Paul Huntington | Graham ‘The Messiah’ Westley

16:52Graham Westley:where you thought, what the fuck's he asked that for?

16:54Paul Huntington:Honestly, there's been loads. Like there was a time where we've had another working lunch and we're not on a great, great run. We're not winning many. And he's put it out to the squad saying, who thinks we can win six on the bounce? And I said, we can't win fucking two at the minute. So most of the lads, he's like, yeah, yeah, I believe Gaffer. Yeah, yeah, I'm on board. And you've got Simo at the back and he's like, I don't. He's like, we can't fucking win two. But he'd come out with mad stuff, yeah. and you'd just be like, you know, you get a text on a Sunday and it'd be like, evaluate your performance, rating out of 10, tell me what you did well, what you didn't.

17:39Paul Huntington:It'd be like, some lads, like Simo, Steve Simonson, Nicky Rowe, they wouldn't write back to him and that. They'd just be like, fuck off, I'm having a day off.

17:47Graham Westley:And these private messages are in a group?

17:50Paul Huntington:Yeah, no, no, I don't think there was. Sort of WhatsApp groups and that then. It was just like your text, your original text message and he'd always sign it GW. So I would just send them back. Yeah, I thought it was shit. Like, I had a shit, whatever. Thought it was good. Seven out of ten. Did these things well, whatever. But you get the few that wouldn't write back, and they'd be like, these two? I think they're too good to write back. And then they'd just have a bit of back and forth. But, yeah, there was loads of stuff. The thing is, he was really dry, Simo and all, wasn't he?

18:20Graham Westley:Yeah, like, fair play,

18:22Paul Huntington:because he just said what everyone else was thinking. And then we went on to win three on the spin. And, like, I don't think it was four, because I don't think we were that good that season under Wesley. But we got to three and he's like, what about now, Simo? And he's like, hmm. He didn't sort of say yes or no. He just sort of said, I'm not sure, I'm not sure. But yeah, I think that's the most we won.

18:48Graham Westley:Was there any reverse psychology when you met him? Was it something to do with, because he loves big lads, doesn't he?

18:53Paul Huntington:Yeah, he was like, well, that was the same meeting when we were going. So I've stood up and I've said my bit, like fuck's sake you know it's like it's not an initiation it was like just talk about yourself really five minutes and then I've sat down and he's come in me and he's like I don't think you're big enough to play for me you know like in gritted teeth I've gone what the fuck are you on about you just fucking signed me he's like I think you're too small and you'll get eaten up in these words who the fuck's this guy I was like what the what is going on here and then yeah so like actually introduce yourself and then he said that to me and then we've gone and I thought great we're not doing out today that'll just be it and then we've gone down to Springies and he's got this military fella Gary Johnson not the manager Gary Johnson the a military fella Sergeant Johnson yeah and this Gary Johnson has got these water cans like all lined up on the you know the first pitch on Springies so we must have got out there at like half three four o 'clock and we were out there for, Stachy was there, the keeper actually, on trial and we were in like pairs and we'd been out there for ages, like doing mad stuff, like carry your mate on your piggyback full length and back and like go with someone your side.

20:13Paul Huntington:I had fucking Stucky. So it was like all the best, you know what I mean? He's over 100kg, keeper, Stucky. Is that Stuckman? Yeah, I was like, honestly, couldn't feel my arms after a couple of hours and we're carrying these water cans and if you dropped or like stopped, he's like, right, running again. You know, like press up position, full length of the pitch, like crawling, you know, all like military stuff. And young 'uns are coming in, like, you know, the under 14s or whatever at tea time and we're still out there, like. And you got this Gary Johnson at the front, right, who wants to be captain?

20:45Paul Huntington:And I'm like out of the back, like, what, fucking me. Because if I get it wrong, like lads are going to be Stackey. He's like, yeah, you know what Stackey's like? I'll do it, I'm the leader. He was only on trial. he's gone like right to I'll do it yes right left right there I'm like what um so we were there till like what felt like seven eight o 'clock and I got home that first day I rang Lindsay me me and her wife I was like like you won't believe like the day I've just started he's telling me this like like I'm not right for him and um yeah sergeant major just pre-season and that he was he was

21:17Graham Westley:mental I don't think you realize how hard it'll be to get a full pitch and back on your something on your back on your hand do you stop but he was like

21:25Paul Huntington:if you go down you need to go back to the start nah he was like that he did he had us that same pre-season we played Wimbledon and he lived manager Richmond like nice nice area drove Bentley and that so we've stayed I think I was one of the only few to play 90 on the Tuesday night Wimbledon meet at the hotel reception like 10-11 in the morning next morning I thought I'll just be like cool down or something he's come sprinting out of a hotel reception out the car park and everyone's like what's he doing he's like come on then and he's took us on like a 10k run through Richmond Park and at the very end do you remember Sodji?

22:06Paul Huntington:Striker so like he's absolutely hanging like he's not designed for that sort of fitness and like there was a hill at the very end so we've stopped halfway around and done our abs so he's big on cork and abs we're doing abs and there's fucking sheep and all sorts like people just looking at us like what we're doing halfway around that was like your breather back end there's like a steep hill to get back to the hotel and he's like right piggybacks so like i've got so he's absolutely hanging he's saying his hamstrings gone so every time you like it mind you look around i just right so get up every time i'm like oh yeah like really hard this gaffer and then like he turned around and run on.

22:43Paul Huntington:He was at the front, he was fit as out, manager, like mentally so strong. He believed it was like in there, but I felt like saying, I've just done 10K last night, I don't need another one. But yeah, just stuff like that. He was, yeah, he was definitely. The thing is, it was like totally like

23:01Graham Westley:unscientific, wasn't it? It was totally like as far away from what a fitness coach would actually have you doing.

