Random Stories About Footballers

[Damo70]

That Jim Walker yarn a few pages back reminded me of a mildly amusing story a friend of mine told about meeting a premiership footballer. it's going back a few years....

My mate had recently started seeing a girl who was either related to or friends with said footballer.
Upon meeting him in a bar one evening the footballer proceeded to try and crush my mate's hand with a handshake and pompously introduced himself thus: Hi, Darren Anderton, Tottenham Hotspur and England!

Less than impressed my mate's reply was something along the lines of: Tottenham who? My mate reckoned he was a right obnoxious twat.

Not footballers but.... I went to the Tiswas studios when I heard the Clash were on the show. When they came out I got the band to autograph a scrap of paper and Mick Jones signed it 'Mick Jones (GTR) Clash'.

Apparently one footballer turned TV pundit was so used to signing autographs in his playing days he once signed his wife's birthday card 'Best wishes Gary Lineker'.

[neil strevens]

I've probably told these stories before, but that's what I do.

In 1985, returning to Scotland after seeing us lose 1-0 to West Brom I spotted John Burridge, who had been playing for Sheffield United at St Andrews. He was delighted to chat with us until he got off at Preston and bought us cans of beer & Mars Bars (great combination). All I remember him saying was that he disliked Ron Saunders for dropping him at Villa.

My dear old Dad always found where Villa were staying on their occasional trips to Scotland and when they arranged to play Hibs in 1969 we hung around one of Edinburgh's best hotels until we saw Bruce Rioch. He then introduced us to 'Mr Docherty' and the bold Tommy invited us on to the team bus to the ground. We had seats in the directors box and Villa were superb, winning 4-1. My addiction probably started that night.

 

[steamer]

Welcome to our long serving thread, we were probably relegated that season.
I have a dim memory of being excited after the friendly result, the rest is history.

[St AustellAVFC]

When I was about 10 I did a school project about Dean Saunders. I wrote to him at VP adking a load of questions, about 2 weeks later a reply came from a women at Villa with all my info and an invite to meet Deano at the ground before a home game v Norwich. I remember getting there and leaving my mom in the reception before heading to meet him ( project in hand). I was really nervouse for some reason. Before I newit I was at the changing rooms. Deano was ace, sat and read all my project then took me round all the players to shake there hands. Dalian Atkinson had me in stitches and Steve Staunton asked me to do one on him. After that I joined the Dean Saunders fan cluh, 5quid for 12months and you were ment to get loads of things sent to you. About 18months past and I had forgot all about it - my mom had not. She had been in touch with Villa asking about it only to be told his agent had closed it. My mom had wrote back asking for a refund but Villa told her it was nothing to do with them. My dad then decided to go to BMH with a letter for Deano which he managed to get to him, on that same day at 4pm Deano phoned me at home to say how sorry he was. We chatted for ages I didnt want to put the phone, really a top top guy. He also sent a cheque for 5quid.

[robbo1874]

I saw bosnich in a pub near randwick all suited up, having a cheeky livener, on his way to the fox sports studios for the football.

met him about a year ago, it was a sad experience to be honest. was about the get a photo taken with him outside the Sydney football stadium. he was in conversations with some guy who he cleared owed money to and was giving him a few free tickets to an A-league game as a way of temporary compensation. Bosnich looked absolutely terrible, cheap looking suit, fat, not sure if its a wig on him these days. He just seemed a pathetic individual, I walked on and left him to it. Id well believe that coke story as he seems off his head routinely on fox sports.

Kevin Doyle was a good mate of mine in school. hadnt seen him in a few years as I moved away but when I got in touch, he was dead sound got me tickets to a villa v reading game. the game sidwell scored twice in. told me that Villa had made an offer to get him at the time but he turned it down to sign a new contract at Reading.
He was a really good underage player but never seemed to get the breaks with trials etc. eventually got going with cork city, got into the Irish u21 side and made his luck from there. Was a very mobile hard working forward in those days. Bulked up too much, got a bit lazy and a bit sad where he is playing his football now. Seems to be happy drawing his wages out of Wolves because I do know other clubs like Everton have been in for him.

Shane Long was over in Sydney a couple of years ago visiting his brother and some friends of his. Had to cut short the holiday to have his medical with West Brom. You would have thought a millionaire footballer would have booked out a penthouse in Bondi beach for his trip but no Long stayed on his brothers couch and spent his time on the beer with the lads in the local irish bar.

no it wasn't that. He was just having a beer, but clearly on his way to the studios.

[greenwichvilla]

When Neil Warnock was at Palace, the squad got a train to an away game at Barnsley. I found myself in a packed tube carriage with them during rush hour headed up the Northern Line to Kings Cross.

I departed at Kings Cross, as did Palace. There were people everywhere. Just in front of me was a female, who to be fair was not unattractive. As we walked through the tunnel after the platform, you had one of two ways to go. I was going one way, an embarrassed looking bunch of Championship footballers the other.

The young lady was headed in the same direction as me, and Warnock allowed her through the baying throng. I had no choice, it was no or never. Had I stayed, I would have been caught in the crowd and stuck for a little while.

