Way back when...
I was a young, footloose, fancy free young man, still in my native Newcastle, and a cousin of mine had a birthday, a tradition he carries out every year, at about the same date. As was the style of the times, he celebrated by going out on the razzle dazzle, with a large group of family and friends, including me. As the night wore on we grew more emotional, and so turned our faces to one of the more expensive nightclubs in town hoping to dance in a way that would gain us such pity with the ladies that they'd do some sex on us.
Earlier that day, Newcastle United had lost a game of football, which in those days was more of a rarity than today, but nonetheless, the players also went out on the lash after. In those days, two of the most popular players at the club were Big Alan Shearer and Sir Lesley Ferdinand. These two players had the same idea as us and were trying to get into the club. I was stood in the doorway, waiting for friends and family who were busily redecorating the pavements, and watched in amusement as the bouncers refused entry to Alan and Les (as I now call them). They had lost that day, ergo they were not allowed in. This, you'll remember, was in the days when bouncers had the power of life and death over everyone in the city after nightfall.
I spent a good few minutes flicking the V's at Newcastle's number 9 and 10, taunting them for not being able to drink in a pretentious and overpriced Geordie drinking pit. I think the experience changed them, because a mere 7 years later, Newcastle got into the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, thanks in part to a goal by Alan Shearer. Co-incidence? You decide.
This may be a terrible story, but we're in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, so there!
( Geordie Al, Fri 16 Apr 2004, 10:49, Reply)