23:05Paul Huntington:Yeah. So like, on a Saturday, so like that Gary Johnson fella, if we'd lost, he'd be in on a Monday and I'd be getting my head boxed off like he'd be head guard on gloves on your spot so like you got to a point where you'd be walking off Deepdale like fuck's sake loss whatever shit weekend and in the back of your mind be thinking fuck I'm getting my head boxed off again on Monday so it was always centre-backs in it was almost like moneyed you to like I don't know intimidate centre-backs in for a boxing session yeah well it was normally me it'd become like a reoccurring thing be like all the lads just take the piss like I'll come out sweating buckets you'd have like an hour instead of the yoga you'd be in with gary johnson you know in the little astro bit in springies he'd set up like a ring with like tape or cones like a circular ring yeah it's like sometimes it wasn't even boxing it was like keep your territory do you know like staying like you can just use your arms and that and like you know like you know butting heads and that like and then it was you heard about moose before he's now manager at um Pompey and they'd be like him and Beardo Chris Beardsley like big lads probably heavyweights like and it'd be like 2v1 so like you'd have to like guard from one and then throw another and as you were throwing you had to get that up quick because the other one was coming back it'd be like 2v1 don't think you'd get away with it now like

24:25Graham Westley:I obviously I had him at Newport for like well I played two games and then got injured but you can't like it's just ridiculous isn't it yeah you should have said this when we had him on Johnny was so obviously I don't like talking to him it scares me

24:39Paul Huntington:I watched the one that you had him on he speaks well doesn't he he sort of said I don't remember a lot of that and I think yeah you know what you're saying but yeah at the start I was just open to it and then as time went towards the back end of his time we've played you over we had a lad sent off at Colchester the game before so I'm going back to my ex-club and they were flying Gary Johnson they were like sort of top or second, third and we were struggling I was thinking, fuck me, back in the team, we're struggling. Where it was going and I'm going back there, you know, your ex-club probably get a bit of stick, whatever.

25:16Paul Huntington:And so I've come in from the warm-up, obviously you're getting your head on, aren't you, like you're on the game and, right lads, you know, start bright, you know, do the right things. Music's gone on and so I don't know if you know this, but Wesley used to be like 80s DJ in the London scene.

25:32Graham Westley:Of course he did! Of course he did!

25:37Paul Huntington:and a brilliant one at all so we found this out I'm not going to get to the end of the podcast so we do body pump you remember when yous were there was there a gym in the away stand like upstairs there was a gym when I joined so the away end there's a gym upstairs I think it was like lifestyle gym every Tuesday, Thursday I don't know if the gym at Springies wasn't big enough he'd do body pump he'd play the tunes he'd be like this is what I'd play in the 80s down the London Sea and then we had a young lad Ben Davis so this applies to the body pump and the oval game Ben Davis just got in the team he's not he then got a move from Preston did really well Liverpool and Rangers on loan at Oxford now great lad he just got in the team and like we're back end of the session a bit like this body pump and a bit like sort of Gary Johnson the military fellow like if you stop that's like everyone down everyone start again And so, like, Davo's like, end of the session, and he's like, in his face, going, come on.

26:40Paul Huntington:And the lads are like, come on, Davo, you better fucking lift it. And Davo's like, anyway, he's dead. And everyone's like, yeah.

26:46Graham Westley:It's like somewhere out of Rocky.

26:50Paul Huntington:So we've come in, you're over the way anyway, from the warm-up, you know, you're shouting, like, whatever, reminders, let's start bright, you know, turn them early. Music's gone on, hasn't it? Like, Wesley's music, like, 80s. It's better than in mind we're on a shit run and you try to concentrate on the game you're playing. Someone who's up the top of the league flying. So he's just like bopping his head, you know, like manager, trying to, as you got to know him, just avoid eye contact. Because if he sees you and he's making a beeline, Devo, just young lad, a bit naive, he's obviously like bopping to the music and that.

27:22Paul Huntington:He's like, yeah, you like that, Devo? He's like, go on right up to him. He's like, go on then, me and you dance off right in the middle of this chasing room. I've gone, what is going on? like um so i'm not just talking like two-step they're absolutely giving it full beans do you know like davos doing the fucking uh storage and this is at like what is it 7 40 we're about to go out for buzzers going and he's like no no come on give us everything you got i want it like he's sweating manager and i'm like we're in the shit here like so at the time i was like like shaking in my head like what the fuck's this obviously it's funny now talking about it but like then the next week and we went one nil up um conceded couple late lost the game anyway got back four in the morning or something you know it's like you're the long way back to preston got a text the next day sorry lads uh thanks for your efforts being relieved of my my duties and i just thought of the dance i was like i've never seen anything like it in my life but uh did you say he was a

28:27Graham Westley:young lad coming into the team?

28:29Paul Huntington:Davo was like 18, 19. I think he'd been on loan. I don't know if you were, you weren't at York with him, were you? I don't think so. No, he went on loan at York and I think Fleetwood, but yeah, as I said earlier, the more you got to know him, manage it, you try and tip off a few lads. Look, he'll try and wrestle you in the gym and you'd be like, wrestle back or you won't play. Because if you didn't give something back, he wouldn't like it and he'd think, soft as shit, I'm not going to use him. So, honestly, I was saying mentally he's the strongest guy I've ever, like one of the strongest I've ever met.

29:01Paul Huntington:Get you in the headlock, you're not getting out. So you can kick his legs, kick whatever, but you've got to make sure you give something back because if you didn't, yeah, if you're getting on the bus and you've just signed or whatever, you'd be saying he is, it's going to sound a bit mad, right? But just to give you a heads up, he's going to come right up to you and get right in your face and give you a bit, so just make you aware, just give a bit back. I'm not saying you have to win the grapple or whatever but like it's going to happen so get yourself ready did he do it to you?

29:31Graham Westley:he did it a few times

29:33Paul Huntington:like just grappling but at this point I was like half professional boxer so I was ready

29:40Graham Westley:I was like tap out yeah

29:43Paul Huntington:and like you'd have like people come in as I said it would mainly be centre backs as in like with the boxing coach but do you remember Lee Holmes little winger so obviously I'm 6 '3", he's about 5 '8". And like, you know, when you're not boxing, like your guard would be like, I was doing all that, and he was like, he'd be one of them that would take the mick out of me for boxing every week. And like, when he was in, I thought, I'm going to make you pay. But yeah, he loved it. He loves the, like, a wrestle-off in the gym bit. Like, he's like all about grappling and that, which is, yeah.

30:18Graham Westley:See, if I'm, you just don't. It never got me into boxing, but I'd like to think I'd say, I'm not boxing, Gaffer. Yeah, yeah. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm here to play football.

