There have been a few mentions of killers Derby transfer recently on the Yann thread which brought back a distant memory that always makes me laugh when I think of it. My old man had just moved our family oooop t' north when killer moved. The old mans new boss was a big football bloke and to try and make us welcome had planned two games for us. The first was a mid week fixture, Arsenal (my dad's team) away to Derby at the baseball ground which turned out to be Killers debut for the rams so I was well happy. The game was the most tedious 0-0 ever and killer never had a touch. The following Saturday, my dad's boss had arranged a trip for us to see his heroes - Man U - who were playing Derby, so I got to see Killers first two games for the rams. I have no memory of that 2nd game at all apart from experiencing Old Trafford for the first time but my best memory came before the match.
I was just a kid and sat in the back of my old mans bosses car en route to the game and I have no idea why I did this but I wore my Charlton scarf to the game. Not in all its glory so the Mancs could see the words Charlton or the sword logo but just clock it was a red and white scarf under my coat. I think I must have felt better in myself by doing this as I was suicidal at the time because I had been dragged up north away from my beloved Charlton. Anyway, there I am in the back of the car when a coach pulls up beside us in the traffic jam. I looked up guessing it was the Lands End branch of the Utd supporters club but saw blokes in suits, sat at tables with little lamps playing cards. Just as it started dawning on me that I was looking up at Derby players on their team coach, there, sat all on his own like billy no mates was killer.
At the exact moment I started unwrapping my Charlton scarf from around my neck our eyes met and as I held the scarf up and pressed it against the window, Killers face was an absolute picture when he saw it. I was laughing, bouncing up and down giving him the thumbs up and shaking the scarf madly while killer just sat there, jaw dropped and trying to take in what he had just seen. He gave me a half hearted (the am I really seeing this) thumbs up and as his coach moved away he was straining his neck backwards to double check what he had just seen!!
I often wondered what went through his mind that day outside Old Trafford, Utd about to play Derby and up pops a Charlton fan waving his scarf just days after he left the Valley.
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How is life up there now? who did you pick as your local (2nd) team?