28th September, 2018
In the 1970s, 'Shoot!' was the go to publication for any young football fan. The weekly magazine had many great articles and features. One of the most popular of these was 'Focus On...' where top players of the time would reveal insights into their private lives, long before the grubby gutter press started to hound them.
So, with all due reverence to that august journal, I brought the item up to date with not one, but two, quick Q&As as part of my pre match build up for the Chonburi v Nakorn Ratchasima match in September, 2018.
Read on...
FOCUS ON...RUSS JOHN (Nakorn Ratchasima)
Birth place: I was born under a Wanderers’ scarf
Birth date: 9th December 1953
Height: A long 1.95 m
Weight: Way too much - see what I did there?
Previous Clubs: Holy Rosary Primary (captain) and Wolverhampton Primary League winners; Offley House Wolverhampton Grammar (dirtiest team in grammar school history - Yes!); Top Valley 5-a-side; Pompey Poly Strollers (won sod all)
Married: Sort of
Children: None (thank God!)
Car: Ford Ranger/ Kawasaki Z1000
Favourite player: Derek Dougan and if I can have two, Steve Bull
Favourite other team: The Swatcats - who else
Most difficult opponent: Nut Crusher Davies
Most memorable match: 1972 Uefa Cup Final Wolves V Spurs
Biggest thrill: Swatcats gaining promotion to the Thai Premier League
Biggest disappointment: Wolves not figuring until recently in the Premier League
Best country visited: Sri Lanka
Favourite food: Butter chicken with naan
Miscellaneous likes: Life/motorcycles/ dogs
Miscellaneous dislikes: Baggies fans/drunkenness/wet farts
Favourite TV show: Blind Date
Favourite singer: Phil Lynott
Favourite actor/actress: Kevin Spacey
Best friend: My dog Beng Beng
Biggest influence on career: Primary school teacher - Mr McCafferty - I once scored four in a match and he told me I was crap!!!
Biggest drag in football: Abuse of officials
International honours: None - not bloody good enough
Personal ambitions: To live to be 100
Professional ambition: To die with my boots on!!
If you were not a footballer what do you think you would be: A male escort
Which person in the world would you most like to meet: Valentino Rossi (Moto GP great)
FOCUS ON...DALE FARRINGTON (Chonburi)
Full Name: Dale Farrington
Birth place: Oldham, Lancashire
Birth date: 26th September, 1963
Height: 5’11”
Weight: “I’m a heavier dude than I used to be”.
Previous Clubs: FC Dave; Chonburi Fan Club FC
Married: Yes
Children: None
Car: Toyota Vios
Favourite players: Maurice Whittle, Andy Ritchie (Oldham Athletic); Pipob On-Mo (Chonburi)
Favourite other teams: Cumbernauld High School FC and Barnstoneworth Utd
Most difficult opponent: The wife!
Most memorable match: Rangers 3-4 FC Dave at Boundary Park
Biggest thrill: Oldham winning the 2nd Division, Chonburi winning the TPL and scoring at Boundary Park
Biggest disappointment: “Alton Towers” and the way the club (Chonburi) has been run over the past few years
Best country visited: France
Favourite food: Pie and chips; anything cooked by my wife
Miscellaneous likes: Music, films, cycling, reading, sleeping, dreaming, animals
Miscellaneous dislikes: Bureaucracy; cruelty
Favourite TV show: Bilko
Favourite singer: David Gedge (The Wedding Present); Joe Strummer (The Clash)
Favourite actor/actress: Paddy Considine; Katharine Hepburn
Best friend: My wife
Biggest influence on career: Primary school teacher - Mr Clegg. He was a hard man. He made Brian Glover’s character in ‘Kes’ look like Wayne Sleep!
Biggest drag in football: Players feigning injury; the huddle
International honours: I’ve played for “England” a few times whilst here in Thailand. Does that count?
Personal ambitions: To have one of my plays performed
Professional ambition: To retire as soon as possible
If you were not a footballer what do you think you would be: Guitarist in a Punk Rock band or a lorry driver
Which person in the world would you most like to meet: Winona Ryder or the person who presents the winning Lottery cheque
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