BlueMooney
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 16 May 2008
- Messages
- 2,035
I've been terrible at keeping my current City project quiet and I've blabbed about it to so many people that I think it's not worth trying to keep schtum. Anyway - next May, I'll be releasing a book about the 1999 playoff final team and will (hopefully) have interviewed all 14 in the squad that day, plus the manager.
I've done a chunk of the interviews now, but I'm just back from the Netherlands having spoken to Gerard Wiekens. I was expecting to fly out there and meet up with him, have a chat about everything and then spend the rest of the day wandering around Groningen.
However, he came to my hotel to do the interview and then, when we'd finished, he offered to take me to Groningen FC's training ground to look around (where he now works with the youth team). From there, we had a look at their stadium, and then he took me to SC Veendam's stadium, where he began and finished his playing career (he left them to join City and re-joined when we released him).
Veendam went out of business last March and the club no longer exists, so the stadium sits empty. The following is as close as we could get:
It was a fascinating day and he's one of the most hospitable guys I've ever met. He even took me back to his house to see his memorabilia from his playing career and I met his wife, too.
I can't speak highly enough about him and he's a very humble guy - I'll put an edited version of the interview in one of the upcoming podcasts and on Blue Moon Live (on Imagine FM), but, of course, some of it will be held back for the book. *ahem* ;)
I've done a chunk of the interviews now, but I'm just back from the Netherlands having spoken to Gerard Wiekens. I was expecting to fly out there and meet up with him, have a chat about everything and then spend the rest of the day wandering around Groningen.
However, he came to my hotel to do the interview and then, when we'd finished, he offered to take me to Groningen FC's training ground to look around (where he now works with the youth team). From there, we had a look at their stadium, and then he took me to SC Veendam's stadium, where he began and finished his playing career (he left them to join City and re-joined when we released him).
Veendam went out of business last March and the club no longer exists, so the stadium sits empty. The following is as close as we could get:
It was a fascinating day and he's one of the most hospitable guys I've ever met. He even took me back to his house to see his memorabilia from his playing career and I met his wife, too.
I can't speak highly enough about him and he's a very humble guy - I'll put an edited version of the interview in one of the upcoming podcasts and on Blue Moon Live (on Imagine FM), but, of course, some of it will be held back for the book. *ahem* ;)