| Autograph memories.. 15:23 - Oct 1 with 1639 views | wiltshireblue |
Following on from my last post about what player you pretended to be in the playground at school...
What are your autograph memories?
Personally I don't really get the autograph thing, except when I was a child or in my role as a dad going with my kids to collect them:
For me football creates great memories - whether good or bad they are about where you were in your life at that time, who you were with and the heightened emotions
Memory 1:
I'm going to say August 1991 away to Bristol Rovers (opening game of our promotion season and when Rovers were playing at Twerton Park - Bath), I was 9 years old and determined to get EVERYONES autograph even if they were Rovers. I ended up set on this quest and ended up asking the Ipswich coach driver for an autograph by accident!
A sign of how things have changed though is the Rovers striker Devon White came out with a pint of beer and got 9 year old me to hold it whilst signing my programme.
My mum took me to this game by herself and had accidentally brought us tickets in the Rovers end, so there I stood in my town shirt...
Probably worth mentioning that a certain Marcus Stewart played that day too
Memory 2 -
A few years ago away at Reading with my kids we were waiting to see the players despite losing and playing horrendously. MM with his face like he was chewing wasps was there and had the audacity to say to the town fans waiting with their kids something like 'come on, we want to get home tonight', I instantly glared at the arrogant tw*t and was about to say we've just watched this absolute shower and these kids just want to see the players, have some respect. But then he changed and obliged, begrudgingly.
I don't miss that bloke and what a different place we are for it.
What are your autograph memories? [Post edited 1 Oct 2024 15:53]
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| Autograph memories.. on 15:52 - Oct 1 with 1540 views | EJP |
One for my daughter (and which the long-standing board members will likely workout my previous username ..).
Back in the Joe Royle days I'd take my then 6 year old daughter to matches as her season ticket cost me £10. We'd go meet the players after the match outside main reception for autographs etc. and during the course of the season she got friendly with a few but soon decided Pablo Counago was her favourite.
Come the end of the end of his (1st) final season and the last home match, Pablo scored. My daughter and I went to the car park post match and she bravely kept her sadness in at her favourite player leaving, until it was time to say bye - and she then burst into tears.
We walked up the drive to the exit and got to the main gate, and looking back I could see Pablo and his other half getting into his car, so I suggested to my daughter that we stop and she give him a big smile and wave as he left. Pablo stopped his car next to my daughter, wound down his window, and passed over his match shirt!
20 years later, he's still her favourite player (Even beating her crush at 11 years old on Alan Lee (And she has his shirt from when he scored to send Leeds down!)).
Through Tractorette on this site, Pablo signed the shirt later that week and a photo I bought from EADT of him wheeling away after he scored his last (first time round!) goal. |  | | |
| Pabbers, legend on 15:54 - Oct 1 with 1519 views | Dyland |
| Autograph memories.. on 15:52 - Oct 1 by EJP |
One for my daughter (and which the long-standing board members will likely workout my previous username ..).
Back in the Joe Royle days I'd take my then 6 year old daughter to matches as her season ticket cost me £10. We'd go meet the players after the match outside main reception for autographs etc. and during the course of the season she got friendly with a few but soon decided Pablo Counago was her favourite.
Come the end of the end of his (1st) final season and the last home match, Pablo scored. My daughter and I went to the car park post match and she bravely kept her sadness in at her favourite player leaving, until it was time to say bye - and she then burst into tears.
We walked up the drive to the exit and got to the main gate, and looking back I could see Pablo and his other half getting into his car, so I suggested to my daughter that we stop and she give him a big smile and wave as he left. Pablo stopped his car next to my daughter, wound down his window, and passed over his match shirt!
20 years later, he's still her favourite player (Even beating her crush at 11 years old on Alan Lee (And she has his shirt from when he scored to send Leeds down!)).
Through Tractorette on this site, Pablo signed the shirt later that week and a photo I bought from EADT of him wheeling away after he scored his last (first time round!) goal. |
I loved that video of him and his family back at the club in McKenna's early days. |  |
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| Autograph memories.. on 15:55 - Oct 1 with 1523 views | Blueschev |
I've never forgiven Steve Bull for refusing to sign my programme at the end of a warm up before we played Wolves one night game at Portman Road. |  | | |
| Pabbers, legend on 16:00 - Oct 1 with 1473 views | EJP |
| Pabbers, legend on 15:54 - Oct 1 by Dyland |
I loved that video of him and his family back at the club in McKenna's early days. |
I'm now wondering just where that shirt is as it needs to go back up on my office wall! | | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 16:05 - Oct 1 with 1456 views | AshfordBlue |
Not football but Essex v West Indies 1991. In the Tom Pearce stand and at lunch all the players walk past heading for the restaurant and ask Curtly Ambrose for an autograph, his reply "lunchtime not autograph time". Seeing as he was about 7 foot tall I was not going to argue!! | | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 16:27 - Oct 1 with 1401 views | Help |
Twtd. International Ipswich greats doing a signing session at the coop hawthorn drive in 1982 before the world cup. Queues around the shop and a table placed near the rear of the shop opposite the butchers counter.
Second. last season at Needham in the pre season game when me and my boys waited near the coach after the game. Before hand my eldest son had spotted slicker on the balcony. As slicker walked to the coach thinking nothing of it my son says to him. Your Kieran slicker aren't you. Are you signing for us. To which Kieran said wait and see I can't say. Needles to say he and the rest of the team signed my boys shirts. |  |
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| Autograph memories.. on 16:53 - Oct 1 with 1344 views | Lord_Lucan |
My two are connected.
