We’re BACK with another episode of I Had Trials Once!
Jordan & Gaz are joined by former Blackburn Rovers & Aston Villa left back Alan Wright as they discuss everything from playing against Barcelona to playing for Fleetwood Town.
Wright also talks about trying to defend against a young David Beckham and what Alan Shearer is really like off the pitch.
Alan then goes into his life after football and what it’s like to coach at Manchester City.
🎧 You can listen to the full episode wherever you normally get your podcasts via the link below!
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0:00 Intro and early life with Alan Wright.
11:55 Signing for Blackpool.
22:45 Becoming aware of other clubs interest.
25:00 Moving to Blackburn Rovers.
30:15 HUGE Blackburn contract & fights in training.
33:10 Playing against the Wimbledon crazy gang.
36:35 Promotion to the Premier League with Blackburn.
39:30 Blackburn’s big name signings.
40:25 The real Alan Shearer.
43:45 Trying to defend against David Beckham.
46:35 The brilliance of Kenny Dalglish.
50:45 Alan Shearer vs Paul McGrath.
53:10 Playing against Barcelona.
57:00 Getting into trouble and best pranks.
01:00:45 Switching Blackburn for Aston Villa.
01:08:00 Enjoying his Villa days.
01:09:40 Scoring worldies.
01:10:55 Buying the kit man’s house.
01:13:40 Villa’s trip to Belgrade.
01:15:20 Dwight Yorke was brilliant.
01:18:30 Biggest Aston Villa achievements.
01:21:05 Playing against George Weah & Ruud Gullit.
01:22:45 Gabriel Batistuta was unbelievable.
01:26:40 Struggling to get a new team.
01:30:40 Rangers move falling through & going to Sheffield United.
01:33:50 Neil Warnock was brilliant.
01:40:15 The best manager to play under.
01:44:10 Cheltenham Town stories.
01:56:10 Brief managerial career.
01:58:25 Moving to Fleetwood Town.
02:00:00 Doing coaches badges with Hasselbaink & Zola.
02:06:20 Coaching at Manchester City.
So he rips off and he stood at the side of the pitch and fash goes what the’s this starts running back and he’s looks at Jason went o so Jason looks at me went five yards further out they go in true quick story on Sherer someone’s
BR the line off the front of my car so went who you sponsored by he went Jaguar went so what the broke off the front of your car he said line off the front so Jason Wix turn around he was brilliant J went this fash is our very own
I back in the studio all right mate good to see you pal cheers how you good to see that you’re growing your hair out yeah it’s uh it’s just in between Styles at the minute so I know yeah you can say that you keep dogging it but it’ll get
There don’t worry I’m just glad youve well you’ve explained why you can’t have the Lego haircut anymore no um no longer on brassic am I yeah I’m brassic but I’m no longer on the show so you the you body double for the main guy weren’t he
He had literally the ruler cut big Vince Vince I it I love brassic had a little uh called my own dressing dressing room next door to Michelle Keegan for a bit did she ever look at you in any other way of other than disgust she I was in
The queue actually for dinner and I was behind her with me Trey with me KNE and Fork on and she’d turn around for did you she’d turn around and everyone in the place must me knife and fought rattling I [ __ ] in myself she was the fittest thing I’ve ever
Seen zero chance for her so I didn’t talk to did you not not even say no I can’t can you [ __ ] house what have you been on uh not really done that much just like been in and out of London a little bit went down to the office yesterday had
Some uh had some meetings with some of the brands so yeah it was really good big time now well always been big time I think just in my own head I’ve been this morning to ask where you’d been I just thought i’ get it in go been
To a charity event that we made set up and I don’t know if he’s going to be able to do it I don’t think you’d be able to do it it’s 5K every hour on the hour for 24 hours wow yeah now he’s pretty mentally strong it’s going to take you half an
Hour like 25 minutes half an hour to do and then you just have half an hour break and goly again yeah wow you’re not doing that are you can’t do it well just on that uh you know the lad Chris who went golfing with yeah so we’ve set up a
Charity that we’re going to help out in January and we’re going to do we worked out how far it is from his house to my house obviously lives up in the Northeast and it’s just under 250k so we’re going to run in January 250k I think I’ll end up doing 150 and he’s
Going to do he’ll do about five that’s in the shape e but it’s 5k Every Day and you think so 30 30 Days 5K every day seems pretty easy but if you miss one day then you’ve got one 10k run to do you miss two days you got two 10K runs
And so if you have a weekend off you’ve suddenly got don’t miss a day can’t miss imagine a like a two- day bender and then you on the Monday you know you got 15K today I know 15K yeah it’s going to be tough like it’s just like I say it’s
Going to be tough but it’s a it’s for a good cause yeah middle L I’ll put [ __ ] all put nothing in but I’m going to put the link on the um on the socials and stuff and it’s going to help out a lot of people during the
Winter so yeah put that up um so once again a massive thank you to bet 365 for sponsoring the podcast it makes us be able to come here get it guys always gamble responsibly just before I get my line in yeah it’s a good line right we
Have got a guest today who I’m looking forward to it may it be brilliant because he’s a really funny guy it’s a really nice guy we’ve been friends 15 years maybe maybe 15 years I can’t no 10 years ever since we met at uh Fleetwood he’s he’s had a brilliant
Career but he’s just a genuinely nice funny guy so I’ve been trying to get him on the podcast for a while um so I’m going to introduce him he is the Colossal man Mountain Allan wght right yeah I’m good thanks are you comfortable what you say mate not acquaintances acquaintances
Yeah he made out like you’re his best pal we do go and jar we do go back quite a way don’t we to be fair we do yeah just before we start are you comfortable are you happy do you want a boost a seat I knew the just like to thank Snow White
For letting him come sorry I’ve just met you he just met you in second of the P Water dad I was jealous when you was talking about airuts by the way desperate to say something but obviously I I going to say you’ve not had one for a while have you
I do myself you yeah start here sh your full head but yeah obviously when we when we first met it was at Fleet wood and you was at the your end of your m career and it weren’t until I looked into you that I realized like what an amazing career you’d had
Before you’d even met me and then it obviously excelled but yeah we like we was in a car school together weren’t it but just looking back at your career obviously I know we took the piss at the start then with his with your sze and things like
That but that that must have always been an issue cuz I’m guessing you weren’t taller when you were seven I was about the S when I was seven and just never grew um no it was I was never going to be big cuz my mom was um
4′ 10 dad’s 5’6 never I’m never going to be a giant am I so always been tiny um always told I would never be big enough as a to to have a career in football uh from from day do really um and the good thing about it all is that
When you see those people all those people that said no you know you got no chance when you’ve actually done it you can look them in the eye and think M there you got you can have that it’s just an easy one is it you know what I
Mean yeah how do you look them in the eye you have to stand on down a bit cuz if you if they don’t like you or they’re not having you that’s just an easy get out just no too small I’ll just go with that so it’s
Just an easy one to do so you’ve done well to did that psychologically make you more determined and work on other things or we or we naturally gifted I think a bit of both to be honest um uh my my driver really was um I came up on
A counsil state we with um a poor family basically where seen points where my dad went without food so we could eat I’ve got two sisters um so real tough times and I I just thought I don’t want to be I don’t want to live my
Life um the way my mom and dad have unfortunately lived theirs in in that sense um but I was a well- loved kid um a really happy loving home um so yeah it was that was my drive really I just wanted to get myself out of that
Situation and and hopefully in time be fortunate enough to be able to get my M and dad out of that situation as well which in time I managed to do that which was obviously that like I said that was my big push and my Big Driver toh to do
Well and how did you how how did you start playing was it just on on the streets C estate or yeah well at one point we we on a l of booty or table there’ll be a new one comes out soon that I’ve not heard um yeah that’s just started on the
Street really uh we ended up living with my grandparents because like I say we never even had a house at one point so we lived with um my grandparents and on on the street opposite where my grandparents used to live there used to be like a Gable end with one window in
It and I just used to get the ball and smash this ball against this this old couple’s house yeah Rob them potty just constant thud on the wall and um every now and then I’d hit the window and then I’d go hi underneath the window so no
One could see us look out and just’s nobody there so uh so yeah that was that was my big thing but um just constantly out with the ball all the time constantly like smashing the ball against the wall um learning the technique and all this type of stuff and
At the time you didn’t really as as a young kid you don’t really think that it’s anything but it’s only when you get older you think all all them hours that you smash the ball against the wall and when we when we did get our own house um
Just around the corner from where we lived on this Council estate there was a wall that sort of tapered down and a curb tapered down as well um and I used to come up with little games where I’d like smash the ball like the curb with Back Spin so it come back
Low and then I’d hit it with Top Spin so it come back in the air and then you’re working on your torch and all this sort of stuff and finding little nooks and crannies in the wall aiming for them and when You’ hit them they come off at
Different angles you have to shift your feet and all this sort of stuff so I just made gam up in me on mind and it was uh and how old were you then uh 35 i’ be when we moved to when was with my grandma I was about six or seven um
And then we got our we got our own house our Council house when I was about 910 so probably from 9 to 9 through to well I I ended up that that wall I I moved I moved from home to to Blackpool when it was 15 finish finished school and went straight to
Blackpool um and from being like 11 through to 15 where when I left home um I used to play with the older kids so the older kids will be like 18 19 they come knock on the door you come for a game and we just make a pitch up on the
Street and play with in a game and that helps playing with the older Lads as well yeah massively so I had to work out that well I can’t fight them cuz I’m tiny I’m dead weak I’m like there’s nothing on me yeah um so I learned loads
Within that period of just not getting pinned nobody getting physically old of me um I knew that I was always going to have to work on me jumping because I knew it wasn’t going to be big so I did loads of working on jumping and just like played loads of different sports
Badminton squash um did Judo to work out how to stop people getting a grip of me all types of stuff so it was um just a real learning experience without really knowing that it was learning really if that makes sense yeah um but it was brilliant cuz
Like this big and you got a 20-y old kid coming knocking you playing football my mom was like yeah he’ll be out in a minute brilliant but things like that though you you obviously identified that they the areas that you had to work on early yeah and you
Started playing School football I played for my school team when I was could find anything online cuz it was that long ago did they have the internet then no no there were still in black and white no I actually played for uh the school team
When I was an infant right so last year at Junior School I don’t know what how they do the years now cuz it was like first year Junior school or whatever it was um but I was in my last year at infant school and I played for the last
Year junior team right um I was always really quick cuz I mean I don’t even know where the football comes from I was going to say it was your dad not play no I think the postman did a little bit no my dad’s just never never really
Been into sport my mom was like I say tiny but she was really agile and quick which I think that’s where I must get that from but don’t know where the sport comes from at all um just just a bit a bit of a one-off really and obviously
You moved you moved to Blackpool and then you got picked up by Blackpool when he was there then no I I played for a Sunday team um who had connections with Blackpool uh but they also had connections with pretty much all the north northwest teams um so like City
United um Blackburn I used to go to I used to go to um I used to use all these clubs um and every now and then I’d go over to Blackpool in like school holidays and spend a week there or two weeks there and I just really loved it there it was
Just a great place to be as a kid so obviously you going you’ve got everything there now um all the amusement arcades and all that type of stuff so I just really enjoyed the club and the field of the club so uh what what they did um Blackpool were predated
To the school boy forms because you couldn’t it wasn’t like it is now so um we predated the forms when I was 11 that I knew I was going to Blackpool when I was old enough um and basically that’s what I did to it that just negated me
From signing anywhere El so you signed at 11 that’s like four years it yeah so like four years in I think it was I think you had to be 14 at that time when you could sign to predated them by 3 years yeah right yeah and then you just
Used all these other clubs just to go and experience it yeah it was brilliant because um used to go down to Plat Lane at city um down to the cliff where United train and and just it sounds bad really but just use their expertise really be like and the coaches to for my
Benefit knowing full well that I was going to be going to Blackpool which um which is what I did in the end and did it did never want you the black pool or city uh United City yeah they came in for me and all sorts of stuff but they
They send like um I’ve still got the letters actually um trial dates my mom kept everything when I was a kid right um so I’ve still got letters from Man City man united saying we want you to come down for trials and all this type of stuff and what made you choose
Blackpool do you think you had more of a chance of breaking through think was it the teacups that’s the only ride you can get massive as well massive how scary is that for you I know yeah um no what it was it was um we’d gone to um train at
United and I think they’d done the scholar decisions or who was going to get contracts and whatever you and I think there was only two out of about 10 and I thought well I don’t really want to go down that route I’d rather go the other way and get an opportunity quite
