meeting players

[Shalalalafenoughty]

I met Tony Currie a couple of times - played 11 a side against him on one of them - and he was very friendly and happy to chat about old times.

Alan Hodgkinson and Mick Hill were nice to me and gave me their autographs when I was a kid and saw them at Yorkshire cricket matches at Bramall Lane.

I go racing a lot and often see Ted Hemsley and he's the same. Nice guy.

I've seen a few people at the races. Howard Kendall at York was very pleasant. Geoff Salmons at Royal Ascot was just the opposite.

My favourite story is that told to me by a Unitedite I know, a few years older than me. In his youth he waited outside the Lane after a game in the hope of getting the autograph of Joe Shaw, his favourite player. Joe came out and immediately set off running for a bus which was just coming into view. He then realised this kid had been waiting for him, so he stopped, put his bag down, signed his book and exchanged a few words, missing his bus in the process.

 

[TheBeard]

Stephen Quinn lives behind our house and my son asked him if he could get a couple of shirts signed by the whole team. A few days later a knock at our front door and only my wife in she went to answer it, we have a glass fronted porch and seeing this bloke there in jogging bottoms, t shirt and a beany hat was apprehensive about opening the door and enquired what he wanted. In reply he asked if Mac was in ? With the Irish brogue and the way he looked she thought it was a traveller and was more concerned. She said that nobody lived here called Mac, and he said are you sure Mac -€$#]{ (surname not mentioned) doesn't live here, she said no only a Mark -€$#]{ lived here to which he replied that's what I said Mac -€$#]{ I have got this for him, holding up a plastic bag, still worried she nervously opened the door grabbed the bag and said Thankyou and quickly shut and locked the door. As he walked up the drive and climbed into a very expensive 4x4 she thought it was strange and opened the bag to see two signed football shirts and was very embarrassed when she had realised who it was, duly she sent round a bottle of wine with my son and asked him to apologise for her

 

[metalblade]

Stephen Quinn lives behind our house

Haha for some strange reason an image popped in my head of Quinny living at the bottom of the garden in the shed

 

[Woodwardfan]

If out and about and I recognise a United player I like, I respect his privacy and private time, nod and smile, but give him space. Certainly I wouldn't engage him in smalltalk, how tiresome that must be for the lads.

If I recognise a United player I don't like I ignore him completely.

On the pitch I give them all the encouragement I can but it ends there. I know somebody who loves to mix with everybody at every level of the club and their mothers and fathers etc. No thanks.

If I recognise an ex-player who played for us all his career and still supports the Blades, I nod, broadly smile and give him the thumbs up. Talk to him? certainly not!

Same applies to club owners, managers etc., with one exception. I saw Dave Bassett in the bar at Bramall Lane one afternoon during the summer after promotion. He was talking to Mick Buxton so I sent them both a couple of the drinks they were on ( halves of bitter). A wave of thanks was gestured from afar when the barlady delivered them.

A different situation is the sportsman who happens to be a neighbour or parent of your kid's pal. So tempting to talk sport all the time but these folk are people as well as professional sportsmen and they have other things in their lives. The person usually sets the tone. Some love to regale tales, others not so much.

We are all different. Whilst I'm an old fossil now, I have been like that all my life. Have we a Sigmund Freud on the Forum?, a few no doubt after this post!! BTW I am a very sociable person, everybody says so.

 

[shorehamview]

Do you drink at the Cross in Totley? I have seen Pagey and Asaba there a few times and my mates drinks with them now and again as he is a local up there.

Robert Page and Trond Solvedt, ex pig, used to go in the Fleur De Lys occasionally. Lots of other Blades used to go in there too. Bassett, Hodges, Gayle, Gannon, Downes, Tracey, Derek French among them...

 

[TonyAgana]

I think I've mentioned this before but my Grandad met Morgs the year we got promoted to the Prem - he told him to get his skates on and get us promoted as he wanted to see his beloved Blades in the top-flight once again before he departed this world. He's now 96.

My favourite bit about that story is where it took place - in a barbers. The fact that Chris Morgan has his hair cut at the same place as my Grandad.

