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Player Stories about meeting players /ex players

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Also met Jennings at a meet and greet for a corporate box game I went to.
He signed my program, I went to shake his hand but he seemed to blank me. Which I was quite disappointed at tbh.
As I walked off, I think he realised his faux pas, so he grabbed my shoulder and thrust his hand out for the shake.
He has hands like fucking spades. It was like a baby shaking a mans hand.
 
Back in the day, me and my mate Martin used to go to the Cheshunt training ground quite a lot. Met all the players and got them to sign our Spurs books and stuff. I remember Mullery tutting when my pen ran out of ink. Some of the cars they would drive up in were different gravy to today. It was always an open door to watch the players nothing like the security today.

Anyway, one time a team from China (or maybe Japan I forget) was over and the were playing a friendly at the training ground. So we went and got some autographs off them. Was quite amusing when one or two of them pointed out they had already signed the book.
 
There was a Vauxhall dealership in Colindale, Bristol St Motors, and around 1979 they put together a Sunday league side. I was 18/19 and although we never worked for them, a mate and me played for them.

On Monday nights between 6-8pm we trained on one of the small playground type pitches on Grahame Park Way, near Colindale. They ‘persuaded’ Paul Miller to come and coach us on these Monday evenings and for the pleasure of doing that, he was given the princely reward of unlimited use of a brand new Vauxhall Chevette for the season. I laugh looking back on it now, as he was already a first team player at the time, but he was chuffed to do it for that. He would have only been about 20 himself and with wages then compared with now I suppose it’s more understandable. He had a great sense of humour, was always ready to take the piss out of us, and have a laugh, but could take a bit back as well.

We won our cup competition that season (and were even given a mention in the Spurs programme). As our end of season reward he took us to WHL for a bit of a tour and to play a few five a side games against the Spurs back room staff in the indoor gym. They were good players too. Terry Yorath was there, lovely guy, and he agreed to be our ‘manager’ for the evening. This was followed by a few beers in The Corner Pin (if memory serves) and Neil McNab also walked in. Not sure what he was there for as he’d already left for Bolton I think before then. Again, a nice guy, polite and friendly but pretty quiet.

Another thing I remember was Maxi being really disappointed that one of our players had not considered going for trials. He was an absolute gem of a player with a wand of a left foot but he had absolutely fuck all interest in playing football other than for fun. He really couldn’t care less. Paul Miller was convinced he could have turned pro easily. Anyway, he was happy and they were happy days.
 
I got a smile and a thumbs up from Gareth Bale at a Wales match.

I say me. I think it was aimed at me. I did shout 'come on you spurs' at him! But I was already surrounded by several thousand singing, shouting, welsh fans, so it may have been more of a general thing.

True story y'know.

:baletroll:
 
The newsagents/sweet shop that used to be between the West Stand main entrance and Paxton Road: Nick Barmby held the door open for me as I entered and he exited. I smiled and nodded my thanks and approval to his respect and deference to an elder (even then). About to queue for Sheffield Wednesday's Klinsmann away debut, as I recall. I'm sure I told him to make sure "Klinsmann does the full-length bastard-dive as and when he scores, OK?" as we passed each other*

*maybe.
 
There was a Vauxhall dealership in Colindale, Bristol St Motors, and around 1979 they put together a Sunday league side. I was 18/19 and although we never worked for them, a mate and me played for them.

On Monday nights between 6-8pm we trained on one of the small playground type pitches on Grahame Park Way, near Colindale. They ‘persuaded’ Paul Miller to come and coach us on these Monday evenings and for the pleasure of doing that, he was given the princely reward of unlimited use of a brand new Vauxhall Chevette for the season. I laugh looking back on it now, as he was already a first team player at the time, but he was chuffed to do it for that. He would have only been about 20 himself and with wages then compared with now I suppose it’s more understandable. He had a great sense of humour, was always ready to take the piss out of us, and have a laugh, but could take a bit back as well.

We won our cup competition that season (and were even given a mention in the Spurs programme). As our end of season reward he took us to WHL for a bit of a tour and to play a few five a side games against the Spurs back room staff in the indoor gym. They were good players too. Terry Yorath was there, lovely guy, and he agreed to be our ‘manager’ for the evening. This was followed by a few beers in The Corner Pin (if memory serves) and Neil McNab also walked in. Not sure what he was there for as he’d already left for Bolton I think before then. Again, a nice guy, polite and friendly but pretty quiet.