30:28Paul Huntington:The amount of players that kind of went like, yeah, that's not, after a game, they'd be like, yeah, this isn't for me. And then they'd be out and then someone else would be in. It's just turnover, a churn of players was crazy.

30:39Graham Westley:Just got to get a group, a full group that will buy in.

30:41Paul Huntington:Yeah, I think so. And I just thought like, that's football, isn't it? You've got to adapt. But by the back end of it, yeah, got a bit much, the texting and the so normally it'd be like a a text on a Friday night at like 10 half 10 like the team it would say right lads stuff like we're going over the top tomorrow like talking like war terms and that and you're like what I'm sure we're just playing Port Vale but it's like we'll blindside these lot we'll hit them where it hurts and they won't see us coming who's with me text me back GW and it'd be like half 10 at night like the text do you know if like if you're genuinely asleep and half 10, 11 o 'clock.

31:21Paul Huntington:You wouldn't know. Could you give it the old,

31:23Graham Westley:next morning, sorry Gaffer was asleep. Yeah, yeah, you could. Would he accept that?

31:27Paul Huntington:There was a few that did. But yeah, normally you'd sort of like, if lads that had kids would like, whether they'd go to sleep and set an alarm or say to the roommate, am I playing? Or like, just so they know. And you just send back like, you know, for that example, yeah, I'm with you Gaffer, night. You know like. What would you go for? You've still got the tech? Ah, nah, it sounded like Nokia 3210 or something back then, wasn't it? But this is like 2012, so that season when I joined. But even little things like, so he'd scored a hat-trick. He played, didn't he? Like non-league really, but I think he played at Gillingham in the league.

32:06Paul Huntington:And I remember him telling a story, he'd scored a hat-trick for Gillingham and he'd had a pizza on a Friday. So all of a sudden we went through a stage, it's dominoes getting delivered on a Friday at Springies. so you know you're playing away on the Saturday so you'd be having a domino's on a Friday like for your lunch like after training you'd have a domino's on the bus on the way back after the game you could have a domino's on the Monday at springies and then another domino's if you're away again on a Tuesday I'm like this isn't like optimal performance like nutrition do you know what I mean all because he's got a hat trick So we went through a spell of like a few weeks doing that.

32:49Paul Huntington:And then... I think it's to get a bit much older. Oh, yeah. Like it's sickened me. Like, you know, like last couple of years, I was like, I've had far too many. I've had every flavour going. Like, you know what it's like in your career. I know it's changed now. It's a bit more like Nando's. And a lot of them have chefs on the buses now and that. And then there was another one. We played Coventry away. We've got down there in the hotel on the Friday. and he said, sat in like circular tables, like five or six on each table. He's like, right, flip charts up. He's like, I want you to select your team.

33:23Paul Huntington:And I thought, he won't go with like most votes. And anyway, we've played Cov the next day and he's gone with the most votes. I'm not playing. I'm like, you little bastards. All the mates have just stuck with each other. Obviously, I had mates in the team, but obviously not enough.

33:38Graham Westley:Do you know what I mean? It's a popularity contest.

33:40Paul Huntington:Yeah, so I'm sat on the bench or the stand. that in the stand at Coventry away I think we drew the game but it's just gone off what the lads have wanted so like I've never heard of that I thought I don't know if he's checking to see if his team lines up but I think it was most votes plays so it's just like

33:59Graham Westley:Right, you know the murder ball as well Yeah on a Friday if you bled you'd play Yeah, yeah

34:05Paul Huntington:so he would love all that so like I'd lost my tooth New deal Yeah, yeah so we played Carlisle and it was Garns actually Joe Garner like head of the back of his head lost my tooth and my middle two were like glued behind still are now got crap teeth because of it but part of this job in it centre half whatever and then I can't remember how the game had gone he's done his team talk whatever and he's come up to me on the Monday again you know and he gets up to you and he like grits his teeth and he's like you lose your tooth on Saturday I'm like yeah So I had gap. I've still got a false one now. But middle two glued.

34:47Paul Huntington:And he's like, I fucking love that. I'm like, right. And I thought, he's actually buzzing. You know what you're saying about a bit of blood or a bit of light for the cause? He's all over it. And probably the next couple of months, I've played every game. And he was like, do you know what I think? He's like, I think you should get gold teeth. And I'm like, gold teeth? He's like, yeah, the strikers would be shit scared. I'm not sure I'm going to get gold teeth gaffer he's like why not and he's like you can't understand why I'm not going to get gold teeth but yeah on the Fridays with the murder ball such a tight pitch it must have been like what felt like 10 a side on like a 30 by 20 area you know it's like it's just pinball shinny's on and that shinny's on for trading that was like every day and yeah barely right couple of broken noses like in training you know he's like he'll head the ball if it's like round your feet and that and someone's about to volley it so but bale sort of i think bale's at the start was part of that rosendale six um and then he forced his way back in i think just by getting a bit yeah yeah so like um it was a bit mad but yeah like obviously you're thinking normally friday you're like i'll go easy got a game conserve a bit like fill up like carbs and that on the friday and stuff and he's wanting it full on you know smashing into each other and that

36:08Graham Westley:Some of the stuff you're saying, it sounds like he doesn't know what he's doing. Like doing a popularity contest. Right, well, we'll play with them then. He's lost a couple of teeth. But in his head, there'll be a reason he's done it. He'll have his own method. I've said this before on here about Bailey. Because we were in the... Were you there with Bailey? And he was only a young lad. Great lad, Bales. But you thought, he's probably not going to be aggressive enough. Because he wasn't the tallest, was he?

36:34Paul Huntington:No, he wasn't.

36:35Graham Westley:And then we played... We played you as in League One. And Billy had got into the team then, and he was a different animal. It was all, I'm assuming, it was all down to that. Just aggressive, probably too much, where you'd just walk past him and he'd fucking give you one of them. Yeah, yeah. That's obviously down to what Wesley has done to him.

36:53Paul Huntington:He must have, yeah. Like you say, he's not the biggest, so he had to play aggressive, really. There was other times where shooting on a Friday, so after the murder ball, shooting on a Friday, so he'd park Bentley right in front of the front door at Springies, and he'd be like, anyone gets five out of six goals like here can have my Bentley, like my car. I think the nearest someone got was hitting his car with the ball. But I think someone got four out of six and then it's like, you know, it's like his service just fucking up there and that. But like you'd win five asides through the week. Would he have his league table for the five asides and that?

