Random Times you’ve bumped into a Footballer

[Turkish]

Obviously with my engagement in the CoT this happens a lot but when outside of the usual pubs, clubs sightings what’s the most unusual place?

for me

jamie Carragher a the ticket machine in Kings Cross c2017

Dean Richards in a London Road letting agency c2000

Toby Alderwierld coming out of a sunbed shop when  he played for us c2015

[Crab Lungs]

I went through a period of bumping into Ken Monkou around town.

Not sure who was more perturbed, him or me.

[Crab Lungs]

6 hours ago, Turkish said:

Obviously with my engagement in the CoT this happens a lot but when outside of the usual pubs, clubs sightings what’s the most unusual place?

for me

jamie Carragher a the ticket machine in Kings Cross c2017

Dean Richards in a London Road letting agency c2000

Toby Alderwierld coming out of a sunbed shop when  he played for us c2015

Neil Moss was definitely an advocate of a sunbed, 100%

[Whitey Grandad]

Gordon Strachan in Marks and Spencer at Hedge End a few years ago. It was just before Christmas and I gave him one of my spare money off vouchers. He seemed very pleased.

[Colinjb]

Sofiane Boufal in the Tesco Express in Kings Worthy. 

[jemanson]

Stuart Pearce stood in front of me watching the Buzzcocks last night in Guildhall Square.

Previously Kevin Keegan and the Man City squad at Manchester Airport. Jason Dodd and Chris Nicholl at David Lloyd.

[Tamesaint]

Aston Villa on a plane going to Hong Kong for pre season. I was going there for work. 

Aston Villa on a plane going to Philadelphia one year later. They were going for pre season. I was going there for work. 

In Hong Kong the team was whisked through immigration. In Philadelphia they had to queue like everyone else in one of those long customs snake like queues. Paul Lambert, the manager at the time, spent most of his time waiting on the phone. 

Edited 13 hours ago by Tamesaint

[skintsaint]

Robbie Fowler at the Perth Cup many years back is my only one seen in the wild.

[Sparkkyy]

Gordon Strachan in Leamington Wagamamas.
 

My wife works in a shop at Bicester village and has served Maya Yoshida a few times 

[danjosaint]

Flew up to Edinburgh next to Stuart Armstrong, had a fair bit of chat and what a really nice bloke 

[ibizasaint]

The Original Ronaldo - Ibiza Country Club..he had been playing Padel..

Kevin De Bruyne..Playa den Bossa

Pirlo - Ibiza Town

Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa ( who was incredibly friendly and approachable) just after they won the WC 

Ulrich Van Gobbel - Southampton Asda

[jemanson]

1 hour ago, jemanson said:

Stuart Pearce stood in front of me watching the Buzzcocks last night in Guildhall Square.

Previously Kevin Keegan and the Man City squad at Manchester Airport. Jason Dodd and Chris Nicholl at David Lloyd.

Forgot that in the late 80s I played cricket against a team containing then builder David Peach. Very quick bowler. Was glad to get subbed onto his team for reasons that escape me now.

[AlexLaw76]

Bumped into Souness at Southampton Airport when he was the manager of Blackburn. Literally walked into him by accident.

Matt Le Tissier in Jumping Jaks (but that would probably be the case for many)

Kevin Davies at Fitness First in Shirley

 

[Clapham Saint]

Egil Ostenstad in the supermarket (was it a Safeway?) in Portswood in 1999 or so. 

[jimmyketchup01]

Bumped in to:

• Ryan Bertrand at a petrol station north of Winchester. He was going to training, had a driver.
• Steven Davis looking really bored at Primark in Winchester with his wife/girlfriend.
• Nathan Jones on the train from Waterloo to South. He came and sat in the seat next to me. Was before he joined Charlton - think he was going to the interview/meeting. 
  
  Jones was funny, I was working on my laptop and didn't look up. He was speaking on his phone to I think his agent or something and the voice was so recognisable. Took me a while but then I realised who he was. Eventually he saw my Saints scarf and hat sitting on my lap. The train was crowded but at the next opportunity he found, he moved.