Early and yeah um and hopefully play earlier and then if I I’m good enough to play at United or wherever then come back later on when I’ve got a bit more experience so that’s that’s the route that I chose really like how was you so right you thought about everything so
Young I me it’s weird really I was always I think I’ve lived my life the other way around I was always dead sensible as a kid and knew what I wanted to do and then when I got a bit older I got a bit more stupid um so I don’t know
Really I just had I just knew that I was pretty levelheaded at that age to to turn down a city and man united thinking that you know what I’ve got more of a chance at a black pool but i’ seen I’d seen a few Lads come through at
Blackpool that had gone down the same route and right got the opportunities quite early so that was that was what I wanted to do really I want to just wanted to play football and that’s what happened you broke in at like 15 16 didn’t you into the black pool I made
Debut um 15 I don’t know whether I was 15 or 16 it might have been just 16 um cuz that’s early that in it it’s really early it was like it was was Blackpool sort of flitted between uh what would be League one and League two now division three and four
And you’re playing against men like 32 big ass men that like fighting for pay the mortgages with a win bonus and stuff like that so it was like six Stone went through when I made my debut um as a as a left back as a left back yeah right um
Played against Chesterfield came on a sub last 10 15 minutes and um I remember as we we we get a corner so the right wing was a bit of a thug reown for being a bit of a thug so he um he’s running back to defend and I was a
Left back I was staying back so as he ran past me his elbowed me ligh the LI in me temp like days and as I’ve sort of got myself together it sort of turned around and looked at me just laughed and I’m thinking you [ __ ] as
A kid you thinking you can’t be doing that it’s not right it’s not yeah it’s not allow to do that surely so anyway we take the corner and it break the ball breaks and it’s between me and him again like in a 50/50 and I’m thinking he’s going to kill
Me so um I thought I’ve got to look after myself here I said because if he if he if he bullies me a that’s it I’m done yeah you know and I’m split seconds yeah so I knew he was going to try and hurt me so I thought I’ll just delay a
Little bit so I let him slide he’s gone to the ground and slid and I’ve sted on my feet and I’ve just lifted my studs up and and he slid right this is his thigh it went right the way down his thigh with my studs and his leg just fell open
Horrendous so uh anyway get stretch it off get stretch it off and stretched off get stitched up like it’s like a zip on his leg so um he asked to see me after the game and I’m thinking well if if need I can run he’s not going to be able
To run now so um I got into the room with him and I said look I said obviously I didn’t I didn’t mean it I didn’t um so he said no he said fair play to you he said cuz I was going to work you again he said but you proved to
People now that you’re not going to get bullied yes he said that to you that’s and it was like I can’t I can’t remember the guy’s name it was something like or I can’t remember but um he was R nowed for being a bit of a thug and for him to
Say that I thought well at least I’ll prove now that you can try and bl me but you’re going to get something back on it so um so yeah but six Stone went through Tiny getting bull by 30y old guy and getting stretched off brilliant but that
Must have been some kind of education that though coming through because it’s difficult now if you’re a if you’re a like you see Lads breaking through now who are well Advanced above their age so you’re 15 16 year old but they look 18 19 physically they look massive but
Obviously you you was the other way but I was it sounds a I was quite an early mature right so I went quite early it was just it was just never going to be big um so maybe that was where I got my my old dead from I suppose but um but
Yeah it was just a massive massive learning curve cuz you you training every day with men and I’m like a a kid really yeah more more like a a boy than a young man um and what was you like when you when you broke in were you were
You quiet as a kid yeah very quiet yeah I just literally whatever the coach said I did like no questions just do it whatever the what about with the lads same thing I remember I wasn’t even allowed to get changed in the first team dressing room i’ played about 40 games
In the first team I was getting still getting changed with the with the young Lads and I remember you had to knock on the first team dressing room um and you had to get an answer before you went in so I had to go in for something so I’ve
Gone in without knocking and it was Barry Sido goalkeeper great great great guy um he just I I think it was Ginger Mike Davis he went Ginger shut the door for us so we shut the door and Barry’s gone there who said you could come in
And I went I need to get this she went yeah but who said you could come in so I went well no one everyone of the first team give me a dig on the arm that absolutely arm was black and blue but he just part of growing up
Really and being around that environment where did you have to go back out I went back out KN come back here yeah with you over arm yeah but uh but such a learning curve and and just being around the first team at such young age just gives you an insight to
What it’s going to be like as a player it’s brilliant and how did you find it was it was it a tough tough learning curve yeah CU like you said like you know guys are playing for the mortgage AR and that them little bonuses and
Things like that so did you have to I remember Sam Alis was manager give me first pro contract a great great guy but hard as Nails didn’t take any [ __ ] off anybody like ruthless um so i’ played the debut on the Saturday um and the first team we’re
All going out having a night out so fiz you’re coming with us I’m like 15 16 never been in a par in a pub or bar nightclub or anything yeah so I’ve had like two pints with him and I’m leathered I’m still the same now to be
Fair um so I had two pints and then Sam Ellis walks in a manager and I’m thinking he’s going to kill me what am I doing in here now so he looked at me and he went just give me the curly finger so I’ve gone over to him i’ like that like
6’2 man Mountain I’ve looked him and he went what are you doing in here so I went the lads um just drag me in couldn’t say know so he went brilliant he said uh I’ll tell you what we’ll do he said if you buy me a pine we’ll call it right that’s it
There so literally ended up I got a 35 quid 35 quid win bonus but I didn’t even have it at that point I was waiting for it to go into mid wages so I think I Bor five off one of lads in b p you forget
Though don’t you when so when you do get older and you’re the one of the older ones you forget how much that means to the younger ones I always do me so like when we go out with the the younger lad say r or all say you can just see their
Eyes like they just buzzing to be there with you guys but to you it’s just your millionth Night Out is it so you need to sort of do that more I think and it is yeah like that that don’t happen as much now does it where Lads get integrated
Like that the same I I think it’s I think the game’s changed and evolv so much that it’s it can’t be like that and I think um I think also as well the fact that everybody’s got a phone now yeah where you can take camera take photos
And one thing or another so it’s I think when so like when I first started it was like your teammates was your mates yeah that’s it whereas now like we used to play Al and one at Lads like oh I’m going out with all thingy Lads tonight from old them you’re like
What like that different yeah whereas we used to just kick the [ __ ] out of other teams and that was it they was done then till you played them again like you’d never go out with them again it’s weird is it because growing up and playing against all these different teams I
Never knew anybody from another team no just literally like you say just that’s my team we’re all together and that’s it that becomes your family like you you become best mates within about a week don’t you when Club you have to trust each other don’t you yeah yeah but then
When you leave yeah after a week you got you’ve forgotten but then when you when you sort of reunite with each with each other it’s like yesterday brilliant you played it says you played 99 games for for Blackpool yeah and did you did you start being aware of other
Clubs watching you no it was it was bizarre really because um samis had left to become Peter Reeds number two at Man City and um I worked under Jimmy Mullen and then Billy a um all good managers um Bill I’ve got to respect some first and foremost for giving him the first pro
Contracts and learning the robs with him really um Jimmy Mullen was a little bit Jimmy mull exp Burly yeah yeah yeah um good guy but he never really had the dressing room as tight as what it could have been um he sort of fell out with
Players over what I thought at the time not a lot and probably they thought the same um and then Billy H was manag he was brilliant he he was a great guy he’s obviously not with us anymore but um a great guy just made you feel like human
And not like talking down to you all the time like treated you as a as a as a human and listened to what you had to say and stuff like that so ironically we played Burnley in the I think it was the autog glass trophy or Sher van or
Something like that on a Tuesday and um so after the game you used to go in the bar and have a few beers so I played this game had a decent enough game saw Sam Ellis and Peter Reed and he said um you’ll be a man City
Player by the end of the week so I’m thinking not brilliant so this is Tuesday night so Wednesday we’re off so drive across on the Thursday going to the training ground and Mike Davis ging he said uh gaffa wants you down at the at the ground um take your boots
Something it must be happening so by this time I’ve got myself an agent in the space of like two or three days yeah um a guy called Mike Morris and um so I go down to um see the manager at at the ground goes in the uh in his office and he says
Um he says club’s come in for you so I thought obviously I was told to play play down a little bit Yeah so I went all right so he went yeah Blackburn so went not city but that was like 19 at the time went not City went well now why were you
Expecting City to come in I went well no not really so um so yeah so it was it was Blackburn and I literally well Blackburn at the time uh it was like division two because it was still the divisions then right okay um but Kenya had just gone in so is that
A could say equivalent to the championship Championship yeah yeah um so so basically with um I rang Mike Morris up I went to his house we drove he lived in Bolton so we drove across to Blackburn together and I remember it clear as day brilliant
He said um he said right we’ll go in he said we’ll listen to what they saying whatever they offer us we’ll turn it we’ll turn it down and say no he said I’ll come back with something different something fair enough he obviously knows what he’s doing standard all agent we
Won’t take the first offer so it gets better so um go in the office Meet Kenny and Ray Harford and um I’m in a because this Kenny’s obviously a legend yeah um Ken Al just in case I didn’t obviously so we’re going he introduces himself introduces Ray so we all sit
Down and he goes um he said right there’s going to be one offer and one offer only this is the offer boom boom boom what do you think so I’ve looked at Mike expecting him to go I was expecting a bit more he just went so that was it done and dusted and
Then he then Mike build me it done nothing I could have do it on myself so absolutely stitched me up a treat but um but yeah it something that obviously I went in there and again massive learning working with both Kenny and Ray were great coaches really good coaches give you
Kenny would give you the little tiny details that had win games for you um just little things that I remember playing Chelsea away and he I think it was Jason Jason Wilco played left wing um and he said to him he said um if Dave
Bezant was in goal and he said when you look to cross he’ll cheat he’ll start to come he said so shoot at the a postway he shot at the air post like looking as if he was going to cross he cheated came out and Jason scored at the air post and
Ended up winning one- nil I think so little things like that would just like way in front of his time really just um but a great great Club since so the the complete evolution of from where it was um to where it became under under Jack
Walker but who who were the players who who were there when you joined so you watched you’ve obviously come from Blackpool you’ve walked into that dressing room after meeting Kenny and signed can you remember the only ones I really remember were the young Lads so there was like um Jason
Wilcox um David May Keith ill because they was like a year older than me a school year so we used to go to Arrington college so I went from Blackpool I went from Blackburn and we we do the same courses so we we half had an idea you’d already met them at like
Only a little bit because they were they were doing like a B Tech which was a year up yeah um I think we did something we did something different because Blackpool didn’t have enough money to pay for two different courses so we all had to do the same course which
Was that’s just how it was back then but um so they weren’t really that there wasn’t really anybody in the dressing room that you would say that you would Terry gno was a goalkeeper but you look back at what he did he was a great goalkeeper but then from there the
Evolution of the club of what it became was like we used to get a new signing every week so I I went in um and I think on the on the I can’t remember it was a Thursday you had to be signed by Thursday lunchtime 12:00 or Friday lunchtime
12:00 it was Thursday and then so every Friday we’d have a new signing come in like week after week after week cuz the there weren’t transfer Windows back then it was just it was just bizarre you could sign anybody at any point so we’d have a new player every week and slowly
You could see this team building it was like unreal um but the camaraderie and everything that we had were brilliant yeah how was your sort of did you change them when you’d gone to a new team and you was a first teamer obviously no not really not really I was still really quiet
Um and I don’t know why really cuz my personality is not really that I I was I was a quiet kid I just got on with stuff I was believe it or not I was pretty good at school as well um so left with good qualifications and all that type of
Stuff um I thought you’d have like been quiet at black pool and bounced into black not at all not at all but getting people like over a period of time um like David Speedy came in Mike new came in um eventually Gordon cows came in there
Like one after another Tim sh would they were like loads just con consistently coming in week after week and did did that increase the performances on the pitch then yeah massively yeah yeah we um I went was you panicking thinking they’re going to bring you another left
Back yeah well I I literally was cuz I I was I was like the first signing and I was a nobody really yeah um and initially I didn’t break straight in I played I played MW on the Saturday after I signed and then it I can’t remember whether I played again straight
