Graham Anthony | That Corner, That Keeper, That Moment

Graham Anthony | That Corner, That Keeper, That Moment 

Join us this week as Three in the Middle becomes Four and Graham Anthony joins the lads to discuss his career in football, from sharing dressing rooms with the likes of Vinny Jones, Don Hutchinson and Brian Deane to his key part in the Jimmy Glass goal that lives on as one of the most iconic moments football has ever seen.  We also find out who was the Liverpool Legend he rates as the best he's played against, the worst dressed he's shared a dressing room with and the Carlisle manager that was a 'duck egg' . 

The usual roundup from the last week in football covers everything from the English and Scottish Premier League title chases to the aftermath of Carlisle United's season and the impact the new owners have had on the club. 

In a more poignant moment Graham looks back at a few memorable moments with his best mate Tony Hopper who sadly passed away a few years back after a battle with Motor Neurone Disease ahead of what would have been his 50th birthday this month, with a host of fundraising events happening in his memory.  As per Tony's character everything involves plenty of laughs including the 'shitting himself' drink before the Jimmy Glass game through to the celebration drinks the morning after.

Tony Hopper 1976 - 2018 Always loved, Always remembered

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Right. Welcome. Quickly, very first thing we're gonna do, we're gonna stage an intervention. Dylan McGeeok, since he stopped playing last week, all we've got is pictures of food, talk about chocolate bars, favourite drinks. Are you not meant to be keeping yourself healthy like? I'm on my holidays, I know. On my holidays. I've never seen that like it. They like a beige tea though, don't you? Do you think? Well, what was it today? No, that was just potato skins, bit of wedges, chicken googons and an orange capric.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Nah, Greg's. Unreal. Lunch menus unreal. Greg's res. I think I think Greg would be there, yeah. You love a Greg's. I do mean too. It's got to be up there though with the best like lunch meal, I think, for like value for money. Well, I've read the Daily Mail today.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

Greg's is going up because of the bloody war and all that. So that's another hit to get up.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Never ever can't snap.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Correct. Is it? I don't know. I'm gonna have a pump for a bit. So if you're watching or listening, there's a different voice in. We've got four in the middle of the day. Our special guest, Graham Anthony. Hello, Graham. Good evening. Everyone in Carlisle will know who Graham is. Not much more running, though, is it? This is the problem, right? Bringing any legs to the table.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

I'm sorry, zero legs.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:30

I've heard someone had zero legs last night for the over 35. That's another story.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

New boots last night, Skip.

SPEAKER_04 1:36

New boots, had a nightmare, got took off at 2-1 and we won 4-2. Did you stay and support the lads? Yeah, and then went on quite sharp. Bad day.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

I heard as we scored the fourth, Skip was halfway home to Dolston. Spear getting the car. Poison. Texted the rest of the lads going, I think Tucker's made a mistake. When the lads blank you, you know, like you know, when you were back in the day, gaff has lost the plot. No reply. You know what you do?

SPEAKER_07 2:01

They agree.

SPEAKER_03 2:03

If I had a manager um give you a list and say, pick the team. Good Jun Thorison at um Barnsley, give us all a bit of paper and went, like, pick your team. Did you put yourself in it? Obviously. I've done corners.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

It's like the old school schoolboy days, innit? Take the throw-ins, corners, recakes a lot.

SPEAKER_03 2:21

One of the lads was just desperate to get in. He's like left footed, like trying to play his left back, but there was everyone was injured on the right wing, so he put him on himself on the right wing. I can do your job there, Gaffa. No, you can't. But yeah, so Graham's in to talk about his career a little bit, but more importantly, as well, a little bit on the Tony Hopper Memorial Weekend, are we calling it? It would have been his 50th year.

SPEAKER_05 2:43

50 on the Sunday, I think it is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

So for our listeners outside of Carlisle, which we've got a few, um, Tony Hopper was a mainstay for Carlisle and Workington, and unfortunately passed away from motor neurons disease, which is becoming more and more um don't want to say popular, but it's common at the minute, um, with a lot of ex-footballer, ex-rugby players bringing it to light in the media. So it's important we talk about it, talk a little bit about Tony, talk about the weekend, but also as usual, we'll have a little bit of fun and remember him the right way as well. And talk about what him and Tony used to get up to right up and yeah, double trouble Tony. It was Tony's fault. So cheers for coming, Graham. And I just want to quickly, before we do a big intro, talk about Mike Williamson's phrase last week when he called Jordan Williams cheat code, and I said, What the fuck's he on about? Um so I've had a couple of messages in. One from Steve Mars. Lads, I'm presuming a cheat code as someone who is good enough that they can play anywhere. No, he wasn't, or fit into a system, he couldn't. It must come from the 90s gaming where you could tap into a string of clicks on your keyboard, a controller, while your game is loading and unlock unlimited health, money, or weapons, etc. So he's going down the line of Mike Williamson was saying he's just too good, like one of them characters where you get ultimate Street Fighter or something, you get a cheat. Yeah? Maybe another one from Niel Matterson. You were asking on the pod that Williamson said about Josh Williams' cheat code. It was his pace he was on about, said he was that quick, it's a real cheat code. He was quick.

SPEAKER_02 4:28

Yeah, I can see the thought behind that, to be fair. If he's talking about pace, it's okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:33

He had a great debut at Fleetwood away. Did he? And then I think he got injured quite quickly. Did he do his army or something? I'm sure he'd done his arm. Apparently, all fast players do. Aye. Do they agree? Aye, so we've heard. Done it a few times. There's no worse than pushing past that defender and your army tweaking. Never. Hey, I'm talking about uh cheat codes. Do you remember championship manager when you're younger? Yeah. And a turn into football manager. But championship managers to play on the Commodore Omega in your same age. Skip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dylan, no. I remember championship. So a turn into football manager, but I remember there's one, viewers will remember this, expect some hits for this. There was a um version where the two creators put themselves in, Mark Collis and Ferrero Orozco, and they put themselves at Cambridge United and they weren't real. And you'd sign them and they'd just go up to the top.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

Do you ever remember Freddie Adoo? Yeah. Oh, yeah. 16, 15, 16 or something, wasn't it? The man wasn't it. Get them for pennies and he was like fucking 20 goals a season or something. Sorenson.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

Sorensen Newcastle. Carl signed them a few years ago. It was new near as good as his champ manager. Or football manager. I remember on Crew on Crew on loan. I stayed in a lady's house called Norma in the sticks. Just had a roast dinner every night and had my laptop, football manager, Mum and Dad. How are you getting on? Love it.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Hanging out the window for a reception.

SPEAKER_03 5:54

Love it. Like, give me it. I'll get me over. So I had a quick text in from my mate. Remember, I spoke about Mark Merley quite a bit. Yeah, he was an accident. Mark Merley was uh 16-year-old signed for Sunland, England and a 16 captain. Should have really signed for a manual Arsenal, right build, fit, good on the ball, should have played 200 games. Just an absolute wrong. Just everything off the pitch, he loved. Um, so when he was on about the couple of stories we're told of the last couple of weeks, getting spied at the gym because Dylan got caught at the gym spying. I never get caught and things like that. And then my mate got caught on a mate got caught on a dog, weren't you? My mate got caught on a dog walk, um, talking to a las he shouldn't have been. So my mates just said, following the stories that got you in the shit the other week from the last couple of lads, uh, what about this one? 18-year-old at Sunderland, thought I was the bollocks, for your eyes only strip club, newly opened in Newcastle. Got myself in there, got used to it, pretended I was first team, I wasn't. Got talking to a couple of lasses, got giddy. They said we're going to Ibiza tonight. So, me and my friend, I'm not gonna name them, oh fuck I am, Mark Convery. We decided to go with them. So we've told our lasses that we've gone up to uh we're just gonna hold a large holiday, debrief, get over the hard season they've just had. They played about three reserve games, just to get over it. So back in them days, you could ring and you could press something on your mobile where it withheld. So they rang it for about three or four days, not a problem. Got a bit drunk one night, they've rang off one of the lass's phones, went to Cheryl Mark's lass, just rang straight back. The lasses picked up, they've all panicked, shit's hit the fan, but right at that time, one of the lads with them has paired one of them blokes. You know who takes the photos of like on the holder? You took it, and I'll try and find it. It's unbelievable. So there's that lad like that, the two stripper lasses are like that, and Con and Mayle are arguing in the background. So for three days they're wondering on how what to do, like how what the story's gonna be. And you know, when you get back to the airport and there's people with like welcome home and and parents and all that, there's these two lasses here with coffee just ready to wait for them. So they're just oh that's a feeling it's so I told I haven't told you agree. Mayle um with Marbella for Sunderland last night, he's 19. We walk around the corner, he's got a tab. Peter Reed sees him, goes, Fucking hell, Mayley, fucking hell. Next morning I've seen Peter Reed, he's in a good mood. I went, Melee, you're all right. Don't think you'll even remember. We travel back from Marbella to Heathrow, we drive all the way up six hours to Yarm, drop the gaffer. So bearing in mind, we've got two months off. Gaffer gets off and he goes, Brilliant lads, what a season. May I see you first day back, July 5th, in my office. Mealy's just gone white, and I've gone away with Merely that that yeah. And he's like laughing and joking round the pool, and you just see him go, Oh, what's the matter again? Gaffer first day. So he's absolutely killed. And that's what managers used to do, isn't it? Just leave one on you all the time. But we'll get into a few your team stories coming. But intro if no one's been listening and it's your first time. I'm Chris Lumsden, former Barnsley Sunderland, Carlisle, Mark Skip Boyd, Newcastle, Portvale, Carlisle, Gretna, Maclesfield, Accrington. And we learnt last year, Sligo, we couldn't. Sligo, I Sligo, Igo's got that some stories. Celtic Nation, we've had a few stories. And Dylan McGillok, still playing, still playing. Ex good C V this X Celtic, Hibernian, Sunderland, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Forest Green, Carlisle, and recently Bellamina United. And a full Scottish International and a full Scottish International under Alex McLeish. So thank you for listening and let's crack on. Right, Graeme. Started welcome. Started at Chef United. But you were born South Shields. South Shields, I So you're a Macam.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Ooh no, not quite.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

In between and it in between that. In between that. Sandan Center.

SPEAKER_05 10:45

No, I lived in Jarrah. Grown up in Jarrow. So it's like half and half. Not in your cattle, but quite a few sunland as well.

SPEAKER_03 10:53

Tune supporter?

SPEAKER_05 10:54

I am I. Two and supporter.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

Who was your heroes?

SPEAKER_04 10:57

Gaza. I'm mine. Legend. Love and be a best.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Yeah, he needed that Rangers move, Gaza. Because he was never gonna be top top draw like he was, but Scotch League suited him a done and dinner just to come in. Just come piss about. He's loved Dr.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

He absolutely loved it. He was top.