37:29Paul Huntington:I don't know about the league tables, but you know, if you won, like what's the expensive aftershave? Is it Creed? so he'd bring all the winners in like a bottle of Creed and what's that like 150 quid or something no 300 is it yeah well it was under 50 back then but yeah he was he was definitely a different character but I mean he signed me but it was just yeah it was different but I kind of knew that when I was getting into it

37:55Graham Westley:I think that's the thing I think if you know what he's like and you sign for him I don't think you can complain

37:59Paul Huntington:there was a thing where he'd do I don't know if it was like I think it was a 35 second run and he had like grid you know the second picture spring is he'd like gridded it like so squares and it was like you had to he'd have a clipboard and he'd write down and if he didn't hit the certain i think it's maybe like six lengths or six and a half lengths if he didn't hit that you wouldn't play so like you just blast out the first few and then you could kind of just coast the other few but you do that every week um i remember that yeah like the the training like i probably remember myself I was normally about 80 kg.

38:34Paul Huntington:Probably remember being like 90 odd, like 92, something under, you know, because you wait seven pizzas a week. Do you know that? It was just what he wanted. So I've seen pictures of me and whether the shirts were a bit tighter then, I don't know. But normally I wouldn't be as filled out. But that's just what he wanted. And obviously it had worked, hadn't it, at Stevenage? but you had probably not bigger personalities but better players and they'd probably go back at the manager and them sort of ones kind of got moved to the side really and he wanted the ones probably more. And then we ended up getting promoted.

39:15Paul Huntington:I don't think it was the year Grayson come in and he just got smiles on faces and just simplified it like just a normal club again really. Just got everyone enjoying it. Training was fun.

39:26Graham Westley:How long did he do in total? six months?

39:29Paul Huntington:I think I had. I joined summer 2012, but I think he came in in like the Jan or the Feb before that. So there was a thing with the team getting leaked, wasn't there? Do you know if you remember that? Yeah, the Sheffield Wednesday. Yeah. But I was at Yorville then, so I only had the summer until I think he lasted till the Feb or something like that. And then Grayson come in and to be fair, we flew up the league. It was too far to make playoffs. But he thought next season we'll be decent. and then we made playoffs next year. I think we lost to Steve Evans, Rotherham, semi-final, which was probably a blessing for me, really, because I played majority of that season that we got to the playoffs semi under Grayson and then back end of it, I never...

40:14Paul Huntington:Last 10, 15 games, wasn't it in the squad tonight? I was like, it's a bit weird. But he got rid of me at Leeds. Lads were like, oh, you've had him at Leeds and that. I'm like, yeah, yeah, but obviously I didn't really want to, obviously it didn't go that well for me, so I didn't want to batter him or whatever. I was like, well, yeah, just see how you find him, whatever. And then I played like 30, 30-odd games, and then last 10, 15, not in the squad and stuff, I thought that's a bit weird. And then them losing that playoff final, playoff semi at Rotherham, second leg, probably did me a favour. And then that summer they phoned and said, well, Snodds, Glyn Snodding rang me.

40:47Paul Huntington:He was like, you've got a year left, you're free to go. I was like, right. And that one hurt, to be fair. like that there's been other times where they've said you could go over the 10 years I was at Preston but I remember I was playing golf with a mate back home near Carlisle still remember it today and I was like what do you mean like and why wasn't he involved like he was the assistant snods why wasn't he involved like the back end of the season and it like it actually pissed me off I was upset a bit at the time in the summer and I said no no I'm not not leaving I'll fight for my place and then start of the season, the next season they didn't get off to a great start, I remember blasting the off-season, went on holiday, remember just being like, maybe that was what I

41:30Graham Westley:needed, do you know, like, get up the arse kind of, yeah, like not that I was coasting because I felt

41:35Paul Huntington:like them 30-odd games I'd played that season, obviously not the back end of the season before, but I'd done well, like, and we were fourth, fifth in the league and then all of a sudden just not in the squads and that was a bit strange so I blasted the off season and playing the cup games you know it's like the league cup when you're in the joys joys and um Johnson's pain it was then and you're getting a go in that done all right and then I think Bales got injured and or Tom Clark got injured and Bales was ill and we were playing Gillingham away we flew down on the morning and it was me and Jack King so Jack King could play midfield up front or sort of centre back but he was just filling in really and that's when it all sort of changed really for me at Preston I scored we won 1-0 and I stayed in the team 10 goals that season

42:21Graham Westley:yeah

42:22Paul Huntington:so like managed to get promoted at Wembley yes 10 goals got Tom Finney player of the year supporters player of the year and it all yeah and then yeah yeah Bex just gets all the credit right mine was the second he got a hat-trick didn't he so I'm just like yeah nice one Bex To be fair, he did mention me. So I sent him a picture. I've got a picture blown up that the club give me. Me and him celebrating. So I was at Leeds with Bex as well.

42:54Graham Westley:You must have felt brilliant at the end of that. You've scored at Wembley, you've got promoted. But from the start of the season, being told you could leave, must have been a moment when you sat there changing rooms at Wembley.

43:06Paul Huntington:Yeah, I did. Because the start of that season, So I'd turned up first day of pre-season, which is probably a bit shitty. I know it happens. So Scott Wiseman signed. So I was number four. And Wisey's got my forum. And I'm like, so I said to Kitman, like, why is that? Like, what's going on? He was like, you're 23. He was like, Gaffer's just said. So I was like, right. And then, yeah, obviously turned it round. They sort of had to keep me and give me a new deal, whatever. Done really well that year, as the team did. You know, it's not just about me. but he Russ Kitman texted me that summer after we went up he was like do you want your four back I was like fuck off okay 23 I was like I like it it's Michael Jordan Beckham and that so I was like I'll go with that and then it was like iconic really by the end like a lot of the fans had the shirts like 23 I think they liked the sort of the hard work storage you know like you've had to graft and you've been told it's never nice is it you know you get told you're not good enough whatever

44:06Graham Westley:Had they been made aware that you could leave, the fans, at the start of that season?

44:10Paul Huntington:I think so, yeah. But the teams were in League One, and the teams that I had were probably mid-table, what you'd call, whereas I would say Preston are top-end. Well, I would say a championship club, aren't they?