Away or whether it was a couple games more before I played again um but I was thinking they’re definitely going to bring someone in going to like someone like a big big name yeah but they didn’t for some reason I thought well must be doing all right and it was
Class because I went from I went from Blackpool on 120 quid a week and I’d signed at Blackburn for 500 quid a week with it’s still buttons in it but with like a 25 Grand signing on that was um when I moved to Blackburn literally had my da like two weeks
Earlier so we had no house we had nothing I was skin um gone to Blackburn 500 quid a week 25 Grand signing on fee so deposit on an house Mage all about three hours is in Blackburn for that even now but the um but the bonuses were brilliant 475 quid a point point
Point was it what he trip every game we played and we won Triple M wage wow and 500 quid appearance money so it was like I was I was playing in that team no matter what yeah um and we’re winning yeah and and basically that was that that the end of that
Season um we ended up I think by February with 15 or 16 points clear at the top of the table and we’re thinking getting promoted here yeah so The Bookies apparently stopped taking bets um we ended up finishing sixth no way we just scraped it in the
Playoffs on the last day of the Season we played Plymouth away and got a draw I think and we ended up finishing six and we went up through the playoffs was there no was there no arguments you know like if you conceded the last minute for
A draw and you’re like you just [ __ ] ground Mike new and Colin hry it wouldn’t have been that first season but they used to kick hes out of each other in training like to the point where it was almost like fighting every day was it so what there’s like a dislike for
Each other was it but on but when with when they play together they like they’d have each other’s back it was it was a real strange so this one particular day they like um we’re playing a game and they [ __ ] whacking hell out of each other so Ray alord goes you disappear
That way you disappear that way so you do yeah the perimeter of the training ground the meet on the far end of start having a scrap so what lad going what do we do went ah just leave him they sort it out he just had a full on scrap and yeah
Then came back came back in train who won I can’t remember I can’t remember but but that was what it was like we we even though they didn’t like each other when it came to like was talking before it’s like your family yeah if someone’s picking on your family you
Sort it out you and that was just how it was even if you dislike them yeah guys just a little reminder uh little break in the podcast to say if you enjoying the podcast subscribe to the channel subscribe to the Pod subscribe on YouTube any comments retweets all it all
Really keeps us in the job doesn’t it keeps us here mate keeps us bringing the guests in keeps in on on minging haircuts that he keeps paying for yeah it is s and hopefully I’ll quit me day job soon so keep it keep it going subscribe can you remember the Wimbledon game
Yeah brilliant so funny this was that the crazy gang or what yeah so we we’re Vinnie Jones yeah yeah so we’ve got a game um playing Wimbledon and it was the crazy gang like fash um Jones Dennis wise the the full hit so earlier couple of weeks earlier we’d
Signed Andy Morrison so Jo heard about it we spoke about it a few times a good guy good guy he’ll probably say that he’s sort of misunderstood but I I heard a story about him someone told me the other night he was something had happened and he really disliked this guy
But he couldn’t go anywhere near him so to get near him he signed for a Sunday League team that he knew the lad was playing against kicked off he just ran over and batted him it was surpris it surpris me I was like who is this guy
Crazy yeah but what he so we we’d signed Andy Morrison but nobody really knew him he’d come from Plymouth um and I think Kenny brought him in as just as a as a a backup player really um but he had jock had a great left foot he could get the
Biggest diagonal in the world it was brilliant um so anyway um fashed elbowed Kevin [ __ ] um and depressed his cheekbone obviously we didn’t know at the time but he’s like made a mess of his face so Vinnie shouted across to fash so kev’s getting treatment and Vinnie’s had
A look at him he shouts across to fash going [ __ ] hell fash he looks like he’s been in a car crash so he said uh just now you got to do the other one I think it it might have been calling by this time I’m not
Sure um so anyway Kenny says to jock get stripped off you going on so Jock’s massive and he’s like his head just go straight into his shoulders great massive and looks like rocker he so um so he strips off and he stood at the side of the pitch and fash
Goes what the [ __ ] this so Jason Willcox fash was doing Gladiators at the time know the TV program yeah so Jason Wilcox turned around and he was brilliant J he went this fash is our very own Gladiator he never went near him F Jo came on F never went near him he must
Have been fright to death of him but he was but just like Jay saying that like so quick at the time was brilliant I love F was a w tough guy though was it like like Vin and F like fash was like a black belt weren he stuff but he was always
Catching people with his elbows when he he sharpened them didn’t he yeah but mental them what w they yeah yeah they were yeah that would you say they’re they’re the toughest team they any good or were they just that players because like Vinnie Jones was a really good player as well weren’t
He yeah I think and obviously Dennis wise went went went on playing for Chelsea but but they knew all the all the like gamesmanship and the dark arts yeah the dark arts of the game and so like Dennis would follow you and pick you up pinching your armpit and you’d
Snap at him and have another goal at you what are you doing I’m only picking you up it’s like stupid little things like that but just they just very good at at breaking the game up and spoil spoilers really um with a bit of talent thrown in
There as well but um let’s talk about that season so you end up like I said you you’re 15 points clear yeah is it then you end up get getting in the playoffs and then you’re obviously in the playoffs then to get to the Premier League can you remember you remember the
The kind of run towards that did did you think you you guys must have thought you’d blown it well we did yeah yeah um I think we gained a tiny little bit of momentum right at the end of it um to sneak back into the
I think I I might be wrong in saying that but I think that was how it worked um I can’t remember who we played in the semi-finals it was just it’s forever ago is it it’s yeah um but I remember the final it was it was like blistering hot
Boiling hot um at Wembley at Wembley um and we’ we scored uh David Speedy went down and we got a penalty um Quicky money but they said they said might be your funniest ever joke on this pod but they all the Leicester players thought he died and he cheated to get the
Penalty and spoke to him afterward he said he said I didn’t he said I felt contact and just went down so um I just I just remember the the the day being absolutely blistering hot I remember is a a picture of my mind that was stick with me forever Kevin [ __ ]
All the outside of his lips were just foaming at the m just white looked like he had rabies there no water breaks in them days no you just get on with it just get on with it and uh but yeah a great day great that must have been a good feeling
That was that was the start then of the next season was the start of the Premier League it was the very first season yeah so is that when Allan sheir signed yeah so sheir came in in the summer um he’s he’s my hero what yeah on him as well
What player um what a player and he was like unbelievable what like you say what a player so that next season you’ve like you you broke for the summer yeah you’ve gone to the Premier League and already before that you were getting a new player coming in yeah yeah that must
Have been a that were a different kind of players yeah coming in then weren’t it for the Premier League well they bought they already brought some players in for the Premier League yeah um I mean one player I’ve got to talk about is Gordon cowens he came in at the back end
To get us promoted unbelievable midfielder midfielder yeah yeah yeah um I still don’t know whether he’s left footed or right footed He was that good really he was unbelievable off both feet off both feet and run I think he was like 36 37 at the
Time and he was like we’d gone a night out and he’d have a few drinks and then the next day he just like he could run backwards and still beat us all just run forever it was brilliant and but what a play and what a genuine guy yeah I see
Him down at um Aston Villa now he’s he’s really really suffering with dementia which is a shame yeah but what unbelievable player um but that was the the the cuteness of Kenny bringing players like him in that had been there done it got the massive experience just
To push us over the line um to get us into the Premier League but then like the big name started coming in like Chris Su and Sher like I think Tim Sherwood I’m not sure whether Tim came in prior to that or during the next
Couple of SE bat yeah David batti um I don’t know where he is at the minute no one could find him he just literally um what you mean well we had a reunion um a few years ago I think it was for the 25th anniversary something like that of
Winning the league and everybody turned up apart from Robbie Slater that was in Australia and David B because no one can fight him literally just disappeared disappeared but that was that was he’s always said that I’m just going to finish and you’ll never see me again
Type thing and he’s just he just that’s exactly being honest being yeah yeah so what was like that then when because obviously shirou was a was a big catch back then weren he I think he come from Southampton scored a lot of goals and then he’s come in what was the what was
The training environment like did did you feel like you had a chance what as a team yeah for the Premier League no but you just knew with with Kenny and how he worked that he wasn’t he was going to we’re going to be up there yeah um so the first season we
Finished fourth the second season we finished second and then the third season we won it so it’s like brilliant and if you think back at where United were back then they were winning everything yeah who won the first one is it Leeds Leeds won the first no no le
Won the United won the first one yeah Leeds won the last one of the normal divisions think that’s right yeah that’s bit knowledge there yeah but um but yeah so a quick story on Sher great guy not the brightest so he was sponsored by Jaguar cars right and he’s got a life
Apparently he’s got a lifelong sponsorship with the cars so he’s com in this one day s having a chat with him I went um said someone’s brought the [ __ ] line off the front of my car so straight away I’ve clocked it sponsored by Jaguar brought the
Lion so went who you sponsored by he went Jaguar went so what if they broke off the front of your K said [ __ ] Lon off the front yeah that’s pretty thing but he was but he didn’t have a clue so he sponsored by a Jaguar it’s a Jaguar he just went oh
Yeah what was it lacking training oh ruthless ruthless aggressive aggressive he just seems like that yeah he’d sort of he wouldn’t leave one on you on purpose but you could imagine playing against him in a proper game yeah like if you play for another team if was hard man he was hard man
Yeah um but unbelievable at finishing never missed the Target and and he was one of them he just almost like he just hit it as hard as he could but I wouldn’t say like like he he weren’t like an on re where he lifted ited it
Just smash went through bang he try to Pop the ball and hit it that hard but he used to say to us he said hit it that hard cuz I’m never going to hit it clean so he just it just diverts slightly so gives a Cooper a problem that that did
He did he practice that we used to do Crossing finishing after training and stuff like just out and out shooting he was unbelievable mate he never missed a Target was it he was unbelievable pretty similar to to when you train with me at Fleetwood yeah but Sharon never train with
Us yeah unbelievable talented and and obviously his go record and and everything else speaks for itself that’s how good he was he was like when you look back at that team that that won the Premier League like this black should never win the the Premier League and
Again a lot of credit goes has to go to Jack Walker and people say well you bought the league back then and everyone buys a league you got everyone buys a league they but it’s like it’s it doesn’t just happen overnight it takes a bit of time and like I say the first
Season they finished four second finished second and then I I wasn’t part of the actual end of that season I left in the march to go to Villa um as they won in the May so and I had played quite enough games to get a medal so I was
Going to say but you must have great memories about against like the the liverpools and the Man United and new castles of that era yeah great so Keegan would have been Newcastle then would he yeah yeah and then you’ve got like um well you’d have been up up against David
Janola no he played on the opposite Wing he played Wing yeah thanks who’s the who’s who your good memories against in that Premier League era then what playing well against no one play well um but but but you’ve been on you’ve been on the pitch with some unbelievable players oh yeah
Yeah so I mean first one that brings to mind is David Beckham right Umagine playing up against Becks like what was that was was that exciting for you or was it yeah you you wanted to play against the be it’s a challenge isn’t it and you want to test yourself to see where was young then as well I don’t yeah well it was funny because
Because we played when I moved to Villa uh from Blackburn and we played man united first game of that Following season that was the year when the alen Anson turned around and said they’ll not they’ll never win anything with kids oh was it that we beat them 3-1 on the on
The opening day and they played these kids in Beckham played um and you could just tell that you could tell just the feel of that group were of man united players they were going to be special was going to be special and then they went on and won
The league didn’t they that year so um the scsy play in that first game I think so yeah I think they had about five five of the class of 92 in it um just top top players you’d have been a little bit up against Gary then wouldn’t you a little
Bit yeah yeah yeah but it was so Beckham was very clever so I I just got told throughout these games when we played man united just Man Mark him so what do he just get tied just stop him getting B but he was he was so clever so obviously
Gary Neville would play quite High Beckham would play in front of him when Gary Neville had the ball it’d go stand behind him so I’m thinking well I can’t go past the ball to go and defend him no then he’d pass it to him and he’d shell
It wherever he wanted just Dr so deep just just so intelligent for and you give him he’d never run past you but you give him quarter of a yard and he’ put it wherever he wanted and they’d score from it it was like so difficult to play
