Random Times you’ve bumped into a Footballer

[31cc]

5 hours ago, revolution saint said:

Was that back when he was a craven cottager?

🙂 Don't be cheeky, he might set Henry Cooper on you...

[Stud mark of doom]

Me and a few mates bumped into Augustin Delgado and Klebler Charla (spelling probably wrong) wandering around a fairly deserted part of Cardiff city centre, on the evening of the 2003 FA cup final. 
 

One of my mates took the opportunity to surprise them by talking to them in Spanish. From memory the rather short conversation went like this 

Hi guys, pity about the final. Augustin - how’s the knee - will it be ok for next season?
 

My knee is fine, it’s my back that’s the problem. 

[Themotherfunky]

Played against Danny Ings for a season or two as a boy, when he was with Winchester Whites. I'd like to say he rarely scored past me ( I played GK) but memory conveniently alludes me.

Met Wayne Shaw (piegate) a few times when I played for Eastleigh. He was helping out with cones and bibs and such.  

MLT in Sainsbury's Hedge End. 

Got a smile and wave from Marco Almeida during a game at the dell.

 

Edited Monday at 11:31 by Themotherfunky
Remembered more

[Katalinic]

1 hour ago, Themotherfunky said:

Got a smile and wave from Marco Almeida during a game at the dell.

 

"a game" - more like the game. Only played once never to seen again. Probably too busy waving at the crowd 😉

[Themotherfunky]

15 minutes ago, Katalinic said:

"a game" - more like the game. Only played once never to seen again. Probably too busy waving at the crowd 😉

Oh no, this was from the bench 😂 I wasn't lucky enough to see the fabled appearance 

[Whitey Grandad]

Many years ago we went to a wedding at Hinckley and stayed overnight in a hotel nearby. By strange coincidence that same weekend Leicester City were holding a preseason friendly against our Blue Friends from further down the coast.

Coming back from a morning sightseeing as we approached the car park the whole of their squad was walking slowly back along the path towards us. One slip of my foot on my accelerator and I could have wiped out the whole lot of them. What a dilemma!

We were all eating in the hotel restaurant that evening.  'Harry spent all his time on the phone. Joe Jordan sat quietly on his own reading a newspaper whilst he was eating. Most of the rest of the squad seemed to be in a side room staring blankly at their laptops. Someone suggested to me that they were studying gambling websites. 

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, Katalinic said:

"a game" - more like the game. Only played once never to seen again. Probably too busy waving at the crowd 😉

Got turned easily by Henry for his first Arsenal goal wasn’t it? Hadn’t scored in the PL yet and pressure was building up in the press.

Rewind 4-5 years and ditto Bergkamp at Highbury although different Saints defenders that day.

[Turkish]

3 hours ago, Themotherfunky said:

Played against Danny Ings for a season or two as a boy, when he was with Winchester Whites. I'd like to say he rarely scored past me ( I played GK) but memory conveniently alludes me.

Met Wayne Shaw (piegate) a few times when I played for Eastleigh. He was helping out with cones and bibs and such.  

MLT in Sainsbury's Hedge End. 

Got a smile and wave from Marco Almeida during a game at the dell.

 

😂 Now theres a name from the past. I remember seeing him play in a pre season friendly and thought he looked quality, i think it might have been against Real Sociadad at the Dell. Sadly that was as good as it got and the only memorable thing about him was his terrible hair. Did he ever play for the first team in a league game? I dont remember. 

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

Charlie George in a shop in Chandlers Ford

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, Katalinic said:

"a game" - more like the game. Only played once never to seen again. Probably too busy waving at the crowd 😉

 

38 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Got turned easily by Henry for his first Arsenal goal wasn’t it? Hadn’t scored in the PL yet and pressure was building up in the press.

Rewind 4-5 years and ditto Bergkamp at Highbury although different Saints defenders that day.

thanks i see you guys answered my question

We have always been very kind to players who need a goal, any player struggling for form stick a bet on them to score against us. 

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

On 15/06/2025 at 12:40, Badger said:

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). 

Oh yes, that reminded me when me and my older brother in law went to a cafe in Winchester. Terry Paine was sat there having his breakfast!

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

The great Marian Pahars semi final of the cup at Villa Park, outside mingling with the crowd. I spotted him as we walked through. Had to go up to him because I had a Saints shirt on with Pahars on the back. I showed him and he gave me a big smile. I think he was injured so not n the squad then. What a great player for Saints he was!

[Turkish]

Not an ex player but Simon Clifford of Brazilian soccer school fame. Hired by Clive Woodward for Saints in about 2003. See him regularly at the gym. He's a lovely bloke and very interesting.

[Noodles34]

Peter Beardsley at Central Park Ice Rink. I said ‘you’re Peter Beardsley?’ And he said ‘yeah’ and that was it. 
 

[Noodles34]

And Roberto Carlos at Faro Airport. 

[Noodles34]

And Jay Rod at Monty’s in Vale da Lobo

Shearer at the golf course earlier that day too 

 

[Noodles34]

Drove past Beckham on the M27 if that counts. 
And Lady Di on the M11, not sure who she played for though. 
 

[Noodles34]

And Maradona at Burger King Fleet Services …. 

[Noodles34]

That last one’s not quite true. It was a poster. 

[Noodles34]

Had a fight with Warren Aspinall at Martines Eastleigh though. 

Edited Monday at 22:44 by Noodles34

[SW11_Saint]

Glen Hoddle in the Amex (or Barclays?) lounge at the O2 - for Jeff Lynne’s ELO. Funnily enough - not for him of course - about a week or so before he had his heart scare. 
 

I’m sure there’s an appropriate ELO song to round this story off, but I can’t be arsed…

Edited Monday at 23:32 by SW11_Saint

[rooney]

6 hours ago, Noodles34 said:

And Jay Rod at Monty’s in Vale da Lobo

Shearer at the golf course earlier that day too 

 

VDL seems to attract them. Sat on the next table to Kevin Davies at Marias  couple of years ago  and seen Steve Bruce on the beach. Koeman and Van Gaal both have Villas there. Sadly Monty's has closed and reopened as some other name for this season with a different cuisine .

[East Kent Saint]

10 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

Glen Hoddle in the Amex (or Barclays?) lounge at the O2 - for Jeff Lynne’s ELO. Funnily enough - not for him of course - about a week or so before he had his heart scare. 
 

I’m sure there’s an appropriate ELO song to round this story off, but I can’t be arsed…

Evil Woman 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

34 minutes ago, East Kent Saint said:

Evil Woman 

I thought Hoddle brought someone in to remove the curse of the evil woman? She raced down on the Last Train To London to help, I believe.

[Dirkdiggler]

On a lads holiday in my younger years in Ayia Napa.

we bumped into a bunch of saints players.

James Beattie 

Kevin Davis

Hassan Kachoul

Dean Richard’s 

and a few others, we ended up having a few beers with them all of them were very cool and friendly apart from Beattie who was a tad aloof.

 

[Kenilworthy59]

In the late 60s Terry Paine owned a fruit and veg shop down by Foys Corner. We lived in Thornbury Avenue so my mum would often send me down there for a few pounds of potatoes and he served me a number of times.

[sadoldgit]

Chris Coleman whilst manager of Wales was standing at the bar at a pub I was sat in in Oxted, Surrey.

Bobby Woodruff (Crystal Palace 1968ish) in a sweetshop in West Wickham, Kent.

Saw Steve Williams and Tony Woodcock going for a run around the backstreets of Highbury in the 80’s.

Sat next to Martin Chivers and Mark Falco in a pie and mash shop in Exmouth Market, Farringdon Rd.