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46:08Graham Westley:And he's ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now. Consider your future growth spurt budget secured. Start selling on Depop, where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. Going back to the Messiah just for one more. the Messiah we were calling him

46:28Paul Huntington:the Messiah Colchester was there someone on the bus yeah he just he just come up to me and he's like there's a bit of a common theme he come right up to you and you're here grit his teeth and he'll be like I think you know why we're losing and I'll be like I don't have a clue he thought I had the answers I was sat at the front of the bus I was like I've had a stinker here I need to get to the back and this was before that Yorville game and whether he was just talking to me because he knew he'd need me on the Tuesday and we were under pressure we were struggling and I don't think we're ever going to go down, but we were like bottom half.

46:59Paul Huntington:But yeah, that was just like him and he sort of did come to you and say, what do the lads think? Or like, what do they think about this or that? You know, like the more you got to know him, he'd like trust you, you know, kind of being one of his captains. But no, like I played sort of all the time under him and he's been on a podcast with, I don't know if it was the club or the radio, but, and he's done like a six-a-side team and he's like, put me in it. So he didn't sort of say that much to me. but like the boxing must have paid off but yeah and then I know when we got promoted he did an article like sort of not taking credit but like sort of half patting himself on the back for signing a lot of these players which like yeah like fair play I think he did the same

47:41Graham Westley:at Newport by the way

47:42Paul Huntington:did he what

47:42Graham Westley:he left Newport bottom of the table fucking 12 points adrift fling his wonders to get him like the squad in the last minute of the last game to stay up yeah I put that squad together

47:54Paul Huntington:yeah I remember the article and he was just like yeah I'll take a bit of the credit not Simon Grayson and his squad did he ever do

48:03Graham Westley:the fleas up there

48:05Paul Huntington:in the stand no on his team talks oh yeah yeah Laird did that didn't he remember that he spoke about it as well

48:12Graham Westley:didn't he yeah

48:13Paul Huntington:he would always have I can't remember that some of his team talks

48:15Graham Westley:were fantastic yeah yeah yeah

48:17Paul Huntington:they were but you know it's like before a game you'd just be thinking about the game and he'd go on and on it was more after a game honestly you could be in there like an hour, an hour and a half after, and he'd be going brownie. He'd go through your performance. If you'd been great, he'd big you up, and you'd walk out feeling 10 feet tall. But if you'd been shit, you'd be like, oh, my God, I'm the worst player ever. And, like, he'd go around everyone individually, collectively. But, like, yeah, there was times where I think it was that Di Canio game. We'd beat, I don't know if it was 3-1. We'd beat him well.

48:49Paul Huntington:And he'd come in, he'd be like, lads I'm going to have the finest food and the finest wine and he just like it was just quite funny with it do you know like it would come across a bit arrogant but he was quite funny with it because he's got money hasn't he and he was like I'm going to eat in the finest establishment tonight having the finest wine and I'm going to cheers to you thank you lads and then he just walked out and you're like all right yeah fair play but he could be funny with it at certain times and yeah I've said all that but he did sign me so without him I might not have had that 10 years so probably text me now to be fair he probably texts me after this comes out and say like what's this I don't remember any of this but when he came on he said he didn't remember a lot maybe my memory's just a bit better

49:31Graham Westley:but I've mentioned on here before how surreal was it this is going way back watching Match of the Day after your debut

49:38Paul Huntington:yeah so it was Blackburn away injuries again probably like most careers that's how you sort of get in isn't it is it Newcastle Yeah, Newcastle, sorry. How old were you inside at Newcastle? So I was like nine or ten. Come through, obviously, the academy. Glenn Rode had got the job. He got caretaker. I think someone got sacked. He got caretaker. Did well. He didn't want the job. I think he'd got him into Europe. And he took the job, even though he said he'd rather just go back as academy director. Well, him getting the job kind of helped the likes of me, Tim Krull, Andy Carroll, Davy Edgar. Matty Patterson, Kazenga, these sort of players, Fraser Forster, it helped because he wasn't scared of chucking them in, you know, like when got injuries and that.

50:29Paul Huntington:So like last 10 minutes, yeah, came on Blackburn away, got cleaned out by Andy Todd, like defended a corner, like under my goal, I've like headed it over, I thought, shit, this is in, like I've killed us here. And I've somehow got it over the bar, like Shea giving, just like so it's gone for another corner so Friedel's come up and we've broke away I think we were 2-1 up hanging on and we've broke away all before Femi Martins has scored a third and so on match of the day well I trained with Chiri like the year before and we'd been away on he'd retired from England then and he was great with like the young lads like he took me off to training and that and he'd say Nobby to Nobby Salano just deliver some balls in for me and so like in the session like I wasn't tight enough to him I was just giving him a free run and him and Nobby had had eye contact and his movement would be away and dart across you and like I was just like passive 18 year old I didn't know and like before you blinked but like Shearer's headed the ball in the bottom corner so he grabbed me after like after the session in Marbella and like I just thought that's class that's the sort of thing you remember now and then I got on the bus and like all the seats are taken and you're like oh fuck's sake I'll just stand up I said you know being a young lad and Shearer's like no no once like come sit here and he's like, oh, where are you from?

51:48Paul Huntington:Like, you know, here you're doing well in the youth team and you're enjoying it. And like, he's talking to you and he's like, legend, Premier League all-top scorer. I just thought that was sign of the man, really. And then after my debut, so like, I mean, I was in a bar, like probably shouldn't have been, like, out with your pals. Like, you just made your Premier League debut at Blackburn. I only did that little header. And you know, like the pundits do like a little feature. Shearer's done like a little two minutes like on me just want to say like a special mention to Huns making his debut today great kid wanting to listen learn and this important header when Brad Friedle had come up you know before they broke away and got the third was brilliant it was probably a foul because it was GBH in the back of my head but that was a welcome to men's football and just something you remember I remember seeing it on in a bar and being like it's me and I'm like he was trying to listen didn't I turn it up yeah I was like get that music down let me listen but yeah it was class and as I said like he was so good with like the young lads I know he didn't sort of work as a manager later on he went back as when they were in the shit but like you know he was great with me and yeah only good things to say

53:03Graham Westley:you're saying like it was great it was great it's unbelievable like you've got Alan Shearer

