Len Shackleton came in to Romano's one saturday night when I was treating my parents. I almost fell off my chair when he walked over to the table and said a warm hello to the old man. I simply didn't realise they knew each other that well. Seems they had played cricket t together.
There's several of the current squad, and many more over the last few years have and do live in our building. I'd love to say i had tales to tell, but not really, i've chatted to them, and are grounded and good lads, Anton in particular is an absolute gentleman, contrary to some peoples opinions who have never met the kid. My lass used to slaver over Lorik, so i was glad when he moved out, remember one day getting the lift up from the car park in a lift with Cana, Anton and Nyron, bizarre. Mad watching footbaleers milling around with there families and just being 'normal', i like it.
Met Alec Rae on the train back to Glasgow after a Deby Game he was playing for Wolves at the time and was going home for the Old Firm game on the sunday nice lad had a chat with this extremely pissed Mackem.
Going back a fair few years, I used to drink in the Chesters Pub and Micky Gray was there on most Sundays
Kevin Ball when he was still playing. The open carpark above Walworth Way, trying to park the car in one of those bays a motorbike would have been squeezed in. Wife and kids over to one side, when I saw him walking towards me. Tap on the window and he want's a quid for the meter, just like the rest of us his storage is filled with copper Told him it didn't matter about the copper but he insisted and shoved a handful of penniesi toward me and it ended up all over the car floor. Plus said he had to dash as he was late for opening a shop or something. The kids didn't even realise who it was till I told them, then wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the day for not getting them his autograph.
Once took my twin daughters to Manchester Airport when they were about 3 to see the planes. Coming through the terminal was Jimmy White with a couple of mates. I asked him for his autograph. He duly signed then asked what the girls names were picking one up to give a hug. Unfortunately she was a little poorly on him but he just handed her back and said dont worry its not a problem. What a gent. Others that come to min. I was sat in the airport lounge in Heathrow talking to Phil Neville when Roy Keane was in charge and remember asking if he was coming to Sunderland. He just laughed but he gave me a lift home to Rawtenstall coz only lived 3/4 mile. Similarly sat next to Keith Curle on a train from London around the time he could have been coming to us. Asked him why he didnt sign for Sunderland. Just said he couldn't say but it was all politics. Best one though sat next to Bobby Charlton on a plane to Manchester. It was special because he was one of my world cup winning heroes his home villiage of Ashington was just three miles from Pegswood where I was born and there was me having the crack with him about the good old times
Mentioning snooker players, I took my Dad to see Alex Higgins against Steve Davis in the Jameson years ago. Be warned lots of bad language follows. I had managed to get the seats right behind Higgins as both my old man and me loved the guy. Davis was miscuing and leaving Higgins snookered, everytime Alex came back to his seat he was saying stuff like "****ing lucky ****er, can you believe this?" The more Davis was lucky the faster Alex's "water" was going down. Davis missed an easy pot rattled the jaws and went safe, Higgins turned to me and said "I should get this ****er to pick my ****ing horses!" then went and played his shot. All this time me and my Dad were sitting nodding or shrugging our shoulders in agreement. During the interval people were coming up asking us questions thinking we actually knew Higgins. Davis beat Higgins, at the end I shook his hand and said "unlucky mate." Higgins said "ah **** that twat!". "Want to join me for a drink?" ."Give me a chance to get changed and we'll **** off somewhere proper." Big Geordie on the door through to the changing rooms wouldn't let me and me Dad through or even pass on a message. Would have been a night to remember.
I think i done my little bit in helping Kieron Brady F~~k it up !!! He was a regular in Chambers at the time and we ended up at house partys with him. Career went westerly soon after !! Great lad though Kieron
I was in the same restaurant as Tino Asprilla when he and his boys/management kicked off !! It was in UNOS Italian restaurant in the Quayside. All hell broke loose so me and the wife thought we would play the game. We ran out pretending to be all shook up but really we saw the chance of a free evening which was gonna cost around ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã50 or ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã60 ! It was front page headlines in the Sunday Sun the following week ! Well done Tino Great Thread by the way
Met Bobby Kerr and the FA Cup in 73 when they brought it too the Victory Club in Horden. I was only 7 and couldn't take my eyes off the cup. My Dad asked if he spoke to me and I said "yeah, but I didn't reply cos I was looking at the cup" got a clip for being rude. Also went to school with Mickey Heathcote, played in the same school team. I know this guy is not an ex SAFC player but I grew up on the same street as Bob Taylor of WBA Fame and Brian Honour of Hartlepool fame. Great lads all of them.
Met Eric Gates a number of times and was called a prick by him after a tasty challenge on one of his players when he ran a Sunday league team, Staindrop I think it was. Didn't mind, It was Gates and him and Marco had been my heros as a kid a few years earlier
He's a defender. That's all I'm saying. Unfortunately I don't know him enough to get free match tickets.
