NON - Have you met a former footballer without knowing how famous they were?

ErikthViking

ErikthViking

UTC Legend
I was lucky enough to meet a Welshman by the name of Horace Cumner when I was at school in Poole. My great uncle told me that he had played for Poole Town.

However, Horace told me great stories of playing for Arsenal before and after the Second World War. He would surely have had a wonderful career had it not been for that Hitler maniac.

Horace had an incredible memory. I recall him saying that he had played with just about every famous player of the late 1930s and 40s, including Matthews and Mortenesen in war time matches.
Nostalgic to see his name on this programme as a link to another era of football.

Horace Cumner.jpg

This is his career:

Reginald Horace Cumner: the player historians trip over – The History of Arsenal

blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk

Have you met a famous player without knowing beforehand?
 
Yes. met a very humble gentleman this year who used to play RB for Man Utd and Blackpool. The son and I loved hearing the stories from back in the day.
 
Joined a guy on Queens Park golf course who turned out to be Andy Townsend, he was amazed that we had signed David Armstrong.
 
I was leaving the Village hotel one day and as I walked out into the car park I saw a bloke coming the other way who looked familiar. He was looking right at me, so I figured he must be someone I used to work with, so I said, "all right, mate". He responded in kind, but then a few seconds later I spotted the Bradford City team bus in the car park and realised I'd just said hello to Keith Gillespie.
 
Not a footballer, but .......

Was in Barbados some years ago waiting for our dinner reservation to open up when a very elegent older gent came by. Everyone seemed excited to see him and as he passed me by he offered a polite "good evening". I responded and introduced myself as John, he responded Garfield. Chatted for a few seconds about the beauty of Barbados and off he went to his table. Only found out afterwards that it was Sir Garfield Sobers. The waiter was effusive in describing his career, which I really knew very little about, although I did recognize the name. It was pretty cool.
 
Back in 2004/05 season we played Chester City, my uncle MADE me get their managers autograph & shake his hand.

I half recognised the name but barely teenage me had no idea how much of a big deal Ian Rush was.

I did much the same at my sons football tournament. He has a photo with Gazza & a signed boot.
 
I have met many ex footballers in my time. I also know many that are still playing. I do recall sitting next to Tony Funnell (and his dog) on a bench in Bournemouth lower gardens (it was a wonder we weren't both mugged). We were both sat there for ten minutes before I realised who it was. We then had a long chat about his injury that finished his career with AFCB.

I also had a coffee with Neil Young in Wimborne just before he left us.
 
One of my customers played over 500 league games for Brighton, Liverpool and Halifax. I knew him for 2 years before I realised. At Sheffield United the other week I was stood next to Mark Chamberlain in the pub before the game, seemed like a good bloke, I only realised who he was when he was leaving, in my defence he looked quite different with grey hair
 
Back when I was just a spotty youth I had a summer job working on a go kart track with a load of Scousers that had migrated south to spend the summer signing on at the seaside and working for cash.

One day a bloke and his wife turned up and I duly took them through safety talk and kitted them out with head gear etc. When I got back to the shed there's a note from the scouser I was working with to give them extra laps and keep them there at all costs.

I had no idea what it was all about, but did as I was told.

They're just about to finally get away from me when my Scouse mate comes running back with a gaggle of his mates fished out of the pub,, demanding autographs (the stone age version of a selfie).

Turns out it was this bloke


a Scouse legend who had played for Everton, and Liverpool

I though he looked vaguely familiar; turns out I had seen him playing for England at Wembley
 
Does nearly running Harry Redknapp over count?..walked in front of the van so I shouted “you daft c@@t” out of the window then realised it was H..he was dead cool about it, mate got his autograph!
 
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