How Jimmy Carter, the former US president, and The Wire have a connection
WHAT has Jimmy Carter, the former US president who has died at home in America, aged 100, got to do with Warrington Rugby League Club? It’s a fair question.
To answer it we have to go back to the 1979-80 season when Carter was approaching the end of his four years in the White House.
The official Warrington programme, known as the “Wires Centenary Review” and costing 15p, ran a popular “Spotlight on” feature in which the players were asked a number of questions.
The series kicked off with prop-forward Steve Hogan who said that his favourite singer was Neil Diamond, his favourite actor was Clint Eastwood, his favourite TV star was John Cleese and the person he would most like to meet was: “God, when I am 100 years old.”
Winger John Bevan was featured in March. His favourite food was spaghetti Bolognese, his favourite TV show was Panorama, his favourite singers were the Everley Brothers and the person he would most like to meet was Jimmy Carter.
(Image: Contributed)
The series provides an interesting snapshot of the culture and celebrities of the day.
Scrum-half Jimmy Fairhurst (favourite food toast) would most like to meet the jockey Willie Carson.
Full-back Derek Finnigan (favourite food Chinese) would most like to meet Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine.
Hooker Tony Waller (favourite food steak, favourite drink beer) would most like to meet the Pope.
Full-back Steve Hesford (favourite singer Leonard Cohen) would most like to meet the glamour model Fiona Richmond. Of course he would!
Hooker Tommy Cunningham (dislikes tennis, particularly John McEnroe) would most like to meet John Cleese.
Second-row Bob Eccles (dislikes cricket and crowded shops) would most like to meet the Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs.
Second-row John Fieldhouse (favourite drink Guinness) would most like to meet the tennis player Ilie Nastase.
Prop-forward Neil Courtney (favourite TV show Mastermind) would like to meet the hangmen Harry Allen and Albert Pierrepoint.
Winger Mike Kelly (favourite food chops and corn on the cob) would like to meet Henri Charriere, the author of Papillon.
Winger Dave Sutton (favourite TV show Star Trek) would like to meet the director of NASA.
Scrum-half Parry Gordon (favourite actor Robert Redford) would like to meet the newsreader Anna Ford.
Loose-forward Ian Potter (favourite film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) would like to meet Spit the Dog.
Prop-forward Tony Worrall (favourite singer Billy Joel) would also like to meet John Cleese.
Prop-forward Brian Case (favourite singer David Bowie) would like to meet Barbra Streisand.
Prop-forward John Whittaker (favourite singer Elvis Presley) would like to meet Niki Lauda.
Football programmes of the time carried similar features. In one, Frank Worthington, the flamboyant England striker, listed his former club as the Stringfellows Nightclub in London’s West End.
