Have you ever bumped into an ex player on holiday?

[Worried Man Blues]

Met Sir Norman when we worked at the same company for a while, he was brilliant very talkative and keen to chat, a loyal star.

 

[knocky1]

I stayed with Johnny Meadows and his wife in Fuengirola. Ex Watford Captain from the late 1950's and my uncle.

 

[OzMike]

No.

 

[bob_monkhouse]

Frank Worthington in Portinatx, Ibiza about 25 years ago. Legend !
Saw him a few times over the course of a couple of weeks.
Never got further than hello and a.nod of the head....... enough for me !
Think he may have has a villa out there.

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[junior]

I met Peter Reid in Iraq and he was shit faced. Can anyone top that?

 

[Wrong-Direction]

A mate of mine got a pic with Bruno at the airport on their way back from Spain recently

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[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Edit: not a holiday.

Years ago i was at a Indian Restaurant in Guildford and a certain Ex Crystal Palaces Richard Shaw,who was playing for Coventry at the time was at a table opposite to us.

He was out with a lady friend and enjoying a quiet evening,or so he thought.

I was with several people and well let's just say it got rather embarrassing when a friend recognized him too and every 3 minutes shouted and pointed,whilst very half (almost fully) cut...."it's Richard shaw"

On and on this went on for what seemed like 10 minutes,finally i think a autograph and a chat helped calm things down,but the "it's Richard shaw" still went on periodically for the next hour or so.

Shame it wasn't a Chinese restaurant really. You could all have yelled 'Rickshaw!'

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

At Disneyland Paris about 3 years ago BZ (who was at QPR at the time) was about 3 cars behind me on the Peter Pan ride that broke down mid air for about 10 mins, luckily no one was upside down or anything. When we got off had a quick photo, shook his hand and that was that. The following day Adam El Abd approached me as he saw my Albion cap, he posed for a few photos with the boy and was genuinely interested, asking about our holiday etc

 

[smeg]

Bumped into Tony Adams on the Palace pier back in the mid 90's and he was friendly enough but the best encounter for me was at Gatwick in 1984 when me and my mates met Barry Sheene in a lift. We all pointed at him and were like "It's Barry Sheene", could have been awkward but he gave us the thumbs up and just said "alright lad's", we were made up.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

Ooh, I like to dust this one off now and again.

Teguisol Apartments, Costa Teguise, Lanzarote, summer 2001. One evening I'm waiting at the bar to be served, and I glance down to my right and to my amazement, I clock this pair of Albion shorts with the Seagull badge on. I do a bit of a double-take, look up, and stood there next to me...its none other than OGH. Now bear in mind this is the season when we'd just CREAMED the 4th division as champions, and there I am, in a bar, stood there next to an Albion legend.

OBVIOUSLY I have to say something, so it goes something like "Gary Hart ??"
"Yes mate"
"Hahaaa...I'm an Albion fan, season ticket holder...AMAZING season mate" *gush gush*

Can't remember much else, other than regularly seeing OGH in the pool, in his No9 Albion shorts, towing his little girl around in her rubber dinghy. And his utterly HOT missus sunbathing nearby. I got a picture with him near the end of the holiday, with him holding up my little lad (of the time). Absolutely top bloke all round.

Lovely story, but strolling around in his No 9 shorts while on hols suggest he either couldn't afford to buy himself another pair (unlikely), or he WANTED to be recognised. You probably made his holiday..

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Meet Kevin Phillips and Wes Brown on holiday a couple of years ago, they weren't on holiday together! My wife was talking to Wes Brown's wife and two little girls. As I'm approaching them having spotted it's Wes Brown and returning from the business centre at the hotel, and yes, after a conversation about why I was working on holiday, she did ask Mrs Brown what Mr Brown did for a living! Oh how we chuckled!

 

[Biscuit Barrel]

Bobby Robson on a cross channel ferry who proceeded to tell me to f**k off, and people say he is a NICE guy

And a good judge of character.

 

[El Presidente]

Was standing behind Bobby Charlton at a cash machine in Hale.

"How are you Bobby, good result for United last Saturday" I politely said.

"Sir Bobby" he glared in reply and then scurried off.

Did meet Carl Griffiths (of THAT 4-4 Orient game fame at the Goldstone) on holiday and played 5 a side with him a few times. He said that Scott McGleish was terrified leaving the Goldstone that day. Also met Alan Smith (Leeds, Newcastle and United) on the same holiday. Even by footballer's standards he wasn't the sharpest tool.

Eric Steele lived down my road when he was at United, Will Keane (United striker on loan at Preston now signed for Hull) lived there until a few months ago, and had issues with the wheelie bins, and bought our house from Warren Feeney, Northern Ireland striker who I think is now the manager at Newport.

I teach football finance stuff for the LMA, so see quite a few ex-players there.

 

[Easy 10]

Lovely story, but strolling around in his No 9 shorts while on hols suggest he either couldn't afford to buy himself another pair (unlikely), or he WANTED to be recognised. You probably made his holiday..

I like to think he was just Albion through and through.

Oh, while I'm on. I met Adam El Abd at a few years ago at a barbecue at my sisters (he's good friends with my nephew). Me and my dad were having a good chat with him, and about how he'd converted from utility player / fullback to centreback. Was slightly surprised when he said "so, what do you think my best position is ?".
"Oh centreback for sure" was our unanimous answer. I resisted the urge to say "you're a bloody liability at fullback".

Nice fella.

 

[Nathan]

Had a beer with Mike Newell (manager at Luton at the time) a few years back, he was very very drunk. Luton lost the next day which wasn't a surprise as he must have been more than a bit hungover and not fully focused.

Thought he was a bit of a dickhead.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Not sure this counts, I went on a school football team holiday with Russell Beardmore to France.

 

[Easy 10]

Had a beer with Mike Newell (manager at Luton at the time) a few years back, he was very very drunk. Luton lost the next day which wasn't a surprise as he must have been more than a bit hungover and not fully focused.

Thought he was a bit of a dickhead.

He is.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/6140922.stm

Luton manager Newell was furious that assistant referee Amy Rayner failed to award his side a penalty in the 3-2 loss to QPR.

He said: "She shouldn't be here. I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is not park football, so what are women doing here?"

Newell was incensed that Rayner and referee Andy D'Urso failed to award his side a spot-kick when QPR defender Marcus Bignot tangled with Carlos Edwards in the penalty box.

"It is absolutely beyond belief. When do we reach a stage when all officials are women because then we are in trouble?"

"It is tokenism - for the politically-correct idiots," said Newell. "We have a problem in this country with political correctness and bringing women into the game is not the way to improve refereeing and officialdom. It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems."

 

[Whoislloydy]

No but I bumped into Jamie Murphy in Tesco Express in Goring-By-Sea on Sunday evening

 

[tinycowboy]

About four years ago, I was at Gatwick Airport and the man collecting our car for a "Meet and greet" (or whatever those car valeting services are called) saw that two of my children were wearing Albion shirts and said that he used to play for the club. I was a bit embarrassed because I didn't recognize him so I asked him his name. I didn't hear what he said and I was too embarrassed to ask again. So I still don't know. I'm pretty sure this story doesn't meet the definition of "quality banter", so I'll leave it there.....

 

[mothy]

Darren bent in Ibiza the summer before he joined us on loan. His bird was rank / hood rat style & he had a new born with her. Her mum & sister & her fella were there too. Looked like he was having a great tine