SPEAKER_03 11:18

I I know everyone's probably heard it, but he got his teeth done, didn't he? And he got them done horrendously. So instead of hiding it, Ali McCoy said he just got it out of the way, walked into the dressing room, just ready, get it out the way, and all hammered him. You got some great stories about McCoy. McCoy's just unreal. You know, he calls him Gascoin all the time, doesn't he? So how did Chef United come about? When you castle Sunland, local lads in? Local teams in, sorry.

SPEAKER_05 11:46

I've always wondered this. Do you know I was at Sunland? Um it was a school excellence back then, wasn't it? Jim Montgomery involved. Aye, yeah. So I was that I was there. Um and I was still obviously still playing local football, so I was just playing for my local side, and then after one of the games, um my dad was watching and someone approached him, and he was a Sheffield United uh scout. So I don't know what he was doing up there at the time and then all that, but invited were down. There was a couple who went down. Um it's better when you go around with a couple of lads. Oh no, yeah, on your own's the worst, isn't it? Yeah, uh so um just went on from there and then what age was this? Thirteen? Uh huh. And then I had the choice to make whether someone wanted to sign us on school, like our school boy forms and Chef Hugh wanted to do. And I I I loved it at Chef United. No, and you just get a good feeling even as a young kid. So was that s you wouldn't train through the week, would you? Was it just Saturdays down? School elders and then play on a weekend.

SPEAKER_03 12:42

Go down and watch the Chef United in a game.

SPEAKER_05 12:44

Aye, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

And that would have been them in the Prem then.

SPEAKER_05 12:47

They just got in the Prem the first the they were first season of the Prem, they got promoted into the Prem. Um and that I joined as an apprentice that that year. Who was who was the lads were you?

SPEAKER_03 13:00

Did anyone make it?

SPEAKER_05 13:01

Quinny? Was we were you saying that? Wayne Quinn was a year young year or two younger. Yeah. Erm that was really it, to be honest out with all that group. Well who had a good group. A couple of played in lower leagues, non-league, but because Quinny got a good move, didn't he? Didn't he castle? Right when I was a five-nil.

SPEAKER_04 13:17

Left foot some left foot on him, but Wayne Quinn, I Wayne Quinn.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

Did you have to do the jobs? Alright. Yes. Right, tell some of the reviewers about these jobs.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

He didn't have to do it. No, we we had a water-done version of the team I I can read, but still still can I.

SPEAKER_05 13:33

Well, not looking looking back, it just cleaning the boots, cleaning the dressing rooms.

SPEAKER_03 13:38

Yeah, clean the toilets. Oh, you have to do everything.

SPEAKER_05 13:41

Yeah, doing the balls and bibs and all that, get everything ready. It was just how did the first team treat you? Good. It was a brilliant brilliant time. Some great lads in the dressing room. Who was there then? Who were the big hitters? Er Brian Dean. Aye. Erm Brian Gale was the captain. Billy Whitehurst, Vinny Jones. Heard some stories about that Billy Whitehurst, hard as nails. Is that right? Aye. Aye, but not that like I see. I was just an apprentice when he was here, so obviously I didn't. You weren't involved, didn't go out drinking with him then. But just again, you used to just mix together. We got changed. In fact, we got changed at Bramalayane. The first team on the dress home dressing room, the apprentices got changed in their way dressing room. Harry Bassett. Aye. We can talk, aren't he? So it was a lot of mixing then. Yeah. So you'd just the best way, isn't it? Yeah. Even on the you'd go train in the same same area, and then obviously you used to get called over every now and then, didn't you? Probably makes it easier though to go and train with them, doesn't it? When you're integrating with them all the time.

SPEAKER_04 14:45

If you just go as a complex a wee bit, then it's not. No, if you go as a complex, you're in a wagon nerves.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Well they're asking you how you got on at the weekend and that you feel like yeah, but let's not sugarcoat it.

SPEAKER_03 14:55

There's sometimes I went in and you get them a cup of coffee and they get the teaspoon and they put it on your car. Let's not say it was all great or it then. Paul Stewart is Matthew Pitts used to play right back. Pittsy getting you every morning, either be a kiss on the cheek or a jab. With it ta one or the other. But then he'd get like 200 quid tip for taking it. Richard Od, he was a local lad at Sundland. Remember Richard Odd? But he was so he was Sundland lad every day. My mate was his YTS Lamy, who you met at the playoff semi. And he'd just come in with eight balls or three shirts and just have to get them all signed. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

That's a wash job for me, that means to the Foster team with the straps and the boat. Did you know what to do?

SPEAKER_03 15:37

Could you see a path for through?

SPEAKER_05 15:40

Aye, yeah. Um I mean I love Bassett was like old school, aren't you? Very old school, and we got some of the bollockings. You could hear we used to home games, you used to stand outside the dressing room and you could hear them bollocking and you think, that's never meant. But again, even back then, the reserves, you used to play against like first teamers. I know. We've said this smiles better, won't it? So if you were on the bench in the Premier League, more often than not, you'd play in the reserve game. And uh so young kids were coming playing against all these names, and you'd play at the stadiums. Proper games, weren't they? We said this before, that mate.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

The reserve leagues and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 16:20

I played played against Middlesbrough and they had uh played against Liverpool, they had Gerard, Carragher, Fowler, Lippmann, Hippier, the Middlesbrough, Andy Townsend, Gary Pallister, Folgas going, Alan Alan Armstrong, look start. But then even if you went to somebody like Knotts County, who aren't as well known, you've still got eight blokes you're playing against and a player at left back who's played 600 games, and you're like, no holding back, was it? Nah. Proper games, not like now, eh?

SPEAKER_04 16:53

Good old days, good old days, aye. Good old days.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

Aye, so we'll get we'll go your Chef United and then we'll we'll talk a little bit other stuff and we'll come back to it. So Chef United, Don Hutchinson there with you.

SPEAKER_05 17:04

Yeah, he came um later on. Again, he was just a brilliant bloke.

SPEAKER_03 17:10

He was one of the best players I played with, technically, probably not known as that in the Premier League. Known as kind of aye, like so. He got and moved from Hartleypool to Liverpool very young, went to West Ham, and then I think that's when he went Chef View, and then he kicked on again because he got a move to Everton and O'Connor came the other way. I think a right back from Everton. But uh Bones we call him. He he he's a quality player, like just someone you know, when you're in the drills before games or in training and you had to ping it to someone, his had always left or right foot would always like get there. Right? Adrian Little John?

unknown 17:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:46

I played with him at Port Fairly. What was he? He was back into his career, but he was still quick, but he's good looking. Aye, aye, yeah. He used to travel a mile though for him. Him and Sam Collins used to travel about two and a half hours, two training. Two, it's too far, isn't it? Two and a half hours there, two and a half hours back. Just the two of them. Did you miss home or not?

SPEAKER_05 18:05

Do you know no? I didn't. Even though I was I was in digs. Um I was 15 actually when I when I left when I left school. And when I left school at 15 and went straight to pre-season at 15 uh in digs with a couple of the lads. And like I say, I just loved it. Did you settle settled straight away though?

SPEAKER_04 18:22

No, because I had that initial first month where I wasn't early jacking in, me. Do you know I wasn't even coming back to Carla?

SPEAKER_05 18:27

Like I say, Chef United just got in the Premier League, so you've got all these manus coming, and that was like my first week.

SPEAKER_03 18:34

In a month ago, like I said, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 18:35

We'd we used to clean the dressing rooms out after them, but sometimes you'd go in and they'd say, Oh, hey, lads, get yourselves in.

SPEAKER_03 18:41

I was telling this last week. Some teams wouldn't let you in. Wimbledon just let you in, and you were sitting with Robbie Earl and that listening to them. And I remember he's not gonna listen, Robbie Earl. Uh, do you remember a jet off the gladiators? She was upstairs at Roker Park with the others going to the lads, fucking come on. Getting too a lot of pressure.

SPEAKER_04 19:00

She was the one back in the day, wasn't she?

SPEAKER_03 19:02

As I say, you leave school one minute and then you're sitting in the dressing room, aren't you, with all these players? And literally, as we said about championship manager, you've signed them on a computer game, and now you're sitting there going, Fucking hell.

SPEAKER_05 19:13

We've done uh like you say, some let you in. So we'd be waiting, and sometimes five o'clock, say, Oh just get in, lads. This time it was half past five, money. Is anyone left in? And it was Dwight York, just what just by yourself. Come on, come in. Nah, wouldn't let win. Honestly. So waiting and waiting. Anyway, he comes out. Well, back then they always had a players bar, and it was upstairs in Bramalane. So he comes out. Ah, he's going now. Where's the players bar? Uh down that way. First right, first left. Next thing comes out, you've sent us to the laundry room. You wanted to see the youth team. Who's your youth team manager?

SPEAKER_02 19:57

You got your own battle. You wouldn't expect that.

SPEAKER_03 20:00

Mick Hauford was like that. Come in, lads. Like class. Even man you were alright. Guess it was a big dickhead.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Who? Dorsey King.

SPEAKER_03 20:09

Nobody starts like that. Keon. Oh not letting anyone in or ready in that. Like, I don't know why the people like that. That was the difference, though. When you're there at 16, thinking I can make it as a Premier League football, Arsenal walk past you, and everyone's leg, thighs are thicker than you. And you're like, can I? Oh no, can I really?

SPEAKER_04 20:29

Units.

SPEAKER_03 20:30

But I uh get in the first team then.

SPEAKER_05 20:33

I played three three games. Was that in the Prem? No. The Championship so good. Under Bassett. Bassett, and then I made uh a couple under Coward Kendall come after Bassett. Oh the Kegel is a unreal.

SPEAKER_03 20:49

Brilliant. Everyone wants to play under Howard Kendall or play on when he was live. But uh Peter Reed's hero, Adrian Heath's hero.

SPEAKER_05 20:57

I think they used to go under in the season. Sometimes they used to meet up in the season in Magalouff or somewhere.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

Oh be honest, after three days, that their teeth were red. I could imagine because they're just sitting to it. Reckon Kendall used to get on the back of the bus, didn't he? Cigar. Just sit with boxer shorts with the lads. Obviously. And like you wonder why people love playing under them and that, but knew he's footy.

SPEAKER_05 21:21

Used to go in on a mice to call in on a morning, like before training. You'd go and sit, he says, right? Just a couple of things. You said, Do you want a glass of red? But you said aye. He's thinking, is he? Is that a trick? Yeah. Is this a trick? So obviously, I was just a young lad. I was oh no, no. Apparently, some of them did just have a glass of red before training with them.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

Oh, it's changed there. I would when I used to do the coach's room, I was in charge of the coach, well, not in charge, clean the coaches' room, and like read Heath, Sam Ellis, and I just them can't bud at every training session, like just a couple, just different, innit? But they still got the best out of the players, and then What just knew you the path wasn't there?

SPEAKER_05 22:02

Um well it was Ken Kendall come in and give us a a year's another year's contract, but then they started signing players from the Prem like into the championship to get back up. So I was like making my way up, doing alright, but then there's coming down and I and you get the first time I thought I'm a bit behind the eye.

