In the absence of Radio Norfolk commentary on Norwich City with Chris Goreham and Rob Butler the other evening I found myself listening to a game on BBC’s 5 Live.
The summariser was the excellent ex-Crystal Palace legend, Clinton Morrison. Despite Clinton’s expert comments, the game was extremely dull, so I took to wondering how many footballers are named after high street retail outlets.
Clinton obviously scored full points with an instant pair – Clintons Cards and Morrisons Supermarkets.
But who else is there?
Well, there’s Greg Halford at Southend, Useful if you fancy a pie and a bicycle repair kit.
Further research also turned up WH Smith (William Henry) who played for Huddersfield between the wars.
Unfortunately I could’t find a footballer called Mark Spencer – although there was a John Lewis who played for Cardiff in the late 1970s.
Alas Matalan Fat-Face and Topman Fast-Fit failed to find the net, but what about a City connection with Neale’s Yard and King Street legend, BB Adams – for Neil Adams?
Or Zak’s Restaurants & Whitbread pubs for Zak Whitbread?
Then there’s a ‘nearly’ City connection with John Lewis’s old incarnation, Bonds – but couldn’t think of any shops called John or Kevin. Pity really.
But what about me? Well, there used to be a jeans shop where Pizza Hut is called CJ’s – which are my initials, so I guess I’m in the club too.
And lastly, what about that fine tailor shop in Norwich – Butler & Goreham, outfitters to the gentry and couturiers to the refined? I mean, where else would we get our spats…?
Other suggestions welcome…
Have already had a couple of (atrocious) attempts on Twitter, so may as well share them on here too…
– Juan Mata(lan)
– John (Water)Stones
Told you they were cr@p.
Valiant efforts from the Ed.!
Lenell Nicholas John-Lewis (born 17 May 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League Two side Grimsby Town
Cheers Bryan. Nice one!
Hi Chris
Peter Thorne’s ironmongers?
Seamus Colman?
BEN Marshall & JERRY Goss?
Newman’s own salad dressing?
Rob Butler refined? okay, if you say so!
Like the Ed, mine were cr@p too.
Loving those Martin. Ben & Jerry! Haha!
Or Martin chivers jam ted macdoughal flour or Kenny mclean toothpaste or newmans catalogue or John deehans tractors 😊
Great stuff Kevin!
Lamberts sweet shop in London Street in the 60s – on whom I blame a lot of my fillings
(John and Kevin) Bonds
Isn’t there (or wasn’t there) a chain called (Russell) Martins Newsagents?
One named after 2 legends, Huckerby & Maddison, or H&M as they prefer to call themselves
And a designer outlet called Fashanuesta?
Then there was (Terry) Co-op(er)…
ok, this is getting too silly…
H&M is inspired Keith B! Nice.
Chris Martin’s the Newsagent and Take your pick of all the Hughes Electrical, (I’m going for Emlyn)..
Good work Sue. Have a feeling I used to do a paper round for Martins…
They’re no longer on the pitch, nor on the High Street for that matter, but there’s the Dixons – Lee and Kerry.
Yes! – Adrian..
I can’t believe you rate Morrison as a pundit, Chris. He’s everywhere these days on telly/radio, and never has anything worth saying. How he gets these gigs beggars belief…
Perhaps that says more about the opposition!
For example, Sky’s ludicrous recent clear-out leaving Paul Merson as their preferred prime-time Saturday summariser says everything you need to know about television companies and the opinion they hold of their subscribers. (NB. Nothing against Merson, he seems a fair enough chap and good company – but he hardly fizzes with insight or articulacy which, on the face of it, seem to be the prerequisites for such a role. Just because you used to be able to kick a bag of wind around a field reasonably effectively 15 years ago, doesn’t necessarily mean you have the skills to communicate and entertain a mass audience with words and gestures alone on television. Not much bag-kicking required there. There must be a thousand journalists around the country gnashing their gums every time the see a decision like that. It’s like VAR but worse.)