|
The
Day the World Champions came to Harrow Borough
by Paul Carter
We
had known for weeks although could scarcely believe it would happen
- the French international squad had arranged to train at Earlsmead
prior to their friendly against England at Wembley. This was not
the first time international sides have used our facilities. Thanks
to our location just a few miles from Wembley and a pitch of a quality
many bigger clubs would die for, the Turkish, Bulgarian and indeed
the French have previously played at Harrow before facing England
just down the road.
Of
course this time it was different. This time we were to host the
recently crowned World Champions, a team full of stars, several
of whom of course play here in England. This occasion was also to
be the only opportunity the press would have to interview the players
and coaching staff ensuring an impressive array of television and
journalists.
Thanks
to the Harrow Borough directors inviting local schoolchildren and
some publicity in the local press, a crowd of spectators larger
in number than which typically attend Ryman League Premier matches
at Earlsmead, started to filter through the turnstiles.
During
the day preparations had been made. The French television people
efficiently turned the main bar at Earlsmead into a makeshift TV
studio. The main hall was laid out with seating for a press conference.
Another room was prepared for radio interviews. The dressing rooms
were adorned with welcome messages in French and English. A coach
load of the local constabulary arrived; Harrow Vice-Presidents donned
bright stewards' bibs.
The
sense of anticipation increased as the time the French squad were
due to arrive got closer. The excitement increased as a coach arrived,
but no it was just the army of French journalists who busied themselves
with their laptops, mobile phones and copies of their sporting newspaper
L'Equipe.
The
scheduled time of arrival of the squad arrived and passed. All necks
craned towards the car park entrance. Each car was carefully scrutinised
for familiar faces. Martin Tyler from Sky Television arrived and
set about making preparations with his camera crew.
As
darkness fell it all suddenly happened. Firstly one of those fashionable
family vehicles pulled up. Out stepped Marcel Desailly looking very
dapper in a smart suit. Not to be caught out by these surprise tactics,
the cameras switched on to illuminate the French defender as he
strode into the club. Indeed he strode in with such purpose and
direction that he could have been mistaken for a Harrow regular!
Shortly
after this rehearsal the remainder of the squad arrived. An executive
coach reversed into the car park and the door opened. Out stepped
Frank Leboeuf, followed by Zidane, Petit, Anelka, Vieira, the captain
Deschamps, the flamboyant 'keeper Barthez, midfielders Djorkaeff
and Pires, defenders Thuram and Blanc. Each smartly resplendent
in their French international tracksuits.
Word
quickly spread inside the ground that the squad had arrived. The
high pitched young voices who would not have been out of place at
a pop concert became more intense. A crowd of photographers and
television crews congregated around the tunnel looking poised for
the first sign of a familiar face. Young Arsenal and Chelsea fans
tried to outdo each other collectively calling for their respective
heroes.Martin
Tyler appeared and was swamped with requests for young autograph
hunters eager to warm up before the main event.
After
a lengthy wait, accompanied by a blitz of flashes, the squad took
to the field. The young voices reached a crescendo. The French officials
cleared the pitch of journalists to give the team room to train.
The players started with a gentle couple of laps of the pitch, welcomed
with applause as they ran towards any group of appreciative spectators.
The
cold night ensured most of the players were hidden under woolly
hats. All around the ground the same conversations were being held;
"Isn't that Zidane, he's World Footballer of the Year you know";
"Who's that there, oh that's Deschamps. He plays for Inter Milan,
the captain and lifted that trophy last summer". Once warmed up
the players started a kick about.
Simply
with a ball at their feet, these players demonstrated the difference
between the good and great. The right-back Lilian Thuram (Parma)
toyed with keeping a ball in the air. Anelka (Arsenal) fired rockets
at the Earlsmead goal. Zidane looked disinterested, but often that
happens with class players. The squad then split into two sides
and played a game in one half of the pitch. Goalkeeper Barthez in
typical style played as a striker and scored some impressive goals.
Later he was to show off his free-kick prowess with curling strikes
that David Beckham would have been proud of.
The
reporter from Sky News performed a live piece from the pitch side,
talking with the presenter in the studio. Eventually the players
headed back into the warmth of the club and coach Roger Lemerre
to face the journalists.
Obviously
the French were interested in his line-up and tactics. The English
asked for his reminiscences of the time in 1969 when as a French
international he was on the receiving end of a 5-0 thrashing at
Wembley by the then World Champions. Ironically he was of course
asked about the departure of Glenn Hoddle. Ironic as Hoddle as a
boy used to attend matches at Earlsmead watching his father Derek
play for the Boro'.
As
players emerged showered from the dressing rooms they were guided
towards various rooms for interviews. First into the hall was Laurent
Blanc, quickly surrounded by interested journalists. Almost unnoticed
other players followed and with no fuss found somewhere to sit,
waiting to be photographed and interviewed. It was hard to remember
that these people were Emmanuel Petit, Marcel Desailly, Frank Leboeuf,
Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram, Robert Pires and Youri Djorkaeff.
A
common theme with all these players was their friendliness and openness,
completely dispelling the myth of arrogant overpaid prima donnas,
which so often tarnishes their profession these days. Take for example
young Danny Price, 11 years old and confined to a wheelchair. Sitting
patiently in his prized Arsenal shirt, he waited for Petit to finish
his interviews. Then the Arsenal star took time to talk to Danny,
be photographed with him and finally autograph his shirt.
Coach
Lemerre also spent time with the youngster. Scenes like this were
repeated outside the club as the players left to take their places
back on the coach, taking time to sign autographs. Amid all this
hubbub the journalists busily typed their reports and spoke into
their mobile phones. English journalists asked how many English
based players were likely to be starting, and how do you spell Djorkaeff?
The photographers turned the hall into a mobile photographic laboratory,
busily developing their films and scanning the negatives into Apple
laptops, ready for transmission to their editors. What would us
non-league photographers give to have such technology at our disposal?
Almost
as quickly as they arrived, the players left to make the short journey
to their Wembley hotel where they were to remain until the big game.
The television crews returned our bar back to its normal state in
time for the hardworking club officials to enjoy a celebratory drink.
Soon it was as if nothing unusual had occurred that evening.
Over
the course of the next 48 hours Harrow received plenty of exposure
as the national newspapers and Sky television referred to this extraordinary
evening. Often the theme was the contrast of these world stars playing
in the "unfashionable surroundings" of a non-league club. Now there
speak the journalists clearly used to the comfortable seats in the
glittering palaces of the Premiership.
As
Boro' took to the field on the following evening for a Middlesex
County Cup tie, their supporters were spied rubbing their eyes making
sure that it wasn't Zidane playing in midfield or Anelka partnering
Pat Gavin up front. Had they really been there just 24 hours earlier?
Indeed
I experienced similar sensations as I printed my photographs of
the evening, quite strange seeing these famous faces emerging from
pieces of photographic paper.
As
for Wednesday evening of course that is now confined to history.
As these now familiar faces graced us with their footballing skills
and outshone our own stars one thing is guaranteed, they've found
some new fans at Harrow.
|
