My Spurs instinct was to always hate him growing up along with everyone else from that poxy club but another of the ex-Gooners, like Ian Wright, who seems to be a really warm, likeable fella. I hope for his sake he doesnt fall off the wagon again.
Am surprised to see the direction Ruddock has gone in. He seemed to show another side to him in Masterchef last year but this larger than life character he portrays on tv is way over the top. Hopefully the pacemaker gives him a proper reality check that he needs to look after himself, especially with two young kids.
Went to school with Ruddock, he was a year below me. He was (obviously) a class act as a footballer, a whipper snapper of a centre forward at time with no small amount of skill!
Played with him in a local 5-a-side team (The Daleks!!) for a very short while, and against him in the school's 'inter-form' annual 'Cake' cup competition (beat his form in the final one year, winning a dirty great cream cake!).
He was always a bit of a 'jack the lad' at school, but a very popular and really good bloke, nonetheless.
Agree about Ruddock. He has got a mixed reputation, but I can only comment on what I know. We used to live in the same area of Ashford as him, and on one Halloween my kids knocked on his door. He was dressed up for it, invited them and myself in, and told them to help themselves to as many sweets as they wanted. He was also happy to have his photo taken. Really nice bloke.
My Spurs instinct was to always hate him growing up along with everyone else from that poxy club but another of the ex-Gooners, like Ian Wright, who seems to be a really warm, likeable fella. I hope for his sake he doesnt fall off the wagon again.
Am surprised to see the direction Ruddock has gone in. He seemed to show another side to him in Masterchef last year but this larger than life character he portrays on tv is way over the top. Hopefully the pacemaker gives him a proper reality check that he needs to look after himself, especially with two young kids.
Went to school with Ruddock, he was a year below me. He was (obviously) a class act as a footballer, a whipper snapper of a centre forward at time with no small amount of skill!
Played with him in a local 5-a-side team (The Daleks!!) for a very short while, and against him in the school's 'inter-form' annual 'Cake' cup competition (beat his form in the final one year, winning a dirty great cream cake!).
He was always a bit of a 'jack the lad' at school, but a very popular and really good bloke, nonetheless.
Agree about Ruddock. He has got a mixed reputation, but I can only comment on what I know. We used to live in the same area of Ashford as him, and on one Halloween my kids knocked on his door. He was dressed up for it, invited them and myself in, and told them to help themselves to as many sweets as they wanted. He was also happy to have his photo taken. Really nice bloke.
I like this programme, it's a vehicle for these blokes who played the greatest game on the world to support each other. Loads of them all booze together and play golf with each other and its underrated how having that support network without realising it is there is valuable.
Paul Merson was one of the best players I've seen in the flesh, the technique he had was very un-british. I'm glad he has turned his problems around
Ruddock is an idiot, he reminds me of a good mate of mine and he is also a right horrible bastard to have on a stag do with you. My mate is having a bit of a Ruddock at the moment, overweight, ginger, drinks a phenomenal amount, coupled with the tennis he does as well and an atrocious diet of fried food and full fat dairy. And everyone let's him play right up to it, he is an excellent footballer annoyingly and his body can't handle that anymore which he has been struggling with for years and spends months at a time on crutches. I've tried to help him before and had a similar altercation with him as Merson did with Ruddock, always someone elses fault or can be done tomorrow
One thing this reminded me, very few things in life beat the sheer brilliance of a lads trip.
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
One thing this reminded me, very few things in life beat the sheer brilliance of a lads trip.
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
Genuinely interested why you think it’s any different to a girls trip away?
As what you describe sounds exactly like my 4 Nations yearly event (usually involves a sporting event & all us ladies are from one of the 4 Nations, hence the name).
What was particularly frustrating to me was the quality of the German finishing! It was laughable, but why was it so good when the games mattered 20 plus years ago?
One thing this reminded me, very few things in life beat the sheer brilliance of a lads trip.
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
Genuinely interested why you think it’s any different to a girls trip away?
As what you describe sounds exactly like my 4 Nations yearly event (usually involves a sporting event & all us ladies are from one of the 4 Nations, hence the name).
Guess men don't understand or appreciate the way ladies do
One thing this reminded me, very few things in life beat the sheer brilliance of a lads trip.
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
Genuinely interested why you think it’s any different to a girls trip away?