Against but he never went past you so you think well it’s tough to play against but he’s not that tough cuz he never goes past us and as a fullback you think yeah he’s not gone past me they’ll deal with that yeah cuz us as a fullback you’re scared of it like electrifying
Pace aren’t you somebody running at you going past you with but he wasn’t that he wasn’t that the the other one that that probably the toughest one I played against was Chris WD was the left footed right winger so yeah he chopped back and cross it I know luckily I only played
Against him twice Chris W was so was it Chef Wednesday I was still at Blackburn and he was at Chef Wednesday I think it was a cup a two-legged Cup game um and I just couldn’t stop him checking out and Crossing yeah so so I’ve played against
Chris W where he he he was he must have been 37 38 and he was the best player on the pitch by a million miles I could believe how good he was so the the first game I couldn’t get near him so playing the second game and again I can’t get
Near him and Kenny’s pull me at half time he’s gone I’m not doing a Scottish accent because I can’t any [ __ ] chance you stopping him Crossing it CU he just check out and cross yeah so um Gaff I don’t know how I do it and he
Taught me how to defend against him in about three minutes Kenny did did and I’m thinking how good is this guy he’s not even a Defender and he taught me how to stop him and he literally put me um the almost the wrong side of the wing
Of force him on to force him outside he said he’ll never run past you cuz his legs are going and I was I was like I say I was quick yeah he never got another Crossing and it was like unbelievable was how was he just talking
Me that in like three minutes I just couldn’t work it out and he weren’t that was was it no that’s simple just the principle to defending One V one he just well I can’t go and St that it’s just wrong yeah but literally word showing
Him down that side but he said but if he gets across you then you’re done so don’t give him too much was there ever a game where you thought this lad just tore me a new on here and he weren’t even maybe a big name I never us I never
Used to enjoy playing against Ru Fox either so when he was at norch and Spurs yeah um cuz he was but he was quick though weren he yeah well he was a little sim a little bit quicker than me so low center of gravity had quick had a
Trick and he was quick so it’s was like don’t know what I’m going to you don’t know what you’re going to get until you try and work him out and I just he was like Allan Right 2.0 and he it’s like a better version but he just I couldn’t work him
Out cuz if you s went really tight knock it and run you if you if you stayed off then he he’d get a bit of pace up and go past you with a trick so it’s just like really tough really really tough I used to love Ru Fox on football manager ugly
Though W he I don’t know see on computer never got that close to it Graphics to Jo Clooney here yeah so what H how did that feel when you’ve you’ve been at Blackburn obviously playing in that amazing side and then that season where you’ve you’ve come fourth you’ve come
Really close second yeah did United win it both years I think they did they woulded them wouldn’t they yeah so they won it both years and then that third season you’ve left to go to Aston Villa how did that conversation come up cuz that must have
Been a hard one cuz you must have known that you were there and thereabouts and I know you said you weren’t playing but yeah it was a real difficult a real difficult one really because what had happened was the end of the previous
Season um I had an eara and I had to go into have my eara repaired before the end of the season so um I had the ear repair uh come back preseason and the other side went straight away so I missed all preseason so they didn’t have a left
Back so they signed l I think they got again they might have got him from Southampton or because I think he went to Chelsea after Blackburn um and to be fair to him he he got in the team and played he was did really well a real good player did very well
Um and then by then I was like trying to reab me earlier never I couldn’t get him back out the team because he broke into the England setup and um so I played a minimal amount of games throughout That season um and we actually played we played Villa away midweek um it’s like
March and I was on and it we the no transfer windows I can’t make sense of that didn’t yeah it’s just how games evolved and changed isn’t it so so we’re playing Villa away I’m sat on the bench for Blackburn and um got a story here for you as well
So I’ve obviously become really good friends with Paul mcgr we ended up driving down uh he lived in nut uh hail I think it was yeah hail um and we used to meet at nutsford and drive down there was there was like three or four of us
There was me um Paul Dean Saunders and Michael Oaks goalkeeper so anyway rewind back to this game so we’re playing this game and Paul had had a drink so sheer and Paul were like sledging each other slaughtering each other on the pitch on the pitch so I was
Going look at you embarrassing so Paul Paul’s an absolute gentleman until he wanted a drink then he a different character completely um so Paul turn around him at the end of the game uh I think I think the game finished nil nil so Paul turn around to sh at the end of
The game and he’s gone uh he said you’re not bad you he said but every time I played against you he said I’ve been pissed he said next time I play against you he said I’ll be sober he said let’s just see how good you are
So anyway that week then I’ve moved to Villa so this is Paul mcgr with Alan Shir yeah so that at the end of that week I’ve moved to Villa um so I I know the story yeah so anyway we then play Blackburn The Following season and
Paul’s true to his word he plays against Shir plays against Blackburn sober Sher scored two so at the end of the game Paul’s gone to year again again he’s gone a fair play he said but one thing I’ll guarantee he said I’ll never play against you sober
Again how is he how how is he better he was a machine he was brilliant we spoke about him before you never trained you to sit on a static bike 15 minutes a day that was it that sounds like nice sort of trading it honest but what a I never saw him get
Run I never saw him get beat in the air strongest man in the world I never saw him kick a ball with his right with his left foot yeah you you said he would really strong it like touch that like touching a wall p on his back and it’s like slapping a
Wall but the nicest man in the world the nicest man in the world you start kicking balls off his back like so touch out before we leave Blackburn I’ll touch on a couple of stories roario kman Bobby Bobby M’s car yeah so um so we’ve got an opportunity to play
Barcelona um and might new will Broken Window was yeah I’ll come on to that one in a bit um so we um so we’ve got this opportunity to play Barcelona in Al Maria they’re open in a stadium and they’ve asked was to go over so playing Barcelona romario’s playing
Kum’s playing and there might have been one or two others but it was a a smaller um a lesser team if you like but them two are playing bear in mind Romario ended up scoring a thousand goals or S didn’t he yeah so we end up going in front like
3-0 or 40 or something so Colin hry shouts over go oh roario so he turns and looks at him and he goes he went give us a game will you Mario calling eny to roario imag that game and then at one point in the game they get a free kick about 30 yards
Out and you can see kumman stepping up to take it so Jason Wilcox again he was he was one of the idiots back then um he goes oh you Ronnie so he looked it he going what he went tell me you’re not shooting from there so he now money he could smash the
Ball so is it this free kick and it’s gone about that Far Over the Bar tiny amount over the bar so uh starts running back and he’s he looks at Jason went oi so Jason looks at me went five yards further out they go in true he was dipping it was brilliant
Imagine that Ronald kin and rar playing against that unbelievable unbelievable so then on the back of that we we have a night out in Al Maria um cuz whenever what was the drinking culture like back back then oh massive was it massive yeah i’ I’ve never been a big drinker because of as
You can imagine Pine’s bigger than you I know yeah in your Pine I should be saying these just I know yeah yeah it was it was a culture so if if we had a free weekend or an international break where Lads had gone away on the international
Duty The Lads that didn’t go um would either go to U Dublin or Scotland because obviously Kenny loved his golf and yeah the lads that played golf played golf with him if you didn’t play golf you went the pub so like and you never played golf
This year no no but I couldn’t drink out there so twiddling me thumbs half the time but uh but no we we we had this night out and um Bobby Mims had a bit of a thing where he end he enjoyed running over cars so he literally boot a one roof
Bonnet next one boom boom boom so so a row of streets you’ve got a row of cars and he just set off over the top of them all like running running along them up and down on them yeah so um he ends up running across top one and breaks through it’s a
Convertible but there’s someone in it asleep no way so obviously we all Leg it thinking oh my God what we’re going to do and I think if I remember right we all had our tracksuits on because we didn’t expect to have a night out yeah so we’ve all
Got back to the hotel having a laugh and a joke know next thing all the police turn up don’t they they’ve obviously caught wind of what’s going on um so we all out to Club 2 to um Club 2 two club together to to what’s it to buy this guy
A new convertible roof for his that that is ruthless you just don’t you just don’t expect it though do you I mean can you imagine that now imagine that now I know Premier League footballers go running over cars we used to we we used
To get up to all sorts so so Jason and Tim Tim Sherwood they were the two that if there was trouble they were always involved in it and they’d like go in and trash your rooms W your rooms wet all your beds whatever yeah take the peees out the doors and fire extinguish
Through the door all that type of stuff them I remember one they used to the the old one way you put your booket on the top of door go in it water comes down on you yeah so Ma’s done dve May’s done that with Jason and he’s drowning so
Jason’s like f and he’s desperate to get him back so he’s got half a bucket of water he’s chasing ma around the hotel so Maisy goes and stands behind one of the waiters and he’s going to what are you going to do now and Jason’s just gone sorry mate right over the
Waiter well we got we did all sorts of stuff we got away with murder we got away with nerd like you just can’t do it you imagine like that’s why you get that team it’s so good so good so we we’re traveling down south somewhere and it was um a bit
Icy cold weather um freezing cold so we’re on the way down and you know the the hmer to smash the window yeah yeah so they come up with this game let’s see who cannect the window the arst without it break so next thing window’s gone so the Paul the
Driver ston he was great guy um but you used to get him doing all sorts we we’d get a we’ got like a glass like that and we put all sorts of stuff in it like we get an A try and pour stuff in it water milk everything and just said we’ll give
You 100 quid if you drink that do brilliant so anyway pulled up on the OD shoulder yeah um and what’s can he’s like run down the bus what what’s going on well just broke so anyway we said well we’re not that far away now we’ve got maybe an
Hour or so um so we’ll just crack on we’ll just crack on like we’ll sort the window back window we it wasn’t the back one it was one of the side ones on where the table is so um we’ll just crack on we’ll sort it out when we get down there
Cuz we’re not hanging around for an hour someone come and repair it so we Carri it on so ne’s come up with this idea M NE he’s facing forward on on one of these tables when the wind’s gone here and he’s gone uh what will you give me Lads if I take
My shirt off and I sit here all the way down to the hotel it’s like snowing it’s freezing so we’re gone 100 qu somewhere done he sat there all the way down freezing just sat with the window and no top the window and no top on he’s had a mention before
Cuz he was Lynwood’s manager yeah newly yeah and he said he was Lon was there a Luton with him Grimsby Grimsby was it yeah it was yeah yeah and he said the culture under him was just unbelievable like but that that comes from working with Kenny cuz it was like everybody’s
Together it and again it was it was it was brilliant like I said the camarad almost helped us win the league if that if that makes sense where did you used to go on on your Christmas dues um we used to go all over the place
But in the main like I said we we used to go to Dublin quite a lot because of Kenny and his golf right um never really never really a mad one um that I can remember but we I just remember being in dubling quite a lot
And up in Scotland and all but I can’t really remember Christmas D cuz I think it was pretty much a Christmas do every time we went out was it it was just a great time really great time and know and all all the big names were all in
Like sheir and all them all all part of it yeah yeah yeah FAS that love that yeah I love that so so you get your move to Villa yeah you’re in a car School who’s in your car school did you say it was initially it was me Paul mcgr Dean
Saunders and Michel Oaks Dean Saunders seems like a character I listen to him all the time funny telling us about him he’s got a story on anything anything and everything you speak to him and you could be on the phone for an hour and you’ve not not said one word yeah could
Just talk and talk and talk but he’s so funny so so funny but he like he was a he was a good player as well W he yeah he could finish yeah yeah but like you remember Brian small yeah Brian small like left back at Villa
When I yeah when I when I first went in um small was in and around it as well and um I remember SMY coming in and Dino had we’d gone to a game in suits and Dino had got a I think it was a purple velvet suit on so small he’s like
Typical BR [ __ ] how do now you look like you got a carpet on Soo as quick as that he went yes SM but this carpet is 500 quid a square yard he would just like so quick he was brilliant but I only spent like say I
Went in the March and in the in the may he went uh he left and went to I think he went to galatas was it oh did he is that galatas or I think it was galatas it went to Turkey didn’t it yeah yeah but a funny guy he used to tell us
Stories all sorts of stuff but he was always late always late so we’ we’d we’d be there waiting um at the windmill Junction yeah whatever is 19 is it we’d all be waiting there and din we’d be waiting for Dino and we’re like come on Dino we’re going to be late and we’d
Always get there a minute to spare it’s a fair old journey is it miles away yeah yeah so what was that what was that like going down with with Maka then CU that he was in his height of his kind of drink like I said Dino Dino left in the
Summer so only a short period of time with him um Maka was like I say a a great guy really gently spoken mild mannered um but if he wanted a drink he it’d be a different character completely not not nasty or anything but just he wanted a drink and he could go months
