you've scored for us and you are my absolute best hero." or something like that anyway. Instead all I could do is stand in open jawed wonderment that I was standing next to one of the greatest players to ever pull on a Saints shirt.
closest iv had to these are the following: had a banging s***e in the only bog in KFC leicester square when some numpty bangs on the door saying he needs to get in, i finished and was about to give some verbal abuse when i had to crick my neck up to david james holding a toddler, when i just incoherently mumbled (this was pre-pompey, had it been during i might have walked back in and refused to let him use it!). also worked in maccy d's that used to be on the high street as a 16yr old when i served both Svenssons - they both had chicken mayo meals AND a fillet o fish - i did manage to get out "you call this training? prem league starts 2moro!" they both smiled and chomped away. Svensson the next day curled in a beauty vs blackburn. when i get back from injury i might swear to the same ritual. also when that dvd shop in west quay was open - think it was called quicksilver or something - i was browsing when i felt a large presence looming over me, it was another crick your neck moment as i turned around and saw crouchy wearing the biggest anorak i had ever seen. did manage to get to get out "alright crouchy". funnily i bump into bournemouth players about 3 times a week in starbucks, westbourne, bournemouth as it seems to be their hang out - and i never get awestruck with them in actual fact i said to eddie howe - "surely that stuff about turning saints down was a load of bull?" he ignored me.
I once was very lucky enough to be invited by a friend to go to La Manga and stay in the same hotel as the England team. Quiet surreal when Paul Scholes is the room above you, but it was the time when Beattie and Bridge were in the squad so when they saw me wearing my Saints shirt with Beattie on the back they were happy to have a chat, Bridge didn't like me having Beattie name on my back so they gave a bit of banter out to each other. Good laugh and great experience espcially when I was having a kick about with my mate when Defore and Jenas pop over and join in.
As you've mentioned Ron, St Goodness, perhaps you'd like to read of your hero's recent history. This stuff you may or may not know, but I'll venture it. I think it was about 4 or 5 years back, IIRC, I was exchanging posts with a few guys on the Saints Forever forum. The subject of Ron came up, and where he was living at the time. Then one of the guys, who I was involved with making a Saints fans DVD, mentioned that he'd spoken to John Sydenham [name dropping like crazy here, but it is unavoidable to tell this], who'd said that he had lost touch with Ron, over the years. So we started a search for the great man. After about a couple of months of Internet tracking, and cross referencing addresses, I managed to come up with his last known whereabouts, in Florida. Then it all died. Sadly, it looked as though we had to let it go, but then former Echo journalist Jeremy Wilson got involved, and with our data, was able to do the rest of the tracking and traced Ron to an RV [recreational vehicle] Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He had gone there for his health, and simply because it was cheaper to live there. He and his wife Chris lived a simple, but enjoyable life in the semi desert sun. But now there were people who wanted to speak to him. Jeremy Wilson got back to me that he'd spoken to Ron about a book he was doing [Saints Cult Heroes] and that although Ron was a very private man, by then, knowing little of what had been happening to Saints, he'd cooperated with Jeremy. We tried to get in touch with Ron, ourselves, but he wanted his privacy. However, through Jeremy Wilson, we were made aware that Ron and his wife were living in very much reduced circumstances, and that his health was suffering badly, with both his hips needing almost instant replacement. I decided to make a bit of as song and dance about this on the Saints Forever website, to see if I could drum up some support, and lo and behold, someone got in touch with me. Together we set up a charity for Ron, to get his hips replaced, and recruited another volunteer as our chairman. To cut a long story short, Ron got his hips replaced easily by some really clever help through a Saints fan living in LA, and by having well over £13,000, and possibly a fair bit more, [I actually can't remember the real total as some was spent before it all came in] donated by Saints fans, plus he got a completely new set of gnashers, paid for by an anonymous donor. Sadly, while all this was going on, Ron's wife Chris died of cancer, and she'd kept it from us and the worst from Ron himself, believing our attention should be on Ron only. If we'd known, we'd have pulled out all the stops for her too. Ron was distraught, but he did recover eventually. Finally, when we'd realised our work was done, we closed the GIVE IT TO RON charity, leaving the website as a reminder. We were able to transfer the remaining funds to Ron's account, leaving him comfortably off in his retirement. I'll post a couple of photos when I can find them.
Buddy Thanks a for that....... When Ron was down at the dell I actually became quite good friends with Ron and his wife Chris. We were not what you call close friends just friends that would meet up for an occasional night out and a few drinks in the sun at the bottom of Below bar street I think it was called. Not there now, sadly long gone. Later I had the pleasure of actually playing with him in charity matches and the like. Including getting him to play in a genuine Indian head dress for a whole game for charity. We did ask that he not head the ball in that for obvious reasons but he couldn't resist could he......... He completely ruined it, as a consequence I had to buy a replacement from the place in the states. I though I got away light until customs hit me for more money when it arrived. I think it cost me about £70 at the time. To be fair Ron offered to pay for it or at worst contribute towards it as did the organisers of the charity event. I though it would cost at the worst a tenner or so with a bit of postage. As that was what the owner told me it cost him! What the blighter forgot to tell me was that it was some ten years or so prior that he had brought it!! Anyway we always used to have a laugh about that. When they raised the money for him I was so sad to hear of his circumstances. I did hear through other mutual friends about Chris's illness but sadly that was about two weeks before she died. I had heard that he had an operation as well as that he got his gnashers......He is a true gentleman.....his wife Chris was a very special lady..........His smile will always be with me....No doubt even better now he has his gnashers.....
Thanks for posting that TheSecondStain. Several of us chipped in at the time and were more than happy to have done so. I spoke to a mate of mine who lived in Spain at the time and the minute he knew about Ron's circumstances he immediately posted a very generous contribution. In his day Ron was loved and respected every bit as much as Matty is by his contemporaries. I always thought that Ron should have published a book of his characterisations of Saints players of his era and no doubt a few more recent players. There used to be a business in the 60/70s in Shirley Road near Four Post Hill that had a fence covered with large copies of his cartoons of his team mates. I would love to have a copy if ever such a collection was published. Maybe this is something Hagiology might think about. I still enjoy my football and we are seeing such tremendous stuff at the moment but I sometimes hanker after the packed crowds, the smell and the excitement of those days at the Dell. The tension doesn't seem to build in quite the same way for me. Maybe I am too old and have seen it all. But what a privileged time I have had watching the Saints over the years.
Tear in the eye time. Big Ron. What a player, and a quiet kind of guy. Golden boot winner when we were almost relegated in 66/67, and what goals he scored. Did anyone head a ball harder? Great post, and good to know that fans have given him an overdue thank you. What would he be worth in today's market? Without doubt Ted Bates' star buy.