I stepped forward (I'm very slightly ahead of him at this point, just to his left) he stepped forward. I stepped on his foot. The conversation went like this.

"Sorry, mate" (I didn't let on I knew who he was)
"You f****** wanker"

The game ended up getting cancelled due to snow. Serves him right.

[eamonn]

Colin Wanker by name...

[richard moore]

That Jim Walker yarn a few pages back reminded me of a mildly amusing story a friend of mine told about meeting a premiership footballer. it's going back a few years....

My mate had recently started seeing a girl who was either related to or friends with said footballer.
Upon meeting him in a bar one evening the footballer proceeded to try and crush my mate's hand with a handshake and pompously introduced himself thus: Hi, Darren Anderton, Tottenham Hotspur and England!

Less than impressed my mate's reply was something along the lines of: Tottenham who? My mate reckoned he was a right obnoxious twat.

Not footballers but.... I went to the Tiswas studios when I heard the Clash were on the show. When they came out I got the band to autograph a scrap of paper and Mick Jones signed it 'Mick Jones (GTR) Clash'.

Apparently one footballer turned TV pundit was so used to signing autographs in his playing days he once signed his wife's birthday card 'Best wishes Gary Lineker'.

Reminds me of signing my daughters' birthday cards on more than one occasion with 'Lots of love, Richard xxx'

[QBVILLA]

I donned the boots yesterday for a charity game. On the opposition were Dave Busst,Lee Carsley,Jeff Kenna,Micky Clarke,Robert Hopkins and Stuart Storey. Fair play to them for giving up their time and helping us raise money for the MacMillan cancer research and Marie Curie.

[robbo1874]

Dave Busst? I was at Old Trafford (long story - an acquaintance was connected for tickets at the time and my old man is Man U. Only time I've been there other than the Liverpool FA cup semi-final) when he did his leg whilst playing for Coventry. We were sat near the tunnel and it happened near the Stratford end down the other end of the ground, still remember schmeichel chucking his guts ups looking at it and the fella coming on with a big bucket of sand to chuck on the blood.

Anyway- surprised he can still play, even at this level. All the best to him and good on him for supporting this cause.

[QBVILLA]

Dave Busst? I was at Old Trafford (long story - an acquaintance was connected for tickets at the time and my old man is Man U. Only time I've been there other than the Liverpool FA cup semi-final) when he did his leg whilst playing for Coventry. We were sat near the tunnel and it happened near the Stratford end down the other end of the ground, still remember schmeichel chucking his guts ups looking at it and the fella coming on with a big bucket of sand to chuck on the blood.

Anyway- surprised he can still play, even at this level. All the best to him and good on him for supporting this cause.

Yes, I was surprised too. Believe he only started playing again about 5 years ago. Anyway at ten years older than me and with one leg shorter than the other he was still better than me. Quite damning really....

[Dave Clark Five]

How did Hopkins play?

[QBVILLA]

How did Hopkins play?

Honestly? Looked like he'd never played football. Carsley and Kenna are both super fit and you can see they both played at a very high level. Their first touch is worth 5 yards. Anyway, to be fair to all them they gave up their time for free and we have managed to raise £1100, with donations still coming in.

[Chico Hamilton III]

20 years ago (almost to the day - see the Villa memories thread) I was working for an insurance company in Manchester when I took a phone call from Paul McGrath, who was still living in the area and needed to get an insurance quote on his Merc. I was so nervous/ excited that I could barely hold the phone without shaking or talk without my voice getting all high pitched and girly. It was fairly well documented at the time that McGrath had a one or 2 driving convictions ( a fair few disqualifications for driving whilst “refreshed”) and it took me ages to get him a decent price on his insurance. But I worked my cock off and managed to do it. When I phoned him back he was really happy with the price and I jokingly said to him that it will cost him a couple of tickets for the first leg of the Tranmere semi. This was a couple of weeks before we were due to play them and tickets were shifting like hot cakes. He sort of laughed it off and no more was said. Anyway, the next day I received a call from his then girlfriend who asked if I was serious about Tranmere tickets and I apologised profusely for being so cheeky the day before. She told me to go to the ticket office at Prenton Park on the day of the game and there would be 2 tickets waiting for me. Imagine how important I felt when I went to the front of the queue at the ticket office and told the fella behind the counter that I was there to collect 2 tickets that Paul McGrath had left for me. Me and Alex Alex Cropley ended up watching the game with all the players’ wives. Which was a bit awkward because it was a terrible game and we spent most of it slating the Villa players.

I’ve spoken to him a few times since then  - he got me a ticket for the 96 league cup final and he also invited me to the players' lounge once, after a game against Chelsea. We met all the players ( Savo, Bosnich, Gary Charles et al and Nigel Kennedy).

[CT]

Just a few of many but we met Derek Mountfield, Martin Keown and Stuart Gray over various Supporters' Club nights in 'Nam.

All three, at the time, very humble and good people - after that they would also say hello and greet us by name if the saw us walking through the car park on the way to the pub.