 

[TheBeard]

Stephen Quinn lives behind our house and my son asked him if he could get a couple of shirts signed by the whole team. A few days later a knock at our front door and only my wife in she went to answer it, we have a glass fronted porch and seeing this bloke there in jogging bottoms, t shirt and a beany hat was apprehensive about opening the door and enquired what he wanted. In reply he asked if Mac was in ? With the Irish brogue and the way he looked she thought it was a traveller and was more concerned. She said that nobody lived here called Mac, and he said are you sure Mac -€$#]{ (surname not mentioned) doesn't live here, she said no only a Mark -€$#]{ lived here to which he replied that's what I said Mac -€$#]{ I have got this for him, holding up a plastic bag, still worried she nervously opened the door grabbed the bag and said Thankyou and quickly shut and locked the door. As he walked up the drive and climbed into a very expensive 4x4 she thought it was strange and opened the bag to see two signed football shirts and was very embarrassed when she had realised who it was, duly she sent round a bottle of wine with my son and asked him to apologise for her

PS. I did nearly run him over as I was reversing my van into the drive the other night as he walking past pushing his son in his pushchair

 

[IOM Blade]

Saw Jose Enrique having a coffee with his Mrs at New Mersey Retail Park on Friday.

Very exciting it was too.

 

[Old Skool]

Went to school with Carl Bradshaw and spent many a weekend in the Blue Bell at Hackenthorpe when his parents Cath and Nev ran it. I actually work at the same place as his missus now (who also went to the same school). Season we got promoted at Leicester under Bassett we actually stopped Bradders car on Mansfield Road after the game whilst we all bowed down! I also remember singing down a phone to Paddy Kenny after his kung-fu heroics and Unsworths late late goal against Hull City in the season we got promoted to the PL.....Half-way through my crooning I managed to fall off the table I was stood on at the time................

 

[Dkc]

Not a player but McCabe was in the pub in New York with his wife and son when we played Newcastle in the Premier League. We were sat at the bar and the McCabes were at a table at the back. We gave them their space, and only chatted at half time. He was very friendly and got the pints in.

Unfortunately I mentioned to a Newcastle-supporting mate that our chairman was sat back there. The Geordies couldn't beleive it, saying that their owner (I think it was Sir John Hall at the time) would never just watch a game in the pub with the fans. After the game the McCabes were surrounded by drunken Geordies, trying to buy him drinks. To be fair were quite magnanimous (they'd just witnessed a very lucky 1-0 win). I felt a bit sorry for mentioning who he was.

Also after the game the Geordies had a chorus of "shoes off if you love the Toon". They were all holding their shoes in the air and singing. In a moment of inspiration I took my shoe off and hurled it in their general direction. It hit the ledge where all their pints were resting, knocking about four pints of broon onto the floor. They took that pretty well too

 

[BusheyBlade]

When I was studying in Sheffield I was getting ready to go out in my room when I glanced out of the window and saw some dick in silver convertible merc with a personalised number plate parking over my driveway. By the time I came downstairs I and out of the front door said dick was walking past my front door having left his car. It was none other than Neil Warnock who then proceeded to ask if it was ok for me to park there! For the record I said yes as my car was on the street and was my housemate (L**ds fan) who he was blocking in.

Away from United I used to work in my local Homebase and for some reason loads of footballers used to come in. One evening I went over to help some 6ft+ black guy with a stunning blonde girlfriend and a French accent who want some advice buying tiles. I helped him chose and then loaded them onto his trolley, even lent him a tape measure so he could get an idea of the tile sizes. We then went over to the till and I ran up his purchase which came to about £6/700. He then pulled a huge wad of £50 notes out of his jacket pocket and proceeded to peel them off one by one. 30 seconds after he left one of my colleagues who was an Arsenal fan came dashing over to me to ask if I realised who that was and I said no as I really had no idea. It was Patrick Vieira who they had signed a week earlier. 5 minutes later he reappeared and rather sheepishly approached me with something in his hand. He'd mistakenly pocketed the 49p extra value tape measure I had taken off the shelf for him to use; poor guy looked heartbroken as he'd only realised it was still there after he'd driven off.

 

[bigbirdblade]

a firm i worked for a few years ago sponsored the shirts of a former blades player. As such the company got an invite to send a representative to a united training session to watch and have a buffet. I got offered the opportunity and went and watched the players train at shirecliffe. It was the season we were in the PL. After the event had finished a was waiting for my lift home and was in the reception area of the indoor centre. Tony Currie was there having just run a junior soccer camp and can wholeheartedly say he is the most vile man i have ever seen. The way he talked to and swore at the woman on reception had to be seen to be believed from this supposed legend. It was a disgraceful way to act and i really can't understand how people can hold him in such high regard if that's how he talks to people. Was absolutely unbelievable.

