Graham Poll talks about Slough Town

[charlie]

Bit of a long post this, so make sure you're sitting comfortably...

 

At a corporate dinner today, I had the pleasure of being sat next to Graham "three yellow cards" Poll.

 

Aside from being jolly good company (and a boy from my neck of the wood having lived in Stevenage and Hitchin for most of his life) he told me a Slough Town anecdote which I thought was worth passing on...

 

Before turning properly professional Poll was a referee for the Isthmian league and on occasion travelled to Wexham Park to ref the odd cup match. He had only fond things to say about the club, I'm pleased to report.

 

However, the anecdote was about one of his old friends Paul Merson from the days when he was managing Walsall.

 

As most of you will know, Walsall were drawn against Slough in the FA Cup not so long ago, and Merson had no qualms in telling Sky, his players, the BBC and anyone else within ear shot that the game would be a walk in the park, and all Walsall would have to do was to turn up.

 

Apparently, he'd been to see us play the week before the cup game and saw what he described as a "short, young, weedy keeper". He therefore went back to Walsall and told his players, his family and everyone he knew to put every spare quid they had on Walsall winning.

 

Imagine his surprise then, when he arrived and found Allaway in goal, an experienced, tall, athletic keeper. He turned white, swallowed, and tried to get on with the game.

 

As you all know, we won 2-1. According to Poll, the chairman of Walsall went into Merson and the players' dressing room after the game with the intention of probably sacking Merson, but when he entered Merson and most of the players were in tears. The chairman, touched by how passionate Merson had made the players and how gutted they clearly all were at having lost the game, how devestated they were at going out to a non league side, decided to give Merson the benefit of the doubt and keep him on for a bit longer.

 

Merson didn't have the heart (or, I allege, the balls) to confess that actually they were all in tears because between them they'd lost an enormous amount of money on what their boss had assured them was a certain win.

[Mr Rebel]

quality!!!

[brighton_rebel]

Didn't Hodgey try and swap shirts at the end with Merson, and was told by him to [****!!****] off!