[trousers]

Denis Wise on a plane flying back from Rome c.1999. Sat in the row behind us.

Chris de Burgh on a flight to Malta c.2015 (not exactly a footballer but he's an avid Liverpool fan, so sort of counts... )

My uncle at family gatherings (he used to play for... ahem... Portsmouth... 😲)

Edited 12 hours ago by trousers

[Lard]

Kevin Davies in the Long Island tea shop in London. 
so friendly and happy to chat football all evening. 
Got drunk on cocktails,thankfully he was minted compared to me. 
great bloke. 
Played pool with jimmy case in a new forest Pub also. 

Edited 12 hours ago by Lard

[John B]

Harry Rednapp at Rownams Service Station he was filling up at the Opposite side of the pump

 

Gary Cahill in a car park at Sunningdale did not realise how big he was

Bob Wilson the old Arsenal goalkeeper at a Bookfair at Hatfield where we discussed how he saved a penalty at the Dell from Mickey Channon at the Dell many years ago

Claus Lundevam at the Clump at Chilworth

Served John Sydenham at the old Petrol Station on West End Road in Bitterne when I was teenager

Was on an early train from London when a fellow passenger was Peter Osgood on his way to play at the Dell just after he joined the Saints

 

[The Kraken]

Barry Fry outside Wembley.

Carlton Palmer in a bar on Salema beach on the Algarve.  Also Paul Scholes in a beach restaurant at Praia da Luz.

Graeme Souness and Paul Walsh on a plane from southern Spain (Souness sat in the row opposite).

Jan Bednarek and Gavin Bazunu on the golf course, they were the group behind us. I also once played with Neil Maddison in a charity golf day, so maybe not so random (most of the Saints team at the time played that day).

Seen MLT loads of times down the years, last seen in the Duke on the Test a couple of weeks ago.

[Turkish]

Forgot a few Gary McCallister paying for parking in a Harrogate car park

David O’Leary in the toilets of a Harrogate restaurant 

Gareth Southgate and David Prutton in the gym

 

[gio1saints]

2 hours ago, jemanson said:

Stuart Pearce stood in front of me watching the Buzzcocks last night in Guildhall Square.

Previously Kevin Keegan and the Man City squad at Manchester Airport. Jason Dodd and Chris Nicholl at David Lloyd.

The mosh pit was halfhearted attempts by (mostly) over excited elderly in some cases supported by their sons and daughters.It was beautiful irony. I’m glad Stuart Pearce was there to enjoy it. I personally thought Stranglers were better but that was until I, belatedly, realised that Russell Martin, sans beard, was playing bass for Buzzcocks. See them in a whole new light now. 

[Saint Neil]

Virgil van Dijk at the New Forest Folk Festival.

Ian Rush at John Lennon Airport then sat next to him on a flight to Belfast.

Nathan Dyer in Blockbuster

Léandre Griffit at France v Switzerland World Cup 2006

Edited 10 hours ago by Saint Neil

[rallyboy]

The other week I stumbled across the Saints 24/25 squad just after I'd stolen a coach.

I left Ramsdale and Fernandes at West Quay, then offered to drive the rest of them to any fucking club they wanted.

[redkeith]

Had a pint with Austin Hayes R.I.P  at a Peter Gabriel concert at the Gaumont.

Good player, just unfortunate for him that Steve Moran came along. If only Terry Curran had squared it to him in the League Cup final instead of running into Frank Clark. 

Also met Garry Birtles at the Euro 2016 in Bordeaux, I had to set him up with an I phone .  Nice guy, useless with technology.  

[Gloucester Saint]

MLT, Shearer and Ruddock were playing in the group behind us early 90s at Soton Muni. Very good golfers as you’d expect and had a quick chat. Nice fellas.

John Burridge presented us with our Tyro League promotion medals late 1980s.

Paul Telfer and Wayne Bridge on London Rd just before the 2003 Cup Final, very nice lads.

Chris Nicholl at Chilworth driving range as it was then, smiled and said hello.

WGS out running in Hamble on Satchell Lane.

