[Albion] A little Albion story (about Dean Wilkins)

[hans kraay fan club]

A couple of threads today ('When does the players' coach arrive at away games' and 'Your first Albion experience') dislodged a memory, that I thought I'd share. It is January 2008. The Albion are not very good, but my (then) 7 year old is full of enthusiasm for Cheltenham away, so off we plod. Here's the cut and paste of a message I sent to a couple of mates on here, the next day:

Finn and I set off for Cheltenham early, and were driving in to the town at 1pm, when he saw the team coach parked outside a hotel. He asked if we could stop, so I pulled over. Just then, the driver pulled the coach up to the door of the hotel, so was obviously expecting everyone to be boarding.

Finn wanted to get out and get a couple of autographs, so we stood and waited for the team to come out. When they did, every single one of them stopped to sign, and a couple of them had a chat with him, Guy and Adam El Abd particularly.

He got back in the car well pleased with himself, and I was just backing out of my space when I looked in the mirror, and saw Dean Wilkins jump back off the coach and jog over to our car.

'Would he like to travel from here to the ground on the coach?'

So off he goes with Dean onto the coach, and I follow them in the car. He sat with Dean and Nicky Forster on the coach. Dean gave him a copy of the dossier on the opponents to look at, and a bottle of water.

He tells me the table at the back [Jake, Cox, Elphick and McFaul] were the rowdy ones, that all the others were making fun of El Abd, and that Michel put YMCA on the stereo - he and the back table doing all the moves!

Needless to say he is FULL of all this, and can't wait to go to school tomorrow, and for 'news time'.

What a TOP bloke, Wilkins is.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Fantastic memory, showing the Albion's club ethics, instilled then and even now

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

That is brilliant.

Did I mention I nutmegged Dean Wilkins in a five-a-side ?

 

[Simster]

Aye, I remember that tale. And we lost that game pretty much in the same manner Swansea lost last night. Grrr! But yes, Wilkins always struck everyone who met him as a genuinely nice guy.

Despite the bad press, I would say that my impression (based on who I've met) is that most professional football players and managers are actually decent sorts. We did corporate at Forest away this season and at half time Garry Birtles was the guest giving his thoughts on the game, Forest and football in general. He was very unassuming, and modest. Afterwards, I wandered over to say I was a Brighton fan but always liked his style of play when growing up (awkward, goal scorer, held the ball up well - very much a Glen Murray upgrade really) and he was genuinely taken aback at the compliment and genuinely thanked me for taking the time to tell him. I really believe most players are well aware of how lucky they are, remember where they came from, and remember the old adage of being nice on the way up for others to be nice on the way back down.

That is brilliant.

Did I mention I nutmegged Dean Wilkins in a five-a-side ?

Even more remarkable when you consider how shithouse you were.

 

[papajaff]

That is brilliant.

Did I mention I nutmegged Dean Wilkins in a five-a-side ?

Give over, Dean Martin maybe!

 

[severnside gull]

Aye, I remember that tale. And we lost that game pretty much in the same manner Swansea lost last night. Grrr! But yes, Wilkins always struck everyone who met him as a genuinely nice guy.

Despite the bad press, I would say that my impression (based on who I've met) is that most professional football players and managers are actually decent sorts. We did corporate at Forest away this season and at half time Garry Birtles was the guest giving his thoughts on the game, Forest and football in general. He was very unassuming, and modest. Afterwards, I wandered over to say I was a Brighton fan but always liked his style of play when growing up (awkward, goal scorer, held the ball up well - very much a Glen Murray upgrade really) and he was genuinely taken aback at the compliment and genuinely thanked me for taking the time to tell him. I really believe most players are well aware of how lucky they are, remember where they came from, and remember the old adage of being nice on the way up for others to be nice on the way back down.

Even more remarkable when you consider how shithouse you were.

Reading such fulsome praise for Wilkins reminded me of BHADebs and her ceaseless campaign against the club on his behalf after he was sacked.

 

[bhadebenhams]

We were the besterest team in Sussex when Dean (Drool!!) was in charge. If it haddent been for him finding out what Dick TIGHT had done with the Wembley cup final money we would of been in the Premiership thing by now. Tight sacked him to stop Dean (SWOON) going stool pidgin with the news.

One final word to say about Dean (GURGLE!!!)

SEVENTH PLAICE

 

[Blue3]

Steve Gritt after he left us was in the stand at Gillingham scouting for Charlton sat next to me for the game genuinely nice talked about his time at the Albion very unassuming and on another occasion up at Culver Road Albion development v Ipswitch development and Mick MaCarthy came along did not take any active role in the game but stood with the fans although I did not others chatted to him and again seemed a nice affable guy

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Dean really was/is a nice guy. I spoke to him before the cup tie with West Ham and he told me he'd been on to Alan Curbishley and reminded him that he owed Deano a favour for all the time him and his wife had babysat for the Curbishley. Sadly Curbs didn't seem to remember. I really liked his idea of making us a south coast Athletic Bilbao, with a team of locally-born players. Of course, there's only so far you can go with a team full of defenders ...

 

[FatSuperman]

Great little story, thanks for sharing

 

[AmexRuislip]

That is brilliant.

Did I mention I nutmegged Dean Wilkins in a five-a-side ?

Brilliant
Cue [MENTION=34942]Dr. No[/MENTION]

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Dean really was/is a nice guy. .... I really liked his idea of making us a south coast Athletic Bilbao, with a team of locally-born players...

We ALL shared that (impossible) dream, didn't we? Finn's younger brother's first Albion match was actually the 8-0 win over Northwich Victoria, when we probably came as close as we ever will, to achieving the Sussex XI.

 

[Ernest]

A couple of threads today ('When does the players' coach arrive at away games' and 'Your first Albion experience') dislodged a memory, that I thought I'd share. It is January 2008. The Albion are not very good, but my (then) 7 year old is full of enthusiasm for Cheltenham away, so off we plod. Here's the cut and paste of a message I sent to a couple of mates on here, the next day:

Good job it wasn't still MAGOO as he would have THROWN him off of the coach halfway there

 

[portlock seagull]

Great Story. I fell guilty for giving him so much abuse as a player, most tongue in cheek for his 'I am an art-iste', don't get mud on your shorts persona on the pitch. Was a bit of an in-house joke amongst the faithful in the 80s and 90s. But we all recognised his technical ability.

I miss those days of crying "WENNNNNDYYYY.....!!!" as he jumped another tackle Top bloke and coach, one of the club's all time great servants.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

But we all recognised his technical ability.

Especially Barry Lloyd, who claimed that DW could 'open a tin of beans with his left foot'!

 

[portlock seagull]

Especially Barry Lloyd, who claimed that DW could 'open a tin of beans with his left foot'!

I love that quote!

 

[timbha]

Remember him coming over to the away support (250?) at chesterfield after we'd nicked a rare win. We were going mental at final whistle and as he and the players walked off he beckoned to us to be quiet then shouted what brilliant fans we were and thanked us. What a gent!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Even more remarkable when you consider how shithouse you were.

Regents Park dandies. "Ooh bit of rain ....".

Portslade Muppets owned you.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Great little story, thanks for sharing

That's OK.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Give over, Dean Martin maybe!

Now that would be a tale worth telling.