And months and months without touching it and then you just know that he was he was due type thing for a bit of a blowout so um unless he was driving he’d always sit in the back and and he wouldn’t really say an awful lot he just
Pretty quiet maybe have a nap or whatever so um when he wanted a drink he’d tell you he whated a drink so bearing in mind ma is like 31 32 I’m 24 Oaks is 22 something like that 21 22 so Dino’s gone so there’s like two
Young Lads that are just making our way in the game really and you’ve got this legend in the back saying we’re stopping and we’re going now come on Ma we’re not stopping lads we stopping if if if if you if we get going we’re stopping or I’m just going to pull the handbreak
On like doing like 75 miles hour on the motorway and he he probably would have done would he I don’t think he would have done but the threat was bad so um and that was that was the type of thing that he’d do so we we’d go in we
We’ train he wouldn’t do anything they’ sit on his static backe and then if he was due to have a blowout have a bit of a blowout then on the way back out um Lads we we need to stop so um there was a convenience store um so we stopped at
This this shop and um he bought a liter bottle of vodka but for the way on and we we we knew that um from Junction 12 on the m6 to nutsford is about 30 minutes 25 30 minutes so we’re going down the slip Road on Junction 12 and we heard this
Bottle crack um and me and O just sort of look each other I think here we go not that he was going to do anything bad it just there we go so anyway we got never saw him take a drink never heard him take a drink and we’re literally
Pulling into nsford services and have to turn around and there’s about that much left in the B of Hiser tiny little bit and he’s trying to put a lid on it but there’s no lid in his hand so I was gone Ma what are you doing he went he said
Well I need to I need to hide this he said because if Caroline sees that she’ll think I’ve had a drink he was leathered he was leathered so I’m thinking so I said ma I said how you going to get home now so she went
I’ll drive I’ll be all right so went no chance so anyway I’ve then got to Tech him to his house to his M who’s got a new baby that’s like six months old gorgeous day he lives in a nice house gated front and everything so I’m
Thinking what am I going to say to Caroline now he’s just so I’ve literally pulled up outside the house I can see Caroline on the driveway with a baby in this Walker and I’m thinking I can’t say anything to us I just literally kicked him out the car
SP up Dr just rolled him out but yeah he’s um you don’t need to deal with that but he he just gets nervous when it comes to um meeting people he was really insecure about meeting people but I’ve got to say the nicest guy in the world an Absolut
And a legend of a footballer everyone you speak to says the same kind of thing that yeah is the best player I’ve played with really and and I’ve been fortunate enough to play with some some good players but he’s like he’s he’s up there it must have
Been natural as well cuz he didn’t train he didn’t do nothing he was unbelievable yeah but then you look at him and think like imagine if he didn’t drink and he didn’t and and and he could train gone months he’d gone months and not not
Touched a drop of it and there were no difference in his in his playing ability if he was he was on or off no nothing from real he was so strong I I remember that got stop I remember I remember that’s how I compare when when I first
Went to Villa I’d never even looked at the table and and back then it was teletex or seax and the table was split in two and I think there was 24 in the league at that point so it’s come up on sea when I’ve been when I know that I’m going and the
Top half of the table comes up and Viller 11th so I think oh brilliant never looked at the bottom half not knowing that the the bottom half was like so tight so anyway I’ve made M debut on the Saturday against West Ham We’ve Ended up 18th or something like
That 19th think it’s that close I’m thinking [ __ ] we’re in we’re in relegation scrap here so we ended up again going to went to the last day of the Season we played Norwich away and got a result to keep us up I think Stan ston scored a goal from about one of
Them bendy ones out faded one left foot that he had um but it was just like a like ridiculous did you ever look back on seax for blackburns results you know when you it’s it’s won again how did that feel when like when they won the league you
Mean yeah did that Bob yeah when you when they won the Premier League couple of months later after no it’s I never to be honest I never really felt part of it right um I think he only played about took physically took part in about
Three or four games right um I was on the bench for a few but never never got on um so I never although I was part of it I never really felt as if I was a real part of it that makes sense how’ you enjoy your Villa time Villa was
Great um you there for a long time weren’t you yeah nine just over nine years I think it was um a massive massive Club um how many games there 260 260 games in the league games yeah I think I think it was about 320 and toal including Cup games and stuff I’ve been
Down to Villa Park a few times um and i’ I’ve sent you pictures so he’s still he’s still pictures of him up around the stadium and stuff like that so full size ones full size only he’s the only one with a fullsize passport picture but yes you’re a legend there weren’t you
For yeah I sort of it’s weird cuz people say what was the best club you played for and I’ve enjoyed all of them I’ve to say um but first and foremost I look at I look at Villa because I spent so long there then I look at Blackpool because
That’s where I started and then the next one’s blackp and then obviously the others that that I played for as well but um you scored some good goals as well didn’t you yeah not you showed me quite a lot of times every time we meet lastek every time we meet up for
Breakfast at this S I told you about this one yeah you show yeah right you show me last week I didn’t I didn’t score many but when I scored them they tended to be quite good yeah yeah the world is what what’s your best goal that one you showed me the half is
It the half which one was it no I scored two really good ones one was at Middlesboro on New Year’s Day and I got the kit I earned the kit man about 600 Quid off that one did yeah yeah he had um it was 33 to one he said and he
Put 20 quid on it so beautiful Jim Paul on need to score first need to score first yeah but I got but I’ve gone close um a few times earlier you know like with longdistance shots yeah so he must have just thought one’s going to go in
Sooner or later so um so anyway did postmatch interview and I mentioned it that that he’d won oh no i’ gone in the dress room after he went [ __ ] hell soon what what did you say that for Ian M’s going to kill me now not that he’d get D cuz like you
Didn’t get done for it back then the fact that his Miss is going to take some of his money he was just going to keep that bit he was brilliant so jul rest his soul he’s uh he’s not with us anymore but he was like 5’2 and 17 Stone Jesus like prop from
Wolver so so funny mate so he used to get everything wrong absolutely everything wrong so we had to um if we got a game New Year’s Day we’d all have to stay in hotel whe whether it was home game or away game just so that nobody uh
Could get tempted to have a drink so um he was always nervous of meeting Doug Ellis always nervous so all the night leading up to Doug arriving um he kept saying I’ve got to say I’ve got to say Happy New Year to the chairman I’ve got to say Happy New Year to the
Chairman Excuse Me So eventually the chairman comes Jim gets up and runs over to him says happy birthday Mr just so nervous just gone it was so funny it was so funny but I remember one time we actually we all cled together cuz he lived in a um
CS um so all the players CL together when he retired we bought his house for him did yeah yeah we allun junk together on B house for that’s close I got how good that yeah so but it was brilliant it was brilliant so I don’t mind that
Job kit man you’d be good as a kit man I’ve never done my own washing all so I’ve never applied for any jobs you have to be really organized though yeah I know that’s not me and you obviously you know you’ll go there and if your Kit’s
The same color as their kit you got to make sure you’re taking the awake and all that kind of Stuff I can see calls of kits like I’ll be all right doing that no but I’ve met you look like you you you’d get it wrong wouldn’t mind it so so just going back to Jim so Jim 17 Stone so we have um Andy towns end Steve ston I think Dino
Might still been there at this time right it might be the end of this first season um so some top players yeah and Andy towns was a character as well so he he gets Jim Paul in the dressing room so he’s gone Jim how heavy are you so he’s
Gone 17 Stone so he’s gone right if you get down to 15 Stone we’ll all give you 100 quid each okay I like that but if you get up to 20 stone we’ll give you 200 qu no didn’t so that was that was his dilemma so anyway he died of heart attack
He did he didn’t try and do any of the things but he ended up having heart attacking but it was so funny did he get all of 200 qu no but yeah great guy a great guy and obviously missed massively that’s brilliant so who were the big who were
The big names who came in then you had was that you had uh mosovich SAA what a player he was yeah yeah great player he brilliant for Villa very good yeah um we had to play with two balls at that point though all just keep he had his own did
They yeah but a great player was that when he came in um again pretty quiet really um obviously coming into a foreign country found it difficult where did he come from um I can’t remember whether it was parties on Belgrade or red star can’t remember it was Belgrade anyway one of
The Belgrade yeah yeah yeah we um part of the deal was that we’ um we’d go over there and play a game um whatever G money they received at the game they would keep as part of the deal so um see how te you up there I know
Professional on to it yeah yeah very good mindset so um we get to Belgrade and there’s about a foot and a half of snow so the game’s off can’t can’t play the game so Brian says you can have a drink glass but don’t go stupid so we used to have a big card
School so there’s like Mart Draper Gary Charles big Yugo um Yugo player yeah unit yeah not with us anymore blessing no no yeah um Tommy Johnson would play every now and then Yi Maka so it’s like five or six so he um dght yor you forget y was a
Great player great great player so I remember talking to Yim whenever I lifted me up I could it was always there always had an option of hitting him one whether it was short long running behind whatever it was and I pulled him one down I went whenever lift me you’re
Always there so he went yeah I know so I went how how do you do it so he went when I first came over greme Taylor said to me he said wherever the ball is on the pitch make sure you’re available he said so I do so easy to play with was it
He was brilliant and ridiculous amount of skill ridiculous so any new signing that come in you know the the the bins that stand about this big yeah well about this big to me yeah stand about this big square ones itd standing in a bin in the dressing room and got
Whoever’s just come in he did it with me so come in he went uh 100 quid I do 50 Ed without falling out the bin and I go yeah definitely I mean never seen him not do it really what you stand there every time never seen him
Not do it new every new player that come in he’s done it never fell out it once you st in a wheelie bin doing ERS a bin that wide the small the small Bin’s not been oh the little small square ones about that big and about that
Tall and what a player he was though yeah when they got when he went to United and played with Co York yeah what a combination um but yeah so anyway the The Lads have this card School in in Belgrade U they’ve all had a good few
Drinks and I think Brian G was a curfew manager um which was broken probably um so everyone’s gone back to their own rooms then Paul decides early morning that he’s going back because he wants a few more drinks so he finishes up the drinks that are left so then
We’re flying home because we can’t play the game and Paul’s decided that he’s carrying on so he’s he’s having a a few like treble vodka and oranges in the airport so bosy um we used to call bosy the freak cuz he was he was literally a freak wasn’t it
Yeah yeah a good guy but had his moments let’s say so anyway he had one of his moments in the airport whether I think he must have lost cards that night cuz he played as well um so they’re in the airport and Paul’s drinking um and bosy
Decides that he’s going to have a have his say with him he’s going you know M look at you you’re embarrassing so he’s gone what sort of example you’re making to all these kids e so you drink miles too much so Paul is just sort of laid
Back and he sort of turned around to him and he’s gone you know what Mark you’re right you know what I’m gonna do he said I’m just going to make my next one a [Laughter] double Jesus the answer that though well you can’t can you and to be fair I think
B was trying to look after him a little bit his best interest in art but I think when Paul was in that sort of state of mind he was going to do what he was going to do and nobody could stop him really I think i’ get with
MAA yeah but again like I said I can’t I can’t tell you how highy I think of the guy is is un believable as a as a person and as a player well so you spent a lot of time at Villa what was your what was your biggest achievement while you was there
Do you think n years nine years is an achievement on its own yeah it’s a long time isn’t it it’s um I think the the best achievement is probably winning The League Cup in 96 we beat leads three 3-0 yeah and it’s almost as if we we sort of walk through
The game we w a caner really um yeah it felt that way we just had a we just knew that on that day we we sort of the way we started the game it was never any doubt we was we was always going to win the game um did you spend
The whole nine years at Villa in the Prem yeah was all full yeah some going that in it yeah and back then as well you don’t you don’t realize when you’re when you’re you’re playing for such a big Club you cuz you’re in it you just
Do it yeah um but we we were like probably top six at like or n seven eight years out of the out of the nine really um and what were it like when you came up against like because we mentioned Beckham yeah Cina yeah Gerard yeah Zola Zola Fowler it’s it’s funny
Because did you did you realize at that time that you just turn up and do just turn up yeah just normal players but you you must look back and go wow but that’s what I just getting to you only it’s only when you do look back so I’m 52 now
I finished playing when I was get lost I know I don’t you’re old than that it was funny last week when we met he’s gone to the B can I get a bacon buty and two coffees where he sat over there with me [Laughter] Dad Dad he was like o shut
Up um yeah it’s only when you look back really that you you sort of you have that pride of what you’ve actually achieved um and and it’s it’s it sounds dff this but at home we’ve got a garage and it was just full of crap so I thought I’m
Going to actually strip it all out yeah and I’m going to put loads of stuff cuz my mom like I said my mom kept loads of stuff from when I was a kid growing up we got like a pile of stuff this big uh like tickets from a play Captain England