SPEAKER_03 22:24

Who would who would they be in it when you thought they brung in uh remember David White, the winger from Mansey?

SPEAKER_05 22:30

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mansey the centre half, um foreign lad John Eberl from Everton.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Aye, centre mid, hard little bastard.

SPEAKER_05 22:39

Aye, um dogs of what he was in the Everton team on the So go bring in them type of players down, so just push me down a bit and so and then um like you say me contract us up the end and he Should you ever go on loan then?

SPEAKER_04 22:50

Or was he just contract up and then to the next club?

SPEAKER_05 22:53

Er well he told us the end, he pulled us in, he went, look, he says, obviously you can see what's happening there and I knew as well, like I say, the first time I thought I'm just a bit behind here. And he sent us to Swindon because Steve McMahon. Yeah. I went on loan at Blackpool under Steve McMahon. Alright, well he was at Swindon at the time. So I played a couple of games under him in the Did you play with him in midfield? No, because he was player manager, but I didn't actually play when I was there. Um so I went there. But that was just till the end of the end of the season, and then I was out with a contract, and then Plymouth came in for us. But that was just month to month to see what you can do uh and then had a couple of months there, and then Carleg's obviously come into Do they do month to month anymore?

SPEAKER_03 23:40

Used to shite another month on trial, give them another month, we'll have another train for a few days. We'll come on to the Carlisle, but uh yeah, so started at Chef Yu, spells at Swindon, which is at Plymouth, and then the longest mileage transfer ever to Carlisle. Then you went on to Barrow and finished for Workington, yeah. Right, we'll get on to that. But yeah, as I said, we've got Grayman to discuss a few things coming up, which is all close to our hearts, the motor neurons disease and the charity. But first, let's get on to it, which is close to all our hearts, Carlisle United. Jordan Jones, Thomas, Davies, Hayden, gone. Yeah, what we're saying, right or wrong?

SPEAKER_04 24:23

Yeah, I think it's right for what I've seen, um, especially the two centre halves. I think Feeney's had a bit of a rough ride over the season with his central defensive partners. Jordan Jones, I think, had to leave. It was starting to get a bit toxic, wasn't it? Between what's for what fans think of him as well. Not his fault. No, it's not. I'm not I'm not saying that, but you know what it can be like when when people are on big money and they're not in the team and performing and stuff, so but I believe he's done all right out of it. So I think he's uh I think it's uh the best move all round. Um but from the lads who've been released, I think they've only kept McCadam, haven't they?

SPEAKER_03 24:59

I don't know if he's kept his head down and that, but I would have been poison. Would you? I would have put balls around and that. But just to get the pay me money because he got told he wasn't gonna be involved, so just well, didn't they say a while back they weren't gonna do pay ups and stuff? Yeah, um walked in the end of last season, didn't I? Uh we're not doing pay-offs. Wheelbarrows wheelbarrows, uh some people have had right payoffs in the past, haven't they?

SPEAKER_04 25:21

Well, like I said, off air there, I won't name him, but we had uh as someone at Gretner who used to shout in the warm-up it pays to fair lads. Alright. So I was in like he'd had a few pay-ups as well.

SPEAKER_03 25:29

I went out, I retired and got my last pay-up at Darlo. I drove out and put the window down and went, all the best lads. That's me. What are you gonna do next, Chris? That's me done.

SPEAKER_04 25:40

Do you know what? I think the lads are being released, I think it's right, but it's tough on the young ones. I've always I always go back to the young ones though now, haven't and you just hope they can get somewhere. I just think geographically it's tough round here when you get released off Carl.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

Where do you sort of go? But the the problem they've got is dropping, you think you can get in, but the expectation to win the National League now means you've got to get experience in. I thought Jake Allen probably could have filled in a few places this year for 20 minutes, yeah, 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_04 26:05

Sometimes it's timing, isn't it? Because sometimes the little bit I don't mean desperate, but there's a bit more of a chance for you when there's maybe less money getting thrown about and stuff, there's less bodies in in the squad and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

What you thought of Carlisle this, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:17

Do you know the I agree with all a lot of people say they're not great to watch, but they get results. I mean 90, was it 95? Something like that, yeah. It's a good return. So but I I I agree that you just want a little bit more.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Um I think it's the opposition, isn't it? You know when you used to play a while ago, if you play a team away, they'd make the grass longer, they'd cut the pitch up, they'd do something, but we're rolling into these away teams, and everything's class. Like they're not getting these bars. There isn't any bad pitches anymore. And that's another thing where you go, well, you're not really going to the lions den, yeah. You're going and you're true rolling that and you're popping it.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

It needd to be an absolute disaster to not get an amount of points, like 95 points a lot, do you know what I mean? But like to get round about that expected with the teams in the league, apart from maybe top four or five, everyone else a team like Kaleo's got on paper, like they should be kind of hitting them sort of numbers for me. But again, it was the games where the teams round about you they looked they looked off it. The eye they looked off it. I mean, they didn't really lay a glove on any of the top teams, and then it got proved, didn't it, at the end of the season when it mattered that they turn up against a lesser so team and let them dictate the game again? So all the hard work and all the yards that you've done over the year just get wasted against a team that really should be going toe-to-toe with, do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 27:47

So we've got no problem with the release list. Feel for Dan Hartman, feel for Jake Allen.

SPEAKER_04 27:51

I feel for the young lads. I mean, even the Thomas Randle's he was top draw for us and just his attitude and everything, but he's obviously now he's out there looking. So if anybody out there needs a a good young keeper, I would highly recommend him.

SPEAKER_01 28:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Um what we saying, should he was should the manager situation be resolved by the end of this week? You'd hope so, wouldn't you? What are you thinking?

SPEAKER_02 28:12

I've got a feeling he's gonna stay. I think he'll stay, I think the longer it was on he'll probably stay, but you would think they would have something in place. Final Yeah. I think getting into the playoffs, isn't it? Like if we go up, this is what we're gonna go. If we don't, we're either gonna keep him in build or we're gonna look to this sort of manager. Do you know what I mean? But it's kinda what coming up for a week and a half, really.

SPEAKER_05 28:36

I agree. Um I think if he was gonna leave, he would have probably said it by now, straight away after the playoffs. He'd wonder if all right, that's my that's me done, but he hasn't, so looks like he could could stay on.

SPEAKER_03 28:48

As a club, we've got to win the title next year, haven't we? Can't can't knock go up, but I I can't be having third and fourth, and for the last three months going, we're alright, we're in the six top six, we'll wait for the playoffs. Just waiting for the playoffs. You've got to be either in a title race like York and Rochdale or win it.

SPEAKER_02 29:05

Yeah. I think Rochdale will go up is a big, big plus look, Alli, won't it? Yeah. Getting them out of the league. But there's always there'll always be a team or two that'll go and push it.

SPEAKER_04 29:13

Surprise you, and it just depends who Borum would lose player wise, because the manager's just signed a new three-year deal, hasn't he? So would that be on the back of promises that the lads might be staying or no? They can't they can't keep Abdomatik. Can't have to watch produce the last few weeks, eh?

SPEAKER_03 29:25

If I see that Rochdale right back celebrating again, because if I was a Rochdale right back, even though we went up, I'd still be looking at my performance, mate. Because he has got rinsed at Wembley. He did, I know, but look who he's been.

SPEAKER_02 29:36

Did you see one of the Bullwood players on the side of the pitch? See when it goes to nil? I seen it on Twitter. Camel goes on here and he and they're warming up and he goes to one of the other boys that's warmed up and he's like, it's done. When he goes to it, seen it on Twitter. Do you know what that worried me? And sorry, he's the one he goes and hits a pen, he comes on, hits a pen, mast.

SPEAKER_04 29:56

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Just don't do anything, just don't do anything.

SPEAKER_03 30:00

Don't get involved in you.

SPEAKER_04 30:01

Too many cards.

SPEAKER_03 30:03

Well, we used to all get involved, but we don't ever got done. But uh Abdul Malik, as soon as he went off, I thought he can stay on. Come on, man, another 10 minutes, just run the game. Because I knew that if they scored in the 83rd or fourth, I think I thought they'd hold on. But when they got it, when they got it, I went, they'll get another big chance. Yeah, it's funny, isn't it? What we talk about, Dylan. Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. They needed the second one, bang, and comes back to the carnage. Five minutes, isn't it? Isn't it? It's carnage, right? Football in general, Rochdale, well done. Yeah, you've got to say well done.

SPEAKER_04 30:36

Well, when you look at it, it's they deserve it done over the course of the course of the season.

SPEAKER_03 30:40

Right, you two. Heart, heart, I said Celtic. Yeah. You changed a few times. No, I haven't changed at all. We'll go roll the tapes.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Um you want Celtic, but you think I said Celtic, and then there was a point where I thought, nah, Hearts will do it.

SPEAKER_04 30:56

I'm gonna say it'd be done by tomorrow. There you go. Who's playing tomorrow? Hearts will beat Falkirk and Motherwell will beat Celtic. I mean it's four points. There you go.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

Where's Celtic playing Motherwell?

SPEAKER_04 31:05

Away away.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

Who plays the last day of the season?

SPEAKER_02 31:10

Celtic Hearts. That's Celtic.

SPEAKER_06 31:12

That's the last game.

SPEAKER_02 31:14

So Celtic needs Celtic needs a draw, I think, tomorrow. If Celtics get a draw tomorrow, it definitely goes to the last game, yeah. And then whoever wins that wins it. I love it. It's Carnage, isn't it? Where will be watch? Where will you be watching that? Do you know where?

SPEAKER_07 31:28

Carly.

SPEAKER_03 31:30

People think I'm Celtic got Ranger supporter. Oh, is it? But the Scottish foot. 12 o'clock on a Sunday. I support one of them. Just got a problem. Er, Arsenal, done it. Done.

SPEAKER_04 31:42

Yeah, I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:44

That decision. It was a foul.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

Do I take the time though, don't they? But they've done it all season with the fouls and the blocks and the pulling and that, and they've set plays. The whole season. The fan base are unbearable.

SPEAKER_03 31:57

They are unbearable. And you know what? They point it out, Simon Jordan's funny, just has Keion's life just leap. He just went, and this is where you let yourself down, Martin. He goes, It's because you put an argument up and you're not allowed to have any other. If you say anything against him, he bites. Like just take it. Other people are allowed. Yeah, and I I even watched it the other day, Jordan and Keon, and I and just watching Jordan's face. I could watch that too about it all day, the class aren't I. You think they'd peddle Keon because he gets so much hate, but you can't because it's box office, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 32:28

I know. He can't. I I just don't believe NSA's Keon because he's like that. Because see when it's black and white, he still won't call it what it is. And that's why you'll make up an excuse. Do you know what I mean? It's like, no, like just call it as it is, and then everything you see after that we can take like as an honest opinion, but he's just ah, he's unbearable sometimes, man.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

Spurs, well done, James Madison. Mentally getting back after he uh came on yesterday. But I thought Leeds should have still won it later on. Spurs won't go down now, will they?

