Monday, February 19, 2007
Mid-season tours
Arch-disciplinarian George Graham took his Arsenal troops on a break to Portugal in the middle of the 1986-87 season. Six Gunners marched into a local nightclub and soon found themselves arguing over girls with a gang of US Marines.
The footballers were thrown out but the soldiers followed them in a car, almost running them off the road. Enraged striker Charlie Nicholas hurled a bottle of vodka, which he happened to have on his person, at the car, smashing the windscreen and causing the Americans to career off the road.
After fleeing back to the team hotel, the players were awoken the next morning by the local constabulary and, according to Perry Groves, the following message was sent to Graham, who was on the 17th tee of a nearby golf course:
"Mr Graham, half your team have been arrested for attempted murder." A panic-stricken Graham pegged it to the police station and, after negotiations, the Marines eventually settled for £2,000.
The footballers were thrown out but the soldiers followed them in a car, almost running them off the road. Enraged striker Charlie Nicholas hurled a bottle of vodka, which he happened to have on his person, at the car, smashing the windscreen and causing the Americans to career off the road.
After fleeing back to the team hotel, the players were awoken the next morning by the local constabulary and, according to Perry Groves, the following message was sent to Graham, who was on the 17th tee of a nearby golf course:
"Mr Graham, half your team have been arrested for attempted murder." A panic-stricken Graham pegged it to the police station and, after negotiations, the Marines eventually settled for £2,000.
