This Weeks Fan In Focus Is...
Steven McGregor
Name: Steve McGregor
Place of Birth: Dagenham
Date of Birth: 3rd June 1958
Occupation: Office Equipment Engineer
Non-League Team supported: Dagenham & Redbridge
League Team Supported: I followed West Ham in the late 70's, throughout the 80's and early 90's but now I genuinely have no interest in League/Premiership football.
Favourite Book: Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler, which is a simple story about a young man's struggle with himself, his family, and relationships. Amusing yet thought provoking. I enjoyed High Fidelity by Nick Hornby too, which has my favourite short section from any book ever written. Here it is
The main character in the book is a music enthusiast but his girlfriend has recently left him. He has arranged a meeting with her to discuss various things and got onto the subject of her new boyfriend, his home and music....
".......Right. Just so as I know. Anyway, what's Ian's place like?" Childish, but it makes me happy. Laura puts on her pained, stoical face. I've seen that one a few times, I can tell you.
"Smaller. Smaller than here. But neater, and less cluttered."
"That's 'cos he's only got about 10 records. CD's."
"And that makes him an awful person, does it?"
"In my book, yes. Barry, Dick and I decided that you can't be a serious person if you have---"
"Less than 500. Yes, I know. You've told me many, many times before. I disagree. I think it's possible to be serious person even if you have no records whatsover."
"Like Kate Adie."
She looks at me frowns and opens her mouth, her way of indicating I'm potty.
"Do you know for a fact that Kate Adie's go no records whatsover?"
"Well, not none. She's probably got a couple. Pavarotti and stuff. Maybe some Tracy Chapman, and a copy of Bob Dylan's greatest hits, and 2 or 3 Beatles albums.
"She starts to laugh. I wasn't joking, to be honest, but if she thinks I'm funny I'm prepared to act like I was.
"And I bet she was one of the people at parties who use to go "whoooh" to the fade out of "Brown Sugar"."
"There is no greater crime than that, as far as you're concerned, is there?"
"The only thing that runs it close is singing along to the chorus of "Hi Ho Silver Lining", at the top of your voice."
"I used to do that."
"You didn't"
The joking has stopped now, and I look at her appalled.
She roars.
"You believed me! You believed me! You must think I'm capable of any thing."........
I hope you enjoyed that...
Favourite Film: Haven't a great interest in films, I 'enjoyed' "The Full Monty", "Billy Elliot" and "Schindlers List" "Sound of Music"
Favourite Band: Difficult to answer as it changes daily!!! Probably Radiohead, could be Massive Attack, possibly The Beatles, The Who, Bjork, PJ Harvey as I say it's very difficult.
Favourite TV Programme: I watch very little television, instead I prefer the aural medium of radio for my pleasure. There isn't one programme that I watch regularly but I did enjoy some aspects of "Castaway 2000" last year. I find it difficult to watch anything on comercial TV.
Favourite Radio Programme: Mark and Lard on Radio 1. Most of the output of GLR94.9 (BBC London) was superb before being "dumbed down" last year it is now a shadow of it's former self and has become unlistenable so other and the aforementioned M&L I now listen to Radio 2 and Radio 4.
Favourite meal: I have developed a Lemon Chicken and Vegetable Rice recipe over the last 10 years and I think it has now reached the ultimate in cuisine for my taste. Email me for the recipe!
Pet Hate/s: People who don't use the milkman, a socially important service. The same people will be the first to complain when he/she disappears in 5 years time saying "How are the old people going to get their bread, milk and eggs? The nearest supermarket is out of town and all the local shops have closed down!
Now I want you all to ring up your local Unigate/Dairycrest/Co-op and get your doorstop delivery back.
And any other info about yourself and family: I am in a long term relationship (21 years) I have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys aged between 6 and 16.
Desert Island Discs (New Feature) You are on a desert island and can take with you the following
8 Records
1 Book (not the Bible or Shakespeare as they are already on the island)
1 Luxury item that is of no practical value.
I have selected single songs, just to make it more difficult on myself!
8 Songs:
1) There's more to life than this ~ Bjork
2) Unfinished Sympathy ~ Massive Attack
3) Fake Plastic Trees ~ Radiohead
4) Is that all there is? ~ PJ Harvey and John Parish
5) Won't get fooled again ~ The Who
6) Man of the World ~ Fleetwood Mac
7) Paperback Writer ~ The Beatles
8) Little Red Rooster ~ The Rolling Stones
I have, in fact rushed this bit say may return with some changes!
Book: The 'Score in a minute', which has comments and thoughts about the 2 Charlton games, booklet (which, incidentally, is still available!
Luxury Item: My Guitar
All questions below relate to non-league football.
1. FAVOURITE PLAYER/S OF ALL TIME & WHY? John Stimson, Loved his attitude and his delight in playing for the club. Of course the FA Trophy goals helped to!