 

[davidpinder]

Like bigbird did we sponsor Higdons shirt this season (hence the reason he is having a stinker) so got a chance to meet and chat to him last October really nice bloke, took time to chat for a while and was interested in what we did. Also met a few more players that day. Met brayford last May on ecclesall road as well as Flynn both happy to take a photo, we did ask brayford if he was out celebrating a blades contract his answer was " I wish" obviously meant it.

 

[Superblades]

a firm i worked for a few years ago sponsored the shirts of a former blades player. As such the company got an invite to send a representative to a united training session to watch and have a buffet. I got offered the opportunity and went and watched the players train at shirecliffe. It was the season we were in the PL. After the event had finished a was waiting for my lift home and was in the reception area of the indoor centre. Tony Currie was there having just run a junior soccer camp and can wholeheartedly say he is the most vile man i have ever seen. The way he talked to and swore at the woman on reception had to be seen to be believed from this supposed legend. It was a disgraceful way to act and i really can't understand how people can hold him in such high regard if that's how he talks to people. Was absolutely unbelievable.

I did his footy schools in the half term down at SWD in the late 90's early 00's. Every now and again he would take a session, he didn't half lay into us at times. Pretty much every kid there was scared of him.

 

[Knebworth]

I met Colin Morris a few times when I lived in Brid. He lived in Kilham and worked at the local Arundales Peugeot garage. He presented the end of season awards for the team that I managed. Also lived near Ray McHale in Brid when he was involved at Scarborough.

Crikey !!! My Dad lived in Kilham until recently & bought a car from that place.

 

[1973Blade]

The only random time I've met a United player was Steve Charles, when I was out walking in Limb Valley in the early 80s. Thinking about it, it's surprising that I haven't bumped into more United players, perhaps they are avoiding me?

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

I was getting the £3 Meal Deal in the Tesco Garage yesterday. Dutifully trudging around the one way system. Windey. Windey. Windey. Just as I got to the bit that is effectively "you're front of the queue, wait for a shout", with no punters in the till area.
Boooooom some chancer has entered stage left with a 500ml of Fanta. Straight to the till. FFS. Anyway, he's done the deed, rushed off, got his rhythm wrong & the automatic door has shut on his shoulders, knocking him around a bit. I had a little "serves you right" moment.
Only to realise as he looked around, startled, it was SUFC Academy Head Honcho Jack Lester.

 

[8lade]

Bet he went down like a sack of spuds.

 

[bladestrivia]

Once saw Chris Wilder with Paul Devlin in the Sportsman Devlin was paralytic after the birth of one of his kids

 

[Jonny2sheds]

Met Deano last Summer whilst waiting to board an Easyjet flight from Paris to Manchester. He was a gent - polite, articulate and happy to chat. Good on him.

 

[BushBlade]

Met Deano last Summer whilst waiting to board an Easyjet flight from Paris to Manchester. He was a gent - polite, articulate and happy to chat. Good on him.

Are you related to Arthur 2 Sheds Jackson?

 

[The Crab]

Met Deano last Summer whilst waiting to board an Easyjet flight from Paris to Manchester. He was a gent - polite, articulate and happy to chat. Good on him.

Many years ago (mcdonalds at top of the Moor) was in the queue next to Deano.

 

[SirNibletsO'Korne]

Paul Parker and Don Hutchinson in McDonalds at the top of the M606 after beating Bradford away on Boxing Day 1996. The coach was in the car park and they were buying a shitload of food that I assume was for the team.
I'm guessing they hadn't started the on coach drinking yet as Hutchinson hadn't got his cock out yet.

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

On the plane to Dubai with all our current squad and staff in February this year... seems a lifetime ago .

 

[coaxingstar71]

Charlie Hartfield once called me a fat bastard.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Met Deano at a colleague’s retirement do in Leeds (they grew up together) an absolute gent and happy to chat. I managed not to get too star struck despite having been at it for a number of hours at that point.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Had a drink with Kevin Mcdonald in Champs on eccy Road once.

 

[BushBlade]

Had a drink with Kevin Mcdonald in Champs on eccy Road once.

Blind date?

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Blind date?

Blind-o

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

Of course, I've neglected to mention that I traveled to a game on the Team Coach once. Having been the beneficiary of a wake up knock on the hotel door by the Full Back. What? Don't tell me you've never heard that story? It's actually the Pump Prime for the Dem Blades Fanzine 2020 Writing Competition. You can read all about the Competition here

https://www.demblades.co.uk/post/dem-blades-writing-competition-2020

and there's still time to get your entry in. You can read my On The Bus story here

https://www.demblades.co.uk/post/sweden-snuff-and-sneezing-the-greatest-blades-stories-ever-told

(Tag Steve Mackan )