It hasnâÂÂt been the most relaxing week of my life, not that my workload mattered one bit to the former United player and European Cup winner Paddy Crerand.
I fixed it for Paddy to appear in a United fansâ area by the beach in Barcelona. IâÂÂve known him for over 15 years and wrote his autobiography with him last year. It was a great experience listening to the story of his life, his views and watching Paddy and wife Noreen â a former Gorbals beauty queen â argue in the kitchen about what film they watched on their first date. The final edition ran to 290 pages. It would have been twice that had I included all his swearing.
On Wednesday, I told Paddy to get a taxi into central Barcelona to meet me. âÂÂIâÂÂm not doing that, I canâÂÂt speak the language,â he said, âÂÂyouâÂÂll have to come and get me.â HeâÂÂs always saying how much heâÂÂd love to speak Spanish and given that heâÂÂs holidayed in Majorca in each of the last 43 years, heâÂÂs had plenty of chances.
So I got a metro to the playersâ hotel where he was staying on the outskirts of Barcelona, which took an hour I didnâÂÂt have. As the tracksuited Rooney, Rio and Ronaldo walked past, I called up to PaddyâÂÂs room from reception.
âÂÂYouâÂÂll have to come and get me,â he said. âÂÂI canâÂÂt work out how to use the lift. ItâÂÂs far too fancy for me, this hotel.â I baulked at that one and he obviously mastered the technology because five minutes later he was there wearing a warm jumper to combat the Catalan sun.
We took a taxi to the fansâ area by the Olympic Port where 1000 United fans were listening to Manchester music while enjoying the beer and sunshine. As we left the taxi and heard the Stone Roses playing, Paddy had chance to ask: âÂÂDo you lot really like this, whatâÂÂs wrong with Sinatra?âÂÂ
10 seconds later he was recognised and mobbed. Everyone wanted a piece of him and his patterned jumper. It was like going for a walk with the Pope in GlasgowâÂÂs East End, an area he knows well as heâÂÂs from the nearby Gorbals. Spanish journalists asked: âÂÂWho is he? Why does everybody love him?âÂÂ
Paddy: Mesmerising United fans, bemusing Spanish journalists
The spectacle was interesting to observe, because Paddy is a great people person. He posed for hundreds of photos and signed as many autographs. He had mobile phones thrust to his ear and got instructed to âÂÂtalk to Johnâ or âÂÂtalk to my wife.â He obliged every request without complaint.
United fans would say thing to him like: âÂÂDo you remember me? I saw you on Washway Road in Sale in âÂÂ87. Near the Wimpy.â Or, âÂÂMy uncle Brian says hello. Brian Jones. He was on a plane with you to Mallorca the week after we beat Juventus in âÂÂ99â or âÂÂYou knew my auntie Mary from Donegal. She said you were a rascal when you were a boy.âÂÂ
Paddy would nod along, glad-handing and actually remembering some of the people and incidents. HeâÂÂs like Sir Alex Ferguson for this. I finally got him into an office where he could sit down and have a glass of water before we went on stage. I was asked to introduce Paddy and tried to conduct an interview but the crowd had taken control and just wanted Paddy to sing.
There was a problem. He canâÂÂt. This woman, a contestant from Bulgarian Pop Idol has a better voice. But Paddy, despite not knowing the words, had a go
The United fans loved his efforts and it was just a shame that Ronaldo didnâÂÂt put a little more of PatâÂÂs viva into his penalty kickâ¦
