Never meet your heroes.....

[Norbiton]

Encountered quite a few football people on Euston/Manchester journeys, mostly very friendly and happy to engage. Patrick Viera was the only City player who was slightly offhand, agreed to a selfie (not with me) while making it clear it was a bit of a chore. Chattiest football guy was Kevin Friend, grumpiest Martin Tyler, especially when a fellow Blue made him move because he was in his reserved seat.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Encountered quite a few football people on Euston/Manchester journeys, mostly very friendly and happy to engage. Patrick Viera was the only City player who was slightly offhand, agreed to a selfie (not with me) while making it clear it was a bit of a chore. Chattiest football guy was Kevin Friend, grumpiest Martin Tyler, especially when a fellow Blue made him move because he was in his reserved seat.

So that's why he's got a downer on us.

 

[jimharri]

Ha ha hope you are well mate

Doing okay fella, dodging this damned virus at the present time. Into my 5th week of lockdown now.

You had to spoilt it

 

[willipp]

Keith Curle was a grade A prick and could have got me sacked from my first real job. I had set up a big interview with him and arrived at Maine Road reception and he told me to wait while he got washed and changed.

It was a big thing for me but he slipped out the back door without an apology, leaving me to face the music back at the office.

I was gutted for him when he was caught by staff shagging a young girl in the gym a few weeks later.

Imagine my different treatment from a certain David Beckham when I went to a press call at adidas in Stockport in the early 2000s.

He was an absolute gent and gave me a lift back to town in his blue Porsche Boxster after someone let me down on a lift back into Manchester.

Same age as me and he was genuinely interested in how I had got into the business.
He always later let on to me when in the same bars - met with a mixture of disgust and complete admiration from my fellow blue mates - also always saw them pull!

I'm a big boxing fan - again, two very different experiences.

Frank Bruno? Just a horrible ****.

One of my great privileges was to spend an hour with Tommy 'The Hitman' Hearns at the Midland hotel towards the end of his career - with Manny Steward alongside.

Tiffany earring, sharp suit, classy as hell and the only person I have ever asked a personalised autograph from during my career.

I spent 4 summers living just outside Detroit between 99-02 and worked at a summer camp there. Worked one summer with a girl who's last name was Kronk. I loved my boxing so picked up on it and turned out it was her families gym (her grandads at the time i think). She used to talk about going there and it being very normal but i was in awe of it. Was sad to see it closed during the collapse of Detroit in the mid 2000's, but looks like its re opened since. Detroit has always held a big place in my heart and Hearns and the Kronk gym were a huge part of that City. Bit like motown and cars, it was known for boxing and the kronk gym.

 

[Fat Freddy's Cat]

Never liked the G&D I’d go in the woodsmans or the three tun’s but the Grove early doors just for the nutters

Used to live on Grovenor St. The Tunnes and the Woodman would have been my locals. Funnily enough I never liked the George either.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Hearns was on the undercard when I saw Hatton at Nynex. I only stayed to watch him just so I could say I'd seen one of the greatest ever. "Four Kings" - Tolm, make sure you read it.

Cheers pal.

 

[JGL07]

I met Bert Trautmann many times and you would be hard pressed to find any nicer.

I also bumped into Jack Charlton in a garage shop in Edinburgh. He was there first the funeral of Don Revie. He was in the garage to buy fags. He did say that giving up smoking was dead easy as he had done it loads of times!

My mate met Denis Law in a pub in Altrincham when he was playing for United. He said that Law came over as a really top bloke.

 

[citymike1969]

Not a hero of mine, but I once met Emlyn Hughes whilst waiting for a coach to take us from the terminal to the plane at Arecife airport. Speaking ill of the dead is frowned upon, so I'll say no more.

 

[B\connellblue]

Hearns was on the undercard when I saw Hatton at Nynex. I only stayed to watch him just so I could say I'd seen one of the greatest ever. "Four Kings" - Tolm, make sure you read it.

Legends them all in a golden era for Welter/middleweights. I'd even throw John (the beast) Mugabe in as well. Those few rounds between hagler and hearns have never been bettered.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

This is kind of an out there one, but as a teenager I happened to meet Bob Hope, at the time I had no idea who the hell he was(he ran a golfing event near my home at the time), anyway he was a truly lovely guy and looking back now I would have put money on him being a dick.