Because lads do nothing but take the piss out of each other in a way the ladies can just never do.
We're allowed to be just boys again without the pressure of women trying to tell us to grow up.
As @AFKABartram said, you just cannot beat a lads trip.
Slightly surprised between the split between the main players and the backups, weird having someone like Kevin Phillips (who's often on TV these days) there just to make up the numbers
One thing this reminded me, very few things in life beat the sheer brilliance of a lads trip.
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
Genuinely interested why you think it’s any different to a girls trip away?
Because lads do nothing but take the piss out of each other in a way the ladies can just never do.
We're allowed to be just boys again without the pressure of women trying to tell us to grow up.
As @AFKABartram said, you just cannot beat a lads trip.
Slightly surprised between the split between the main players and the backups, weird having someone like Kevin Phillips (who's often on TV these days) there just to make up the numbers
I think they went out there with a core of 10 players - presumably they couldn't get a commitment from more for the number of weeks that they were away but also because they wanted to concentrate on those who did actually play for England on or around the period in question. Kevin Phillips only had 8 caps, all friendlies and never scored a goal for England so there wouldn't have been much about him to focus on.
Slightly surprised between the split between the main players and the backups, weird having someone like Kevin Phillips (who's often on TV these days) there just to make up the numbers
I think they went out there with a core of 10 players - presumably they couldn't get a commitment from more for the number of weeks that they were away but also because they wanted to concentrate on those who did actually play for England on or around the period in question. Kevin Phillips only had 8 caps, all friendlies and never scored a goal for England so there wouldn't have been much about him to focus on.
Chamberlain got 8 caps, the last of which was in 1984 so he was a long time before most of the other players
“very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.”
Bollocks.
“Because lads do nothing but take the piss out of each other in a way the ladies can just never do.”
And some More bollocks.
To add to that further and going slightly off topic the one thing I would say after reading threads on here and on Twitter about the state of our club, Women certainly wouldn’t act like a bunch of bitching, teenage girls, arguing so publicly, the likes of which I have never witnessed. Grown men swinging their dicks in a great big dick swinging contest. Utter nonsense coming out of grown men. Embarrassing.
i bet if it had been left to women they would have sorted out the ownership far quicker than has been done so far.
And stick that great big sweeping generalisation up all your arses!
Slightly surprised between the split between the main players and the backups, weird having someone like Kevin Phillips (who's often on TV these days) there just to make up the numbers
I think they went out there with a core of 10 players - presumably they couldn't get a commitment from more for the number of weeks that they were away but also because they wanted to concentrate on those who did actually play for England on or around the period in question. Kevin Phillips only had 8 caps, all friendlies and never scored a goal for England so there wouldn't have been much about him to focus on.
Chamberlain got 8 caps, the last of which was in 1984 so he was a long time before most of the other players
Agreed - he is somewhat unique though given that he has a link, through his son, to the current England team.
“very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.”
Bollocks.
“Because lads do nothing but take the piss out of each other in a way the ladies can just never do.”
And some More bollocks.
To add to that further and going slightly off topic the one thing I would say after reading threads on here and on Twitter about the state of our club, Women certainly wouldn’t act like a bunch of bitching, teenage girls, arguing so publicly, the likes of which I have never witnessed. Grown men swinging their dicks in a great big dick swinging contest. Utter nonsense coming out of grown men. Embarrassing.
i bet if it had been left to women they would have sorted out the ownership far quicker than has been done so far.
And stick that great big sweeping generalisation up all your arses!
Good night!
👍
Lol, maybe they would sort it out ..... but only once Eastenders had finished.
And as for that bit above, I completely agree - I've never known women to bitch and argue like teenage girls. Ever. Honestly. No, seriously ....
“very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.”
Bollocks.
“Because lads do nothing but take the piss out of each other in a way the ladies can just never do.”
And some More bollocks.
To add to that further and going slightly off topic the one thing I would say after reading threads on here and on Twitter about the state of our club, Women certainly wouldn’t act like a bunch of bitching, teenage girls, arguing so publicly, the likes of which I have never witnessed. Grown men swinging their dicks in a great big dick swinging contest. Utter nonsense coming out of grown men. Embarrassing.
i bet if it had been left to women they would have sorted out the ownership far quicker than has been done so far.