I said on the other thread that I was Dave Thomas (QPR) in the playground.
This was actually because I once pretended my Dad was David Thomas and sold his autographs at school for 5p each.
Being the so called son of a professional footballer (and because many people didn't believe me) I decided to be him in football matches.
The sh1t then hit the fan when a couple of new friends were coming round and I knew they would ask Mother, so I begged her to tell them that dad was Dave Thomas. She quite rightly refused but said she would say that my uncle was Dave Thomas, which he was, although not the one of QPR fame.
That's my autograph memory.
I can't remember how it all ended, I think I was about 8 at the time. |  |
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| Autograph memories.. on 19:42 - Oct 1 with 1198 views | solemio |
I got Sir Alf's autograph when he was playing for Spurs in a cricket match against the club I later played a bit for. I was upset when it went missing when we moved house years later. | | | |
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| Autograph memories.. on 19:53 - Oct 1 with 1171 views | farkenhell |
| Autograph memories.. on 16:53 - Oct 1 by Lord_Lucan |
My two are connected.
I said on the other thread that I was Dave Thomas (QPR) in the playground.
This was actually because I once pretended my Dad was David Thomas and sold his autographs at school for 5p each.
Being the so called son of a professional footballer (and because many people didn't believe me) I decided to be him in football matches.
The sh1t then hit the fan when a couple of new friends were coming round and I knew they would ask Mother, so I begged her to tell them that dad was Dave Thomas. She quite rightly refused but said she would say that my uncle was Dave Thomas, which he was, although not the one of QPR fame.
That's my autograph memory.
I can't remember how it all ended, I think I was about 8 at the time. |
I remember Dave Thomas. Mainly because we had a kid with the same name in the year above who played for the (junior) school team and who also fancied himself as a flashy winger. Sadly the name is where the comparison with the real Dave Thomas ended.
Remember Shoot! magazine? They used to have an autograph page in each edition, containing 3 or 4 autographs of top players of the day. The young entrepreneurial Farkenhell would trace and sell the autograph page in the playground. Made quite a packet from the racket. Well enough to buy the next edition of Shoot! and keep up the stock of pear drops! | | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 19:54 - Oct 1 with 1171 views | Pinewoodblue |
Son was mascot away to Port Vale first game of 2000. Took his autograph into dressing room and got everyone's autograph. David Johnson was outside dressing room talking with Robbie Williams. He secured DJ's autograph but declined Robbie Williams.
His sister was not happy when she found out. |  |
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| Autograph memories.. on 20:08 - Oct 1 with 1140 views | WestSussexBlue |
I used to wait for the Town team coach at Swindon in the 80s and 90s.
Stockwell, Wilson, Brennan, Forrest, Linighan always very good with signing my autograph book.
Shout out to “Trevor Wheels Kirton” who always chatted and a really nice guy. | | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 20:16 - Oct 1 with 1132 views | reuserfivethree |
When I was about 10, we went to the ticket office one day around the same time the players knocked off training. As we walked up the road towards the ticket office, Mickey Stockwell headed out to his car. I was too awestruck to do or say anything. Luckily my mum pushed me in the direction, and in return for carrying his child car's seat to his Volvo, I got his autograph and a few kind words.
About 10 years later, after we beat Leicester 6-1 at the start of our first season back in the Championship, I bumped into Darren Bent as he left after the game. It felt a bit strange to ask someone younger for an autograph, so I just gave him a fist bump and told him how well he played. He looked pleased, but that was probably because he was on his way to meet his family, who were buzzing. It was nice to see how proud they were of him, a side of the game I hadn't see before.
Finally, cricket. My mum used to go out with one of the groundsmen at Lord's, so we used to get in free after tea. Got a lot of the autographs of the great and the good from the late 80s/early 90s. Never got one from Graham Gooch (always said no). The best was Richard Hadlee, who made the whole New Zealand coach wait so he could give me an autograph. Crazy. | | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 20:47 - Oct 1 with 1101 views | jontysnut |
| Autograph memories.. on 16:05 - Oct 1 by AshfordBlue |
Not football but Essex v West Indies 1991. In the Tom Pearce stand and at lunch all the players walk past heading for the restaurant and ask Curtly Ambrose for an autograph, his reply "lunchtime not autograph time". Seeing as he was about 7 foot tall I was not going to argue!! |
I once asked Viv Richards to sign a bat he'd already signed. Cold drinks had been taken. I joked that I couldn't read his handwriting. He said you've obviously had a good day, now feck off |  | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 21:15 - Oct 1 with 1066 views | ellaandred |
| Autograph memories.. on 19:42 - Oct 1 by solemio |
I got Sir Alf's autograph when he was playing for Spurs in a cricket match against the club I later played a bit for. I was upset when it went missing when we moved house years later. |
I got Sir Alf's autograph as he was having a hot drink behind what was then the West Stand and talking to Bertie Mee. They both signed my programme. I still have them. |  | | |
| Autograph memories.. on 21:41 - Oct 1 with 1031 views | farkenhell |
The summer after we won the FA Cup, the club held an open day when over ten thousand turned up, including a young F and F senior. The latter took one look at the queue for a photograph with the Cup, then declared we would skip that and do a tour of the stadium. We (and loads of others) were on an astroturf pitch underneath one of the stands, when Bobby Robson appeared and was suddenly surrounded by scores of autograph hunters. SBR, who was not impressed with the level of dissorder, promptly announced "I'm signing nothing until you all queue up behind this lad" and placed a hand on my shoulder. Made me feel 10 feet tall! | | | |
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