SPEAKER_02 32:57

They've given themselves a right chance from where they were. Four points ahead of West Ham, is that right? Have you seen um the games though? I think they've got Chelsea. I they have got Chelsea.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

Chelsea are saying now, supporters this morning, they'd rather lose the FA Cup final and put Chelsea and put Spurs down. I I I'm all up for that sort of bit, mate. Right? Who am I? Bream, you can play. You're on our team. So when that bell goes, all we need, you just guess. Right? So I'm gonna read out some facts about a player. You just need to guess who it is.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

When he rings the bell. Right, right. Let's see. Top of dinosaurs getting brought up here, don't I? 19 player. He needs to up his game at this.

SPEAKER_03 33:40

He's just he's just dropped, he's dropped himself in it because he said he played champ manager. Well, there you go, this is where the knowledge comes. Yeah. Right, who am I? Oh, are we allowed to be doing this? We've had some stick, haven't we, for a fellow podcast? Oh, well copied them. With all due respect, lads and lasses, whoever's in it, I've never listened, so I wouldn't know. Anyway. Who am I? Born in 1983, this player started his career at Stoke City and made his debut on his 17th birthday against Blackpool in 2001. However, shortly after his debut, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which kept him out of air. He returned 10 months later against Chefwood in August 2002 and scored his first goal against Norwich the following week. 61 goals and eighth 61 games and eight goals later, led him to be offered a new contract by Stoke, which he rejected and joined Nottingham Forest on 1st of July 2004. He made his debut coming on for Ian Jess, remember him, then scored his first goal in the FA Cup. He helped Forest to promotion in 2008, then left for rival Derby County after 122 appearance, 150 appearances, 44 goals, and signing a three-year deal at Derby.

SPEAKER_04 34:58

Not a clue.

SPEAKER_06 35:01

Good.

SPEAKER_04 35:02

Do you know why he's made these questions harder? Because he's losing the other thing. No, honestly, why honestly, you should get that.

SPEAKER_03 35:09

Stoke to Nottingham Forest to Derby. To Derby, all leaving on thingy, on freeze, which was quite thingy at the time. Injury curtailed his career there, but in his last season he scored 13 goals by January, which led to a £300,000 move to Celtic. He went on to win five titles, two Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup. He was released by Celtic in May 2017 and retired after 177 games and 82 goals for the hoops. Do not come at me.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

2017, that's not that long ago. Of course it's not ago. When were you I'd left by that point? I'd left 2015.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

Um so what do you remember his give us his clubs?

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Stockout, forest, Derby. Oh, I think I know what. Is it Chris Gomes? Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:10

He finally turns up.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

It's a bad time. He gave him only heavs for six months. You just did that.

SPEAKER_03 36:16

Four, three?

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

Right. Next one. Next one. Second and last one. Come on, Graham joining. Did it get easier?

SPEAKER_07 36:26

That was easy that.

SPEAKER_03 36:28

Born in Cambridgeshire, this player joined his local club Cambridge United in 2004, where he made 39 appearances, no goals, before a move to Premier League side Everton, turning down Manchester United twice for a fee of £250,000. He was sent straight out on loan to Walsall, Chester City and Stockport for experience. He made his debut for Everton in February 2006, coming in for the injured Ian Turner, before signing for Bristol City on an emergency one-game loan and playing against Carlisle United in a 3-1 win, which promoted Bristol City. In 2009, he joined Motherwell on a six-month loan, but such was his form, it was extended to the end of the season. 34 appearances, no goals. In July 2010, our man signed for Paul Lambert's Norwich City for again £250,000. He kept his first clean sheet on the 14th of August. John Ruddy. Tell me where you got it.

SPEAKER_04 37:37

Tell me where you got it. About five seconds before. Did you design for Lambert and Norwich?

SPEAKER_03 37:41

Right. He won promotion to the Premier League in 2011 after he played £45 out of £46 games. Great promotion bonus. After 235 appearances for Norwich, he was released and was quickly snapped up by Wolves, where he played 50 times in five years. Oh great choice. Keep that roll. Before a short drive to Birmingham for two years, before heading to Tyneside, Newcastle United, where he still is now. John Ruddy. I don't know he was at Motherworth.

SPEAKER_02 38:05

Thank you. I've never known he was at Motherworth. Go career the West.

SPEAKER_03 38:11

Right. Graham, a couple of questions for you. We've done that. Who did you support? Newcastle United. Billy Whitehurst. Was he around at that time? Has he have you got stories of the hardest man ever in football?

SPEAKER_05 38:28

No, I haven't. Like I see I was just an apprentice when he was sort of there. Um but later on he actually owned a pub just outside the ground, Chef United. You won't have been you'll never want to be a little bit of a obviously we used to but no stories because little by then he obviously he'd retired and stuff like that. And honestly, what a a lovely bloke he is. But just just it must have been once he's on that. You hear it all the time on different podcasts. Um just puts his foot in on the key bar. I mean, I I was there when well I wasn't actually there, but have you heard the story when the Chef Red fan asked him to go outside?

SPEAKER_03 39:04

Tell it about that, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:05

Apparently they were in we used to go in this pub in Sheffield, obviously. Chef and eight were say this side, Chef Red that side. So we used to drink around this area, and Billy Waithurst and Finney Jones were in, apparently. But I I think it was just uh Billy Waithurst. Chef Red fans were in. Next thing starts giving them so this big lad, right? Me and you outside, went outside. Ten seconds later, Billy Billy Waithurst just walked back near, picked his paint up, and started twisting. I just let them outside. Were you uh around with Vinny Jones then? Aye, he he come as well. Like I say, I was an apprentice at the time. Um again, brilliant, brilliant bloke. Good player. He's better than you think. That's exactly what everyone says.

SPEAKER_03 39:48

Aye, aye, seen him on a meaning machine though, he looked chite.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

I know, but you can't be you can't be rubbish to play like do you know he's in the cell on me machine?

SPEAKER_03 39:56

He's got a tennis ball. I was quite impressed, like he's doing a few kick-be ups. He just wanted to leave. Was he I I get the feeling when he went on the pitch, he played to a persona. Well, that was his his game.

SPEAKER_05 40:10

And like see back then you used to fly into tackles, didn't you?

SPEAKER_04 40:12

And he you could do it though, couldn't you? Get a couple wear with a couple, whatever they were like.

SPEAKER_03 40:16

I tell you, he was a nasty bastard, Carl Bradshaw. Oh aye, aye. He used he liked it. Yeah. It was he a chef wet Sheffield lad?

SPEAKER_05 40:25

Sheffield lad, but he I think he started Chef Whed. Yeah, and then but he like say him, there were brilliant lads. The the change of room was absolutely brilliant.

SPEAKER_03 40:34

All changing rooms were back then, weren't they? So tell us about Carlisle. How did that how did that move come about to Carlisle? So you're in Plymouth, other end of the world.

SPEAKER_05 40:42

I um literally and I get the call because I was just on, like I said, month to month. Got the call that who was the manager? Uh Halpy and Wilkesy. Right. How did they know you? I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 40:54

I don't know whether I'll just how it came about, but maybe available because you're on month to month sort of thing or something like that.

SPEAKER_05 41:01

Obviously, I got the call and thought, well, they were offering us like well, two and two and a half, three years. So I thought you got that's good, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 41:09

So was that in a summer or was that like on a halfway through? No, halfway through. So that's why the half came out. Good security that.

SPEAKER_05 41:16

Well, exactly. So in Plymouth were like, well, I don't know whether I can give you this, that so in the league, um League One at the time. Who were? Well, both of them.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

Oh, were they both and Knight and was chairman then? Aye. Did you meet him? Aye.

SPEAKER_05 41:35

Do you know what? You hardly seen him until the cameras and that were there. Ah, once the cameras were there, he was there right in amongst it.

SPEAKER_03 41:41

Who were the players in that team then? Any characters?

SPEAKER_05 41:45

Er we had to be fair, was that like the young lads coming through? Rory, Dilap, Matt Jansen, Scott Doby, Paul Bowteen, they were all like 17, 18. Who who was the one?

SPEAKER_04 42:00

Janny. Like just was he Graham? Was he just shame one that didn't win stuff?

SPEAKER_05 42:07

Aye. He could have well he was out close to England, wasn't he? Aye. That that happened because he wasn't heading to you.

SPEAKER_03 42:14

I heard he got Dolly told the story, didn't he? Dolly's dropping by the way next week, everyone. But um I thought it was he was in the squad, he got taught on the Saturday, he was in the squad, and then they decided to take Martin Keon. He's came up a bit today. On the Monday, Todd Grip wanted an extra defender or something, or Sven wanted an extra defender, and yeah, and he didn't go, and that's why he was in Italy on the moped, wasn't he? Broader, to get away, aye. Left footed, wasn't he? Aye. He was class like what did you see it in Rory or did people say to me they didn't see the in Rory, didn't see it. You knew there was a player in there.

SPEAKER_05 42:48

Yeah, um did he run games for Carlisle? No, he was more like uh a wing back, fullback, but he's just got that once he goes, he's he's away and he's right. Yeah, aye. Um because Derby took him in boat, didn't they? Aye. Jim Smith. I mean you you would have thought you could see a player there, but you would never have thought. I mean, what he went on to play four or five hundred Premier League games, something like that.

SPEAKER_03 43:12

That was the time I went to I was on the bench for Sunderland at Derby, and them two were playing, and I that was the first time I thought I should have gone lower to go higher and played. Yeah. Because they had a hundred games behind them, yeah, didn't they? They had a play. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 43:30

And Dobbes the same. Yeah, he was the same. He 100 games by the time he was.

SPEAKER_03 43:34

I hope Dobbs is at this dude we're gonna talk about. I've not seen Dobbs.

SPEAKER_04 43:37

The amount of players that come through that time was local, it was phenomenal, huh?

SPEAKER_03 43:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:40

Muzzer, Muzzer, Tony, um Keggy. Was Kegy West Kegy from? So Outwest. Yeah, outwest. Yeah, yeah, there's another one. Jeff Thorpe. Thorpe, yeah. You don't get that, do you?

SPEAKER_03 43:51

No, don't get nowhere near that now, do you? Tell us the so the the Jimmy glass season what you took the corner, obviously, and it was all because of the corner. But was that season where he's down and out? Do you know we weren't? Well, down there, but literally Nigel Pearson. Good manager.

SPEAKER_05 44:10

Good, good bloke. Like just proper old school honest.

SPEAKER_03 44:15

Did he ever panic him? He didn't look like he'd panic. More to the point, did he look arse? I don't know. It was kind of on that. If it happens, it happens. Like I've had a great career, I've got a bit wedge. It kind of looked like it was just love and light.

SPEAKER_05 44:28

He used to join in training and that. He was one of them, just but again, just come sadly, he was he'd you'd have your leg, you'd have you know if you wouldn't just you know the injury time for the corner.

SPEAKER_04 44:40

Is that because of Tony broke someone's leg? That was my mate. That's all gives my mate. Because how much injury time? Because who was the team that was thinking they were staying up? Was it Scarborough Scarborough? They were celebrating.