School boys like Wembley tickets and yeah tickets from the games that we played and all that type of stuff um just Lo up all these letters from Man City and getting selected for England school boys all all the letters and like memorability so I’ve got so I stripped
It all out and I’ve paneled it all out and I’ve got all on one wall I’ve got um all L me school boy stuff like England school by caps and all that type of stuff and on this other wall I’ve just filled it with all action shots of me
Playing in like throw my career um of players of like top players actually like top players and there was one against um what’s he I remember his name George wer all right yeah um and I didn’t even I couldn’t even remember playing against him so I had them all on
My phone and what one of lads that I worked with he’s he’s looking through and he went oh my God I didn’t know he played against him so I went who is it he went George why you all Balon door went never couldn’t even remember playing against him he’s crazy is it but
Like some of the top players like physically on the same pitch like rudol it was unbelievable was it oh but Zola unbelievable um VI like unbelievable players what made them so good like because you like we didn’t see the best of rude hul you come to Chelsea yeah
When it when you played against Chelsea yeah top but like but he weren’t even at his Peak then he would come to the end must have been 30 must have been 30 odd 34 must have been really good then at his Peak yeah that’s what I mean imag it’s
Almost I sort of watch Phil Fen now and the game almost goes in slow motion when he when he he has the ball yeah it was like that with them players that I’ve just mentioned the sort of get himself in a position and they just make the
Game look so slow and so easy and it’s just I remember I remember being up against um rude at one point and he’s a man mounting and he’s huge say he’s massive is he yeah so you can imagine that and he puts himself between the
Ball and me and I’m thinking I might as well just walk off leave do what you want I thought that’s what they were capable of it was just like unbelievable who was it who was the greatest player you was on a pitch with in your opinion who you thought like I asked
This question all the time you you just thought wow you must like Gerard and people like was top yeah yeah I’ve got honestly I’ve got this wall and there’s about I reckon there’s about 60 pictures on it of all like top players that have played against and with and stuff like and do
You have a stand out I remember playing against am I on there um I think you’re in the bottom of the bag still I remember playing we’d gone to America uh preseason we played um was like a four team tournament there was ourselves ax I think it was olympos and fantina it
Was sponsored by rebok because vill was sponsored by rebok at the time so we played Ajax in the first game so it like literally semi-finals in a final so we played Ajax gone through um and fentin had played um Olympiacos and gone through so we were playing them in the final
Unbelievable Gabriel batist I was going to say BST he’s the only one real I can remember for him wow ruy Costa deliv [Laughter] deliver um he took a penalty got and he used to have injections because he was sponsored by rebot U one of the big
Hitters yeah um and he used to have injections in his knee before every game B sta because his knees were sharp right he played this game was like ridiculous is that good rid honestly unbelievable so he took he took a penalty they got a penalty and he took it I’ve never seen
Anybody strike a penalty like it so you know like the the angles of the go stanch yeah you couldn’t have got a Slither of paper that way or a Slither that way and he didn’t just place it he laced it did I it was honestly it was
Unbelievable and I’m thinking how has he got that so accurate and so hard yeah but it just like you could have had three Keepers in goal and you would have saved it and his all round General play was just yeah the beat was 5- nil did they
5 nil beat us yeah and so but then we’re I think we’re then going into a a season um and I think we ended up going 13 games unbeaten they must have been decent CU he never come to the Premier League like the no he went to Rum to
China you went somewhere where the money was being thrown about I think yeah it might be yeah cuz I remember it going to come to man united yeah at one stage when they were Flying high in the Prem I’d love to have SE him in the Prem is a
Top player he’s brilliant but yeah it’s look fortunately or unfortunately I’ve not got a picture of him playing against him but um oh yeah play against some top top players yeah canona like he must be a yeah just ridiculous players did you ever you ever speak to Sir
Alex no not really no no um but when I was when I left Villa in the end I um I I caught win that Liverpool wanted to sign me about four five years into Villa right um and did did you ever did you think about it you didn’t know about it
I never knew about it um and it was weird it was weird because you know when you when you’re playing against a team and obviously playing close to the sideline most of the time you wear certain managers or certain coaches and they giving you stick all the time you think [ __ ]
Shut up will you yeah and Phil Thompson was giving me load of stick but as I heard later on it was him that wanted to sign me more than the manager right and it’s like why would you be like that you know who’s the manager huler uh you know
I can’t remember trying to think you Thompson played who he who he was under might have been was it Evans don’t know but yeah just just a bit bizarre really right um but when when I when I left Villa I struggled to I was struggling for a team was you yeah um
How did you end up you went to Chef United didn’t you after that then no I went to Middlesboro uh from from Villa I went to Middlesboro but I was I’d not got a club right through right the way through until like July how does that happen how do you
Leave how do you leave Villa nine years in the the Premier League and you can’t get a team I don’t know it’s a mad game weird is it really weird um so I don’t really know but what what happened was um Steve Harrison Steve Harrison wow that’s just brought back some memories
The funniest man I’ve ever met oh really the funniest man I have ever met um like a wiry guy played left back actually at Blackpool years and years ago he lives um that way now still um the funniest man I’ve ever met so if we signed
Anybody new and he did it with me if it had been raining if the weather was right he’d find a worm sounds bizarre this and just before we gone out to start the warm up we just literally ran around in pairs didn’t we as party warm up back then so it get
This worm clean it off and stick it in his mouth and then the new signing he’d start running at the side of him and he just dangled this worm out so you can imagine whatever what the [ __ ] are you doing just a worm hanging
Out of his mouth it was funny he was so funny s must have thought this weirdo guy doing he he was brilliant I remember he um we were traveling abroad in Europe somewhere and he he went here watch this so we just had they come around with the
Food and he’s got a a trifle so he’s thrown the trifle inside the sick bag right and he’s got so he’s he’s lent into the A and pretended to be sick in this sick bag so the a um stward has ran over are you all right so you you need
Some water and he went and he looked in the bag and he went oh I can’t remember eating that oh but it don’t have to the woman oh my God but he was brilliant he could fall downstairs and not hurt himself so if if there
Was at the bottom of the stairs he just fall downstairs and need bit at the bottom and winking TOS it was brilliant he was brilliant we we had um where Village training ground is there’s um it’s right near the belfrey hotel where the belfrey golf is but we used to
Go running around a place called Kingsbury water park and it’s a just off the m42 so it’s literally from the training ground you go 2minute drive to the big roundabout on the motorway and then Kings water pars 2 minutes around that but this roundabout is massive so
There’s like four or five sets of traffic lights on it soever we was going to the water park we’d all jump on the club minibus and he’d drive it so ga the around about and just stop at a set of Lights lift the Bonnet up get out get out the minibus lift the
Bonnet up and it was like 9:00 in the morning half n in morning cuz we used to start early there’d been miles of traffic behind us why you just do it on purpose on purpose all the arms beeping and it’s like step out of the car and go
What you me you do it’s broke down and all but we been there like 10 minutes so you could imagine all the miles of traffic he’s just doing it for a laugh and then he just get back in set honestly was so so funny fixed it I
Fixed it so funny it brilliant but he used to do all sorts of stuff just just to get a laugh out the lads he was brilliant so anyway he’d moved to um middlesbor as coach under Steve McLaren so I rang him and I just said look I
Said I’m struggling for a club can I come and do preseason with you and he went well let me speak to the gaffa but I can’t see it being a problem he said I can’t can’t offer you anything I said but let’s um let’s see how it goes so I
Was literally driving up to um to Middlesboro and I was with Paul stretford at the time was an agent and he ranged me and he said uh turn around and go home he said I’ve arranged you’re going to fly out to Frankfurt tomorrow and you’re going to meet up with Rangers
GLG go rangers uh do preseason with them over there it’s like you’re there for a week in that time I’ll negotiate the contract come back and sign a two-year deal job done brilliant so turn around drive home it’s the longest journey I’ve ever took to get to Germany so we flew to
Frankfurt and then I had to get a taxi for about two and a half hours to wherever they were um to meet Rangers to meet Rangers so literally got there at night had a bite to eat woke up the next morning um we’ve walked to the training
Pitch it was a running session and I’d kept myself fit so I was like top five or six within the group no football whatsoever and we’re walking back to the hotel and Alex mcash pulled me and he went I’ve changed my mind I don’t want you so I started laughing I went yeah
Good and he went no I’m being serious I don’t want you you’re not going to be big enough for us so I’ve just done 13 years in the Prem so he’s gone yeah he said you’re not going to be big enough for us change my mind so then I had to
Go back home and try and resurrect the middleb thing which I did that’s M yeah crazy it crazy that’s got to annoy you that’s got to annoy you cuz that’s you was having that when you were 9 10 year old you prove yourself England school boys 13 years in a
Premiership and then go to Rangers up in Scotland you can imagine what I said to him oh you it’s just easy it like I said yeah but it it was so tough to swallow thinking I’ve just done all that and you’re coming up with that as an excuse
It’s like what are you talking about that’s what I mean like you’ve just proved that that size has got nothing to do with it and then 13 years in a Prem and someone still yeah has that at least at least be honest or like yeah you rather people just be honest with you
And just say I’ve looked at you physically now I don’t think you’re going to C because it’s a lot more physical here whatever or yeah anything someone just told me about another left back that’s that’s available could that could have been yeah yeah he’s weird um five over five
Foot so then like I said I had to go back and resid because you weren’t there long way only couple games no I um I think I played four games in total something like that um and then I did me amring quite bad in the in the in the
Game but I’d not started well I was I was pretty poor but the good thing was in that in the one of the preseason games towards the end of preseason we played Chef United and I played quite well in that game yeah um and that’s where you moved to
Isn’t it I moved to well I went on laan in the November yeah and then by that time the transfer Windows was improperly so I signed for them in the in the January who’s the manager waro waro warock character funny guy funny guy he’s youve probably heard some of the
Stories that that were about the time I remember one time he’s asked us you should got go for G temping bowling Lads have you heard it no all right then you said everyone stick a stick a tenor in and uh I have Winner Takes all so we yeah got good
Afternoon out so we we turn up at the bowling alley he turns up with his own shoes and his own ball no he didn’t I think he had 262 and wiped the floor with everybody was he that good he was brilliant was it he was he was funny he
Was some of the stuff he came up with was Kingpin honestly so so funny he was so funny some of the stuff that he used to do but he wouldn’t let you have the barriers up either I I remember one of my first games one of the first games I
Played my big to nail was falling off and if it’s not if you don’t secure it with tape properly then it digs in and hurts don’t it yeah so half time ago in the dressing room and he’s saying his bit and I said have you done GA and he’s
Gone yeah so I said I’m just going to go in there and uh I need fysal TR look at me toenail so he went I’ll come in and take it off in a minute thinking you [ __ ] won’t so I’ve heard a few things that is a bit you can like say weird
Things and stuff like that didn’t really know him so I’ve gone in the physial room and he’s walked in more or less right behind me and I went what are you doing he went I’m going to take your toenail off so I went you’re [ __ ] not
So he went I I’m I’m a qualified what what is it pediatrician pediatrician no that’s a what’s a pediatrician what is it I can’t remember what it’s called um it is or ped work with kids and yeah he said I’m I’m a qualified podiatrist and sure
Enough he was he took me to and he was as well that but I’m thinking you can’t do that just so casually yeah I’ll come and come take it off in a minute for you but he he was he had his ways and they
Were so funny he was he was so good man manager though weren’t he I think he sort of got the best out of players by guaranteeing time off that’s my management so so won you over no is it um but what he used to do
He used to say Lads if we uh if we win on Saturday we’ve got all midweek game we’ll see you Thursday like all right so obviously you you’d win you get like three three four days off uh he’d Disappear Completely he’d go up to a log cabinet where
Somewhere in Scotland that he owned yeah um and then you’d see him we’d go in a train hard Thursday he’d come in Friday for 10 minutes and would play Saturday again that was just what he was like I about so’s he’s even more F if you lose
As well is he yeah got stay down yeah yeah but it was he had his way I I did my um I did my ACL MCL I was together at the same time yeah and Um it was it was a strange time because I was thinking of retiring pretty much at the end of that year um but that I started uh going through a divorce and I think at the time I was in between insurance companies I wasn’t insured
Um so I sort of frightened a little bit regarding finances so I thought right I’m going to have to get fit and and battle it out and it was to be fair it was the best thing that I ever did not retiring because through like the
