FoF Member Spotlight - Getting to know MJG

[love4ffc]

This issue of our Member's Spotlight feature MJG. 

So where do we start?

Almost 50 years ago in Chiswick was born MJG to a Scottish mother and English father. Always useful on sporting occasions if one of the other is taking part. The vast majority of my childhood was spent on the Alton Estate in Roehampton. My family were actually moved there from Kings Cross in the 50's and were one of the first families to live on the estate. I went to the same primary school as my father and his brother and sister. I never fully escaped Roehampton till 1997, having moved away for a little while I ended up buying a place similar to our old council house.

From Roehampton I ended up in Harlington with a nice view of the planes lining up on the north runway at Heathrow. Lived there for about 3 years and since then it's been Southfields, Tolworth, Woking and now currently in Feltham. Only time I ventured out of the west/south west part of London was 6 months in Dulwich back in the early 90's. Once my visa expired I moved back to safety of a SW postcode.

Well that's where I have lived now what about work. After leaving Wandsworth Boys school in 83 (during my school years I sang on the Palladium stage and had a speaking part in Minder) I found myself on a YTS £25 PW office course. This led me to working for a couple of Travel Companies and Airlines. Most interesting one was working for El Al (Israel) airline in Regents Street. Remember this was 84 and tensions were high so you can imagine the security just to get through the front door.  After finishing the course I stayed in travel and went to work for a company called Vantage Travel. All was going well and then I went out for lunch, came back and LBC radio were at the door. They had gone bust...during my lunch hour!!! Anyway went to work for another company and then they went bust as well....'MIke this is not for you' was my main thought.

What next? Friend of the family gets me a interview which led to a job with the Post Office working on the counter (Glorified Stamp seller as my old man called it). I thought I'd settle for that for a year or two. Anyway when I left almost 20 years later I had gone from a counter clerk to trouble shooter manager for poorly performing offices (Hounslow PO being the pinnacle of that job....but I'll keep that for another day) and finally roaming the country closing Sub Offices and upsetting locals who went to them maybe once a year.

Redundancy taken I decide a few months improving the golf handicap and take it easy. Which I did, but in the end you need to work and then started 4 years in estate agency. Loved the job and wish I was still in it, but then the bankers screwed us all over and after 2 week in sunny Spain I came back to work at 8:30 on a Monday morning and by 10:30 I was talking to Reed Employment about what to do next.
Best thing that ever happened. I'm now into my 7th year with a great organisation. It's a Trade Association, my job is sales and membership and it's a life Safety business so there is a feeling you're doing some good.

Wait did someone just say what about Fulham? I have my dad to blame for that. He took me around a lot of clubs because he used to sell rosettes with his brother when I was really young.  But he was a Fulham fan and I know we went to games where Best and Marsh played, but I was never interested. In all honesty my father had left my mum and these were 'Saturdays' together and I resented him even at 10/11 years old. I remember as a kid having a Spurs top at one stage. Football was never really that important, FA cup final passed me by.

But then September 1978, Stoke at home, Two Nil win, Ray Evans playing at right back, Davies and Guthrie playing, I was hooked. 'Dad when's the next game' was said for the first time. Preston at home, 5-3, Nobby Stiles jumping about on the pitch, a great OG.

And from then to now it's been Fulham Football Club. The one constant throughout my life. I've moved, I've fallen out with family; I've had numerous relationships and various jobs. But there at the end of Finaly Road is the club I love.

I'm not sure it's possible to say why, but one reason is you can forget about your life for those couple of hours. You can shout, let off steam, laugh (Plenty of that over the years), cry, meet friends, meet family and also sometimes you get to leave a ground having really enjoyed a great win.

I have never been great at remembering results of games I saw or who even played. But over the last 38 years I have missed maybe around 20 home games. I did a couple of years where I went home and away every game and certainly last season and this is the closest I've done that since the late 80's.

The mid to late 80's were a troubled period for the club and fans. Its then I got involved with the action groups and supporters club. The fans in that period are why we now have a club. There were only a few thousand of us going and the football was mainly shocking, but it was our club and we fought for it.

