Was fortunate to have been included in the group of 5 Arsenal fans to have dinner with the legends who were in town for Super Sunday, 23rd March 2008. Also invited were MU, Liverpool & Chelsea fans, but didn't see any Chelsea fans. This dinner was on Saturday nite at Pavilion.
The Legends were Ray Parlour (Arsenal), Viv Anderson (MU), Phil Babb (Liverpool) & Nigel Spackman (Chelsea).
"Don't disturb me, I'm with Ray Parlour!"
"I'm not signing anything until I read it."
Viv, the joker...
What a thrill...
Suku explaining that not all Malaysian Arsenal fans are bald or have very short hair. It's just a coincidence that the 3 of us in old red Arsenal jerseys are like that...
That's Kar Heng's jersey...
Viv won the League Cup in 1987 with Arsenal...then he moved to MU...(what's wrong wit u? hehe)
Viv is the first black football player to represent England in a full international match...
A lucky MU fan
Azril lost at the MU table...hehe
Ray signing a Liverpool T-shirt...
Nigel's turn...
Nigel helping Ray tell us stories...
"Ray and I want to go to the brewery. We've heard of this tour and we're disappointed we're not invited..."
"You can mingle, y'know?"
"Ray, I'm calling you, why aren't you answering?"
I'm guessing Azril is framing this one...
I'm framing this one...8R? 10R?
Phil Babb, a legend, and not just on Youtube...hehe...He was once the most expensive defender in English football, rite?
Viv already met Suku in Genting for 1 of the EPL Viewing Parties previously...Ray sat with us most of the time. He was really great, talked to us and told us stories like we were all pals, not star-struck fans.
Some of the things I remember he talked about...
- Arsenal's current form ("Should/must win at least 1 title, have a feeling it's gonna be the CL."
- He likes Jens.
- He likes Hleb ("He's the best when it comes to turning, both sides.")
- Bergkamp's the best ever he's played with.
- Bergkamp's goal against Newcastle ("Did you mean it, Dennis?")
- Golfing stories about Dennis & Alex Manninger.
- How a run of games is important, citing Gilberto, Flamini, Senderos and van Persie as examples.
- Tony Adams.
- Giles Grimandi.
- No one in the team had ever heard of Wenger before he came.
- Wenger only ever screamed/shouted once (guess which game?)
- In the same game, Dwight Yorke asked "Where did you pick him (Stepanovs) up?"
- Wenger's shrewdness.
- Wenger's loyalty.
- His only worry for Arsenal is who will take over Wenger.
- He should have played at the World Cup, no thanks to Hoddle.
- Why Reyes left.
- Kanu ("He has big feet.")
- His wonder goal in the 2002 FA Cup final.
- How he got the nickname "the Romford Pele" (In training, Ray went on a run and scored a great goal, top corner. Marc Overmars said, "You're just like Pele huh? Where are you from?" "Romford." "Rite, you're the Romford Pele!" Overmars doesn't even know where Romford is.)
- Anelka ("He's the fastest." "Faster than Henry?" Kar Heng asked. "Oh yeah.")
Thanks Kar Heng for the pics...
First choice couldn't make it, so I got to play...
LSCM gifted us this scarf which was bought in the UK...Specially made for the CL quarters...Thanx very much LSCM...
Friends...
Just because we're not Liverpool fans, that doesn't mean we don't appreciate Stan "the Man" Collymore's contributions to the English game...It was a thrill to meet the legend...He looked at us and said, "Hey, you're wearing the wrong jerseys."
