Random Stories About Footballers

[wozwebs]

Went up to VP to get some tickets one day with my mate. Usual gate at the North Stand was open so we went for a look around the ground. Security box wasn't there then so we basically had the freedom of Villa Park. Climbed up to the TV gantry of Witton Lane stand, stood in our usual space on the Holte then climbed the spiral stairs into the Trinity Road stand.

We then sat in Doug Ellis's seat and we even used the phone that used to call the dugout to phone my dads mate (used 9 for an outside line lol).

Were in there for about 2 hours then we walked round to catch the train at Witton station. We loved spotting look-a-likes (still do) and some bloke walking towards us with a ropey white T-Shirt on carrying a Hummel holdall looked just like Steve Sims.

We both shouted at the exact same time "Steeeeevve Sims" for a laugh. The bloke replied "Hello lads". Yes, it was the actual Steve Sims.

[Damo70]

Met a lawyer a couple of years ago who in conversation uses the fact that he managed to keep Paul Tait out of jail on several occasions as an indication of how good he is at his job.

Not quite a footballer story but I can dream, I think it was 1991, went to Villa Park to get my season ticket and parked in the North Stand car park. I had a Porsche at the time, it was only a 924 and over ten years old but it still looked quite smart. Half a dozen kids were kicking a ball around and as I went to get back in the car they've come up and asked if I was a Villa player. First thing that came into my head was 'yes, I'm Mark Blake'. I signed a few autographs for them and they were well chuffed. He made his first team debut shortly after and I imagined conversations like, 'who's that dad'? - 'that's mark Blake son' - 'no it's not dad, I've met him and he's white'.

[Ad@m]

I lived in the Mailbox for a couple of years at the same time Milan Baros lived there.  My mum thinks it's funny every year to buy me childish Villa tat from the club shop for Christmas and one year I got back to the flat with my box full of tat (Villa door hanger, calendar, beer mats, all sorts of shit basically) walked in to the lift area at the car park and Baros was there with his Czech model missus.  I then had to squeeze in to the lift with the two of them with my box full of Villa crap.  Not a great moment for me.  Fair play though, the Christmas after my flatmate sorted out a signed shirt from him which I still have.

The Villa put players up in the Mailbox a lot and when we took our flat on the agent who showed us round it told us JPA used to live there.  We didn't really believe him until we got some post to Mr JP Angel from the BMW garage in Sutton.

Also, one of my bosses lives in Barnt Green.  When we had the terrible snow last Christmas he saw a top of the range Merc with personalised number plate embedded in a wall having lost it in the snow, and a young fella standing outside it scratching his head.  My boss's lad sitting in the back seat pointed out it was Agent Ridgewell!  His driving is as good as his defending it seems!

[Clampy]

A couple of people i have spoken to reckon Ray Houghton is a complete arsehole.

I was walking into the North Stand car park last season (on my way into the Cowans Suite, Academy, what ever it's called) and i spotted Ray Houghton at the boot of his car changing into a shirt. He must have been doing commentary of some sort. Anyway, i went over, shook his hand, said hello and he was nice enough.

[brian green]

About twenty five years ago my younger son went to a school which did not approve of football.   They could only play rugby, hockey or cricket.

My son's class of eight year olds were (and to this day still are) football mad.   They crazed me to persuade the headmaster to allow them to form a football team.   The headmaster who was a total pompous prick and a social climber to boot agreed reluctantly on the strict conditions that the school would incur no expense whatsoever and that the school did not acknowledge that it was anything to do with them.

Of course that team of little boys were very motivated and beat every local school out of sight.   We qualified for the All England Prep Schools Cup which was played at the grounds of Bedford Modern School.

Of course by this time the headmaster who had disowned us was a fixture on the touchline dressed in his alpaca overcoat and brand new purple and white scarf.

We got to the final but we had no hopes whatever of winning because the other finalists were Forest School from deepest Essex which specialized in overcharging for attempting to get reading writing and arithmetic into the thick skulls of Essex folk, particularly the children of professional footballers.

My son plays central defence and had a torrid time at the hands of a Forest player who although only nine had the build of a stocky small twenty year old and the shot of one.  He had scored a hat trick in a quarter of an hour and by half time we were seven nil down.