Being on the SC committee led me to being the supporter's rep who meet with the board (Jimmy Hill and the Muddyman's) and also Lewington was there at times. I did that for about a year and was very eye opening. We could quite possibly be playing in a 10K stadium in Tolworth given some of the conversations I heard in those meetings. Jimmy Hill was not easy to deal with. He was very much of the view if you haven't played the game then your view on those matters meant little. Of course didn't stop me telling him what I thought. He once bought me a drink which I'm led to believe by his wife was a very rare occurrence and I should get a T Shirt made up.

I became ill towards the end of that year and had to leave the role and also the supporters club. Throughout the 90's I continued to go but stayed away from getting involved and was just a fan. It's great looking back that from the Torquay away game to the Euro Final we were all able to watch the club grow and become something none of us could have foreseen back in 87.

I now find myself back involved in a supporters group with the FST. It has its critics and I was one of them. That's why I joined it and stood for the committee. I wanted to find out what this secret society was all about.  All I can say is that they are Fulham fans who want the best, have little power but do have a dialogue with the club over a very wide range of issues.

What's left to talk about?

Away from Fulham I have never married and have no kids. Last long term (16 years) relationship ended last year but always looking for the next ex-girlfriend. But enjoy the usual arty stuff, films and theatre, holidays (This is sounding like a lonely hearts ad) and as those who follow me on twitter I do enjoy using that a lot.

Sporting wise was never that good, but I was a decent manager of a few Sunday sides. Still play over 35's football when I can, very much the type of full back Tim Ream is, never to get over the halfway line.

Anyway hope that's not bored you too much

Thanks

Mike

[Holders]

Very interesting. Mike. I think you're right about FSC (and any organisation) - it's easy to moan about something from the outside but much more useful to get involved and be part of something and make a contribution. I, for one, appreciate your reviews of proceedings.

[Mince n Tatties]

Mike,what was the speaking part in Minder?
You werent the fella who tried to sell Arthur them dodgy
royal souvenir tea towels were you?.. :005:

[keith]

Great read.

[Vinnieffc]

Good read, Mike, and far from boring ! Always nice to learn the background of fellow fans.

[RaySmith]

Very interesting - a real supporter of the club, thanks.

[Peabody]

Very good read

[Chesh]

...and that explains why the guy is worth following on twitter.

I particularly enjoy your snippets from the away games I can't get to (too many nowadays unfortunately).

Also, can rest assured that the fans are well represented with the likes of Mike on the FST committee.

Nice one  049:gif

[Tonywa]

Great stuff Mike.  An interesting, varied life well-lived. Fascinating to find out so much about fellow forum members and on-line friends.  Thanks.

[H4usuallysitting]

Wandsworth School..... I was in iota....what was you in?

[MJG]

Wandsworth School..... I was in iota....what was you in?

was in NU
Last year was 83

[BestOfBrede]

Good stuff Mike very interesting.
Bet you got some great cheap holidays working for the Travel industry!
Feltham eh...
I used to work in Atronaut house near the railway station after we had moved from the ICL building round the back industrial estate. Used to like a few pints in the Railway tavern by the crossing.

[jarv]

Good read Mike. Wansworth school, I spent one year there, 1960, living in Southfields is whem my Fulham supporting career started.

I believe it was...  Macedo, Cohen, Langley, Mullery, dodgin, Lowe, Key, Leggat, Cook, JH, Chamberlain.

[FulhamStu]

Nice one Mike.. Listening to you speak on Cottage Talk most weeks is a real pleasure and you make a huge amount of sense, someone that understands the game but more importantly understands Fulham FC.  The club would be very well served to have a person like you in an influential role, if nothing more than to build closer and better links to the fans that they say are so important to them.   Hope to meet you to say hello at the Bolton game, I will be in the Chairmans Club celebrating my 60th with my Dad and Son who is 5th generation Fulham.

[HatterDon]

I always enjoy your writing and I'm pleased to know more about you. Thanks!

[Forever Fulham]

Good read.  Thanks for sharing.

[colinwhite]

Thanks Mike .An interesting read .

[H4usuallysitting]

Wandsworth School..... I was in iota....what was you in?

was in NU
Last year was 83

I left in 77

[dannyboi-ffc]

Great read Mike.

Brilliant idea from Don. And great choice with MJG

[Berserker]

Very interesting article. That explains your interest in theatre show etc. I used to sing and do musicals so can understand where you're coming from. Anyhow thought you had a new love of your life