SPEAKER_03 44:52

But I wasn't Paul Gibbs, Tony. I don't know if it was a doing.

SPEAKER_05 44:56

No, it wasn't. It was just one of them. He's got a clear up the lane, Tony's coming flying in.

SPEAKER_03 45:01

But there that Ian McCall absolutely ran it, didn't he?

SPEAKER_05 45:05

Um Steve McCall. Steve McCall took his sell off, I wasn't he was like, I think he was something like 38 at the time. Still good, wasn't it? And then there was me procing Tony in McField. We're thinking, oh, we'll have it one up. Next thing.

SPEAKER_03 45:19

Everyone goes, You gotta you get him, you gotta how old were you then? Then 22, 23. So it must have been hard for you procing hopper, that pressure, like because you were local, or was it because you were that young you were eh. I I was alright.

SPEAKER_05 45:35

I think well the other story is Tony he got win at sorry, Pearson got in at 12 o'clock that day, that Saturday. Obviously no mean at half one or something. Yeah, yeah. So we've done the set pieces on the pitch and we named the team, done the set pieces, come in, uh, and it was about a quarter to one. And he went, right lads, he says, um all I want you to do now is back here for 20 to 3. He says, if you want to go home, go home, want to stay here, do whatever you want, but I need you back here 20 to 3 and your mind's right. We're like and he went before and he went like that, um bottle of brandy, bottle of whiskey on the medical bed in the middle, and walked out. And we're like just sat there, everyone's like, What do we do here? And it was Tony who went, Well, I'm shitting myself. There was only to be fair, there was only I think somebody else, but I don't know who. Two of them were the only ones who had a drink, nobody else did. Like were you as a young team then? I like to say it, um Brightwell with David Brightwell Captain, he was he was like late 20s, um Ian Stevens, he was um so I quite still early 20s all that.

SPEAKER_03 46:57

You know what? I think that's genius, mate. Yeah. I said to you, didn't I last week? What's it like waiting around a bloody dressing room? When we won the playoffs with Carlisle, we were late. We only had time to get our stuff on and go out, figure out it's mad, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 47:11

Because it's probably broke the ice a wee bit for the lads. Do you know what I mean? Everybody probably feeling it, and now there's an atmosphere, and him just being like because there's normally there's normally a run-of-the-mill way to do things. It's alright, there you go, lads, relax. Do you know what I mean? Like what if the whiskey takes you the other way?

SPEAKER_03 47:33

What you're doing, I'm not a so it obviously Jimmy's given the big in for all the M yeahs. He's done all right, I would have been another end.

SPEAKER_00 47:43

I was thinking, Jesus. Uh was he a goodkeeper? No, I scored more goals than Steve.

SPEAKER_03 47:55

But yeah, uh he's been in forklow, but that goal was St. Jimmy's day the other day, so you got your corner on. I was, I was. Who was the lad who when he scores? He's jumping up and down. Broken. And then the ref gets done. Someone told us of the party night. What was that night like?

unknown 48:17

Good.

SPEAKER_03 48:18

Day three. So where did you go after the? Anyone like just celebrating? We spoke about it in the last week.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

Like him just staying up, like buzzing but settled down, do you know what I mean? But I suppose like things like that change in the whole direction. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 48:32

If we had a won 5-0, what would have been relief? Aye, but keep eyeing all that where we're out, aren't we? And then Pearson left. Aye, aye, um well, it just night didn't just come a contract. So go back to where'd you go after it?

SPEAKER_04 48:49

Can you remember? Er track it. Tracky off.

SPEAKER_03 48:54

I wish I was round for this bus. Actually, I'm glad I wasn't. I got myself out of town after every game. Good. Do you know what?

SPEAKER_05 49:00

Got a good name around here for it. And uh in fact, Jimmy Jimmy go home. Because he only played three games and he was like, right, that was it, done and and we're like, you can't go home. So he came out in his keep our gear. Uh and he always said, he says, he was like still hyper, and a few lads still. And me and Tony were like, we're all right. Get as many done as you can. It was just everyone was just the fans were out, everyone was out. Amazing, man. All we well, I all weekend.

SPEAKER_02 49:34

Do you think only football can do that? Yeah. But I know sport, but like you see, like obviously, stories from how many years ago? Do you know what I mean? What I'd done to people, and they remember exactly where they were, what they'd done, who they're with, at certain moments. You don't forget.

SPEAKER_05 49:48

We had so I used to live on um Kingfisher Park. So just by myself at the time. Um so two of my mates came over, watched the game, went back to New Castle, and I was sitting in a pub in your castle and I went, I bet it's class in Carlisle tonight. So they got a taxi. So anyway, next thing we're in this nightclub, so me, Tony, my two mates go back to my house. So Sunday morning, knock on my door about half eight, nine o'clock, really. So I graham someone's at your door, goes downstairs, nobody about, but a bottle of champagne on my step. Uh goes back upstairs. Who was it? I said, I don't know, it's been maybe it's one of the neighbours, but left a bottle of champagne. So gets into bed, he goes, What are you doing? I said, What like he went? Well, you're not gonna open it. So the next thing, Sunday morning, four glasses of champagne. Hi class.

SPEAKER_03 50:51

When we uh got promoted, we came over Carlisle. I went back four o'clock in the morning, got mine about six, had about two hour kip, got my stuff on, came back crossing. Dolly took us to the joiners Ukrainian club and that the Ukrainian club. So, how did Carl end then? What happened? Why leave Carl?

SPEAKER_05 51:10

Oh, er, Martin Wilkinson happened.

SPEAKER_03 51:13

So he hasn't got a great name, has he? No, he hasn't no.

SPEAKER_05 51:16

No. Who was he? Uh a nobody. What was his credentials? I still don't know if he. I've never he was chief scout, and because Knighton didn't offer Pierson the job. Yeah, I think he was sort of a mate. So we just give him the job. Is this when Knighton had checked out? Was he like aye, give and he ended up with a job and he was just useless.

SPEAKER_04 51:38

So was that the next season? Yeah. Yeah. So did you not play at all next season or did you play a bit? In and out, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:43

I kept in and out, but it was one of them. You know, when you go and say your manager, why am I not playing? Yeah, I'm gonna keep you for this game or that game, and I've got to do this. So I think, alright, then you'd wait a week. He's not Alex Ferguson.

SPEAKER_03 51:56

Nicki boss, but I've got you for three weeks down the line.

SPEAKER_05 51:58

Okay. And then I'd I would play a couple of games, whatever, and then I knew I'd be out sooner or I got man in the match one week and I was on the bench the next.

SPEAKER_02 52:07

And you're like, I saw what's that, you know then, and you know, I feel like see when you're even playing, you can you feel it in your own like your own performance. Do you know what I mean? You know that I've got 45 minutes or a couple of bad passes, or you end up playing in yourself, do you know what I mean? Because you know any excuse, I'm out of the team for a week or two.

SPEAKER_03 52:22

Always take the kick off and pass it back. Tick. First pass tick. Confidence. So off to where Barrow?

SPEAKER_05 52:30

And what level were Barrow? Barrow or Con Conference North, right? Aye, or whatever, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 52:37

Did you you when Holt you were at Barrow together, weren't you? Yeah. Yeah. Grand Holt. So could you see in him then he was going to go higher or not?

SPEAKER_05 52:43

Yeah. Yeah. But again, probably I wouldn't have said he was going to play Premier League. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But definitely league. He was definitely he was definitely going to move up. Just the runs he's made, he was only like I think he was only 18-19 when he first came. So it'd have been like aye, but he was thin then, fast thin. Yeah, yeah. Um scored a hell of a lot of goals. And again, playing against big old centre halves in non-league, he was like shoving them off, and he'd get smashed.

SPEAKER_02 53:08

He was an old school number nine, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_05 53:10

Aye. But he'd get up, bounce up, and and even give them fans and that money.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

I had them hubs for six months with Browning Howie. Aye bro, it so he was the love.

SPEAKER_03 53:19

How did you find it? Was it more ti easier or was it harder? Did you have to be fair?

SPEAKER_05 53:24

No, to be fair, it took me probably six months to get used to the border.

SPEAKER_04 53:29

Was it a loan move, Graham, or did you go permanent? No, permanent. So did so is that when you started working? Or no? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 53:35

But uh we didn't train it. We first went to Bara. Because we used to have it was me and Hockey from Carlisle, there was a couple of lads from Doncaster area, and a car used to come over from Middlesbrough. Bloody hell. So he just used to say, right, you trained by yourself, you trained there. We just used to turn up for games. But because we had a good side, well but and you will have trained on your own, eh?

SPEAKER_02 53:57

I did, yeah. Run running a pod and bike.

SPEAKER_05 54:03

Um but we had a good side, we're winning games, and yeah, so it helps when you win and done it.

SPEAKER_03 54:08

Who was the manager there then? Kenny Law? Aye, but yeah, Geordie. Yeah. Aye, yeah, Kenny Law.

SPEAKER_04 54:15

Yeah, he was and then with Tommy Cassidy at work and then Tom's top story. Was it Cheltenham Week?

SPEAKER_05 54:26

So on the well, I like Cheltenham Week. So this will play so we're due to play, yeah. Sorry, we're due to train on the Tuesday, Cheltenham Week. And then we're going away on the Friday night, it was an overnight stay down at Ketron. Right. So we're going on the Friday. So the Sadda before we played playing at home. And you know when you I used to take the free kicks, but you know when they just run out the defence, they just run out. So they've done this. This is on the Sadder, so I'm putting it in, running out offside. So last minute way that drone are getting peace. I've got a free kick in it. Tommy's going, put in the box, put in the box. And I could see the centre like running out again. So I've pulled uh righty in. I says, Yeah, we'll take a shortened because they're just gonna run out. So took a shorten, ended up going in the box, got cleared. Anyway, he's coming after the game, hammered me for not putting it in. So I'm arguing back, saying, The runner, have you not? So it got to stage where I stood up, he stood up.

SPEAKER_07 55:28

I mean he's 70 odd year old. That's why he fancy child.

SPEAKER_05 55:32

Still pulled somebody in front of us. So anyway, after that, I had to go and see him after the game. By the way, I won't be a training Tuesday. Why not? Uh uh Cheltenham week after that but I'll be alright. So anyway, we he never used to travel on the bus. So we gets on the bus on the Friday, goes down, gets in the hotel about 11 o'clock that night. Tommy Cassidy ringing us. Hello, what you doing? Oh, just no hotel. You're not in the squad. Oh Friday. Was that Gold Cup? Aye. All the way. So I said, well, you what? After last week, I said, Well, you never told us. So we hadn't arguing, arguing again on the phone. Anyway, as it happened, we allowed five subs then. We only had three subs. So I thought, oh at least I'll be on the bench and make it on. Turns up, he names the teams, names the subs. I'm still not subs. You couldn't blow the bench.

SPEAKER_04 56:29

Two spare tops hanging up. Oh squad. Is that it?