Rehab uh I realized just how much I was going to miss playing um you was only 32 31 32 yeah yeah he only young still weren’t you youer than now yeah yeah a lot longer but I got I got like another seven years out me which yeah um which
Was brilliant because I would have missed out on that and yeah you want to met me as well should retired retired um but I remember walking in the walking into the training ground literally just had the operation and um the the as you walked in the door
Here there was a corridor that ran across the end and he was walking across the corridor and I was sort of literally hbling in cuz my leg was hanging off even though i’ had the surgery and he just looked down the car and he went [ __ ] hell right he said you’re
No good to me now are you I’m just Gaff I said did actually do this working for you she yeah he said but you’re not good to me he said go on [ __ ] off did that was it and then I never he never spoke to me for for months because
I was no good to him um but that that was just how he was he just uh but he was brilliant so one of one of the stories um we signed um Paul Eiffel from um milal and tower Tower of a guy massive yeah I like it I like it thanks so
Anyway he’s um we’re playing this game on the Saturday and he’s named the team on the Friday so on a Friday we’ do nothing we we’ do like a a box and we couldn’t finish the Box until he came out so stent mall or Dave Kelly
Would take the box and then when the gaffa came out then we’d go on to something else we would literally do a box and and a game couple of set pieces so um we’re doing this we’ve done this box we’ve come out and he’s um come on
Let’s let’s have a game so we play a game for like three minutes two minutes three minutes I’ve seen enough go on now let’s have a let’s let’s do some set pieces uh Tonga going and take a corner take one corner that’ll do let’s get in
That’s what he was like so anyway we’ve Nam the he’s Nam the team on the Friday so uh we all come in Saturday and he pulls I pel and he gone uh changed my mind about starting he said I’m going to put you on a bench so he’s gone
Why about well Sharon M Misses had a dream that you had a stinker so I’m going to leave you out he left him out he left him out because of that but he was being genuine why is Sharon dreaming about Eiffel do you know what I mean hey
Honestly some of the stuff that he CAU with how do you how do you deal with that as a player imagine you miss say it I had a dream I thought was sh you’re I’m not going to play him but that’s what he was like he was he was
Just like so off the cuff with stuff but just but you look at his record he’s BR say he’s had a great career he yeah great career I think he only works now from February to May then just bombs it off who’s the who’s the greatest manager that you’ve worked under D
Um they’ve been good in different ways to be fair so I look I look at Sam Ellis and like the the sort of discipline and I had to grow up really quick yeah and he was almost almost like a father figure if you like but like tough give you real
Tough love um so when things were good he he he wouldn’t praise you too much but you knew when he was having you yeah but if you did something wrong he’d jump all over you and let you know about it so so so he he was right up there um not
Really like a a tactician or anything like that just Old School win it kick it pass it to your own teammate and when you get bored stick it between the white things yeah as easy as that yeah um Kenny was classed just like I said before with the tiny bits of detail um
To help you and and win games um and then Brian Brian little was top Billy eyes was really good at black pool as well um where’ you have Brian Little Villa Brian oh yeah Bri came into V yeah yeah so I remember um when I was about
18 at Blackpool I I sort of tore my medial ligament which later on when I was 31 led to me snapping it breaking it um so anyway at Blackpool if they could get away with not treating you like with surgery they would do so because of cost
Because of cost yeah so uh so we’re going to play I think we’re playing Darlington away and I was due to going this it was a midweek game so I was due to go in for to have a camera put him INE on the Wednesday as the game was the
Tuesday the night before yeah so my Min KNE was loose but it felt strong if you like um so they said we play the game cuz you’re going in if if you cause any damage you’re going in tomorrow so we’ll repair it all no well that’s what they would like
So I thought like young kid 17 18 all right then go on I’ll play that makes sense so so what I didn’t know was that Brian had sent one of his coaches who Brian was manager um I can’t remember I can’t remember who was playing but Brian
Was managing Darlington I think and he’d sent one of his coaches to watch Trevor Sinclair right who me and Trevor grew up together Trevor’s a year younger so I play the game get through the game no problem never end up having surgery never end up even going for the camera
Inside Man nothing right so I just built my squads up got through to like 31 before it eventually snapped um so anyway um Tony mandrew goes back to Brian and goes um not not too clean keen on this Trevor Sinclair but they got a little left back
Who was top you need to go and have a watch so anyway whenever Brian comes and watches me play um goes then back to um Tony and goes um don’t you ever send me to watch somebody that small again so fast forward I’m going from Blackburn Silla yeah Brian’s signing me now
So as I’m as I’m in the office with Brian and was it Brian who signed you yeah Brian he that’s so so then as I’m in the office with Brian ton mcandrew bursts in yeah remember you told me never to [ __ ] send you to watch somebody that SM you just paid a million
Quid for it one did he not even know remember he could remember could even remember but Tony mcandrew could because he he’s obviously yeah yeah um he got Bing for it that’s his job as well he just paid a million quid for him Bel yes so after you’ve after you’ve
Had your ACL yeah you’ve you’ve not t retirement um where you so you’ve gone to chelham chelham is that with Martin Allen no Keith Downing initially right um Keith I don’t know what he’s doing now but he was working with the England setup with um last year or the year
Before I’m not sure whether he’s still in the game or what he’s doing to be honest but um Keith was a great guy um I ended up it was through Paul peso that I ended up going down there um because we was at chef of United together and I
Couldn’t get a club again and Brian uh um what’s his name Brian Robson oh yeah Brian so Brian Robson name I thought G be some random person so Brian Robson was manager at uh nil had gone and uh Brian robs had gone as manager at Chef United right
So I’ve never really left anywhere on bad terms so I just asked him can I come in and do preseason with you so he said yeah no problem so anyway while I was in preseason I was literally going to give it to the Frid this was like Monday I was going to
Give it to the Friday cuz we’re getting way like right into preseason started like games had started pretty much and I was going to give it that week and if I had got a club I was going to call it a day so anyway right at the start of the
Week uh pesh um pulled me and just said f going playing at chelham so I went well yeah I’ve not got anything else might as well so he ended up going down there playing um i s like a a trial form which for like six weeks I think um and within
That 6 weeks I played and and sort of stood out and uh I ended up staying there for three years but yeah so Keith was Keith was really good we we he was one of them Keith he always sort of overthought things and he sort
Of confided in me a little bit cuz I was I think I was probably 30 34 35 at this point maybe older than that yeah um and I remember we we was fighting to stay in the league Le one and I think we had crew to play away
And Don Castro were chasing automatic promotion at home last game so we was we needed I think we needed Four Points to guarantee safety so obviously donc cast flying yeah um so we’re away at crew and um we end up we’re one down and we ended up
Leveling at one each and Keith’s gone we’re going for it so we ended up going for it and we we never we never got we got a draw basically so um we’ve then got a go beat Doncaster at home they’re chasing automatic so they’re flying we’re trying to fight for our lives like
So uh he pulls me Keith and he went what do you think and I went it’s going to be difficult I said but we can’t do anything we know we’re going to play we know what we’ve got it’s just what happens on the day we
Ended up beating him on the last day of the Season it was like party time yeah and then Donnie ended up going through the playoffs they got up um so we both won really in that respect but uh but then Martin came and he was a character
Wow yeah met him a couple of times that Martin Allen Martin Allen funny funny man I used to bring his dog in to train I can’t remember the dog’s name it was like a black lab and he used to have a bath with it every
Friday he yeah no he used to get in the bath run a bath and he used to get in the bath with his dog it weird but you know when you’re doing like um a pressing session yeah it’d stop it and you go what the [ __ ] that
Give me a ball and the dog was like [ __ ] all around the training ground give me a ball and he just get a ball and whack it as far as he can and the dog would go after it and start wrestling with his PO went that’s how you [ __ ]
Press demo from the dog come do all sorts of stupid stuff so I remember uh Damien Spencer um I think it was one of his first games in charge we’ met it was his first game in charge and we were playing I think it was mil wall away
So we we he’s meeting us at a service station down south or south from chelton and um so he’s got on the bus and we’re literally driving around to exit the services and he there’s like um the petrol station bit so he turns tell driver stop here please he said right he
Said get yourself in pairs he said and um rock paper scissors whoever loses has to buy your mate an ice cream so we’re going a shot all buying buying each other ice cream so as we’re all coming back out he said just wait there just wait there said I’ve heard
It’s Damian’s birthday so we’re all going to sing Happy Birthday to him in the for court where it’s packed so going happy birthday anyway whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa it’s his [ __ ] birthday Lads sing so we’re all singing now at the top of everybody’s looking at us the car
Garage it was Bonkers so another time we’ve gone that’s weird we’re playing ordot away this is prizeless there playing erford away and we’ve stopped off for a pre-match so it was a smoker so he’s he’s stayed outside we’ve had a pre-match and then we’ve all gone back
Outside to watch him and he went he look at these lot here he said there a golf course um he said the teing off here he said the green down there it’s like a par three he said pressure this R he said they’re only the [ __ ] play for an
Umbrella so anyway we’re all watching him and then we all get on the bus go to the ground and we’re doing the warm-up and it’s like 10 minutes before the game so we’ve gone out early he said right uh he gets us all around the center circle or
One half of the center circle and he goes right go and take your t-shot what do you mean she went talking about pressure then then before playing for umbrella you got to play in front of like four or 5,000 people now take t- shot so I can’t
Remember who it was got one last go up to the center spot yeah so he’s gone up to the center spot pretend it’s w put your tea in and put the ball on it you had to fully reenact it invisible ball and then you have to swing and then all
The crowd are going way met us all do itd it was proper weird proper proper weird but yeah it was it was it was for what for what just to get over your nerves or what yeah he he just did some some weird things what were the lad saying there was [ __ ]
Mental did you win the game no I was I was at fault I was we got I think we got beat 3-1 and I was at fault for two of them yeah I think there was a mixup between me and the keeper um Shane igy was called and but
It was my fault it wasn’t his fault yeah um so anyway after the game we’re driving back and he pulls up in a in a garage and he goes um right everybody off and he dragged us all on one by one asking us what we
Thought of the game so I was I was pretty much last and I’m thinking he’s going to [ __ ] tear a strip off me you so he’s gone uh so everyone’s when you had your bit with him you get back off the bus next one go on like freezing so
He’s gone uh I’ve gone on and sat opposite him he’s gone what do you think I went the goals were my fault really too the goals you went nah he said they weren’t there is [ __ ] fault he going my fault kill goalkeeper absolutely destroyed the keeper did I
But 100% my fault but he he just n he said you’re all right s he’s going you got him the sack I got him the sack basically absolutely killed it killed it but he used to do all sorts of stuff so I remember one time he uh you know when
You need a pee outside when you’re training yeah you go up to like somewhere quiet and you have a pee don’t you out the way so he gets all in a group and he goes what’s the fine if you have a piss outside a fi or whatever it was she went
What about if you have a [ __ ] what you got have a [ __ ] outside so went all right here’s one what happens if you have a piss but you don’t take your your knob out and as he’s saying it the big patch is appearing on his pants training P himself just
He was mental he absolutely mental he needs walking up or some at him he’s not right so the training ground at chelam was um it sort of it was a big area but it it was an old Tennis Club but there was a big grass area and it fell away
And there was like a puddle that was about 30 yards in like diameter massive puddle down the far end so we’re having a game he went right guys whoever loses you have to dive in the water dive in the puddle so the game finishes and one
Team’s lost went go on and dive in I’m g n not doing that no chance freezing so he’s gone dive in she went like this di into this foot full length like Bonkers like AB crackers I don’t like I don’t mind that cuz that funny though it
Got all the ls on board but it’s just I remember one time that we playing away game who’s this guy by the way what’s mad dog but he can’t he hat it being called Mad Dog yeah it’s his nickname so we’ve gone away playing this game I met
Him at Chesterfield his manager so we’re playing this game away and we’re in this hotel and it’s like um there’s a big TV in this thing it’s like a big massive wardrobe but there’s a TV in it and like loads of food at the back uh loads of
Tables and chairs and then food at the back so we’ve conceded from set pieces so he’s gone right we’ve had our pretty much he said right set up as if you’re attacking um sorry as if you’re defending a sorry attacking a corner and that’s the goal so Brown are you going
Scott Brown so Brown are you going the goal so he stood in like in front of this TV like a goal and he’s gone um Ash Vincent you can take the corner no Alex Russell you can take the corner so agie G and stood in the corner of the room
And everyone’s lined up as if they’re going to score in this into this wardrobe goal type thing so he’s gone we need a ball we need where’s the this ball where’s the ball get us the crust off the toast she’s got a crust of bread
