Tell us your brushes with sporting fame

[Burgey]

Apologies if this has been done before, but let's share some brushes with sporting fame.

I'm prompted to start this thread because i was walking through Parramatta this morning and ran (almost literally) into the Socceroo squad who are in town to play Uruguay this weekend in a friendly.

Another one I had was when I was at the SCG watching practice before hte Aus v World XI match in 2005 and Ricky Ponting nearly ran me over in his Prosche 4WD.

The fact I'm typing this suggests he missed me.

So, tell us your brushes with sporting fame.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Other than the obvious, I bumped into Matthew Hayden when I was in Sydney over New Year; he asked for directions. I was lost and was less helpful than usual.

 

[pinchy81]

Gary Belcher the ex Raiders, Queensland and Australia NRL player and current Broncos assistant coach was my Grade 5 school cricket assistant coach guy and i know his son

also my uncle went to school with Micheal Kasporwicz

 

[howardj]

Back in the Summer of 1989/90 me and my best mate were out on the Gabba after play in a Test Match. Anyway, Tubby Taylor asked both of us if we'd like to field his 'throw downs'. So we did for about 30 minutes. Back then, Tubb was a marque batsman - having just come off his stellar 1989 Ashes Series.

 

[Burgey]

Gary Belcher the ex Raiders, Queensland and Australia NRL player and current Broncos assistant coach was my Grade 5 school cricket assistant coach guy and i know his son

also my uncle went to school with Micheal Kasporwicz

How depressing.

I'm posting with a bloke whose uncle went to school with someone younger than me!!!

 

[Smudge]

Interviewed Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw in April.

Don't suppose that's much of a brush though, is it?

 

[Craig]

Other than the obvious, I bumped into Matthew Hayden when I was in Sydney over New Year; he asked for directions. I was lost and was less helpful than usual.

(Had to be done)

 

[Perm]

Watched Jimmy Cowan (All Black Halfback) play cricket back before he was famous for his rugby. Sat beside him and talked to him for a bit, was a nice guy and has left a lasting impression on me, as I was only around 10 at the time.

I have played on Carisbrook before, and also for the Otago Country Under 14 Rugby team. That's about as famous as I get.

 

[Simon]

almost ran into Lincoln Withers car a few weeks ago, was too busy checking out his very impressive wife...
thats about all ive got tbh...

 

[Craig]

About six years ago I met swimmer Michael Klim, was a nice guy at the time, have spoken to one or two current and ex current pro cyclists, and a member of the 1948 Ashes team - Sam Loxton who lives my local area now. He gave some batting tips, but it didn't do much good.

almost ran into Lincoln Withers car a few weeks ago, was too busy checking out his very impressive wife...
thats about all ive got tbh...

Would loved to have known what your excuse was if you did hit his car

Also I went to school with Parramatta half back Tim Smith, was in the same maths and PE class as well. Was mates with him back then, although I haven't seen him in since I left school at the end of 2002. Whether or not he would still recognise me if I ever saw him is another matter.

 

[Simon]

haha yeh, would have needed to come up with something pretty quick, i saw him yesterday too with David Howell, i swear those two are joined at the hip i see them together pretty much at least once a week. I know Withers lives just around the corner from me, im guessing Howell probably wouldnt be too far away either...

 

[Burgey]

Also I went to school with Parramatta half back Tim Smith, was in the same maths and PE class as well. Was mates with him back then, although I haven't seen him in since I left school at the end of 2002. Whether or not he would still recognise me if I ever saw him is another matter.

I'm a Parra fan, so next time you see Tim, please do me a favour.

Pleae tell him to NEVER, EVER kck across field inside his own 20 metre area again!!!!

Back on topic and I can't believe I left this out at the start - I met Muhammad Ali at Rosehill Racecourse in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics. Had my photo taken with him but he kind of has this blank look on his face like he's not that happy to see me. Cant work it out.....

 

[BoyBrumby]

I had a piss next to Bob Willis in the loos at The Oval in 1998, told him I'd always admired his length.*

& more recently (last year I think) I saw Austin Healey (gob****e Leicester & England Union player) getting rather amourous with a lady on a couch in a club in Leicester.


*the part of this sentence after the comma may not actually have happened.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I had a chat with Viv Richards at the England v WI Test at Headingley, that was pretty special, I probably sounded like a total idiot, but I still did it

 

[Tom Halsey]

I had a piss next to Bob Willis in the loos at The Oval in 1998, told him I'd always admired his length.*

My best effort is being distantly related (dad tells me he was my great grandmother's uncle) to Don Bradman.

 

[roseboy64]

Robert Samuels used to be my coach and I also played with the former Jamaica U-19 player Simon Jackson at my school. Also, saw Courtney Walsh at the TV studio where I was playing a quiz match for my school. Result wasn't nice TBH. Pretty sure I've seen some other folks around.

 

[grecian]

Alan Ball once followed me in to the toilets.

 

[Fiery]

I met David Beckham and Posh Spice about 7 years ago. I drove trucks for a company in London for a few months and delivered the garish purple "throne" they got married on that The Daily Mirror gave to them after the wedding. Shook both their hands and got their autographs, (for my nieces, I must add ). Also met Elton John in that job when we set up the stage and lighting for his birthday at his "palatial grounds" in Windsor. I nearly rolled a truck into his pond, getting stuck on the muddy edge. The truck was tilting to a large degree and about to tip into the pond and had to get his neighbour to pull me out with his tractor. (I was amazed that Elton had acres and acres of paddocks surrounding his house and the grass was perfectly manicured like a lawn). Also saw Liz Hurley leave his place the morning after while we were packing up.

 

[Perm]

Since when have Elton John and Liz Hurley been famous sports people?

 

[Smudge]

I wasn't there for this one as I was working, but... my mate's 21st was on a Sunday night with a keg in their flat's backyard. The flat, as it happened, was right next door to the Gardies Tavern in Dunedin and, as luck would have it, the party was on the same night as the night the Highlanders were having a wind-down booze-up after their season. When the Gardies closed, the Highlanders (including Jeff Wilson, Josh Kronfeld, Tony Brown, Taine Randell, Anton Oliver etc) popped their head in and asked if they could come and join the do. So for the next hour or so, my mates were sharing their keg with the Highlanders.