1a. FAVOURITE CURRENT PLAYER/S AND WHY? Lee Matthews, just because of his dependability and continual improvement which appears to happen from game to game. Just how good can he get?
2. BEST TEAM PERFORMANCE/S OF ALL TIME? I seem to remember a 6-2 win over Heybridge at home a few years back. I was particularly impressed with David Pratts performance too!
2a. BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE 2000/01 SEASON? At the risk of sounding boring but I thought the first game against Charlton wasn't bad.
3. WORST TEAM PERFORMANCE/S? One word "Purfleet"
4. WORST TEAM PERFORMANCE FROM LAST SEASON There is no doubt, it has to be Weymouth in the FA Trophy....
5. MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? A moment that lasted around a minute: Junior McDougalds goal and the crowd build up to it.
Sensing that the team were getting on top, the crowd was becoming more and more vocal culminating in a crescendo of sound breaking out into "Score in a minute, we're gonna score in a minute" This was was followed by an inch perfect cross from Mark Janney to Junior who calmly and cleverly headed the ball back across the goal to thwart the attempt of the keeper to get anywhere near the ball. MAGNIFICENT
6. MOST FORGETTABLE MOMENT? Steve Conner being sent off at Purfleet for fighting.
7. BEST COMMENT HEARD FROM THE TERRACES? Still the same as before.
1) I will try to re-explain though as it will be interesting to see whether I still remember it the way it was. We were attacking and an offside decision went against us, this meant that an indirect free kick was given. As the referee ran backwards past the halfway line with his hand aloft someone shouted out "Hands up who's a blind b*****d?" and after a perfect comedy pause the same person replied to his own question "OK ref, you win, you can put your hand down now"...I suppose you had to be there really!!!
2) Tony Rogers, had had a few bad games, but in the match against Chelmsford City in the FA Trophy he was dire. The crowd here were becoming quite abusive and giving him quite a bit of stick. Of course he went and scored, then came the response from the crowd. There was great praise for him they were saying how good he is and that they had always liked him. Then they chanted "There's only one Tony Rogers" followed by almost instantly "We're not fickle fans".
8. WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO YOUR CLUB TO IMPROVE IT? I really think that the club gets most things right. The racism still bothers me and would like to see the 2 or 3 incessant perpertrators banned from the club. Everyone knows who they are and even if they had been gven warnings over the 6 years that I have seen this then the would now no longer be allowed to spoil the good name of our club.
9. WHAT OTHER QUESTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ON THIS QUESTIONAIRE & HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER IT? The reason I asked this question in the first place was that I couldn't think of any more questions. Although, as I am returning from a funeral whilst I type this, what about (sorry, music related again) the three songs you would like played at your funeral. Mine would be:
Is that all there is? ~ PJ Harvey and John Parish
There's more to life than this? ~Bjork
Hi Ho Silver Lining ~ Jeff Beck, This would be my comedy numbers as people
who know me know how much I detest this record, see High Fidelity extract
above.
AND....my second new extra question is. If you were to appear on 'Big Brother' along with 10 other people, in which week do you think you would be evicted? I'd be gone around the 2nd or 3rd week!
11. WHY DO YOU SUPPORT A NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL CLUB? Friendly atmosphere, players appreciate the supporters, cheap, approachable. And I love the fact that D&R are a member's club, and who knows I may become a full member one day, once I lose my criminal record!!!!
12. BEST MATCH BEEN TO NOT INVOLVING THE DAGGERS? West Ham V Arsenal, FA Cup Final, 10th May 1980 at Wembley. 1-0 to West Ham.
13. FAVOURITE NON-LEAGUE GROUND? Have to say, probably Tiverton.
14. FAVOURITE LEAGUE GROUND VISITED? Not been to one for many years - other than Charlton and Lincoln but from my heady days of being a WHU supporter I'd have to say White Hart Lane
15. PLEASE ADD ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST.
I'm not sure how I would feel if the club were able to succeed in being promoted to the Football League.
There are many reasons for this, small things like not being able to change ends at half time, price increases, opposition suporters becoming hostile just because we support another club.
The Club's attitude will change too as they try to sustain the unsustainable, surely it will have to become a Limited Company and all the aggravation that goes with it. ie keeping the shareholders happy, paying dividends etc.
Most importantly though is that the will be an influx of investors who will treat it exactly as that and will have no real love for the club or the game.
Someone needs to convince me it woud be the right thing to happen, I believe the club has the ambition and I am not under the impression that all the ground improvements are just a sop. There seems to be an underlying plan that appears to have a direction but none of us know what it is. I don't like the idea of 5 year plans in football because of the uncertainty within the game but if the club has one then we should be given an inckling of what it is!
Thanks, again Steve