Famous soccer players you have met? [mod warning post #39]

deisedevil

RVN10 wrote: »

Dirk Kuyt what an ignorant pillock just before he left Feyenoord

A friend of mine was in a club in london with a few other lads. They met Jimmy Bullard and one of the lads turned to him and said "Jaysus Jimmy your the head off Dirk Kuyt" He didn't take it too well.

Redzer7

Met Rio Ferdinand at a football tournament in Manchester from that day on I despise the guy. Met John O' Shea Too He Was Cool:D also met Jimmy Mcgee at a Pats match before the soundest bloke you could ever meet in your life

Paparazzo

I met Dermot Keely (current Shelbourne manager - yeah, beats all the above:D) in a pub in Ashbourne. I was locked and shook his hand and said he was a legend!
Anyway, about a month later he was in the same pub on the table next to us. My girlfriend got talking to him and told him she just got engaged to a Shels fan. I go to most Shels games but don't have a season ticket this year (lump sum is too much) so he promosed us 2 season tickets for an engagement present! Top guy!

joker77

I remember as a kid being at Lansdowne, and Ronnie Whelan (wasn't playing) was suited up and walking out, with a big plain-clothes security guy walking with him. I went up to get his autograph, the security guy pushed me out of the way and I ended up on my ar5e. Was a big Liverpool fan, but never forgave Whelan for that.

Quazzie

A group of lads on the way back from a Celtic match two years ago met Packie Bonner queueing at the shop in the airport. He was trying to buy a drink with his credit card, but was having no success so I went up and offered to pay for it, it was only a quid and I was trying to get rid of some loose sterling before coming home. He wasn't best pleased but accepted and walked off in a huff. I think he was more embaressed than anything else.

On the way to Madrid for my stag, a year and a half ago we met Niall Quinn in the airport waiting for his flight, we asked him for a photo and he happily obliged, posing with us for a good five minutes, we got talking to him and he was telling us he remembered being at a charity fundraising night in our village (a really small village). We remembered that night but thought he would be too busy to remember it, but he remembered loads of details about who the charity was for, and asked about their current situation. He seemed really concerned and came across as a really sound down to earth guy.

Quazzie

Paparazzo wrote: »

I met Dermot Keely (current Shelbourne manager - yeah, beats all the above:D) in a pub in Ashbourne. I was locked and shook his hand and said he was a legend!
Anyway, about a month later he was in the same pub on the table next to us. My girlfriend got talking to him and told him she just got engaged to a Shels fan. I go to most Shels games but don't have a season ticket this year (lump sum is too much) so he promosed us 2 season tickets for an engagement present! Top guy!

We met him just after he was unveiled as Kildare county manager years ago and got chatting to him. We asked him to present awards on our local awards night and he accepted no problem. His only demand was someone put him up for the night.

We were only a division 4 team in the kildare junior league, and he came out and presented the awards and drank with us for the whole night.

He did get a bit of a shock when he walked through the door and read the banner saying "St. Patricks Awards Night"

Cake Man

Met Roy Keane at Dublin airport after being on the same flight as him bout 10 years ago got autographs and photos, seemed grand.

A friend of mine met Gerrard and Nick Barmby at an airport in Spain somewhere about two months ago and got pics with them both and said they were friendly. My mate has that Liver bird (from the Lpool crest) tatooed down his leg and he showed it to Gerrard to which he replied "nice one mate".

ccosgrave

I met Alex Fergusson coming out of a Reserves game in Old Trafford about ten years ago. I didn't really stick around to talk to him, but when I asked for an autograph and didn't have a pen, he went to his car and found one of his own for me, which I thought was cool.

ErinGoBrath

Met Damien Duff in D2 bar last year. Was very quiet but seems really sound and was happy to pose for a photograph.

Met David Seaman in the Guinness festival in cheltenham a few years back. He's massive but a friendly giant. A hero of mine from when I was young.

Was outside the Emirates cutting it a bit fine for the kick off in the Spurs game, met Liam Brady leaving the press office. We asked him for a photo which he hung round for, my mate couldn't use the camera on the phone properly so I said to Liam 'dont worry about it', he replied 'Not at all, well wait till he gets it working - If I miss a goal though I won't be impressed". Seems like a nice guy.

Soundest of all had to be Perry Groves. Got some pictures and autographs at the RedAction xmas party. He was hilarious and chatted about his lack lustre appearance in the 89 league decider in Anfield. Late that night he was up doing karaoke! Legend

Paparazzo

Packie sat in front of me for the Drogheda Start (norwegian team) match. A few people went up to him and he basically ignored him! He hardly looked at the match too, no idea why he went. He signed a few kids programms, but barely even looked at them. I was disappointed with Packie, didn't seem very friendly.
The match was at Dalymount and I remember going in at the same time as him. He was making phonecalls outside the turnstyles. All the Drogs fans recognised him and start chanting "Packie has no ticket":D

Diabhal Beag

Kieran Richardson - Sound bloke

Darren Ward - Very cool guy

Michael Chopra - bit of an ass

therecklessone

stovelid wrote: »

Have to say I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of muck-raking. I guess footballers are a far nicer bunch than we give them credit for.