At half time the headmaster decided that he was going to say his piece and marched on to the field and addressed the Forest goal scorer in his best headmasterly fashion.   The player stared him down, hands on hips.

"You boy," the teacher lectured, "you are a greedy goal hanger, only interested in showing off.  In the second half I want you to pass the ball to your team mates, especially this one here who has been crying because you will not let him have a shot at goal.   And if you do not do it I shall telephone your headmaster personally.   What is your name boy?"

The boy remained with his hands on his hips, hawked his throat, did a giant gob which splattered over the headmaster's shiny shoes.

"Lampard"

And the name of the boy who had been crying?   Brooking.

[charlie659]

My dad was ill in hospital a few years back. I bumped into Sir Graham and he was more than happy to have a chat with my dad over the phone. Top bloke.

Bryan Small. Funny as you like.

Paul Tait once threatened me. Told me he could have brought his mates down and given me a good going over. I'll keep the rest to myself. :-)

Wonder if his arm is better now.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

met George Best in Lisbon

That's a great story!

[KRS]

Good few years ago on one of my mates birthday night out at the end of December. Ended up in a bar in the Arcadian Centre and bumped into a load of Villa players including Gareth Barry and Lee Hendrie (too pissed by this stage to remember who else was there). Had a quick chat with them, wished them Merry Xmas and they kindly delivered a bottle of champagne we'd bought for my mates birthday...my mate was chuffed to not only have champagne but table service from Barry and Hendrie!

[PeterWithe]

A couple of people i have spoken to reckon Ray Houghton is a complete arsehole.

He used to go in the Bel Air a fair bit and some mates used to chat to him, said he was sound. When he was chatting to the birds he always used to tell them he was a window cleaner, for what reason I dont know.

[oldtimernow]

I remember meeting the Doog down at Perry Common recreation ground one Sunday morning when he was watching the matches there and he signed my rugby ball. I know I practised putting kicks over the bar!

My Dad used to take me along to the pub at the bottom of Gravelly Hill, not sure if it was called the Navigation, for a bottle of Vimto and a packet of crisps on a Sunday.One day he said come on son I'll introduce you to someone.
We walked round to Slade Road and he knocked on a door and who should answer it but Peter McParland!
The three of us chatted for a while and I left speechless.

No chance of that happening today.....footballers no longer live in their communities.

[pooligan]

Use to play snooker two or three times a week at Erdington Snooker club in the High Street. Allan Evans and Eamon Deacey  were members to and used to pop in all the time.Really nice blokes,always prepared to talk about the Villa .

[nodge]

I installed a fax machine in John Gregorys office at Bodymoor Heath not longer after he was appointed.  I remember him pointing at it and singing "it's fantastic, it's made of plastic."

The saddest part though was that Peter Withe appeared to be his lackie.  I was cringing as Gregory was telling him how he wanted his office arranged and Withey calling him "boss".

[villa1]

My dad was ill in hospital a few years back. I bumped into Sir Graham and he was more than happy to have a chat with my dad over the phone. Top bloke.

Bryan Small. Funny as you like.

Paul Tait once threatened me. Told me he could have brought his mates down and given me a good going over. I'll keep the rest to myself. :-)

Wonder if his arm is better now.

Nothing to do with me.

[Greg N'Ash]

back in the early 80's famous oddball 'keeper Gary Sprake was my YTS placement officer. Genuinely embarrassed if anyone brought up his football career. We had this bird from Leeds in the office who always pounced on him when he turned up to see me and you could see the look of dread on his face when he saw her.. Really nice bloke as well but he obviously had few good memories of his football career

[E I Adio]

back in the early 80's famous oddball 'keeper Gary Sprake was my YTS placement officer. Genuinely embarrassed if anyone brought up his football career. We had this bird from Leeds in the office who always pounced on him when he turned up to see me and you could see the look of dread on his face when he saw her.. Really nice bloke as well but he obviously had few good memories of his football career

A truly great keeper who is remembered for a couple of high profile mistakes more than 10 years or so at Leeds' when they were in their pomp. Wasn't there also something about him selling a story to the newspapers alleging Revie bribed opponents, although I don't remember anything coming of it.