There's a local on line newspaper, and others do this too, where they tease you to take a look at their 'non story' and if it's football related it will be headlines something like "Premier League Ace now emptying bins in Rochdale". The immediate reaction is of course, who can that be? And it. Is always someone you have never heard of, ever, and who played twice for a Premier League club when they managed to visit the Premier League on a short visit in the 1980s. There's a picture of him in action on the pitch wearing their shirt and advertising a local hardware shop, then another with him as he is now, happily dealing with rubbish with the rest of his new team at the local tip.
Aggravating stories that I am now wary of, but still fall for.
In the Illustrators/cartoonists league I was not unlike this unknown Premier League player. There was a time in the 80s when I got reasonably close to the Premier League players but never quite made it. The likes of Mick Brownfield, Alan Adler, Ellis Nadler, Graham Thompson, Brian Grimwood, Graham Thompson, Arthur Robins, Chris Moore ( specialist sci fi illustrator ) Paul Sample, and the highly respected Brian Sanders were just some of the dominant players at the time. They got the big briefs, they were the big drawers. If there was a big ad campaign going then they were the ones that got the work. I got the trade ads, at times. They played for Manchester United and I had the odd appearance for Bolton Wanderers Reserves when I was fit.
I'm not grumbling about it and I'm not now emptying bins for the local council, though there's nothing wrong with that. I got as close to them as I was able and there's no shame in that. Like Bolton Wanderers I fell down the leagues a bit later on, and found it more difficult to find 'games' as they say. I was reduced to playing for what I considered to be non league sides, educational publishing work being my sort of low point. I hated that! So I left the whole thing behind for a while, I was a bit long in the tooth by then to be a cutting edge illustrator and the chance to get a 'proper' job which paid every month was just great for me.
I was ten years in that job and then came back to the game. Some of those big names are still around as far as I know. I've seen Brian Grimwood around on Instagram, as well as Brian Sanders. Both still drawing brilliantly. Mike Brownfield is still in the game. Ellis Nadler draws like it's going out of fashion, which he never does and who is doing a drawing a day for a whole year at present ( an incredible output) generally they are all brilliant, some a tad weird. Sadly there's not much sign of the brilliant Paul Sample. Ace sci fi illustratot Chris Moore actually got in touch with me recently, we met all those years ago when I was involved with the Association of Illustrators. Sadly he is no longer drawing. Alan Adler died, leaving behind a huge legacy of brilliant work. No sign of the brilliant Graham Thompson apart from the occasional jigsaw puzzle seen in a local charity shop, that did make me feel a bit down. He was the David Beckham of the early years to me.
Anyhow, football is coming home again and as per usual I use this ancient drawing of mine that has served several competitions over the years. It's like an old former player coming out of retirement for a charity match, with a bit of extra weight and perhaps dribbling a bit. I blame my teeth.
Recycling yet again, this old drawing and this old drawer still here.
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