This might have been done before but I missed it. I want to know any professional footballers you actually know in real life. I grew up and played football with grant holt. Nearly broke his neck once doing a ddt wrestling move on him out of frustration. He's now playing for hibs. Over to you!
My cousin is married to Paul Wilkinson of Middlesbrough and Everton. He was part of the coaching setup when Dave Jones managed at Sheffield Wed and they were all invited to his for Christmas Day. Was mental seeing my very much ordinary working class Uncle and Aunty sat round the dinner table sharing a turkey with Davey Jones!!
Class. And I bet he also came across as an ordinary bloke. Was the talk around the table just football.
Bit of a stretch to say I knew any of these, but....... My PE teacher at school was Peter Parlane, who's brother Derek would occasionally come and watch us playing football at school. I have measured both Chris Woods and Walter Smith's houses for carpets. I once nearly ran over Mark Hughes in Alderley Edge when he stepped into the road without looking. If I had realised who it was I wouldn't have braked so hard!!
We used to call grant holt 110 as he just kept on going and was always a yard quicker than the rest of us. The reason he made it I guess but he grafted his way to the premier league like. His legs have gone now like but he's still strong. I also went to school with some lads who made it in lower leagues but I'm interested in the ones who made the top leagues. And more so I want to know what they are like in real life......
The worst part was that he gave ME the dirty look as if to say 'what the **** are you doing?'. Somehow I still managed to end up feeling guilty for HIM stepping into the road and waved to apologise!!!
Kevin Carr lived beside me in Bedlington when younger. Gave me a pair of his gloves and was a really nice bloke. I think he became a copper.
Dave Lawson signed for Everton For £80,000 from Huddersfield a big sum for a goalkeeper then and it somehow made a big impression on me (why can't we spend 80 grand on a keeper). A couple of years later I moved to Merseyside and he lived over the road, borrowed my footpump. My son played football alongside Alan Hansens son and we watched matches together . I played against Alan in a lads and dads game. He was better than me.
Ludovic Sylvestre once of barca (only played twice for the first team), sparta prague and blackpool. He grew up with my missus and is my bro in laws best mate. Top lad. Alright he's not a megastar but has a bit cash from a decent career but still just acts like one of the lads with his childhood mates.
Almost ran over Bobby Charlton when I was driving into Old Trafford, missed him by inches, got a real bollocking when I got back to the hotel I was working at.
Met Malcolm Macdonald twice when I was walking my parent's dogs at Seaton Sluice. Also my mother used to live across the street from Jackie Milburn. Neither of which really counts I suppose.
Why were you trying to drive down Bobby Charlton? You're not a hitman are you? Which Hotel Group employs hitmen if customer doesn't pay? Could you not just take the non paying customer to Court? Did your employers chop off a finger for missing the "hit"? Just so that you know, I always pay my hotel bills!!
I played junior football with Martin Gray. He got player of the year and I got player's player of the year that season. Was in the same junior squad as Steve Vickers. I didn't really play much along side him. I played Sunday football along side David Barton ex mag centre half. I never really rated him for Newcastle but at the level we were playing at even at his age he was different class. I once went to a Bobby Charlton football school when i was a kid. Imre Varadi was there for a day. I always remember him showing us how to score from crosses. I've never seen anyone head a ball so well. Not a footballer but George Courtney used to ref some of our school games - he was head teacher at one of the schools we played against. I remember I was captain of our school team that won a five a side tournament and George reffed the final. When he handed me the trophy he asked me what am i going to do with it - I said "take it back to school and put it in the trophy cabinet" What he was trying to do was prompt me to hold it above my head for the crowd.