Met more cricketers than footballers over time - Sir Colin Cowdrey re-opened our local, wonderful chap, Angus Fraser, Phil Tufnell, Jimmy Anderson, Matthew Hoggard, Paul Collingwood all on Barmy Army duty. 

My friend in Lancashire had Brett Ormerod deliver a parcel to his house.

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[SW5 SAINT]

Egil Ostenstadt and Claus Lundkvam in the gents in Ocean Village….

[Turkish]

When I was kid playing for my team about 1990 it was at Fleming Park the Manchester United team were staying at the hotel next door they must have been out for a walk and A few of them watched some of our game in their  Man United tracksuits. There were about 6 of them and I distinctly remember Neil Webb, Danny Wallace being there, can’t remember now who the others were but very exciting for 13 year old lads

[spyinthesky]

I played a couple of Charity games with Ken Wagstaffe the old Hull City striker

[Kenilworthy59]

David Rocastle in 1987 coming out of the toilet at Heathrow Airport as I was going in. Andy Hunt (West Brom and Charlton) was my next door neighbour in Birmingham for 3 years. One day I went out to mow my lawn and the entire West Brom squad were sat in his garden.

[trousers]

As a kid I used to live c.5 miles from Broadmoor and every now and then we'd see Jimmy Savile jogging around the streets on the way to/from school... Ah... oops... Probably need a totally different thread for that one...! 

(True story btw)

[Lighthouse]

Simon Gillett at a scuba diving centre in Sharm El Sheikh.

What's the furthest away anyone has ever met a player? Doesn't count if you literally went there because Saints were on a pre-season tour or players on international duty.

[E_H_Saints]

I ran into Spurs in bmouth airport (the year Poch left Saints for Spurs) as they had played Bournemouth and assumed they were heading back to London (short flight) then two months later ran into Man City at Bournemouth Pier and my 3 year old had a sun glasses comparison with YaYa Tore which was a family highlight.  

[obelisk]

Steve Ogrizovitc in a hotel lift (elevator) in San Francisco.

[Doctoroncall]

Sol Campbell, high street in Hertford, just before his move to Arsenal, how ever long ago that was!  

[ant]

Don't know whether it counts as 'bumped into', but Benali was my landlord for a year after I moved out from my ex.

In the first week I answered the door to him whilst still in my pyjamas (he was dropping a spare key 'round). 🤦‍♂️

The garden was a right old state initially - but I didn't expect Franny himself to get out there with the mower!

I was a better tenant than Cortese and my deposit was returned in full. 😁

[Badger]

Not sure it’s a ‘bumping into’ but a sighting.

As a child in the late 60’s/possibly 1970 I was sat in a pub for a meal with parents and family. Terry Paine walked in. He was enveloped by a large sheepskin coat (standard for the day), although even as a kid it looked two sizes too big for him.

In those days if you saw a teacher on a Saturday in their private life doing something as trivial as shopping it was considered something of note. To see a professional footballer was in a different stratosphere. 
 

My Dad did explain that off the football pitch, the pub was one of their best known habitats. ( Years later revealing more stories of Big Ron at closing time). 

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Scott Hiley at my daughter's wedding. Really nice bloke.

I once stood next to Peter Noone (aka Herman Hermit) at a Saints v Man United clash at The Dell in the 70s.

 

I was vice captain of the Fitzhugh Darts team circa 1975/6 and in the team we had Peter Osgood, Jim Steele and Gerry O'Brien. Had a lot of fun going to all the back street Southampton pubs with them.

[Kenilworthy59]

Terry Paine used to regularly serve customers at his fruit and veg shop at the bottom of Howard Road.

[the wedge]

4 hours ago, Sparkkyy said:

Gordon Strachan in Leamington Wagamamas.
 

My wife works in a shop at Bicester village and has served Maya Yoshida a few times 

Bumped into Gordon and his wife outside John Lewis in Edinburgh not long ago, he was carrying a box on his head. Perhaps to make himself look taller and more threatening.

[Badger]

Other pub sightings:

Steve Moran, and Frank Worthington (different times).