SPEAKER_05 56:32

Texie loves it.

SPEAKER_03 56:33

Texas. Did you finish it with uh Workington?

SPEAKER_05 56:38

No, I went to Penruth for a bit. Oh did you?

SPEAKER_03 56:41

What age did you play at him?

SPEAKER_05 56:43

35. Did you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:44

I couldn't get past the Amy. Was it your knees? I will say it's my back, but I think the Jordan Jones pay out, didn't I? So what was the best player you ever played against?

SPEAKER_05 57:01

Erm. Probably Ann Mulby. Oh yes. Going back to what we said before about that's not a lot of running between two players, is it? I was again 80, and it was a reserved game at Anfield, and he's playing, you could just come back from injury. So I'm thinking I was he's not gonna beat by and all he's gonna do is pass it.

SPEAKER_03 57:26

He's not gonna run.

SPEAKER_05 57:27

Make sure he doesn't get injured. Come off at half time. I'm like and the manager's going, I told you we're gonna get near him, and I'm like, he hasn't moved, and I can't get near him. And it's the first time I thought there's something in that, you know, not it.

SPEAKER_03 57:43

You don't learn it till then he was class, he was class. Best ground, probably Anthony. Biggest game you've ever played in where you've thought.

SPEAKER_05 57:56

Um do you know what I have to say that you become with a with everything on it?

SPEAKER_03 58:02

How did you feel before your debut, Chef Hugh? First ever one. Erm I was ill, mate. And on the walk, wolves away, 18. You've had your prematch, but it's not even you've not even had it, you're like, boys are talking to you in that as well, and it just enjoy it in that.

SPEAKER_02 58:18

Like it makes it worse, then it's like love me while you're white, green.

SPEAKER_05 58:23

I was sub putting on your warming up and you're thinking, I probably might not get on here. And then you get the show Graham, you're like, Who is it against? We got Crystal Palace at trouble. Selling sellers park.

SPEAKER_03 58:34

Oh, not a great for content. Not for a ball player. That's a tough thing, right?

SPEAKER_05 58:38

Jeff United were actually one-nil up. And I'm thinking, oh no, what you know, you make a mistake or something like that. But uh, we're seeing it out anyway, so it was alright.

SPEAKER_03 58:49

Um for people who don't know, you used to run um well you do run B, but you had a lot of over the years, you've had the Carlisle United apprentices there, haven't you? Yeah. So you've you had the Kyle Dempseys, people like that. You've had Gary Medine. Gary Medine, oh god, Gary Medine. Um he'll be coming on soon, guys. But it's just what so you've seen the ups and downs, haven't you? You've seen never come to you for a bit of advice.

SPEAKER_05 59:14

They used to, I back in the back in the day, as is the later on, no, but uh I the first few years of the day some good lads through, and again, they wanted to be players.

SPEAKER_03 59:26

The last few years, there were more interesting appearance and could you could you see the change in the you could probably see the Gasmodine coming looking like a bag of shit every day and knocking his pan in and then the next lot kind of footballers before now is on the little fancy wash bags. What was that, Skip?

SPEAKER_04 59:45

What was that? Footballers before the footballers on.

SPEAKER_03 59:48

Like that one, like that one. You might go to the top, yeah. Excuse me. You've redeemed yourself last night. Well, I wanted to bring this one back up off last week, and I think Graeme's got good insight to it as well. So remember, the sport agent posted this. Yes. We'll go again. I seen this week that a 12-year-old kid going viral after being released by Liverpool, and it shows me that the academy system is broken. I think that academies should start under 12s 13s with only a couple of training sessions until they're about 14, not every night. The sacrifices made by these kids and their families, investing time, taking time off work, taking their kids to training, matches, travelling, money on boots, and only hopefully that the football that son becomes a footballer at 16. Then they've received the news you're not good enough. Thanks, go back to being a kid with your mates who you've hardly seen over the years. I know everyone develops differently, but at 14 I got off at a pro at 15 and then got picked for England 16, 17, 18. Because I had been in Academy set up for years, I was a different player to most my age when I joined. And a bit like Wayne Rooney, we had developed differently and the coaches like that better. I was lucky enough to play with him. He was coming through now, and if he was in Academy now, Wayne Rooney, he would get all that um uh instinctiveness coached out of him. What do you think?

SPEAKER_04 1:01:07

Yeah, I think like Rooney coming through. He was like like you say, if he was now we'd be get the likes sort of sucked out of him, wouldn't he? And he'd be turned into like just a runner, not running the mill. Inside forward or something. Aye, and he wouldn't have to do some of the things I've done. And I'd that's what I find now. I think they're all very cautious to be very much the same, do you know what I mean? Instead of having just a bit of be individuals and a bit.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:33

I tell you what I think's quite individual, Declan Rice. He can tackle, he can get around the pitch, he can pass, he can score goals, and he's not like that diminutive little number ten and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:46

I'm not sure. He doesn't like Rice. I'm not sure. I I I think he's a really, really good player, but he doesn't seem an academy one to me though. He just kinda you just pass it. Do you know what I mean? When I don't see him taking any risks at all, like now you try to find a a pass. I mean, maybe his game's just been out of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:04

Tell you bloody took risks. Then Borum Wood players, they pass through the lines every time. Even the Rochdale players did as well. Good to see. Gaz Medim was one. I told the lads that he came in a year late and I said to Neil MacDonald, why? Because you've got a couple of tall lads. He went, nah, he's completely different, he's thrown his arms up, he's strong, you need to work on his touch. Kev Kyllett, Sunderland, the same. So they bypassed the academy lads. So what's the point in Academy when the manager's looking for something different?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:33

Keeping that streetwise, kind of it's going out again a bit, innit? You talk about Win Running, that that's running about with his mates. Do you know what I mean? Playing in the street now, it's you don't see it. And again, you go straight in the academy, they all get coached to death about systems and passing the ball, and there's no gazers, there's no maybe your Phil Foldens, and that's probably the last yeah. Now you're like street soccer.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:53

They should be allowed to play if they play for the academy on a Sunday up to 16. I see like the under 11, 12s are all getting two-year contracts. This they should be allowed to play for the school or boys' club grassroots on a Saturday, I think. Because then that's different.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:06

When I say Newcastle, I was allowed. Uh so uh when I was 14 the first year, I only played home games for the school boys and I played for the Catholic Club on away games.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:16

I was allowed to play all the way through until 16.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:20

But like you go back to players like that, my age was Joe Cole, and he was like an average, wasn't he? He's just he'd just done what he wanted, but he was he used to like beat five men at a time and do mad skills and all that, you just don't see it ever anymore.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:33

I I think it's that's I think a couple of training sessions a week, play for your school or play for your boys' club on a Saturday, play that's a bit of fun, isn't it? So when you go to school, you're mates or then you can do different things, it's too full on.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:45

Well, you can try things with your mates, don't you try a little bit? If you're doing it getting coached, like you say probably half the time, they'll coach it out to you, just tilt you pass it, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:53

Can I just say, right? And this is you know, you're playing against him with like five or six, it's the worst. It's just because you can't get near him. Like he gone about not running, football brain wise, amazing, amazing. It like, but then you think, where's he? And he's like he's gone. Just clutch just a yard, just a Yan Mobile effect, and they're the ones laying off the door. I'd much rather play against someone who just runs box to box, or well, not box to box, but just box.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:17

If I'll get rid of him, so yeah, so going on from the academy, going on to youth team coach stories. So I've I put something out to me ex-sunlon mates the other day about youth team coaches, and a few stories were popping off, and honestly, it's got me just absolutely laughing my head off. So I I don't know if your your your team coach was who? Alan Irvine, Harsh, yeah, Rick Sabrasia. Scary Harsh. Who is you Keith Mincher? Keith Mincher. He came into balls as a bloody uh psychologist, duck egg. You couldn't uh call him for him. I is that what they keep saying, the disappearance. Oh, where is he or something? Was he harsh? What was he thinker then?

SPEAKER_05 1:05:01

Um it could be harsh, but not like over the top sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:05

Uh I remember um you know when they'd done the jobs. I don't you would have had this. You've done the jobs, you finished, haven't you? Waiting to get off. And coach come down and like see if there's dust and all that, and you're waiting to get off. And you're just like, who's whoever let the lads down, the rest of them would just be absolutely killing them. I remember so Rick Sabreja, he ended up managing something in the Premier League. So he was all youth team coach, Scottish Italian, he was. I'm sure he worked with Scotland, they feel in that youth teams, I think. Unreal, but good at it in 1996, lunatic, like lunatic. Um, but again, made us, made all of us like character building a lot. But like, say you get mentioned a lot, Mark Mealy, but say Mark Maalley's here, and the coach is here, and Elliot Dickman's the other centre half there, excessory. He'd go, Elliot. Elliot. Go, yeah, you go. Tell Mark Milly is a fucking liability. A little guy. Mills are a liability. Go, James Elliott. James Rick. But er, so talking about Kev Kyle, we got through. You got so Kev Kale came. He was doing well under Peter Reed in that. But Rick always brought you back down to earth, so big centre forward. And just everything was bouncing off him one game in the reserves, and we're like, fucking hell, Kev. Like one of the lads just said, Kev, like, just try and hold it up. Rick Sabras went, hold it up. He couldn't hold up a good hard on.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:36

Kev Kell's a hard. I've just drove from strong rot and playing this game.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:40

But I Alan Irving, Chopra.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:43

Youth Cup game. We played at Sunland, St James's, and obviously it was a night kickoff, like Tuesday, Wednesday night. And uh Chopra's bowl in. He was the he was the boy when he was Chopra. So he was two years younger than me. He had contract after contract. And he was like gonna play for England and be the next Alan Chair and all this. Well he's walked in with shopping bags. Uh remember Cruz? Yeah. I was looking thinking, can't have been shopping before. Obviously, you'd be supposed to be at home or back or wherever your digs are wrestling and stuff. He's like, What's that chops? I've just been shopping. Have you? Give us a look. I'd look at him and went, very nice. Get yourself away. I mean you're not playing tonight, son. Sent him on his way. Honestly, I said, What did like hammered him though? I said, What do you think you're doing? Yeah. Walking around the town, thinking you're the this that and the other when we've got the like the biggest game of your career and all that.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:29

And honestly, he sent him all. That was him on his way. I did ask Adam with his name on it, like at 15, I'd put his name on his boots and that. It's just like he was some player, man. Was he finisher and then he got his moves?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:40

Like even at our age. What age was he then when he was buying the flip the.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:43

Well, I was I'd have been 17, so he'd have been like 15 or England.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:48

You know that tournament they used to have on Sky, the Victory Shield. Yeah, I played it. Oh, did you? Yeah, yeah, I played in that. Who was your year then?