53:08Paul Huntington:yeah

53:08Graham Westley:giving you one to ones and then yeah I mean

53:11Paul Huntington:he didn't have to he'd hung his international boots up and he was like 10 minutes just at Marbella training centre or whatever we were we'd train on the night and yeah he'd say come on me you and grab Nobby and like nice and Nobby as well because he could have been like fuck off I want to come play me trumpet

53:26Graham Westley:can I talk about Nobby for a second so do you know Andy Farrell

53:29Paul Huntington:yeah yeah he was a couple of years old was he your age he was yeah I think he was my age

53:34Graham Westley:but Solano used to call him Halloween face right and I spoke to Fez the other day and I might have to get permission to play this, but he got a message off... Was it off him? Nobby. Nobby. And I'll play it and I'll have to translate it. Andy, my friend, I need you fucking urgently. Our garden at the moment is full of rats. I need your face to fucking kill them. So what he said there, Andy, my friend, I need you urgently. My garden is full of rats at the moment and I need your face to come and kill them. He's in a bar with him.

54:17Paul Huntington:He was so funny, Nobby. Nobby class. He was so funny. It should be like a long corridor, the training ground. And you'd be walking down the morning, even when I got into the first team, I'd just go on the resi chamber. I didn't need, oh, fucking hell, big time. Coming in the first team, made it, have we? So I just stayed in with Dave, Edgar. We all just stayed in the resis. But he'd play the trumpet, so he'd be walking past, and all of a sudden it'd be like, you know the bit that extends out? And he'd be like, fuck it, you know, first thing on the morning.

54:46Graham Westley:So he'd play the trumpet in the training room?

54:47Paul Huntington:Yeah, oh yeah, all the time. He was funny as hell, Nobby. He had a karaoke bar. For anyone who knows it, it's like a Tudor building down the quayside. It's not far from a couple of well-known bars, just under the Time Bridge, just along. It's like a Tudor building. We had the Christmas do there once. So I'm like 18, all the lads like Dave, Edgar and all them that I mentioned. We've had to like, so they've set up like an X Factor thing. So you've got Alan Shearer, the judges, Alan Shearer, Shear Given, Steve Harper, Lee Clark. So like, I'm sure Nobby was like messing, like it was his bar. So like, it was just us in there upstairs and he was like, he was messing on with some at the back.

55:27Paul Huntington:So like, I've said, yeah, I'll sing this song. I've got up, I've got the mic up. It's fucking come up in Spanish, hasn't it? And all the judges, all the lads like, boo, get him up. And I was like, shit, miss hell. like what is going on here so then they'd give feedback at the end and they were all like battering us judges but he was funny Nobby like yeah I recognised the voice straight away there

55:48Graham Westley:urgently

55:49Paul Huntington:I remember playing against him back end like back end of his career yeah I was like what are you doing he's like I need the money my friend surely you don't Nobby

56:01Graham Westley:man you don't need that you know like if you're having a bit of a shitty morning he's playing a trumpet next to you fuck off Nobby

56:06Paul Huntington:he was always messing about he used to wear the boots and he had the it was like a Michelin he was like me Michelin ball stick to my foot but he only used his right peg like his left foot just for standing just for standing but he was a funny guy

56:21Graham Westley:Is it a good youth team to be part of?

56:23Paul Huntington:Yeah like to be fair on weekends like them lads I mentioned there Andy Carroll like Dave and Matty Patterson they'd all be out in like the big market probably like Brown is probably same places but I'd go home to Carlisle and go out with my mates because I was in digs in like Monk's Eaton near Whitley Bay me and Tim Krull actually we had and Zogbia as well Charlie stayed with us for a bit that was interesting he wasn't in the house much Olivia Bernard would like come and pick him up and they'd be heading down to the gate and casino and seeing the sights Patrick Cliver and that yeah but I would head home on a Saturday after a game see my mates from school or that were at uni and we'd go out back home so I'd be going out like on a Saturday having a few and like I'd feel like fairly shit on this Monday so I cut out drink from then I stopped it at sort of like 18, 19 I just thought I can't keep doing this and then I didn't since then that sort of changed and to be fair James Milner probably rubbed a lot off on us fuck off Milner yeah do you know what anything he did he'd play darts he'd be getting like 140, 100 every time he'd play pool and he'd like leave you with like all your balls still on the bloody table.

57:38Paul Huntington:He'd like, you play golf, he'd be off scratch. And like, you know, people just think that he's like, he was just a workhorse. Honestly, like he's shooting like both feet every day, extras like side net, side net. I'm not talking like missing the target. I'm talking like inside the net, like so good, like underrated player massively. But he was great with me because when I got into the team at Newcastle, I played fullback a lot. Probably think, they probably thought, well, there was injuries there, but they probably thought less pressure than in the central areas. And I was a bit quicker back then than what I am now.

58:13Paul Huntington:And he was like, they always put him on my side. So if I was left back, put him and he was a dream because he'd be fit as hell. He'd cover about 12, 13k a game and he'd be back next to you doubling up. So you'd be up against Aaron Lennon and you'd be like, I'll just slow him up. And James would be there, James. And then going forward, he'd be up the other end, like getting on the end of stuff and cutting inside, crossing it, cutting inside, hitting shots. so he was really good with me on the pitch but also off it he'd invite me around his house and and just get to know him like that so I felt more comfortable which is really good of him really like just tell me about like stories and obviously he came he came into the game at like 16 I was like 19 so um he was really good and he always used to say to me like before the game play your game be really confident you know like no fear don't worry about anything and um took a lot from him really in terms of like his professionalism, his habits.

59:06Paul Huntington:And yeah, probably that with the drinking and probably did me a favour really.

59:11Graham Westley:Have you not drank, like do you drink special occasions?

59:14Paul Huntington:No, no, a lot of people say surely you drink now, but no, just it's like, it's probably more of a routine thing that I've got. And I've kind of kept up with like the fitness even since I finished in just straight line running, like treadmill. I'm not, obviously I've got the coaching that I do now with the academy and stuff, but that sort of keeps you fit but I think more for mental.

59:36Graham Westley:Imagine your pals love it, don't they? Because I always drive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What time are you picking us up?