I have one good story that's a bit of a giggle, but it's libelous so it stays with me

Paparazzo wrote: »

I met Dermot Keely (current Shelbourne manager - yeah, beats all the above:D) in a pub in Ashbourne. I was locked and shook his hand and said he was a legend!
Anyway, about a month later he was in the same pub on the table next to us. My girlfriend got talking to him and told him she just got engaged to a Shels fan. I go to most Shels games but don't have a season ticket this year (lump sum is too much) so he promosed us 2 season tickets for an engagement present! Top guy!

That is a brilliant story. Fair play to him.

Headshot

tro I like the mod warning in the thread title

nice

happyoutscan

Met (?) Djibril Cisse in Liverpool airport couple years ago. Didn't say anything, just kinda glared when a mate of mine shouted over 'arry feck em it's only El Hadji Diouf' as I was getting my pic taken.

gimmick

Des wrote: »

My favourite story though involves Liam Kearney, the Cork City player who was with Shels for half a season. The season after that he went back to Cork, the year we were demoted it was. We got Cork in the first round of the Cup and I spent the whole second half abusing the guy from the sideline. They beat us, and went on to the final, I went to the final with a few Cork friends, and ended up drinking with the City player. Kearney remembered the Shels game, and remembered the guy abusing him. I told him it was me and we had a good laugh about it. Top lad.



Then, later that night, we ended up in Coppers and Kevin Doyle, Shane Long and Stephen Hunt arrived in, both drunk and up for a laugh. Nice guys too.

Top night that. I just left before you met all them I believe?

Rudest footballer I met was Uwe Rosler, former Man City player.

Nicest would be Maik Taylor. Met him at a waterslide park in Portugal alst year. Was talking to him for a few minutes before i realised who he was.

kippy

Met Packie Bonner about 14 years ago. He arrived into a bar at home I was working in at the time with his wife. Served him a Guinness and a Diet coke (put the shamrock on the Guinness as well). Didnt realise it was him initially.
Once a few of the regulars relaised who it was they were all over to him for autographs, he had no problems signing anyway and genuinely seemed sound. I did feel sorry for him as he was on holidays and probably wanted some peace.
He ended up signing a large photo of him saving THAT penalty which was hanging over the bar.

Met Kevin Kilbane a couple of times as well, sound guy.

Rosedale6

Few years ago i was on hoilday and Martin Oneil was in the same hotel as us. Sat there one night in the bar and he came over to us. He was really nice and ill never foget that moment.

Keedowah

Met Landon Donovan, Joe Cannon (I know - who?) and a few other players from the LA GAlaxy team in Sydney about 2 years ago. Had a few drinks with them and Landon was quiet but came across as a sound bloke. Pity I didn't get to meet Ruud though.

A7X

A couple of years ago me and me mates walked past Paul Mc Grath "trying" to get into his car after he and his wife/girlfriend came out of a hotel in my town. He was pissed and we walked passed him and then looked at each other after realising who it was, and turned around to see him looking at us and struggling to quickly get into his car as if we were about to jump on him ha. We just laughed and walked on.

Mikeyt086

3 weeks ago from tomorrow (Saturday), i was invited to a lads 20th, i know him pretty well and he is friends with my friends, so i headed along, party was raging, great time being had by all, at around 4am, the word is that everyone has to leave, because the chaps father who was away in Spain had been called by the neighbours and police and told to get us out of there.

So everyone heads to the gate, a car pulls up, a few lads who worked for the father get out and start saying stuff like "Roight lads, everyone out yeah?" and crap like that. As i stumble past one of them says "Seeya lads" i turn around and its Paul McShane. I laughed at him and moved on.

Other than that, ive met my childhood hero Dennis Irwin in Kilkee Castle and chatted to him for a good 20 mins, by far the nicest man i have ever met.

Oh yeah, was over in London in December 2005 and myself and my dad get into a lift. Dwight Yorke then pops into the lift, bling and all. I told him i hope he does well with Trinidad and Tobago in the world cup, nice fella.

joker77

A7X wrote: »

turned around to see him looking at us and struggling to quickly get into his car as if we were about to jump on him ha. We just laughed and walked on.