And he’s toasted and he gives it to agie on the corner and he’s gone right set your corner so he’s thrown it in and Ash Vincent’s just ped into the G whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa he said first of all you’re right footed so use your right
Arm so he’s thrown it in and he went and that’s unball said you got to Wed it so he throws it in and he heads it crust the bread crust the bread into a TV screen TV screen as if he was a goal and then he’s gone right Brown he
Said you’re kicking was [ __ ] the last game he said get the ball so got this crust still together he said right kick it as far as you can so he just like dollied a little bit went no no no kick it as far as you can so he’s voled it
Into the roof and it’s dropped and he goes that’s how we defend that’s how we attack con he said that’s how you kick the ball so anyway we go to the game we go to the game it’s it’s we’re just about to go out and the the door the
Dressing room door has been like open all the time we close the door can crusted the breads to come the door there’s your reminder Fe set pie l no way stuck the crust on the back of the door the back of the door who is this guy gu weird That’s funny though you
Look back now great you have them stories if you right for brilliant did you take that into your manager managerial career No I um I had a short spell at Southport and it was brilliant to be fair I learned so so much in such a
Short space of time but it was it was really difficult um uh manag at Southport like I say um we had probably well when when I first got the job we had three players signed so we had to really build a full team in the space of like a preseason if
You like um which managed to do got some I got some good lads in to be fair um and I wanted to try and play a certain way which was pleasing on the eye but it was a little a a bit risky um a bit expansive and we started off really well
So like 10 games in I think we um I think we were second I think um but like I said one of the smallest budgets in the league but um Charlie claen was the owner chairman and he wed us to still like try and have a goal like
Be like compete at the top which was difficult so anyway like I said we were probably well we were we were second and do doing really well um on a really small budget and I just said to him after about 10 games don’t get carried
Away with this I said because we get a few injuries couple of suspensions said we’re going to struggle with the squad’s just not big enough so he said no I said we’re doing fine we’re doing fine we’re doing fine so anyways soly but surely we started to
Dwindle and one thing and another and eventually at Christmas um I ended up leaving um mutually or not he he basically said to me he said uh he said I think you’ve lost the dressing room so I went I haven’t I said I think there’s a couple of bad eggs in
There that I was left with I said but I don’t think that’s my do and I think they were already here um and it was it like it just one of them he come he came up with some stupid ideas it was before Christmas and he
Wanted to put he wanted me to put in front of him every training session from then until the end of the season on paper I was like like that’s impossible can’t do it training changes week to week do to yeah yeah so um so we
Parted waves and then um I ended up well prior to that I ended up at Fleet yeah I was going to touch on fleet because that’s obviously where we met yeah in regards to all the great players that you’ve played with yeah like when when you come to Fleetwood and vardy come did
You see some in him where where you he came we we sort of crossed over as I left he came so we didn’t really play together um I knew he was coming in but I’d left at the end of that right at the end of that season he came in right at
The start of the following one I thought you was going to say where do I rank no no no but Fleetwood Fleetwood was class food was brilliant times W it yeah yeah um our car school was good with mullers mullers yeah he was like Eminem I’ve heard about this Paul lwood
L I ended up looking after his dog one weekend for some reason his pug at the time it’s just died has it yeah not long ago oh yeah uh what we call what I can’t remember but ended up sleeping in our bed or some I can’t honestly can’t
Remember it was weird Frank Frank no that’s out of no he’s Frank Frank telling you RP Frank yeah yeah yeah but it was it was a good card go was it mullers was class one it was funny so funny yeah he was like from the ghetto he just used to come in and
Wrapped in he funny he c a twin pot it such a good like that that was a good team spirit W it yeah yeah that was a good it was weird I was signed there because I did my I was doing my a license and um Mickey melon was on the
Same course right yeah cuz Mickey was a manager Fleetwood yeah and um that was some course out every man on his dog was a name on it and it’s like like Dennis wise was on it assel Bank um loads of big names was you told
Me the story Richie unri and Z Zola Rich yeah just tell the story before we finish so we’re doing this we’re doing our a license and um you’re coaching and obviously like I just said some of the names are like top top players in in in
Their own right so rich JRE who was a good player player at Chef wedy or what have you he played left back and Zas balls come into him and he’s literally I think we’re working on defending or something and Z’s Ball’s come to Z this is in the tra this is in the
This is in in the session so Zola stabbed it round one on the outside of his foot it spun round him and then he just smashed it in the top corner and he was working on defending and Rich hum was an all right defender in his time
And he’s kind like how do you stop that you just sometimes you just can’t but he literally he was that good he just went stabbed it and it’s the spin on it took him around he went the other side of the guy just smashed it on
The top didn’t he say did he say right well I want you to not show him that way show him this way and he SP spun it off his other fo stuck on top C anyway yeah it was GL [ __ ] it yeah yeah it was it
Was good but that was like me on my level one coach Mick Mickey was good um I think like you say he got a good group of lads together didn’t he um but I I remember speaking to him on the aash and he said do you still want to play and I said
Well yeah so why don’t you come down he said we’re part time blah blah blah um come just play a game and I think at that point there was between where were they not conference no the one below I can’t remember what that one was yeah I think so um and said
Just come play in one of the games conference though I joined when oh no I don’t know actually cuz I I joined when they were in confence North they’ve gone full time when I joined yeah they were sort of in between because there was only a few of us that
Had gone full time yeah um so it weren’t the evil stick no so it might have been a preseason game um so I played this game and and I think py had gone down and watched um and he said yeah we like sign a on contract yeah um
So I signed it um started playing and we started quite well and then um I was good mates with uh Craig sha um and he’d got the job out in Hungary doing is it faren veros right okay managing them and he rang me and just
Said um do you want to come out here he said there’s I’m not saying we qualify for Europe but if we qualify for Europe it’s it’s well worth it you said a good good living and all this type of stuff um so I said yeah I said but let
Me speak to Mickey first and one thing and another and and it offered me good money to go out there so I spoke to Mick I just said look I said I’ve had this offer I said I’m non contractor here I want to like basically give you me
Notice so whoa whoa whoa whoa he said don’t we doing that so he went what they’ve offered you so I told him and he went leave it with me so literally 15 minutes after he pulled me back in he went we’ll match it cuz he paid some
Money then didn’t he would yeah P some some good money and and at that time I think it was still two nights a week yeah um so like real good money but then I sort of lost I lost faith in him a little bit because when I was coming
Towards the end of playing I was um I was coaching with the Steve Carlin doing the under 18s and we’d done all the budget and everything for what was going to happen the next season I knew I was going to retire at the end of that year cuz M car
Kept popping on one thing or another um so I said to him I said look I said um we had our meeting at the end of the year knowing I was not going to play anymore and he said um he said we can’t we obviously we don’t want you to call
It we want you to call it a day like playing why so I said no no I said that’s fine I said uh I said I’m quite happy to go and do the coaching with um with Steve and he went well we can’t do that either oh did so I’ve looked at him
And I’ve gone we’ve done the budget for it so we know there’s money he said no he said there’s no money said we’ve about to change it all he said there’s just no there’s no place for you so I proper lost no not to him but proper
Lost it thinking cheeky yet like do you think he was half mindful that if you’re in around the building you retired you could take over his job maybe maybe I don’t know but I’ve never never really spoke to him about it or never got any sort of real answer but
Um thing I I’d say about Ry when he played in every like everybody in the team said it I never saw you have a bad game you was always I had one once I don’t yeah not when I was there that might have been once in your career he was just
Steady eight eight out of 10 I would say every single game and even if it was up against you know like teams have play diags on you and you jump used you jump really early I used to love it and like so like as the as as he was in the air
The guy had jump right was already in there lean against him just go out for throw and we just take a throw recy it’s interesting you say that but I revert right to the back of this conversation that we’re having that you know when I was talking about playing with old the
Kids yeah like I was like 11 12 playing like 18 1920 All These Little Things help me for these type of things so I remember playing against Kevin Davis when he moved to Southampton from Chesterfield and he was a center forward but used to come and stand on me yeah
And the keeper just used to drop balls onto him and he never won Eder cuz I’d either like bump him and go and win it block him all jump early all so was in the bar after the game and he went I’ve just been slaughtered by the
Gaffa so I’ve gone why so he’s gone he said I never won Eder he said I look at you so he went how did he do it I went as if I’m going to tell you i’ probably going to play against another got play against you probably another 20 times in
Our life said why would I tell you anyway I’ve just had my balls chewed off off the Gap but I used to love it cuz I used to get the biggest the biggest well most were bigger just come and standing us thinking to win stuff and like I say
If I couldn’t win it I’d stop them winning it yeah or i’ bump it really clever yeah yeah but it it was it was you know like when you realize someone’s played at the highest level because it just the touch the just yeah it was just
It was so good to watch and obviously me and him were like I was at the end end of my career I was 32 33 and you was right 51 52 no but man and then obviously yeah like I say end of your career and now
You’re at um Man City yeah place to be that is it yeah no it’s good it’s good we got work with some real good talent um look back at never really had anything to do with Phil but uh worked for a couple years with Cole Palmer Reco um Reco was almost not let
Go but almost sort of dismissed a little bit um I was literally gone over and work with pep once and never come back um and you wear how pep Raves about him um just a a real real great kid humble kid um 18 19 he’s got the W at his feet
Yeah what about his England England debut when he’s got the worst it never a penalty aen I was like what I felt absolutely gutted for him but what a response and like matureness that he went on and played like he played a really really good game match yeah like you know
Somebody who’s he’s got a right career in front of him mental strength so good so good as a kid so when he was like 15 16 he’d go and train with the 18s um and then he’d come back to train with the 15s or 16s and still be the best player
Where a lot of lads would go up there find it a challenge come back down I think it’s too easy yeah he was like the best every day he was like top and and like I say so humble and so respectful he’s got a right chance and I think
Obviously working on pep is going to learn so much more as well so yeah he got but there’s a lot of kids coming through now at Man City and there some very very good players I think you look at some of the players that you don’t
Even hear about that get moved on for like big money so um so Shay Charles Southampton like 17 million 12 Rome Lavia Romeo yeah Juan laras that we we got in I think he was about seven to Southampton yeah um Carlos B just went
To Ajax for about I think it was 17 or something yeah so they like churning these Lads out um so yeah it’s a good place to be uh get to work with some real good talent um can be a little bit political at times but I suppose that’s
The way football’s gone but it’s uh do you think you’ll ever get back into management or do you think you’ll stay down the coaching route do you enjoy that more I do enjoy the coaching um I’ve got to be honest I think when you when you see things come to fruition
That you’ve been working on and and and you can see the lads buy into it I think that’s it’s it’s not the same reward as playing and doing it for yourself but it’s it’s it’s the second best if you like um and and you can see the lads
Sort of gravitate when they when they when you do something and and they get it and it works they buy into you and then they’ll start asking more questions then you can give more of your experience and know to which is uh which is a good feeling great career to be well I’m
Going to say you definitely got some experience AR you and played you played at the highest level I’ve you know I’ve been good friends with you since we were at Fleetwood like I say a good 10 12 years I’ve L listening to the stories again it’s been an absolute pleasure
Having your own pal no I appreciate it’s been really good it’s been nice to sort of for you to sort of provoke those memories as well so reminiscent it’s really good cuz you should you should celebrate having such a I think one of the things that I’ll say is that like I
Said before when you’re in it you don’t realize you’re in it and what you’re actually doing you’re just doing it when you look back I mean like I said I’m early 50s now when you look back at what you actually did and what you achieved
It does make me so so proud um so yeah but at the time you just in it and it’s your job when you’re doing what you do but um no it was amazing Pride appreciate it appreciate it brilliant mate thanks again once again alen Wright no problem cheers Right
6 Comments
Superb guest but these interviewers are terrible 😂😂😂😂
Love it lads, remember Alan Wright being a proper old school dependable full back for Villa when I first started watching football. What a top guy.
Absolutely loved him at Blackpool in those 99 games. Fantastic player and seems a cracking bloke
proper good listen this, in stitches at the bits about martin allen 🤣🤣
Over did the small jokes 😫
Very good player Alan was