And stick that great big sweeping generalisation up all your arses!
One thing this reminded me, very few things in life beat the sheer brilliance of a lads trip.
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
I went to bed a bit miffed to be honest and then had an epiphany (epiphany I said you dirty lot).
Clearly all our lads on here are told by their better halves that when they go away for a girlie week/weekend all they do is sit around discussing what washing powder they use whilst crocheting a new bonnet for wee Solly as they flick through their latest copy of ‘how to get grass stains out of your jodhpurs’ weekly whilst sipping a small glass of sweet sherry.
And that’s exactly what happens, every time, always, honest guvnor, would these eyes lie 😜
Apologies if i've offended you @Curb_It (and you @KBlittlesis), certainly wasn't my intention.
Of course, i was talking generically. You'll note i said 'very few' and not all. The reason i said most is i had in my head that you and your pals are a definite outliner to the generalism that i was saying!
In my head the social behaviours in crowd form of the average bloke are different to that of the average woman. And i'm not saying one is better than the other, just that masculine and feminine cultures are different.
Massive caveat that i'm generalising here. Of course as a man i have much less experience of how women behave when away for a few days. So if you say its bollocks, then fair enough, its bollocks.
From my experience a group of blokes can go away for for 3 or 4 days and can completely remove themselves from normal life. Zero discussions on work, kids, partners, schools, the house, emotions, wellbeng etc. Just utter nonsense and piss taking for the whole time. To be honest, blokes in general can be mates for 20 years and not even know what job their mate does, or remember the names of the others kids.
From my experience, outside of a crazy night out, i don't think women when in group sustain the same path as that, probably because in feminine culture there's a higher weighting in self-disclosure and communication than there is is in masculine culture. And certainly from my younger days of lads holidays, i don't think i ever come across a group of girls that hadn't had some form of internal fall out during the trip, which i've found is generally rarer with blokes.
Anyhow, just my view, which no doubt is bollocks, and i've probably just dug a bigger hole for myself, but hopefully @KBlittlesis explains my thinking
All i wanted to say was how much i miss doing those football tours!
I think women, in a group, with the perfect storm of gin, vodka, pinot grigio, pink sashes and a sprinkling of narcotics have the capacity to behave appallingly. Like a pack.
I've got plenty of first hand experience of this and I've shared tons of my stories here over years.
What is very different though is the dynamic that @AFKABartram is talking about is very different. I'm thinking of a time a load of us went to Estonia on a stag do, thankfully I was very much single at the time and from the moment we all met up at about 3am at Gatwick it was going south. In the minibus my mate Luke, who is absolutely disgusting and a real, horrible prospect on a stag do had put his finger, at best along his gooch at worst, up his rank dung button. And anyone who fell asleep or looked like were asleep he was wiping this finger on their face. I could see how this was going and sat out of reach of him. We got to Gatwick and another bloke, Paul, who you did not fuck with, told him if he carried on like that he would iron him out. Which meant he at least left paul alone. The piss taking is also a different type same with nicknames. As the stag, John the cunt, will attest to.
Then we land in Estonia. I was sharing a room with big Luke and he shat the bed, shat in two of the other lads bath and in someone's washbag.
I have tried but I cannot imagine a group of girls, regardless of how wild they are doing that
blokes can say pretty much what they want to another mate when on one of these weekends away, whereas with the girls one off comment and the protagonists wont talk for a month.
Comments
Whether thats a football tour, stag do, golf trip - the banter, non-stop laughing and just the general ability to forget all the grown up aspects of life.
very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.
Depending on your previous experiences, you’ll either get where I’m coming from or you won’t
As what you describe sounds exactly like my 4 Nations yearly event (usually involves a sporting event & all us ladies are from one of the 4 Nations, hence the name).
We're allowed to be just boys again without the pressure of women trying to tell us to grow up.
As @AFKABartram said, you just cannot beat a lads trip.
Slightly surprised between the split between the main players and the backups, weird having someone like Kevin Phillips (who's often on TV these days) there just to make up the numbers
I think they went out there with a core of 10 players - presumably they couldn't get a commitment from more for the number of weeks that they were away but also because they wanted to concentrate on those who did actually play for England on or around the period in question. Kevin Phillips only had 8 caps, all friendlies and never scored a goal for England so there wouldn't have been much about him to focus on.