59:41Paul Huntington:No, I was always designated driver, yeah. But it got to a point early on I was thinking, I'm not going to have a good night because I'm not drinking but then after a while I found myself still enjoying it and that. Still went out with my pals on a Saturday but yeah, just cut the drink out and then yeah, that was great sort of experience playing with them sort of Premier League players.

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1:00:47Graham Westley:You made your debut against Chelsea? You're full, full, full, man of the match.

1:00:52Paul Huntington:Yeah, so like, it was Mourinho's first, you know, like Chelsea All-Stars, really. And you're thinking, they didn't tell me I was in the team. and we'd gone down, flew, they fly everywhere, don't they, apart from Premier League sides, flew down, stayed in Chelsea Harbour Hotel. They didn't sort of let me know, because I think he could have shuffled it around, so he wouldn't need me. Who was manager, sorry? Glenn Roder, again, the guy that I, you know, he was great for me. So he didn't tell me that I was in the team until probably lunchtime or pre-match, which is probably a good thing. So I wasn't stewing on it.

1:01:32Graham Westley:Yeah, no time to worry about it.

1:01:32Paul Huntington:And then, like, so I was playing right back and Robin was left wing and you've got, like, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Carvalho, like, yeah, Lampard, like, all these, like, Drogba come on and, I mean, he scored the winner later. Like, we played Chelsea, like, within the space of a week or two in the Cup and, like, so the league was Stamford Bridge and then we played them up at St James' and we lost both 1-0. Drogba scored, like, he was something else, like, obviously I was up against Robin more on the wing, but I always remember he tried to knock it, like, early, I don't know, like, if he thought, and I've sort of read it and I've...

1:02:10Paul Huntington:I took the ball, but I've sort of lifted him as well. And all the Newcastle fans, you know, at Chelsea, they're in the little cheese slice in the corner at Stamford Bridge. And they've like, so that just gives us a lift right away. And after that, he didn't run at me. I thought, fucking brilliant. Kept coming inside. To put him on his right foot. So now anyone mentions Robin, obviously, he was class, wasn't he? But I think, fucking hell, he only tried running down the line once. You know what I mean? That gave us a lift. And then, yeah, I just kept it simple. And, like, obviously, you're playing with better players.

1:02:39Paul Huntington:you could play the ball to like Oberfemi Martins like 10 yards away and he'd just sprint fast as out and like bring it down round his neck and you'd be like you just made me look fucking brilliant so like playing with better players like you've given the ball to like Kieran Dyer, Scott Parker and Nicky Bolt they'll just do the rest like unreal players the standard was so high

1:03:00Graham Westley:So what happened at Newcastle because I've got you made 16 appearances in the season was that the season that Allardyce come in?

1:03:07Paul Huntington:yeah roda sort of got i don't know i can't remember the time like it's that long ago when roda got sacked um results weren't great i think it was that summer allardyce come in and i'd sign a new deal in hindsight i should have just stayed um excuse me uh i'd had a taste and i wanted to go out and agent was sort of in my ear saying i think you should probably move and in hindsight you think Is that for your benefit or mine? And how old are you? So I was like 19 then. And yeah, I just felt a bit rushed and I should have stayed. I just thought I'd had a chat with, I had you on with Sammy Lee. And I said to you, I texted you that.

1:03:47Paul Huntington:I said, there's a reoccurring theme with Big Sam and his balls out. So we went pre-season to Austria. Hardest pre-season I've ever done, like three sessions a day. You know, like early morning bike rides, longest days. my life that week but worked just so hard and we all had like individual meetings and Big Sam was in his penthouse same hotel like he had to go up and you know just a young lad alright gaffer yeah you alright come on in son he's got like a bottle of beer in hand just like robe on and it's like open and I'm like where do I look here I don't know I don't know if it was I can't remember that whether he had slips on or not but it's obviously just a thing like I know Sammy Lee mentioned it he's got really big balls

1:04:30Graham Westley:salmon or saggy

1:04:32Paul Huntington:you know like legs legs out like yeah you've done well son you play it's my Bolton team Boxing Day didn't you last season they beat us at Reebok like 2-1 and I think Anelka scored so yeah I've really enjoyed it and he sort of gave me the feeling that doesn't really like young players he's like not many years are going to get a chance and then he signed like three or four defenders for like at the time decent money like four five six mil and I thought I've had a taste I want to go but really I probably should have just went on loan or something like that rather than so anyway um got to deadline day uh so it was end of august that first season sam come in gone into training at newcastle thinking nothing it'll be a normal day's training and then a couple of the first team lads that have got um same agent and said have you spoke to david i'm like no no i've got no battery like my charges at home whatever and uh he's like he's trying to get older you like speak to him so i've gone in like i think we've gone in manager's office or something and I've got wind that a couple of, like a few teams have bid.

1:05:33Paul Huntington:I think it was like half a million. So I spoke to him and he was like, we've got Leeds. I think Dennis Wise, Leeds, was manager. We had Brian Laws, Chef Wedd, Phil Brown at Hull and there was Pulis. It was before Shawcross. Would you have been at Stoke then or not? So you're talking like, this would have been 07 summer?

1:05:54Graham Westley:Yeah, I think I signed that summer. Yeah, so I was driving.

1:05:57Paul Huntington:I met my dad at Scotch Corner. I was driving down the A1. And it all just felt so rushed. I was like, I'm a bit excited, but like not really sure. I met my dad at Scotch Corner. So I'm driving down the A1, not knowing like agents ringing, like talking to my dad. Leeds sort of come up with best offer, but it was like, it just all felt a bit rushed. It was a Friday, deadline day, as I said. Met Wisey, met Gus Poirier, and I got a good feeling that, obviously a big club, but I was going from, like Leeds had just dropped into, they were just come out of administration, they had the minus 15 points.

1:06:33Paul Huntington:They were flying, to be fair, they were coming from the bottom, being on them points to right at the top. And yeah, it just all felt a bit rushed. So yeah, met and signed, and before you knew it, agent was getting, I had to sign, so my agent was getting paid. Obviously, I got something for signing as well, and I signed a good deal, I think I signed, I maybe did sign three years there, to be fair, at Leeds. Preston wasn't my only three-year deal.

1:07:00Graham Westley:It does look on paper like you've played them Premier League games, 15, 20, whatever it is, over them years. And then you've gone to, I know it's Leeds United, but down to League One, you'd think there'd be a championship.