SPEAKER_02 1:07:55

Did you win it? No. England win it. England had like Claire Wickham, Ross Batley, Raheem Sterling, and all that, like top John Stones, I think, like top players. Most of them played in the national team in the first team, so did they? I remember that. I used to love watching them. Oh, that was my that was Mike Lone scored one of the best goals I've ever seen. Rooney scored like hat-trick, I think, as well against Scotland, I think, every game. When he was like nine.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:20

Do you remember my mate Stu Nick, who got caught on the dog walk? Yeah. Ex-Wes Brom. He went, When I was in Diggs at West Brom doing keep you ups with an orange, long story short, I had the Henry the Hoover out vacuuming the landlady's mother's ashes up and gluing her China back together. What did you say? Some people used to come and knock, and so Skip didn't go out, and some of the older lads used to come back and need to use his double bed after a night out, didn't they? At the hotel, lads used to share you wanted to get over.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:50

Lads used to share rooms, right? For some reason I got put in on my own, I had a double bed. So if the if I wasn't out and you could hear the stairs coming up the stairs, next thing, I've got a double bed, can hear the girl's voice. So I'll be like, fuck off, I'm damn trying to sleep. And he just little Irish kid, you wouldn't leave it. Let us in and he knocked and knocked and knocked. I was like, went the door, stood there with a with a lass, and down the corridor sharing with it with his roommate, and he's just he's in my room doing what he's doing. And that happened quite regularly, to be honest.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:20

Talking about that, Rick Sabras. I went a right way called Dominic Rice, just a lovely lad from Sunland, just playing right wing. He's struggling first half, and Rick Sabras just walked down, bent, bent towards him, and just went, Oh, what's the matter? Left back too good for you. Do you want us to go and get your ma?

SPEAKER_07 1:09:39

No.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:39

He's like, Oh, what's the matter? Just absolutely patronised this one. So I've got one in from Mark Convrie, mate, about Rick Sabrasia. This is a good one. All right, lummy. We were late for training one day. Me, George McCartney, George McCartney went for West 5 million, 5 million, 5 million. Me, George McCartney, Merley, and Greg Shannon. Ricky was waiting at the gates for us. We jumped out the taxi, get in my office now, starts having to go at us, and this was the time we weren't allowed mobile phones. In the middle of asking us who the fuck we think we are, Mailey's pocket starts ringing. Fucking hilarious. He told us to get out of his sight and merely to stay in his office. To top it off, Mayle had his collar up because he had a love bite. Love bite. Remember love bites? So Kevin Ball, like Kevin Ball, ex Sumbling Captain that he wanted you to do it right, didn't he? He was old school, didn't like the young lads getting above their cells. So one time, like there's this white new BM like outside class. Kevin Balls came in and went, Fucking hell, who's as the new white BM? Lovely model. I was looking at it myself. Someone went, Merely's Merley's walked in, swinging his keys.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:00

Really had to get some uh so we all got a driving instructor from Sunderland, and it was funny. Melee was doing his driving, learn how to drive in this car. He's like that, reverse around the corner, just putting his arm over then going, watch your back there, just reversing in. Talking about phones, Steve Hayward, away at Walsall. We had just got beaten a relegation like nearly decider, Barnesy at Walsall. Steve had done his cruciate, so he was just coming back, but Steve wasn't in the squad. Steve Parkins laying into her. That ring tone. Steve's gun runs to the toilet, it won't go off. He said he was on the verge of just throwing it.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:41

He's trying to fill the battery just on the verge of throwing it down. But it was a Nokia man.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:46

He's going mad with a hammer. It just stopped till it stopped. Now I was thinking it's gonna stop any minute. He said he had like his hands, are so sweaty, it was jumping out and all that. Have I had one of them? Your phone going off. Nah, Jimmy Rem was telling us that Loire Loire put a dog barking on his phone as a ringtone once, and Bobby Robson was going, eh?

SPEAKER_04 1:12:08

No Loire Loire, right? He was that clueless, right? So he came from Colchester and he got put in like a big fancy apartment, but he didn't know how to live on his own or anything. And he ended up getting uh what is it, the bailiffs? Yeah, and I'm kicking him out, like because he just nothing got paid.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:23

Like you know, get you get letters low, and he was like, Imagine that now, you just get everything done, and that's the problem when you finish, you kind of do now, can't pay a bill. Oh no. Aye, wouldn't have minded that though. Oh no, clown watch, you lot. I don't need crisps and chocolate discussions at 11 o'clock at night. Chocolate bars and that. Who's this? On our group chat.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:45

I'm asleep by then, so you can't see. I'm more worried about you said chocolate, like can I room temper chocolate? And I was nearly sick.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:52

Double decker, room chocolate.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:54

Surely your chocolate's got to be in the fridge, no?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:56

Grim?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:57

Fridge. It's got to be in the fridge.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:58

Not not with a double decker, because then the the schmalog or whatever's in go on the nugget goes too hard. Well, you you let it defrost for five ten minutes before you get in it. Defrost, I want my chocolate bar there. Now done.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:10

No, that's madness to me. Madness. Remember Spiras, they were decent. What about crisps? What's your favourite crisp?

SPEAKER_03 1:13:17

Uh cheese and onion discos. It's not bad. Pickled onion monster. You ever got in for a night out, right? After the drink, how many bags of crisps could you do? You could easily do 20. You look at the bottom of your bed after the sun and the morning you go, oh no.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:32

Crumbs everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:33

14 pack of discourse never drinking again. Oh, what time are they cali quavers? Easy. Have you tried the co op ones?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:41

The co op salt and vinegar. Best ever. Like proper tongue will be white after it, like bunt. Amazing. Did they give you a sweat on? A proper sweat. Nah, I'm out. Honestly, top.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:54

Pickled onion Monster Munch getting some, but nah, not for me. No. Beef, maybe. Too messy, I think. We've got a peeve and an ick in. Can I add a major ick? Is the Arsenal song, North London Forever. Jesus, it's the most cringy annoying thing ever. I don't mind teams having songs, but to try and create an anthem that you never had is just embarrassing. That's from Grant Davison. So not only Arsenal now trying to create an anthem. That's top to that song's good. What's the best one? Thingy of Hibbs. What's the heath?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:22

Sunshine and Leaf. Oh, aye aye. It's a built of that, innit?

SPEAKER_05 1:14:25

Yeah, class.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:26

It's unreal to watch after the funny game, man. They're all just walk on was good at the weekend. The Celtic Rangers game. Ah. Walk on was really good.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:34

They all sing simply the best now out there as well, don't they?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:38

They've kind of took it. Aye, they've took over. And then I think Rangers have started with the last game, I think they because they used to just play it as they're walking out, and Celtic fans used to sing it, and now they've added the full version. Because the full version involves all the sectarian words that they sing, so it's almost tit for tat, but I Right, I've got a Nick.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:59

He's not gonna like it. James Phillips, well, BBC radio commentator, shared a call with him for 13 years, shared a job with him when he took a drink. Ah to every sip. So James, I know you listen, cut it out. Hunts won't be having it in the car.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:18

I asked my missus before, says, Have you got any uh icks for me? Jeez. I wish you never asked her. Listen the way you slop them. The way them for the week. The way you select your tea. Right. The way you crunch your food, chew your food. But the worst one is when you go in Sophia's snack cupboard, she said, I'll go and try and get her something out, and there's none left. And I deny it.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:40

It wasn't me. Hey, you know how Laura stitched me up last week about my egg with a hot dog. Well, right back at you. Brushing her teeth, right? Spit it down the hole. Not spit the toothpaste on the basin so it has to be wiped. Just put it down, like lean over the hole, down. That's a peeve. That's what the tap's for, just to swivel it down. It's right at the top. Water doesn't even come round that face. It's meant to be a football podcast. Anyway, we're onto what's the crack. And we've got a serious one here from Mark Whitfield. Loving the podcast. The mix of CUFC, football, and general banter is brilliant. I was just wondering if any of any of your lads had some inside perspective of the state of the club off the field when we got promoted to League One in 2023. Every time Tom Pyatik makes a statement like the other day, it's met with general criticism and how the owners have failed the club. To me, Simon's success in 2023 papered over massive cracks off the field after the years of gradual decline and then with the sad passing of Andrew Jenkins. I personally think we would have been in serious financial trouble if they had not come in, as we would have still been chained to the two million pound debt to pure pay. What is your opinion on this? Would CUFC be in any better position without the Pyatic investment, or could we potentially be in a worse position? Keep up the great work. So someone would always have took Carlell United over. It wouldn't have died, you know, after Andrew Jenkins and the border, and there was two million debt. So there were interested groups, but the messages at least two of them got from Nigel Clibbins what the PyAdX were preferred, and that's the road they were going down. Two million plus in debt. Andrew Jenkins, quite rightly, in my eyes, stopped personally putting money in to keep the club afloat. Philip Day originally came in as an ally to the board, then that relationship soured, and it looked like his debt would actually kill the club. So thankfully the family came in, cleared, or reduced the debt. I agree. Simmo worked miracles to get us up, and it was too early to go to League One. But if the family were in six months before, we would have had more of a chance with a bigger budget, I feel, and sign better players. And finally, with the family now, would we in a worse position? I think if the family had done what they are doing now, asking the right people for advice, not relying on who they did go to, I think we would be in a better uh hindsight, though, isn't it? Hindsight. I don't think we would have been relegated. Well, I think League One would have been hard, but I definitely don't think it would have been relegated the second time. Um Williamson was a shambles. Then they give Simmo a transfer window than Sackdam. Then to do it again with Mike Williamson when it was apparent he wasn't the man was a blow. So off the field, facilities, the ground we've all said are great, but on the pitch, a bit of a disaster. But next season I can't see anything but promotion as the standard of the league and the resources we have, and still the players we have, Linny, Armstrong, Kelly, and Feeney. I think they'll get what they deserve with a commitment to the club. I think they've got a promotion. Yeah, New York and Rochdale. So glad they came in.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:58

Yeah, I think all round, I think it's been good for the club. As you say, a lot of the off-field stuff, it's been great. Like they're operating well above the leagues. Do you know what I mean? With the hospitality and Premier League, yeah, like the changing rooms and everything else. It's just they're they're not really in charge of what happens on the pitch, I suppose. Do you know? To an extent. Like they put people in place to sort of and they're putting their money where their mouth is as well. They're not skipping the scaven, so but they've always put people in place and then they've removed people that they think they're not doing that.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:27

I think it's took I think it's took the time to suss out who because they were getting advice, do you know?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:32

Yeah, exactly. Where to put the money in I do think if they were in six months earlier with Simmel, I think Simmel would have been would have been good for them, good for the club, but kind of get caught in maybe wrong timing. Had all this money to spend in it one window, then yeah and it's kind of part no panic, but kind of thought, well, we need to we need to do something to get it going, do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 1:19:52

To keep us up and was there a plan for Simmel to go upstairs at one point, like yeah, I think that was the original plan literally after the end of the league one promo when they got promoted.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:01

Um do you think that would have been a good move then? Yeah, yeah. So we've got to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:04

And then definitely, definitely when they came down to League 2, that was when it was meant to happen. The family asked them to carry on, and then obviously the bullet happened, which was a bit of a shock. But I think yeah, I I think that would have been a good move.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:16

