With their mansions, chrome-plated supercars and an assortment of wannabe wags modern day players are an alien breed, untouchable and living a life mere mortals can only dream of.
Unfortunately for them however life dictates that on occasion they must leave their salubrious gated communities and mingle amongst the commoners. The shopping doesn’t do itself and on holiday no beach is an exclusive reserve for over-paid fancydans.
Such interactions – no matter how everyday – can be extremely revealing and offer a glimpse into what the player we revere from the terraces are actually like and with this in mind we asked the Cutter’s Twitter followers for any first-hand accounts of encounters with footballers.
The response was overwhelming and below are some of our favourites. They range from Oldham’s Roger Palmer believing he is being stalked to Uwe Rosler’s love for a good chicken sandwich
We knew it anyway but it’s still reassuring to remember that beneath the supposed glamorous veneer these mansion-dwelling superstars are just the same as you and I….
I met Mixu Paatelainen in the Spar. He was buying a 4 pack of special brew and topping up the leccy. (This probably isn’t true but made us laugh anyway)
At 14, I met Marc Edworthy when doing work exp at Peugeot (that’s right, a footballer drove a 307 – living the dream)
I woke Forest defender Steve Chettle up at 2.30am by getting the after-party address wrong. He even told us the correct house!
I met Barry Horne at an Ocean Colour Scene gig.
Lad I worked with met Barry Horne at Oasis gig just after the Wimbledon game. He was overcome (not Barry Horne)
I once sold Steve Potts some skiwear for his kids. Thoroughly nice chap. One of the kids now plays for West Ham.
Roger Palmer goes into a cafe in Sale. I wait outside for autograph. Quite scared, he says: “How did you know I was here?”
Many, many years ago, Brian Deane told me to “stay the f*** away” from him in a club in Leeds. I was getting a drink.
I once bounded excitedly up to Kinkladze in St Ann’s sq, said hello and stood there shaking his hand like a mad blue before realising his English and my Georgian were terrible. So we just stood there. Shaking hands, smiling, shaking hands..etc
Paul Ince at McDonalds (I worked there!) and oddly had his trust. Said he was leaving Utd for Inter “to win something decent”.
Rosler was a chicken sandwich man. Used to come in on Fridays whilst he waited for his girlfriend’s train.
Howard Kendall at 11pm on Maguluf beach. Poor fella was tw**ted. Sad really. Said his worst mistake was leaving City.
Mick McCarthy after he ran over my mate’s foot, as bad at driving as he is managing. He didn’t even stop!
My wife was told to ‘piss off’ by David Platt at AVFC training ground as a kid for asking for his autograph.
A relative of mine met Kyle Walker in Morrisons recently. Kyle told my relative he ‘never liked Harry Redknapp much’
Met Stuart Pearce in Cuba in June 98. He looked gutted to see me walking towards him with a Toon top on at brekkie!
Used to work in cash converters Liverpool. Thomas Gravesen came in selling all his Dreamcast stuff and video camera!
Baby-sitting years ago, electric went and we were using torches. Paul Gerrard steamed in thinking house was being robbed!
I worked in John Lewis for a bit. Served Teddy Sheringham and said to him, “Thank you, there’s your card back Mr Sherraton”.
I once saw Peter Beardsley in Woolworths in Southport when I was 10. I think I ran away screaming for my mum.