[beatlesaint]

Jack Cork a year or so after he left us at Royal Ascot.

A few years later Alan Pardew stood right in front of me watching the Royal parade again at Ascot.

[Midfield_General]

When I was a kid my sister took me into town to buy some new goalie gloves from the club shop at the Dell. While we were paying for them, the fella behind the counter said 'have you seen who's in the car park?', so we rushed out and it was Peter Shilton. So I not only got my new gloves, but I also met the goalie who at the time was talked about as being the best in the world, and he signed them for me. As a young keeper it was the best day of my life.  

[Travelling Saint]

Glenn Cockerill in Morrisons about 10yrs ago, had a good chat about football.

Seen him many times since as he's local to me, always stops now and has a chat.

[HedgeEnder]

We were building a care home in Romsey a number of years ago and a delivery driver came in to the site office - none other than Peter Rodrigues! Got our site manager, a staunch Pompey fan, to shake his hand.

Also met the Romford Pele at Royal Ascot a few years back.

[Midfield_General]

On a different note, when I was at Uni in Cardiff a car pulled over while I was minding my own business walking down the street. The driver wound down the window and very rudely demanded to know 'Where's the football ground?'. It was pre-Google maps, and I wasn't sure, so I gave him the best directions I could off the top of my head. He tutted and sped off without so much as an acknowledgement, let alone a thank you.

After he'd gone, I realised that the driver had been Phil Neal, and the directions I'd given him had been completely wrong. 

And I was glad. Fucking rude prick. 

Edited 8 hours ago by Midfield_General

[Doctoroncall]

Too many to mention at various golf clubs when tournaments were on when working for PGA over the summer. Only bad experience was with Bruce Forsyth, moaning because I ran over his foot with a golf buggy while giving Seve a lift… how we laughed!

[Backrow91]

Haven’t posted for ages but a true story! In my banking days met with many players and managers. Saw many contracts so always smiled when seeing some of the supposed itk comments.  Anyways WGS and GS were always the ones that were prepared to stop and talk. So back to the true story ( may have shared before but honestly can’t recall) I was in the office helping a player to send some money back home. Jelle van Damme. He was sat in a reception area out of view of the main part of the office. The sofas conveniently screened by pillars.  A good mate of mine, always up for a bit of office larking around, saw me stood ( from his viewpoint I was standing alone!) at the end of the office. He ran down the office towards me, stopped and let out a really loud fart! I looked at him in horror, shaking my head and glancing down to my “customer”, he then realised something wasn’t quite right…. At this point JVD leaned forward to reveal himself… and with his foreign accent says, quite calmly, “ he is from Pompey no?” I burst out laughing so did JVD and my “mate the skate” went a very funny shade of red.  He quickly apologised and walked off!  A little anecdote that is still talked about to this day! 

[Sevvy]

Bumped into Francis Benali quite a few times his children went to the same school as my son,

[Hatch]

loads,   most notably Brett Ormerod in a titty bar in Palma in 2005.

 

And Sir David Beckham a few week ago at an art fair.

Edited 8 hours ago by Hatch

[Badger]

49 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

When I was a kid my sister took me into town to buy some new goalie gloves from the club shop at the Dell. While we were paying for them, the fella behind the counter said 'have you seen who's in the car park?', so we rushed out and it was Peter Shilton. So I not only got my new gloves, but I also met the goalie who at the time was talked about as being the best in the world, and he signed them for me. As a young keeper it was the best day of my life.  

Nice story.

On club shop visits on non match-days at The Dell and more recently St Mary’s I was walking through the car park and came face to face with David Armstrong, and Jose Fonte. 
 

Both were walking towards their cars but had the everyday decency  to pass a quick hello, or alright ? I was an adult at the time, so it was nothing great or special  but I was impressed that despite their success and wealth they still had a basic decency about them.

Quite a contrast to some of the arseholes who think supporters are beneath them. (Quashie treating fans as if they’d walked something in on the bottom of their shoe). 

Always impressed by David Armstrong (RIP) and thought he’d make a good manager one day, but not a career path he wanted it seems 

Edited 7 hours ago by Badger