You and your mate are real classy.

shano_88

Went to a madrid match last year. Went to the training ground a couple of days later hoping to meet the player (their training ground is very near the airport). Anyway we meet most of the players. The majority stopped on their way out to sign autographs. I meet van nistelrooy, robben, casillas, baptista, metzelder, salgado, miguel torres and saviola. The soundest of the lot was Sergio Ramos. Everyone seems to have left and We were the only ones left outside waiting for autographs. We gave up anyway and were walking towards the main road looking for a taxi to the airport when we saw a white ferrari flying up the road. We waved it down (Really think he would stop but he did) and he signed autographs and even got out of the car to get in a photo with us. Really down to earth guy.

Most of the players we met and saw were really nice but Guti realy was extremly ignorant. He was driving by us and he slowed down opened the window and then started laughing and drove off. Really wasnt called for at all.

Met Mick Mccarthy in Tralee. Nice Guy.

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shano_88 wrote: »

He was driving by us and he slowed down opened the window and then started laughing and drove off.

rofl, that's quality
:D

ciaran76

Met a few but off the top of my head I was in Dalymouth a few years ago and I think Bohs were playing Tranmere in a friendly.

Anyway after the game was having a few pints and walked outside to the Stand as it was very warm inside and got talking to Kevin Sheedy.
Ended up having about a 1 hour conversation about football , Everton , Tranmere and some up and coming Irish players at the time!

Not so glamorus was about 30 mins after talking to him Stuart Barlow (Everton heads may remember him) came over to me and my mates as heard I was Everton fan and we had a good conversation too and ended up in town in some nightclub with him and John Aldridge all a great big blur to be honest but a good night if I remember rightly!!!

V9

I met Robbie Keane briefly at a funeral in Stradbally once, His better half's family are from Stradbally, the grandmother had passed away or something. The amount of people outside the church waiting on him was unreal, was more like a wedding than a funeral. He was smaller than I imagined.

Meself and the lads were walkin past his Range Rover as he was leaving and waved at em, waved back and nodded, one of the lads held up a football towards him in the vain attempt to see if he'd go for a kick about

therecklessone

V9 wrote: »

Meself and the lads were walkin past his Range Rover as he was leaving and waved at em, waved back and nodded, one of the lads held up a football towards him in the vain attempt to see if he'd go for a kick about

Headstones for goal posts tbh.

Guy:Incognito

Met Ian Wright at the Acropolis the day after the CL final. Absolute top bloke. It was pissing rain but he stood talking to us for a while and made sure I got a pic despite my cousin taking an age to get it sorted.





Sold a TV to Richard Dunne about 4 or 5 years ago when I used to work in the square.

therecklessone wrote: »

I have one good story that's a bit of a giggle, but it's libelous so it stays with me


.

Ah go on. Change the name to protect the guilty.:)

Kingdom

Was in Sinnotts the night I met my future wife (not drunk) and ended up having a slash beside a Sunderland fan. I mistook him for a Geordie and we'd a good larf over it, he invited me over to his table. Most of the Sunderland squad were there for Michael Gray's stag. Didn't get starry eyed for once, yapped to a few of them, but Gavin McCann was such an ignorant sap I really wanted to drop him.

Met Lee Carsley coming out of the Millenium last Nov, congratulated him on playing well, and he, well wasn't very pleasant.

The Hustler

Brian Deane (Leeds) told me to **** off when I asked him for his autograph in Tolka Park. I was 10

DenMan

Shook hands with Jay Jay Okocha at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. I was studying over there and my team Arsenal were playing away at Bolton in the FA Cup. Arsenal won 1-0 and Diouf was sent off. Was behind the goals with mates (surrounded by Bolton fans) when Freddie Ljunberg scored for Arsenal early. Nice man Jay Jay, Bolton miss him.

Leprechaun77

I met the entire Man Utd team about ten years ago. Didn't really excite me as I'm an Arsenal fan!!!! One of my mates played for the Reserves and we were in the tunnel as the players were going out onto the pitch to play Middlesbrough. The match itself was brutal (0-0 I think) but Giggs gave us two tickets for the Mike Tyson fight later that night. That bout only lasted about 30 seconds from memory. My mate lived with Darren Fletcher at the time and some guy called Bojan Djordic (or something like that). Had a game of Fifa with Fletcher. That's all he did seemingly.....never went out. He seemed very quiet at the time.

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The Hustler wrote: »

Brian Deane (Leeds) told me to **** off when I asked him for his autograph in Tolka Park. I was 10

You might want to shcnge that sig mate, before the SigPigs get a hold of it.

evad_lhorg

met kenny cunningham and Nicky Butt on grafton st. Met David Oleary outside old trafford before a match.

Eire-Dearg

Didn't meet him, but when I was about 8/9 my neighbour was heading over to a Utd game and asked if I wanted any autographs, I asked for Roy keane oddly enough and he came home saying he could get a keano signature, so he got denis irwin instead. denis irwin! disappointed i was.