“very few groups of women understand and appreciate it like blokes do.”
“Because lads do nothing but take the piss out of each other in a way the ladies can just never do.”
And some More bollocks.
To add to that further and going slightly off topic the one thing I would say after reading threads on here and on Twitter about the state of our club, Women certainly wouldn’t act like a bunch of bitching, teenage girls, arguing so publicly, the likes of which I have never witnessed. Grown men swinging their dicks in a great big dick swinging contest. Utter nonsense coming out of grown men. Embarrassing.
i bet if it had been left to women they would have sorted out the ownership far quicker than has been done so far.
And stick that great big sweeping generalisation up all your arses!
And as for that bit above, I completely agree - I've never known women to bitch and argue like teenage girls. Ever. Honestly. No, seriously ....
@Off_it I do agree with your sarky comment but we certainly cant say men aren't just as bad! Whinging willies.
I'm still raging over AFKA's comment, I've woken still in a bad mood this morning... I'm coming for you my little friend. Be afraid.
XX
I went to bed a bit miffed to be honest and then had an epiphany (epiphany I said you dirty lot).
Clearly all our lads on here are told by their better halves that when they go away for a girlie week/weekend all they do is sit around discussing what washing powder they use whilst crocheting a new bonnet for wee Solly as they flick through their latest copy of ‘how to get grass stains out of your jodhpurs’ weekly whilst sipping a small glass of sweet sherry.
And that’s exactly what happens, every time, always, honest guvnor, would these eyes lie 😜
''I bet if it had been left to women they would have sorted out the ownership far quicker
than has been done so far''.
Wasn't exactly great when we had Katrien Meire as a CEO though was it!
In terms of Charlton produced England players, he must be right up there considering that Parker for example only made 18 appearances
Apologies if i've offended you @Curb_It (and you @KBlittlesis), certainly wasn't my intention.
Of course, i was talking generically. You'll note i said 'very few' and not all. The reason i said most is i had in my head that you and your pals are a definite outliner to the generalism that i was saying!
In my head the social behaviours in crowd form of the average bloke are different to that of the average woman. And i'm not saying one is better than the other, just that masculine and feminine cultures are different.
Massive caveat that i'm generalising here. Of course as a man i have much less experience of how women behave when away for a few days. So if you say its bollocks, then fair enough, its bollocks.
From my experience a group of blokes can go away for for 3 or 4 days and can completely remove themselves from normal life. Zero discussions on work, kids, partners, schools, the house, emotions, wellbeng etc. Just utter nonsense and piss taking for the whole time. To be honest, blokes in general can be mates for 20 years and not even know what job their mate does, or remember the names of the others kids.
From my experience, outside of a crazy night out, i don't think women when in group sustain the same path as that, probably because in feminine culture there's a higher weighting in self-disclosure and communication than there is is in masculine culture. And certainly from my younger days of lads holidays, i don't think i ever come across a group of girls that hadn't had some form of internal fall out during the trip, which i've found is generally rarer with blokes.
Anyhow, just my view, which no doubt is bollocks, and i've probably just dug a bigger hole for myself, but hopefully @KBlittlesis explains my thinking
All i wanted to say was how much i miss doing those football tours!
I've got plenty of first hand experience of this and I've shared tons of my stories here over years.
What is very different though is the dynamic that @AFKABartram is talking about is very different. I'm thinking of a time a load of us went to Estonia on a stag do, thankfully I was very much single at the time and from the moment we all met up at about 3am at Gatwick it was going south. In the minibus my mate Luke, who is absolutely disgusting and a real, horrible prospect on a stag do had put his finger, at best along his gooch at worst, up his rank dung button. And anyone who fell asleep or looked like were asleep he was wiping this finger on their face. I could see how this was going and sat out of reach of him. We got to Gatwick and another bloke, Paul, who you did not fuck with, told him if he carried on like that he would iron him out. Which meant he at least left paul alone. The piss taking is also a different type same with nicknames. As the stag, John the cunt, will attest to.
Then we land in Estonia. I was sharing a room with big Luke and he shat the bed, shat in two of the other lads bath and in someone's washbag.
I have tried but I cannot imagine a group of girls, regardless of how wild they are doing that
Though I'm glad I've never been on a stg do with @Carter