Paul Merson (A Walk Through My Life)

[Footy-Vill]

On BBC 2 tonight at 8pm
Paul Merson walks through North Yorkshire, reflecting on life, career and faith. Carrying a 360-degree camera, he also describes his struggles with drink and gambling.

Paul has previously appeared in a BBC one documentary available on the iPlayer services devices
Paul Merson: Football, Gambling and Me.
Former footballer Paul Merson sets out to understand why his life has been so blighted by gambling and asks if enough is being done to prevent others following in his footsteps.

[Nelly]

Sounds really good, thanks for the headsup Footy.

[Footy-Vill]

Magic Man.
He seems to be very honest when he talks and think he can offer a lot more outside of his punditry.
I mean this is personal stuff and he seems someone who could help relate and think he could do other documentaries and chats with many folk on social issues and things
Seems a man of the people as well as being very real.
Much more interesting than MOTD top 10s or MOTD extra

I saw him on some ITV show respresneting England old boys and he was very annoyed with a thug type man called Ruddock nicknamed Razor. Seemed very frustrated with him and this Ruddock ex player very unprofessional attitude to football and life. Merson was a great example to him and the others regarding their boozing.

[Nelly]

I remember that show mate. It was sad to see Ruddock as he was there. It was an emotive watch. I guess this generation of player lived and played through an era of unchecked drinking and gambling. One who came out of it shining was Lee Hendrie if I remember right. Hearing a bit of his story was deeply sad. He was such a good player at times. He certainly turned it on in the match on that show.

[LeonW]

I read his recent book, Hooked. Said his time at Villa was the best of his career. There are some shocking revelations in there and very much came across as a man trying to be honest about his life and addictions. You certainly get a small insight into the addicts mind with regards the thinking/mentality on things.

Loved Merson in Villa shirt. Even when he was having a bad spell he was a cut above.

[brontebilly]

Always speaks well of Villa too, even though he would be Arsenal through and through really.

[Sexual Ealing]

I read his recent book, Hooked. Said his time at Villa was the best of his career. There are some shocking revelations in there and very much came across as a man trying to be honest about his life and addictions. You certainly get a small insight into the addicts mind with regards the thinking/mentality on things.

Loved Merson in Villa shirt. Even when he was having a bad spell he was a cut above.

I once went on a Kindle downloading binge half an hour before getting on a long flight.I don't normally read footballer bios but I thought a few would make light reading for the hours and miles ahead. One of them was Merson's first one, which I think touched on the addictions a bit, but nothing like his work since. My abiding memory (because he used the phrase A LOT) is that he refers to masturbating as 'waxing the dolphin'. Gotta love him!*

*Not like that.

[eamonn]

You should ask our Darren for football memoir recommendations. Think he's even read Mick Quinn's life's work, "Who Ate All The Pies?"
Dean Windass was gutted the title was taken when he got round to writing his. 

[Jon Crofts]

Blimey. Fair play to the man, he’s fought some horrible demons.

[LeonW]

I read his recent book, Hooked. Said his time at Villa was the best of his career. There are some shocking revelations in there and very much came across as a man trying to be honest about his life and addictions. You certainly get a small insight into the addicts mind with regards the thinking/mentality on things.

Loved Merson in Villa shirt. Even when he was having a bad spell he was a cut above.

I once went on a Kindle downloading binge half an hour before getting on a long flight.I don't normally read footballer bios but I thought a few would make light reading for the hours and miles ahead. One of them was Merson's first one, which I think touched on the addictions a bit, but nothing like his work since. My abiding memory (because he used the phrase A LOT) is that he refers to masturbating as 'waxing the dolphin'. Gotta love him!*

*Not like that.

I've read 3 of his. The first one I think was called 'Hero & Villain,' then 'How not to be a professional footballer' and then 'Hooked.' The latter was a real page turner. Definitely worth getting hold of if you're on a long journey. His mental arithmetic of leaving Arsenal for Boro a year before a World Cup because he was working out how much more gambling he could do with the wage on offer. Some of the stories are re-treds but with more analysis. Others are just so brazenly honest.

On a personal note, watching Merson for the entirety of the year 2000 was a joy. Watching him pick up the ball from deep and driving forward, his head scanning round all of the options available. Really liked him as a player even though he could go missing in the major games.

[Sexual Ealing]

I read his recent book, Hooked. Said his time at Villa was the best of his career. There are some shocking revelations in there and very much came across as a man trying to be honest about his life and addictions. You certainly get a small insight into the addicts mind with regards the thinking/mentality on things.

Loved Merson in Villa shirt. Even when he was having a bad spell he was a cut above.

I once went on a Kindle downloading binge half an hour before getting on a long flight.I don't normally read footballer bios but I thought a few would make light reading for the hours and miles ahead. One of them was Merson's first one, which I think touched on the addictions a bit, but nothing like his work since. My abiding memory (because he used the phrase A LOT) is that he refers to masturbating as 'waxing the dolphin'. Gotta love him!*

*Not like that.

I've read 3 of his. The first one I think was called 'Hero & Villain,' then 'How not to be a professional footballer' and then 'Hooked.' The latter was a real page turner. Definitely worth getting hold of if you're on a long journey. His mental arithmetic of leaving Arsenal for Boro a year before a World Cup because he was working out how much more gambling he could do with the wage on offer. Some of the stories are re-treds but with more analysis. Others are just so brazenly honest.

On a personal note, watching Merson for the entirety of the year 2000 was a joy. Watching him pick up the ball from deep and driving forward, his head scanning round all of the options available. Really liked him as a player even though he could go missing in the major games.

Ah, it was the second one that I read then.

[Sexual Ealing]

You should ask our Darren for football memoir recommendations. Think he's even read Mick Quinn's life's work, "Who Ate All The Pies?"
Dean Windass was gutted the title was taken when he got round to writing his. 

I don't want to read any more of them after reading Collymore's first one on the same flight.

[LeonW]

You should ask our Darren for football memoir recommendations. Think he's even read Mick Quinn's life's work, "Who Ate All The Pies?"
Dean Windass was gutted the title was taken when he got round to writing his. 

I don't want to read any more of them after reading Collymore's first one on the same flight.

You read Collymore's AND Merson's on the same flight?

[Sexual Ealing]

You should ask our Darren for football memoir recommendations. Think he's even read Mick Quinn's life's work, "Who Ate All The Pies?"
Dean Windass was gutted the title was taken when he got round to writing his. 

I don't want to read any more of them after reading Collymore's first one on the same flight.

You read Collymore's AND Merson's on the same flight?

And Roy Keane's.

[LeonW]

You should ask our Darren for football memoir recommendations. Think he's even read Mick Quinn's life's work, "Who Ate All The Pies?"
Dean Windass was gutted the title was taken when he got round to writing his. 

I don't want to read any more of them after reading Collymore's first one on the same flight.

You read Collymore's AND Merson's on the same flight?

And Roy Keane's.

Wow. Two people who could start a fight in an empty room and a man with 3 addictions. I'm surprised that there wasn't an air rage incident.