Xavi6

Best one I had was Cafu and Serginho in a shopping centre in Chicago. Milan were over on tour and they were doing a bit of browsing in the mall. Of course they were pretty anonymous in the States until myself and my mate recognised them and ran over like little school girls. Both looked very intimidated and spoke feck all English but we got a handshake and a photo.

Madrid also came to Chicago when I was there and we went to see them train. Everyone was cheering for Becks, Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo etc so we decided we were gonna big it up for Tommy Gravesen. He responded with a wave and even came over to us where we started askin him about lookin like Lee Carsley. Top bloke.

Met the City squad at various different points through the years.

Did a training session with Dwight Yorke and he was great fun.

League of Ireland players were handy enough to talk. I used to work in sports retail so always served Owen Heary, Bobby Ryan, Glen Crowe, Colin Hawkins etc. Never had a problem with any of them.

My Shels hero as a kid was Gary Haylock and when I went to college I joined the football team only to find out who had just been made manager. That's right, Gary Haylock! Really cool guy, got some great Uefa Cup stories from him about his time with Panionios and he told me I was a really good player which made my year!

mikemac

mod - sorry I have edited your thread title, just want to try something out that was suggested on the feedback thread

You edited my OP!!!!

Why I ought to.....:mad::p

K4t

I met Ray Houghton and Liam Brady at the local golf club last summer. They both signed autographs for all the young lads and Houghton carries that trade mark smile everywhere he goes. Very genuine fella.

Chased after Jack Charlton at OT a few years ago, he was a quick fcker. Eventually caught up to him and he seemed alright. Gave us the autograph!

UnitedIrishman

Met Jack Charlton a few times as he does be fishing down here and has a house not far away.

Paddy Crerand I met outside OT after hopping out of a taxi a few years back. Realising who it was I reached for a piece of paper and having got a flyer for a stripclub a few mins earlier walking down the street, thats what I handed him with a pen for an autograph. Had a good laugh about it.

Met Kevin Moran a good few times, nice enough guy and always willing to do photos etc and met Alex Ferguson at the airport. I have the same name as one of his former players and the aul lad said to him "[my name] is behind ya there, you might give him an autograph" to which he replied "Aye, he is f**k".. before realising it was a kid.

As for LoI players, marked Rafa Cretaro in a game and he seemed like a laugh considering his side were winning 10-1.

glenjamin

I MET WESLEY CHARLES WALKING DOWN BRAY SEAFRONT BEFORE!!! OBVIOUSLY I WIN NOW. HOOR-AH!!

Rikand

Met Niall Quinn playing at the K-Club last year

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Xavi6 wrote: »

he told me I was a really good player which made my year!

He wasn't lying

JPA

I met Thaksin Shinawatra. But I don't think that counts.
Friendly guy for a despot type

paulcorr

MET niall quinn 2 weeks ago on a flight back from london . had his sunderland blazer and tie and sunderland briefcase was nice fella talked to everyone who approched him. So who was he trying to sign in london. Met paul mcgrath in courtown the mon before last 3 o clock in the afternoon he was the worse for ware even at that time . but stopped and spoke to loads of people and was having a laugh.

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paulcorr wrote: »

Met paul mcgrath in courtown the mon before last 3 o clock in the afternoon he was the worse for ware even at that time

He's back on the sauce then?

A7X

joker77 wrote: »

You and your mate are real classy.

Lol. I'm pretty sure he realised we knew who he was and he just wanted to get out of there. Not to mention he was pissed.

joker77

A7X wrote: »

Lol. I'm pretty sure he realised we knew who he was and he just wanted to get out of there. Not to mention he was pissed.

So you reckon he realised you knew who he was, and wanted to get out of there, and was pissed, and you and your mate laughed at him.

As I say, you're classy guys.

A7X

joker77 wrote: »

So you reckon he realised you knew who he was, and wanted to get out of there, and was pissed, and you and your mate laughed at him.

As I say, you're classy guys.

Jesus ur making it sound like we were muggers. I meant he just obviously didn't want attention so he tried to get into his car quickly, but being drunk he made it look really obvious. So we left him to it, turned around walked on and laughed to ourselves at what happened.

Really didnt think I'd have to go into that much detail.

joker77

A7X wrote: »

Jesus ur making it sound like we were muggers. I meant he just obviously didn't want attention so he tried to get into his car quickly, but being drunk he made it look really obvious. So we left him to it, turned around walked on and laughed to ourselves at what happened.

Really didnt think I'd have to go into that much detail.

Eh... how exactly am I making it sound like you were muggers??

paulcorr

Des wrote: »

He's back on the sauce then?

Yeah he was in gorey the previous night nearly got run over by a taxi trying to cross the road. fell then when he got half way across. seen his son in courtown the day after i had seen him obviously looking for him.

geurrp the yard

I wouldnt really class league of Ireland players to be famous. Has anyone played against any premiership players from schoolboy days or other.