Memorable Things about Redditch

You say the word "Redditch" to me and three things spring instantly to mind.

The first is the guy they had in goal until the last year or so. Kinda little. Kinda looked like an accountant or middle management type. Always had a smile on his face, and constantly chatted to the crowd behind him. Despite the fact that he usually let in 3-4 goals per game he always seemed very happy to be playing. Almost as if he'd turned up to go over the club's books and ended up playing for them. The way I imagine it is that just as he was adding up the sponsorship receipts (all £3.20 of it), the players shouted up to the office that they needed a second goalie to help out with a training game. He put down his calculator and said that he'd played a bit back at college. The players convinced him to give it a go, so he fished his golf boots out of the back of his Mondeo and went between the sticks. Next thing, it's several years later and he's still playing for them, which didn't say much about the previous goalie.... Here's little Richard having yet another swing-and-a-miss.

The second image that springs to mind was the pissed-up gumbie who threatened about 30 Poppies fans for celebrating a goal. He just walked up to the little stand we were sat on and basically threatened us all. I say "walked." He had been liberally swigging from what seemed to be a large clay cider pot through most of the game, pausing only now and again to swear and gesture at the away supporters. In fact, when he'd had just about enough of us and came over to give us a barely affordable piece of his mind, he left his drink container with the steward he had been standing next to for the entire game. The obliging steward, who could teach our stewards a thing or two about customer care, dutifully guarded the bottle until its erratic owner came back. Marvellous entertainment.

The third thing that comes to mind is that great big black defender they used to have. What was his name? Exodus Mombassa or something. Bloody good player with an enormous throw-in. I often thought, if he could be on the end of his own throws, Redditch might be a decent team!

I wonder what happened to him?