Footballers in Unusual Circumstances

[whitelion]

We all see our players at the ground on match-days or training etc. but has anyone witnessed any unusual circumstances involving any Albion players past or present or any players of other clubs.

My favourites:

1. Tommy Mason in the late 70's. I was crossing the footbridge at Fishersgate Halt and Tommy was approaching carrying a huge bag of tools, almost as big as him. I asked him how his football was going as he'd left the Albion recently. He said he was now a 'brickie' but looking very pleased with himself.

2. Martin Chivers around the same time. I forget the name of the pub, it's no longer there having been knocked down. (Might be the Clarence but perhaps someone else knows). On a Sunday lunchtime in North Street, Portslade the pub used to do a strip show. Martin was in there with some other players knocking back a few beers and eating the bar snacks.


Any others?

 

[Zeitgeist]

A few years back, I was waiting in the departure lounge at Brigetown airport, Barbados to board a flight back to the UK. A flight to Trinidad that was waiting to depart was being delayed because the last two passengers has failed to show up at the gate. After the third call for the "last two remaining passengers to go to their aircraft, else their bags would be taken off the plane", Dwight Yorke and Mark Bosnich appeared from the bar and made their way to the departure gate!.....

 

[fatboy]

I was getting into my car at the gym the other day and David Lee came out of a random door.

He looked scared, probably thought I was stalking him and gave me his training top.

 

[Göttingen gull]

i met Dan Harding and Dean Hammond in the event after the Notts county game last month!
The unusual thing about this is.... dont our Albion heroes normally hang out in Sumo's or the Honey? The event is well tacky and full of slags (which may explain why they were there!)

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

About a year ago, I was in a womens shoe shop in the centre of Cardiff buying a pair of boots for the girl I was seeing at the time.

I just sat there, bored out of my brains, while she tried on somewhere in the region of 15 to 20 different pairs.

Another bloke came into the shop shortly after me, and slumped down next to me while his ladyfriend tried on a similar number of pairs of shoes.

He must've noticed the small Bluebirds badge I was wearing, and after a while he asked me in a soft Irish accent if I watched Cardiff often.

I said: "Aye, been a season ticket holder for donkeys years. Do you get down there much?"

"Now and again, now and again," he laughed.

Graham Kavanagh, Cardiff City captain......

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Footballers in Unusual Circumstances?

I once saw David Lee running aimlessly around a football pitch at the bottom of Tongdean Lane.

For the life of me, I couldn't work out what he was doing there.

 

[Bobby's Gull]

My dad always goes on about seeing Peter Ward walking about a park in Shoreham. My dad didn't let on that he knew it was him, and they had a conversation about birds, the feathery variety, apparently. Strange.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Perry Digweed in a cobblers near the kings road chelsea his mate fixed my shoes while we chatted mostly about the 1991 play off final (agony removed 30/05/2004 16.49) he reckoned Amex would have come in big style if we were in Div 1/ Prem

 

[CAFC Matt]

Ionce saw Clive Mendonca driving a rusty Mini once (the bloke who scored the first ever hat rick in a Wembley Play off final)

 

[Gwylan]

Jimmy Case and Gerry Fell were watching us make fools of ourselves on the putting green in Hove Park. I once saw Graham Cross outside a bank in Blatchington Road (probably casing it) and, as I've mentioned before, I stood next to Jimmy Case in the urinals of Shades bar, the day we dumped Norwich out of the cup.

 

[Yoda]

Not quite a Footballer but at last years World Indoor Athletics Champs in Birmingham, I was taking a piss next to superman himself (Michael Johnson), when some twat asked him for his autograph, while we was still re-leaving himself.

He told him “not in the john man! Can't you see I'm busy”

 

[Bobby's Gull]

Sittin in my Nan's local watching an England game a couple of seasons back with . . . Jan Molby

Also waiting to have my hair cut, flicking through a magazine, when I see ex-Albion Paul McCarthy having his barnet sorted out.

 

[Robot Chicken]

I've met Gary Hart in the Honeyclub, Sir Bobby Zamora in Sumos, Jimmy Case in my local pub, Steve Foster in Orsinos and Dave Turner came over to my house.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

This story offers a good indication of how football has changed in financial terms since the Seventies:

In the summer of 1974, the late, great Gil Reece spent a few days in my house along with his brother fitting a new boiler and a couple of radiators.

Reece (who sadly recently died) was a Cardiff City player and a Welsh international at the time. During his career he made over 300 appearances in the old First and Second Divisions for Sheffield United and Cardiff, and won 29 Welsh caps. In the close season he used to work in partnership with his brother for the family plumbing business in order to make ends meet.

On a similar note, I've recently got friendly with a guy whose father (Albert Larmour) made over 150 league appearances for City during the Seventies. He tells me that during the summer months his father and his father's best mate (Freddie Pethard, 170 league appearances for Cardiff) used to work five days a week for a local painter and decorator.

Bear in mind that these were players who spent almost all of their careers in the old Second Division. Can you imagine Guy Butters doing your plumbing? Or Leon Knight and Danny Cullip turning up to strip wallpaper for you?

These kids today just don't know they're born......

 

[fatboy]

Can you imagine Leon Knight turning up to strip wallpaper for you?

Leon Knight would only just be able to reach the top of the skirting board!


I once saw Michel Kuipers unloading his car while I was on the way back from a shopping trip in which I had just bought the Division 3 video.

I thought it would be an idea to get him to sign it and he started chatting to me. I said it would be good if we could consolidate in Division 2 nest season. He said we would go a Rotherham and go up again.

Speaking words of wisdom, Dutch Marine Dutch Marine.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Not a football player - but the England no.2 (and Europe no. 4 or something) at under 18's badminton is in my class at college!!!

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Dean Wilkins pushing a pram through Brighton a good few years back.

Denny Mundee buying fags in an Exeter newsagent having just 'played' in an Albion defeat at St James's Park.

 

[Albionite83]

Footballers in Unusual Circumstances?

I once saw David Lee running aimlessly around a football pitch at the bottom of Tongdean Lane.

For the life of me, I couldn't work out what he was doing there.

"Running"? I don't believe you.

 

[CAFC Matt]

John Robinson once gave me a plaster

 

[saafend_seagull]

dean wilkins used to live opposite me on redhill drive- about 12 years ago. was standing next to paul watson when waiting to go through the turnstiles, dick knight at petrol station in haywards heath and said to him to sign john piercy, and said the only thing im signing for now is your cousins birthday card as thats what i asked him to do too

saw danny cullip on way back from swindon away pulled his tinted windows down in his jeep then let him cut infront of us as he was avoiding traffic in lane with no traffic

at orient when we won 2-0 was sittin down and bloke said excsue me to walk past to his seat and it was desmond lyman!