Article/interview with kim grant in sundays observer.
Grant now operates a chateau weddings business in the Czech Republic.
How did you end up putting on weddings in Czech castles?
The idea came about through my girlfriend, who is czech. I moved out there to be with her and when I was looking for apartments I quickly realised everything was half the price it is in England. That got me thinking. Her friend had a job working in a chateau and it struck me that we could arrange luxury weddings for pro footballers.
Why footballers?
I saw john terry got married in an English stately home for £2m. In the Czech Republic you can do it fior a fraction of that price in far more beautiful buildings and gardens, with alot more privacy. Two months ago we had the brochures finished and the website up and running: now we're just waiting for our first big-name client.
Whose wedding would you most love to arrange?
I heard that rio ferdinand is getting married this summer - I'd love to arrange his wedding. You lose touch with people playing around the world, but i used to hang around with all the big shots. I went out clubbing with rio when he was at west ham - Cafe de Paris and all those places. He was just a teenager then.
Does it feel strange being in that rare bracket of English footballers who have played abroad?
Very much so. I think i'm the only pro English player who has played for this many clubs abroad. I feel like i've been everywhere in the world except Australia and the North Pole. I guess being half Ghanian I never felt that I couldn't leave England. When I was playing for Ghana, a lot of the players on the national team played abroad; it was normal. I think that helped establish my mindset.
What went wrong at Geylang?
They tried to sack me for swearing. They said I swore at the director of football, but I didn't swear at anyone, I did lose my rag because they wouldn't give me an extra three days to go home and visit my son, I hadn't seen him in four months, and he's only seven years old. So they banned me from the training ground and suspended my contract for 'foul and abusive language'. I couldn't believe it. You see people like Lee Bowyer fighting on the pitch and they're allowed to carry on playing in the premier league. It was a stressful time. Happily I won my case against them and they had to pay out the remainder of my contract.
How often do you get recognised as a former professional?
Recently one of the air hostesses on Easyjet spotted me when I was flying out to the Czech Republic. She was a Charlton fan, saw my name on the ticket, and remembered me. She didn't give me any special treatment though - she stuck me straight in with the rest of the cattle!
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