27 May 2000, Soccer Six, Chelsea F.C. Stadium, London, UK
reviewed by Ian May
The Soccer Six, yes, I went, very enjoyable entertaining stuff, action everywhere ya looked. The first person I saw when getting site of the pitch of Damon, then when I walked up to get a good view, he was the first person I saw to score, which was excellent, but he didn't play the last two games, guess the late nights early mornings of fatherhood is taking its toll.
The Blur team was :
#1Craig Green (Music Publisher)
#6 Damon
#4 A very young, fit and talented Phil Daniels (it wasn't him, don't know who his replacement was but he scored a hat trick in the quarters)
#3 Robert Del Naja (3D Massive Attack)
#8 Micky Hazard (Ex-Chelsea)
#5 Eddie Deedigan (Ex-singer/actor)
#7 Stephen Street (You guys SHOULD know who he is)
#9 Tim Lovejoy (SoccerAM Presenter)
#10 Irvine Welsh (Author)
Blur got through to the Semi's which an improvement on last years Quarters, so well done to the team. Fat Les2000 (which Alex didn't play for) made it through to the Quarter Final. Other teams playing were 5ive with Paul Walsh, Bush'n'Reef, The Bluetones, Goldies Brit Flick, Robbie Williams with God Ray Houghton, Ant and Dec with God Peter Beardsley, Rod Stewart with my mate Graham Cole PC Tony Stamp from The Bill, Stereophonics with God Ian Rush, Northern Line/Ultra and Jamiroquai.
The Robbie Williams team won it but I think it should have been called the Jamie Theakston team because Robbie played 2 games and went home to see the England match which I thought was off because so many fans turned up just to see him, glad their team won really because he was gutted he didn't win last year and he wasn't there to lift the cup, serves him right.
The days bonus was definitely the girls games, babes like Jordan, Catalina, Kate Groombridge, Edith Bowman, Cat Deeley, Gail Porter, Helen Chamberlain, Lisa Rogers and Kirsty Gallagher were playing, in mud, Jordan lifted her top up, Helen took hers off, brilliant stuff, but very funny because the crowd seemed so patronising, when the girls fell over, we cheered, when a Premier League player falls over, he gets told to get up and hurled abuse. Class.
All in all a great day, I'll be there next year and hopefully, if Graham Cole is there, I might be able to get pitchside, fingers crossed!
Lot105: Ian M
reviewed by Lorraine Prince
Hi everyone,
Andrea asked about how the football was, and you've probably all read Ian's report, well I thought you might like to hear how it went for me. On the night before I met up with Sophie and we saw Graham walking up Camden High Street before going to the Monarch where we saw Crashland. Nice evening.
I stayed in Notting Hill and on the day of the footie got the bus to Fulham Road. I was gutted to see such huge queues, and had to pester an important looking woman to be allowed into the lower tier, as they started sending people to the upper tier! Sometimes acting like a spoilt brat is the best tactic all round!!
It was great to see Damon and Keith Allen, but by mid afternoon I was cold and hungry. The only food was ice cream or Burgers, and the queues for those were massive, so I had to starve. Very shocking to see hail stone in May! The soaking wet grass meant that there wasn't the same summery atmosphere around the pitches as in past years, but the football was great anyway. It was a shame to hear that Robbie had run off to see England play, and he'll probably be gutted that he wasn't there to see his team win after coming so close in previous years.
I was surprised that after Robbie left Ant & Dec got the best crowd response, and if I'm honest I thoroughly enjoyed the final between them and Robbie's team! Everyone was cheering, so I got behind Ant&Dec (I've never liked Jamie Theakston who was the only person I knew on Robbie's team), and screamed my lungs out. Like being at a proper footie match it was! (well, almost). The atmosphere was brilliant, and I don't think anybody really wanted to go home just yet.
I went to the bar, and (hurrah) managed to meet Maryse! We'd both really enjoyed it. It was nice to see Kelly from the Stereophonics in the bar, and I think it gave us a taste for meeting celebs, and we went on a mad adventure, finally managing to work our way into the aftershow party - woo hoo! We were thrilled to see that Damon was still there, and we both had a bit of a chat with him. He looks really happy, and was talking to me about Missy (awww, it's so cute!!). It doesn't seem real that I met Damon, but it was! Other highlights include sharing a lift with Peter Beardsley and constantly brushing shoulders with that bloke from 'Lock Stock..'.
Anyway, shame you all couldn't have been there, it was a luverly day and hopefully I'll go again next year!
bye bye, lorraine xx
Comments from Maryse Laloux
Meeting Damon at the Soccer Six 2000 aftershow party
After the tournament I managed to sneak into the party with another Blur fan + my hubby and I eventually met............ Damon! He was sitting with a group of 6 or 8 people. I waited till he was through with his telephone conversation, had a deep breath and went to him. After greeting him and introducing myself, I explained that I had written a note to him, given it to Jack from "Eastenders" (TV soap), asked if he had gotten it and he said "no". I told him I knew he had been to Jamaica to work on his solo album, which he confirmed. So I teased him saying that I bet he had been there because grass is better there and he smiled and answered "it helps!" Then I told him that I liked his music so much that I felt it was nearly part of myself. He smiled but couldn't reply because he was interrupted by a woman who asked him if he knew me and he told her I was a fan, like she shouldn't care. Then I asked if I could take a picture, stepped about a meter back, tried twice to take a pic while he was pausing for me but my flash wouldn't come on because I was too close. So I apologized, stepped back some more and eventually managed to take 2 pics. He was patient and nice enough to kind of pause all the time. Then I showed him an old photo of him and he laughed and said "Is that me?". He showed the pic to the people he was with laughing "Hey! Look! That's me!". I reminded him where the photo had been taken and he said he remembered and signed it. So I thanked him, wished him the best of luck in his work and private life and he gently replied "That's very nice". I thanked him again, refrained myself from adding "I love you", turned back and went away.
I was so nicely surprised how cool and gentle Damon was during the whole conversation. That is something that has struck me each time I've heard him speak to me or to friends. He was so cool, spoke so calmly and gently that I thought he might be high but he didn't look like it at all. So cool ... Loved it!
It was so great to be able to approach Damon so easily, without any Smoggy or Colin interfering! How lucky!
Maryse (Two's A Crowd)