The Ref Stop

Ex Prem ref!

Sheffields Finest

Sheffields Finest

Maybe I'm foolish, maybe I'm blind!
Level 7 Referee
I was stood in silence next to ex-Premier league referee Uriah Rennie at Sheffield Arena on Friday night.
I would of shook his hand but it was in the Gents urinals....:oops:

Who else have you met and where!! :)
 
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Not football related, but does involve urinals - had a chat with Josh Widdicombe in the queue for the toilets at the Camden Roundhouse.

Football wise would have to be refereeing an FA Cup game in 2012 where Ray Parlour, Brian McBride, Graeme Le Saux, Claudio Cannigia all played, Martin Keown was on the bench, David Seaman the goalkeeping coach and Terry Venables was the manager.
 
bumped into Howard Webb at a theme park in Florida the year he retired
Graham Poll , had a nice chat with when he came into our office
Ian Wright, played golf at Loch Lomond and met him in the changing room after his round. Disconcerting talking to him completely naked though!
And urinal related, got some splashback on my shoes from Ellery Hanley in a loo in Hull, must be ohhh 25 years ago. Still got those shoes somewhere i think ...
 
Howard Webb and Clattenburg at our Association meeting
Generally don't care who is standing beside me at a urinal I don't look? :oops:

Most famous person spoken to once made lunch for Heidi Klum spoke to her after a show , Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) at a TV recording, Eamonn Holmes during filming of a quiz show, Bear Gryllis at my son's scout camp, Jimmy Carr in the airport business lounge, made Linda Lusardi lunch once back when she was a glamour model (sadly was in a restaurant where I worked) met a few others been in the company of a few others but didn't speak to them Gwyneth Paltrow in Nice Airport during Cannes.
 
Talking of toilet talk, nearly got flattened by Dave Beasant at a Paul McKenna hypnotic show. :mad: I was just about to open the door to leave the bogs when Beasant came crashing through the door on his way in. Paul Walsh lived next door to my aunt/uncle and had a quick kick about in the street with us during his playing days. Was stood next to Ian Hislop (Have I got news for you) on a packed tube train, bloke is tiny! Back in the early 90's, was stood behind and had a chat with Martin Keown and Gerry Peyton on the terraces at Oxford United.

I now consider former Bournemouth/Arsenal/Gillingham keeper Vince Bartram as a personal friend. Our son's have played in the same youth team for the past 3 seasons and Vince personally recommended my son to their current team's manager when our son's old team folded at the end of last season. :D
 
Hmmm ... famous people you say ...

I refereed Tommy Walsh's son (Ground Force) - my Dad also threatened to knock him out after he was a little unkind towards me (was only 14 at the time)
Refereed Jimmy Bullard in a charity game - quality bloke
Met Bill Nighy crossing the road in London, same with Stephen Fry.
Tim Westwood stopped let us cross a path with a cabinet in hand, I said thanks not realising who it was, when I said 'that's Tim Westwood' he stopped, looked back and said 'Yeah it is man, have a good Christmas dawgs!'
Remember meeting Stone Cold Steve Austin when I was like 13, what a dude!!
Queued behind Mark Noble in JD Sports
Saw Dean Ashton and Anton Ferdinand coming out my local gym
Had a beer with Julian Dicks before a West Ham game
Saw Frankie Lampard (the real Frankie, not that fake son of his) in Maplins
Ray Parlour went to my old school, as did Jason Leonard
 
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Heres a mate of mine displaying my extraction equipment on a recent series, he'd make a great ref, 6'8", there aren't many people i look up to!!! Strange conversation with him for 3-4 hours on filter Coffee, his plans for the future and how crap his Grease Monkey website was!!
 
Back in the day, my job took me to film premieres in London. Two separate stories stick in my mind ..

Firstly, I once took my mum (as my wife was abroad), went to the bar at the after party, came back to the dancefloor to see the only two people on there happily dancing together ... my mum and Yasmin Le Bon :confused:

Secondly, I was on the dance floor and somehow ended up dancing with Kelly Brook. Five minutes of heaven later, looked to the side of the dancefloor and saw Jason Statham (her then boyfriend) giving me a decidedly evil stare!! Beat an EXTREMELY hasty retreat :)
 
Saw Darren Anderton absolutely wasted in a pub in Richmond, 7pm on a Friday night during his Tottenham days. We were laughing that he was probably injured again, to my surprise he managed to revive himself from from his borderline coma to start and score in a lunchtime kick off the following day!

I think most people in Poole/Bournemouth have seen 'Arry, Jamie & Louise Redknapp out and about at some point.

However all of the celeb spotting pales into insignificance compared to yours truely being ambushed by Sky Sports News outside Stamford Bridge the day after Chelsea beat Palace to secure the 2015 PL title and having my "interview" shown throughout the day. My hopes that maybe no one I know would have seen it quickly evaporated when I walked into work the following day! Also had people at games I have ref'd come up to me afterwards and say they had seen me on TV! :D
 
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