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John Gwynne
The Best Is Yet To Come !

	Yes, I’ve been a lucky man. Many of my heroes have become personal friends – Gordon Banks, Mike Summerbee, Mike Atherton and Ricky Hatton for instance.
Ricky, a fellow Manchester City fan and a big darts fan (he’s a good player on the leg-end Manchester board), and I share a moment of fun here. We were working at a dinner at Lancashire County Cricket Club. I didn’t quite knock the smile from his face!
	Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Richard Hadlee were also guests at a dinner at Lancashire’s old Trafford. There are three ex-cricketers in this picture – the one in the middle’s claim to fame is a hat-trick for Denton West’s 2nd XI !!
Over at the other Old Trafford, I did a Manchester County FA dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson. When I asked if I could have my photo taken with him and the FA Barclaycard Premier league trophy he willingly obliged. Just before the picture was taken, however, Sir Alex turned to me and said, “You’re a Blue!” “Yes, but if I wait til we win it, it’ll be rusty”, I retorted. He’s a nice guy, Sir Alex, and I think he has a soft spot for City as well – except on ‘derby’ days!!
	The Cabaret Club in Nottingham’s lane market area has, sadly closed down. For three years I travelled to and fro to host some really good “Audience with” nights. Stuart Pearce, Bigel Benn, Henry Cooper, Nasser Hussain, plus double-acts Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton and Eric Bristow and John Lowe were especially good. So, too, the pre-2006 World Cup Show with England 1966 heroes Jack Charleton and Sir Geoff Hurst. Nice to have your tie straightened by big Jack! Geoff Hurst originated from Denton, in Manchester, where I live. He was six when his parents moved to Chelmsford.
Another Geoff – a good pal and a great after-dinner speaker – is “Dusty” Miller. A former Derbyshire, Essex and England all-rounder (well, he did a bit of both!!), he’s now the man in charge of the England Selectors’ “Squad” Geoff Miller and I worked not so long ago at the City of Manchester Stadium where I’ve done a few functions. The largely football audience really took to Geoff and his highly amusing cricket stories.
	Back in 2003, I was asked to compare a Liver Foundation Charity Dinner at which George Best and Michael Parkinson were the special guests. What a thrill!! It went really well and, with far more than my fee was Parky’s complimentary comment and handshake at the end of the night.
A died-in-the-wool “Blue” I may be, but I’m not anti-Red. In fact, their achievements over the years have given Manchester a fantastic name Worldwide. The Munich Air Disaster in 1958 hit me hard. I was only 12 and, like so many others, of all ages, I was heartbroken. I popped down to Old Trafford on February 6th to pay my respect and to think back 50 years. City’s goalkeeping legend, Frank Swift, perished in the crash and one of City’s greatest pre-war half-backs was injured in it, none other than Matt Busby!