Another thing I remember was Maxi being really disappointed that one of our players had not considered going for trials. He was an absolute gem of a player with a wand of a left foot but he had absolutely fuck all interest in playing football other than for fun. He really couldn’t care less. Paul Miller was convinced he could have turned pro easily. Anyway, he was happy and they were happy days.

All the stories on here just knock me out TBF … But I think ( for me at least) yours has got to be the best so far …

I just wanted to say Thank You.

Can you imagine any of that happening today …… ( yet at the same time it seems like yesterday…)


Thank You My Brother !!!!!!!!

( PS I know it’s not a standard model : but I could actually envisage one of our younger players tooling up at Hotspur Way in this ….he’d had to have saved up for a few months mind …

 
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Also met Jennings at a meet and greet for a corporate box game I went to.
He signed my program, I went to shake his hand but he seemed to blank me. Which I was quite disappointed at tbh.
As I walked off, I think he realised his faux pas, so he grabbed my shoulder and thrust his hand out for the shake.
He has hands like fucking spades. It was like a baby shaking a mans hand.
Maybe first time round he didn't realise you actually had hands?
 
All the stories on here just knock me out TBF … But I think ( for me at least) yours has got to the best so far …

I just wanted to say Thank You.

Can you imagine any of that happening today …… ( yet at the same time it seems like yesterday…)


Thank You My Brother !!!!!!!!

( PS I know it’s not a standard model : but I could actually envisage one of our younger players tooling up at Hotspur Way in this ….he’d had to have saved up for a few months mind …

My old man had a chevette, or a shove it as it was known.

The heated rear windscreen was a great idea for winter time stopping your hands getting cold.
 
Met Jurgen Klinsmann with his Parents and had a chat for 15 mins, lovely bloke and his mum is awesome because she was chatting with my son who was around 6 at the time in very broken English.
I also met Razor Ruddock at a Garden show in Brentwood, we were chatting about the seafood stall that was particularly nice.
Ray Parlour was at the Frankie and Bennys in Lakeside, also a nice guy
 
Met Jurgen Klinsmann with his Parents and had a chat for 15 mins, lovely bloke and his mum is awesome because she was chatting with my son who was around 6 at the time in very broken English.
I also met Razor Ruddock at a Garden show in Brentwood, we were chatting about the seafood stall that was particularly nice.
Ray Parlour was at the Frankie and Bennys in Lakeside, also a nice guy
That reminds me of the time when we went to a pub in Hornchurch (can't remember the name).
Ruddock and Tony Adams were in there, and it was the day after we beat the scousers in the FA Cup when Klinsmann scored in the last few minutes. As you can imagine, we were in good spirits and we gave him a bit of stick, but TBF, he took it well.
I went to many a do for supporters at the Chanticleer and the old ground, when the players actually attended. I sat next to Ray Clemence at one and he was chatting with all the people on our table.
At one of the events when the lovely Daveed was playing for us, most of the women were just waiting for his entrance. When he came in, you could actually hear a collective intake of breath - he is even more gorgeous in real life. :)
 
More recently I've met David Howells, Clive Allen and Maxie Miller on the train to or from the ground. Maybe I caught them on a good day, as they were all happy to chat, and quite openly too.

I've been on the same train as Howells to quite a few away games recently. Spoke to him briefly a couple of times (so as not to annoy him), and he seems a decent bloke.
 
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Ian Walker was an arrogant tosser when I played against him, he was 18 and on the YTS, he knew he was getting a pro contract and it showed.

Kind of showed in his pro career as well
 
Also met Jennings at a meet and greet for a corporate box game I went to.
He signed my program, I went to shake his hand but he seemed to blank me. Which I was quite disappointed at tbh.
As I walked off, I think he realised his faux pas, so he grabbed my shoulder and thrust his hand out for the shake.
He has hands like fucking spades. It was like a baby shaking a mans hand.
HANDS
I know I've posted this before, but I suddenly found myself walking towards Pat Jennings in a supermarket in Hoddesdon in the '70's. Yes - his hands were massive and the cans of baked beans suddenly looked so tiny. I was so starstruck that I said nothing at all!
More recently (within the last 10 years) I've also shaken hands/chatted with David Seaman on a few occasions at work and once in a local petrol station - good god his hands are massive too. Gentle giant - nice bloke.

Met Jermaine Jenas and Jamie O'Hara about 18 months ago at a charity football match at the Lamex Stadium. They were both very pleasant, friendly young men with no airs & graces, who had plenty of time for everyone. They had given their time freely, for a good cause. Their hands were normal size.
 
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