Yeah, definitely. He's a good football guy, do you know what I mean? And he's got Kaleo heart as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:22

I think he gets a bit of stick for not spending the money, but I can see both sides.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:26

If the money's there to be spent, spend it, but also you don't want to be ripping off but he knows how like how what how careless you can be with agents and promising your world, and then you end up with boys on three-year contracts on crazy money, getting paid off, getting massed. No, not just that, but like there's there's loads, there's loads of players, do you know what I mean? That you would say that the money could have been spent a bit better, do you know what I mean? And he was very um he'd done his homework, do you know what I mean? On players, he wanted to know the background of characters and not just an agent telling you how many goals and assists he's got. Do you know he looked into the person and then see if it fits the club? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:01

I I think yeah, like definitely off the field. You look you go down now and it's a it's a good day, innit? Aye. Families down there, take your kids, all that, yeah, off the field. You can't you can't knock them ready for that. Like say I'd uh it's not their fault. They've they've put people in place to get these players in, and they're not gonna produce.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:26

Which you have to, don't you? Yeah, but slowly but surely they're gonna get they're not lean on Fred's story at all, no. Did they not wanna? I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 1:21:34

I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:35

I think by all accounts, Nigel Clibbins ran it for a while. Then they've got um Mark Tierney in. I think Paul Hart knocking her out. Not not sure how much input that's in, but you learn as you go along, don't you? And unfortunately, two really I think the League One relegation to League Two is fine. Not fine, but But you need to stay in League Two, don't you? But the League Two is the colour. And next year, got hopefully the family get the promotion. Anyway, thank you for that, Mark. Great one. So let's finish on a little bit of fun. Love the pods, lads. Need names, worst dressed player you've shared a dressing room with, and what was their gear? Well, I'm gonna go for Nell Quinn, the Mexican, because he wore a long jumper which looked like a pancho, and sometimes wore a cowboy boot as well. So he had a bit of both going on.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:28

Mine was Stevie Calwell. Oh, yeah. Oh, just bizarre what he used to wear. Like what as in what? Like high-tech trainers, like as in like high-tech were known as a shit make, so he'd wear them. And like he'd wear, like, if flares weren't in, he'd wear them. Yeah, he'd just want to wear something completely different. But he owned it, do you know what I mean? He'd he'd walk in born and say, I look the nuts, and you're like, You don't, mate, honestly.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:51

Lee Crooks used to wear the same tracks every day, and he wasn't ours. He must have got out of bed, and his cover must have opened, and the tracksuit must have jumped on him.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:59

Aye, but the same Ian Stevens as well as a great steel. And he's I'm sure he must have slept in his trackey because it was that creased, it was phenomenal. Creased. I got we're a brick.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:11

Um I wouldn't say like outrageous, but John McGinn was a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt every single day. Just not bothered. See the baggy kind of grey, kind of loose, the ones you would wear in the evening, they're chilling the kids. He would wear them every single morning. And to be fair, see sometimes on Aston Vols like Instagram, and now they're coming at the training, and you know what them Prem boys are like Louis Vuitton and mad stuff. And John's literally walking in his wash bag and the exact same like shorts and t-shirt.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:38

Do you know Stan Color because he's not he's he's do you know Stan Collymore said that he's his second favourite ever villa player? Yeah, did he? Uh because um the lad was it Walsh, blonde lad, died not long ago. Shaw. Shaw won the European Cup, Gary Shaw, something like that, wasn't he? Yeah, but he said McKinn. Boom, anyone worse gear? Ian Stevens. Was he? Honestly, he was like he didn't get it. What like just trampy? Yeah, I think the worst ones are the ones who have a go and can't pull it off.

SPEAKER_04 1:24:07

He'd be the type of guy to drive like a car with like one wheel trim up and three mysteries that hard. Nah, honestly, he wasn't bothered one bit.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:13

I don't get these lads who you come in and you've got your track, and they've had a right bash.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:17

Oh warn button. Unless you're going somewhere after, unless you're going like out of the messes or you've got something on after anyone done in something half decent, but I used to give myself away because I'd just track it up and I'd come in smart and the money is out after it's stinking aftershave after the water, the ash if I spray your aftersave though, and you're like, Oh, don't want to be dishing this in there, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:43

Right, we've mentioned them a lot through this. Yeah, Tony Hopper, ex-teammate, did you play with them, skip?

SPEAKER_04 1:24:50

Um, yeah, working. Working to yeah, just at um just at working, yeah. For once.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:55

Graham working to Nan Carlisle. Aye and best pals, best mates, yeah. So unfortunately, Tony lost his life around how many years ago? Five years. Five years ago. Yeah, and motor neurons disease. Um, and boy, yeah. I played in a charity game with him, and he got diagnosed just soon after that, and uh it's as we say, it's becoming more and more common, and we need to find that cure. But it would have been his 50th birthday, the end of this month, wouldn't it? And there's a do on at uh Holston. Um that's all tickets, that's sold out, black tie do, but loads of prizes, loads of um raffle tickets. We'll put the link up, and then there's a game at Penrith, a two o'clock kickoff on the Sunday. Yeah, ex-Carlisle versus ex working in the city. They'll be fitter and younger, eh? They've got about 50 players. There's only 11 shirts. Yeah, they've got they've got a lot. I'd say what strips I think we're wearing. Um I always think the daube's in it, the blue stripes, and then a bit of red. It'll be the one Tony wore. Right, right. I can't remember what yeah, I'll get it and I'll put it up. That could be Titan. That's alright, we've got another week. But yeah, a couple of words on Tony.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:13

Just yeah. You liked it.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:15

You like your Monday club, didn't you? Like a Monday club or Tuesday clubs.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:18

It was it was one of them. I just loved a a random drink. After training out on bang, he just he loved more of that side of the thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:28

Was he more of a pub pub man or a nightclub man?

SPEAKER_05 1:26:32

Pub yeah, yeah, he just liked uh they say after after training he'd just say fancy a playing out of nowhere, like come on, let's go. Um had a golf day one day on a Monday. For the club. For the club, like organised golf day at Stony Home. So me and him's last off just a tour where everyone's gone ahead. So I put two cans in my bag. And I think the ninth when you go back up Stony Home, yeah, you've got the clubhouse. So he's just about to take off on the ninth, and I'm going, and he looked behind, he's going, Oh, it's a beautiful day. So he's like that, oh I said, Yeah. So walking up and he went, we're not playing the back now. I knew that was coming. I said, What would you want to do? We went, well, we can't go in the clubhouse because uh I think it was Alpine and that one. So he goes over the beehive. So just me and him sat outside in the bee. I had a nice day. Um I said, Well, we can't have too many. I said, Well, the beehive, if they come over and so we sits, his phone goes, and I think it's one of his mates, probably Damo. I hang on he goes, fancy your castle. I went, he says, going to your cars are going to a castle. I went I were going. No, I'm in a car, going to your castle with Hobby and the Damo and a couple of his mate. Nightclub. Monday night. But next thing back in next thing before you know of a train and choose one, I was thinking, how did that happen? It was a golf date. You were just over that ten minutes ago. And before you know it, you're in nightclub and in your castle. There's some clubs still, it's Tony. I'm just stashing too trained.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:21

Aye, so it'd be a great night. Good player, wasn't he?

SPEAKER_05 1:28:25

Again, one of them, you'd you'd have your team, done all the dirty work, ran around all day long, covered every blade, had it, kicked it.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:32

Yeah, under eight, I think. I think was very good. Um, but like I know they were best pals. And can you remember Graham when he first told you about his illness or not?

SPEAKER_05 1:28:42

Aye, um he he'd been like dropping stuff and and slurring his words was one of his first ones. And like, as he said, Well, I always remember in the car, and he went, Do I do you think I slur my words? I said, Well, majority of the time when we're out together, we're on the drink. We four too. So yes. I'd be worried if he did that. And he went in and then he he started going for tests, and then he he phoned up this. Well, actually, it was Sue. Sue phoned us up, and at the time I was in the house with Mel, who just burst into tears because I knew what it was. You knew the outcome. Yeah. I just said this and he knew and he knew it wasn't far down the line. Well, he didn't have a time limit on it, actually. Um, two years, two years he lasted eye.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:31

And you know what? Even when he was in a bad way, he still would have laughed, didn't he? Oh and a drink amount.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:39

Oh, he looked like he never ever wheel him out. Well, this is like he started going downhill. At first he he he would like walk with a limp, but then he was in a wheelchair and he used to have a paint and a straw and just sit there, and he just used to have a smile all day long because he was just out with the lads. What a way to be here when you've got that. Like, but that just summed him up, didn't it? Oh lads. But you told like how we he ended up the last week or two weeks in the hospice. Um and they were brilliant in there with her. And we went in and the nurses were talking to her and we jokingly went, I will bring the cans the next time we come. And the nurses went, Well, why don't you? And we're like, Can we definitely if if you want a can, you can have to work. Used to go and sit with them and have a can. And then um when he used he just used to say toilet. Obviously he couldn't go himself, so what we used to do we used to have a milk bottle, cut the top off, and we'd take him to the toilet, pull his pants down, milk bottle. So he cleaned a milk bottle, took it out and so this time um so I took him and when our mate Huly he says um he's never asked me to take him toilet. I hope he feels he says, I'll I'll do you know. He says, I'm not like So we're in the hospice, and he went toilet, so I've took him. Milk bottle So next time toilet. So Huly, I'll take him. So I've given the milk bottle. So gone in the toilet.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:11

All I've heard is ah, ah, you dirty, oh man, ah I'm so they've come out, Tony's like laughing, big smile, like I said, what happened there?

SPEAKER_05 1:31:28

So Hully went, Well, I've done exactly what you'd pull his pants down. He said, I've put the mug bottle, but he's put on the floor. So Tony's can't speak. So Tony's going, no, there, there, there, no, no. And in the end, Tony's just gone, yeah. So that's why that's right. Oh, it's even right to the end, he was up on the laptop.

SPEAKER_04 1:31:54

The last week or so of his and like we've said before, like, there's nobody who like you can't find anybody who's got a bad word to ever say about him. He was that much of a nice guy and still a big, big miss, isn't he?

SPEAKER_05 1:32:07

Well, just doing things like this still, that's like you say it's been a few years now, and still he's still fondly remembered.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:13

So, everyone, so it's the 30th and 31st. The night time, the the game's the 31st of May, I think. That's the Sunday. Get it all up, Sunday, two o'clock kickoff, get down for half twelve. Plenty of stuff that the the prizes, there's loads of them, some prizes as well. Bloody hell. But it'll be a chance to see some ex-carlis players, ex-Penrith working in. So Holy Carlisle get together, Cumbria get together and do that there. And cheers for coming, Grimm. Top Mungrim, thank you very much, pal. We'll leave, we'll let you offie, we're not gonna tell the we love you, Lee story. Not yet. We'll sponsor it again. But cheers, lads, thank you very much, all the best. Top Mangrim. Thank you. Cheers, Pop.