ive had a lovely day in York today ... Note: Try the 'Big Ben burger' in the Golden Lion..... It's awesome !!!!! Anyway; I digress.... I bumped into Stephen Hendry and had a quick chat... He was quite a pleasant fella. It got me thinking.....!?!? I've met a few good/rude 'sportsmen' over the years.... McCoist/Gazza/Wor Jackie etc Who are the good & bad that you've bumped into...????? My good / bad are... GOOD David Haye.. I bumped into him on N.Years eve 2013 in Dubai and he was great fun to chat to (even when some bird asked him if he was Lennox Lewis!?!) BAD Steve Cram (twice!!) 1. I was at a FA Cup game vs Spurs (1993 ish?) and was in the VIP lounge drinking with Ally McCoist & Vic Halom... Steve Cram came over and just completely dismissed me and my mate. Prick! 2. Newcastle airport a good few years ago and Cram was trying to jump the queue trying the old "do you know who I am" ?? I loved it when someone piped up "if you'd been a better runner you might have been able to afford 1st Class tickets" What are your experiences??
I shouted across the street at an irritated looking Mike Baldwin "chill mate, it's only womens knickers"
I don't think I've seen many sportsmen/women out of the office, as it were. I saw Denise Lewis in St. Pancras last year. Ohh mama! Working in the middle of London, if you keep your eyes open you can see "celebrities" more often than you'd expect. But not many sportsmen.
Way back in the olden days was exercising my grand-dog on the local field throwing a ball when Colin Todds's dog joined and they had a great time. Just long enough for me to have a worthy chat With Toddy reminiscing about football in general. Nowt deep but he was as calm and measured as he was on the pitch. Nice lad.
The day after Quinny's testimonial I was on the promenade when the Irish squad were out walking along the seafront. Had a quick chat with the big man. Absolute gentleman. Went up to St. Andrews with a mate to watch the Dunhill pro-am. We talked to Jamie Redknapp on one tee. Nice guy, very friendly. One of his golf threesome was Ruud Gullit. Not so friendly
Met a few in me time from the music biz. Dave Stewart & Annie Lennox. Jack Stewart (his dad) was god father to my kids. Dave - great, Annie - very stand offish. Rolf Harris - great bloke but mind his musical director was bloody hard work. Anything to be stupidly awkward. He was seconds away from being chinned. We had to sit on the drummer to stop him from decking him. Bernard Manning - Great bloke. Des O`Connor - arsehole. Joe Cocker - Brilliant bloke. Max Bygraves - arsehole. The Pacemakers - Tremendous, absolute mayhem with them, Gerry Marsden - complete arsehole. That`s enough name dropping for now.
Met toddy in my local shop he smiled and nodded.the trouble was he thought I was my brother.we both look the same
Alan brown played for us and the mags late 1970s /80s mate of mine. Although don't see him regular. M(bubbly>
Niall Quinn was a regular frequenter of the black lion at wedgefield. Any close season he'd be in there drinking his Guinness with his stunning wife on his arm. One of the nicest people I've ever met. Bought me a couple of beers ver the years quinny.
I once won through the area finals for the privilege of playing Leighton Rees in a darts exhibition match. I could play a bit in those days (and got the trophies to prove it) but I had nowt on that lad, We played 1001, straight start. I was hitting 100`s and a 140. My lowest score was 85 and I still had 250+ left when he finished. 100`s weren`t anywhere near enough. Amazing dart player, effortless skill and what a lovely feller. A real gentleman. There was a side table with 5 pints of lager. When he finished one it was replaced, Boy could he sup,
Home & Away, On the Steve Cram thread, the wife's nephew is a nodding acquaintance of Cram and thinks he's an arsehole,was invited to his wedding last year but couldn't come due to TV commitments , but Crams other half Alyson Curbishly is a right piece of work, bullied my youngest daughter for months in infants school before it all came out right little cow she is, she's as far up her arse than Cram is up his.
I met Henry Cooper who was doing the celeb shop-opening rounds in later life, due to losing his shirt in a Lloyds underwriting syndicate. Really lovely bloke and completely genuine. Worst was Holly Johnson out of Frankie Goes To Hollywood who was so far up his own arse he could lick his own teeth clean from the back of his throat.
As a lad I went to.watch safc pre season with the old man. By chance we stayed in the same hotel as safe. SKP.lovely bloke Peter Reid pure gentleman Mickey gray had just won an England cap and was very arrogant
Frank Bruno's wife was a customer of mine, one of the girls asked if she could have a signed autograph. About a week later on a winters night when it gets dark at 4 o'clock this black guy came in wearing a hoodie all sweating where he had been jogging,still jogging on the spot, sticks his hand into a plastic band his carrying to pull out some signed photo's and the girl nearly faints thinking it was going to be a gun/knife.
A few. I used to deliver the papers to Bob Stokoes house every day. Steve Coppel. Had many a beer with him. Played pool against both Hendry and White. One was a coke freak and likes ladyboys. The other is a miserable jock. Ex Wales and Barbarians capt. Mike spike Watkins has been a very good freind of mine for years. **** has that man got a temper.
Bernard Manning - smashing bloke. Arthur Mullard - lived up the road from my uncle when he lived in Watford - nice fella unlike my uncle who's a total twat. John Lowe - perfect gentleman. Ally McCoist - very funny guy. Went to school with Barry Venison & Brian Tinnion - Venners was a nice quiet lad, Tinnion was an utter ****. Met a few of the royals in my forces days - the old Queen mum seemed a very nice lady.
In December, 1991 I was working for a company called CICA (Combined Insurance Company of America) who dealt with accident insurance, and they were, apparently, the only company in the world that would insure professional sportspeople After I'd at first (and second) refused, I accepted an assignment to visit The Skunks players to deal with their insurance needs, because it was 'easy money' . . . . and it was I spent a fortnight (that's nearly 2 weeks) at their Benwell training ground and visited a few players' at their homes . . . . I've had cups of tea/coffee at a few, including the Spotty Little Twat, Lee Howey's brother (who's a ****), Pavel Srnicek, Andy Hunt and more (I don't want to rack the memory part of my brain too much), and the biggest (I perhaps shouldn't use that term) part of that time was the first time that I went to the training ground, when they were just about finished training. Sitting in the dressing room (which was in 2 parts) between Franz Carr (lovely lad) and Bob Carolgees (what an arrogant twat) and in walked The Curly Perm (from the other part) to use the showers . . . . so (my 'claim to fame') the first time that I ever saw him 'in the flesh' was actually 'in the flesh' and, with me sitting down, I was at eye level to the bairn's fatha Since then I've always referred to him as 'Little Kev' Another incidence was when we played, and beat Chelsea 3-2 and I stayed at the same hotel as the players (The Royal Lancaster) . . . . I had my fotie taken with all of the players the night before the match except Kevin Arsehole Kilbane 'cos I couldn't stand the . . . . well, arsehole Monkeyheed and Sacko were brilliant and we had what I referred to as 'celebratory' breakfast with them in the morning Lighthearted banter with the Chelsea fans on the way to the match (regarding our imminent hammering) stayed lighthearted on the way back, too for trying to bore you to death, but you started it
