Written by Su Lewis Thursday, 29 April 2010 11:32

GunnerTalk Blog

By Su Lewis

Several years ago (well, slightly more than several) whilst working for The Club I was pretty friendly with quite a few of the players.  One story that Lindsay has asked me to write about concerns a Christmas party that ended up at Stringfellows.

 Back then (late eighties) Stringies was the place to go.  There were always a few of our players there plus some from other, lesser, London clubs.  I was lucky, because I usually ended up chauffeuring some of the players home I never had to pay to get in and rarely paid for drinks.  Mind you since I usually drove I ended up drinking water most times (ha ha!).

 On this particular evening I had arranged to meet up with some of the players after their official club dinner.  I hate to admit this but I had started the evening at the spud’s Christmas party in White Shit Lane! 

 By the time I got to Stringies one or two of them were pretty drunk, ie, Charlie Nicholas.  I met up with Charlie, Kenny Sansom (who didn’t drink during the season), Graham Rix, Paul Davis and I can’t remember who else but there were quite a few of them.

 As usual the boys were propping up the bar although in Charlie’s case the bar was propping him up!  He was a really nice guy, very generous to all and sundry, a good laugh (particularly after a sherbet or two) and a great player but once he started drinking he usually forgot to stop!

 The first thing that happened was that Charlie ordered some drinks, got out a wad of twenties and promptly fell off the stool that he had been perched on.  Luckily he was too drunk to feel anything and didn’t injure himself. By the time the rest of us had finished laughing at him Charlie managed to get almost upright and leant back on his stool.

 We were suddenly surrounded by a bunch of loudmouthed bimbos.  Well, I say we but I was pushed out of the way so these girls could chat up the players.  In a way it was quite funny but also slightly sad because I could have been a wife or girlfriend (nowadays called a WAG) they didn’t have a clue.  All they new was that there were several footballers there and they wanted in.

 Kenny Sansom decided now was a good time to make a retreat and he toddled off home.  The others decided to stay but told these girls they weren’t interested as they were all with me (huh?). 

 Shortly after this I decided it was time to go as it was now 4am and I had to be in work the next morning. Charlie, Graham & Paul asked for a lift home and since they didn’t live too far from where I lived in Barnet I took them – just for a change.  We had to literally push Charlie into the back seat and strap him in to try and keep him semi-upright.  He ended up slumped against Paul Davis who wasn’t too enamoured!

 Luckily Charlie was the first to be dropped off (Highgate) and the boys somehow managed to get out of the car, into the lift and inside his flat (when he finally found his keys). 

 A couple of days later I picked up the currant bun on my way into work.  Was I shocked and amazed when I read on page 3 that Charlie Nicholas had been seen in Stringfellows on that particular night and had left there with three dolly birds (me, Rixy & Davo!).  I was flattered but I don’t think the boys were!

 Moral of the story?  Don’t believe everything you read in the papers!