1:07:14Paul Huntington:Yeah, I should have probably just went on loan to a team in the championship, but it's hindsight, isn't it? And then I think Sam only outlasted maybe six months, got sacked. the fans didn't like the football and I don't know if it was that year or the year after when Shearer sort of come in and they went down didn't they and in hindsight then the likes of Andy, Dave, all the lads that were in my youth age group or the year above or the year below got more chances and they kept a lot of what you'd call a Premier League squad it was the same when I was at Preston Newcastle and Wolves and probably Fulham kept a Premier League squad really I would always say them three were way above everyone else do you know in the champ like they had Premier League players would bring Mitrovic off the bench and that and Dwight Gale and that and it's just like it's just they were on another level but that sort of and then I saw them lads getting chance and I thought I should have still been there I would have and then they went bounce straight back up as they have done every time was it

1:08:15Graham Westley:It was 1-0 at home and 3-0 up the year, I think. He was at 4-0 Preston. It was Mike Williamson.

1:08:21Paul Huntington:Mike Williamson's played, didn't he? He sent it back. Yeah, so you think if he'd stuck around. Yeah, like even if I wasn't playing every game, but yeah, as I said, I'd had a taste. It's a hindsight, I wouldn't it? Yeah, and then I never enjoyed going back, like you were saying there with Preston. I've got a few tankings going back. 3-0, 4-0, me. Yeah, with Benitez, they needed to win. The way the result, you know, you're watching, the game got moved to a Monday at St James' and the way the results fell on the weekend, we couldn't make the playoffs and you're not coasting but you're looking forward to the summer, aren't you?

1:08:54Paul Huntington:A couple of games to go and the way the results fell, they just needed a win and you're like, oh, fucking hell, you don't need that, do you? St James' got beat forward, it was a long night. But yeah, in hindsight, yeah, should have just went on loan. Did you feel like you got

1:09:08Graham Westley:rushed out of it then?

1:09:09Paul Huntington:Yeah, well, Big Sam just said, it's up to you, son. So I thought, well, I took that That is, he's not asked. It's on you and agents in your ear. You've had a taste as well. You've had a taste. You want to play first team. I was then going back under Big Sam to play in reserves and fair enough, you're playing the better ones like the Sunderland ones at Stadium Alight, but it's not the same, is it? There's maybe 500 people there and that. And then you go to Leeds and it's whatever it is, 20-odd thousand and they were going well and they weren't a League One club. They'd just come down because of the administration and the mess they were in and you thought, well, they'll get up.

1:09:46Paul Huntington:But yeah, it did feel a bit rushed to be fair. The first year was good at Leeds. Back end of the season, I had groin and hernia issues. You know, I don't know if yous have had them, but you're just barely training. The back end of that season went well and we got in the playoffs sort of just managing it. I was just training the day before because they thought it was a hernia. So they were like, just get through, get through, have the summer. You know, sometimes they say, have the summer off, you'll be all right with a bit of rest or we can operate whatever but like now you're back in a couple of weeks with a hernia like two weeks but back then it was taking like me a couple of months and I and it wasn't quite right so managed the end of that season got to the playoff final lost to Donny on it off a set play uh set play 1-0 uh like played well in the game but just yeah didn't happen and then the wise had left at this point so who signed me we'd played we'd stayed down in London we played I think it was Luton and then we were playing Southend on a Tuesday night so we were training at Tottenham on the Sunday on the Monday this was like a few months into my time at Leeds and wise he was like gathered the group and he's like lads um being offered this position at Newcastle like million quid a year two days a week I'm just going to fly up fly back from London see my family more, can't turn it down, I'm off.

1:11:06Paul Huntington:It's like, fuck me, right? Brilliant. He signed me and now he's doing one. So Gary McAllister come in, liked him. Steve Staunton, assistant, he was good with me as well. Obviously centre-half, he's played left-back, didn't he? But he was really good. Played a lot under them, was captain in the pre-season. And next year, again, groins didn't sort of feel right. Played the first seven, maybe like eight, nine, ten games of that season. felt like I was a starter like I was 20 I think at that point was getting regular games felt as though they rated me was enjoying it and then yeah just groin and hernia issues and then had operations struggled to get back and sort of ripped off the rest of that season just stopped starting to get back still getting pain

1:11:53Graham Westley:Childers you can see Childers in Bradford

1:11:56Paul Huntington:he sorted me out to be fair

1:11:57Graham Westley:I had my hernia or groin I had corrective surgery on my pubis bone and my doctor's length.

1:12:04Paul Huntington:So I was having pubic bone. Which is the best end of my fucking cock, a bit. Did you get any injections, pubic bone? Fuck me.

1:12:13Graham Westley:The ultrasound, everything.

1:12:15Paul Huntington:Yeah, yeah. And physio at least at the time, Harvey Sharman, he's Washington baseball now, but he was going, the needle's massive. Sitting in the corner, needle's massive. I'm going, fuck off. Like sweating. That was just to get me through the end of the season. and there's only so many of them you can have. And then had the hernia, didn't solve it. And he was like, right, we'll do like an adductor release, like groins both sides. And yeah, thankful to him because he sorted me out in the end because at some stages, like I was out for the rest of that season. I was thinking, you do start thinking like, I can't get back here.

1:12:48Paul Huntington:And I felt like a professional swimmer, you know, at Four Parch, I was just in that pool 50 lengths a day. Like, I think he's been mentioned on here. Seth Johnson mentioned him like Sutty and with the sausage fingers and that he just had me in the pit he was brutal him like 50-60 lengths every day but it is yeah shoulders were like blowing up but yeah and then the adductor release eventually sorted it and then the next year Grayson so obviously things weren't going that well with McAllister he got sacked and then yeah Yeah, Grayson come in, obviously, Boyhood leads, fans loved him and I wasn't going to feature, kind of quickly became apparent.

1:13:34Paul Huntington:He kind of wanted experience. And then, yeah, so I went on loan to Stockport and they were struggling. They were another one in admin. They could only sign free or loans and they were a pretty rubbish team in League One. And at this stage, I went from kind of, you're playing with top players and being a good club. Newcastle leads and then you at that point I kind of hated football I would probably say fast forward a little bit at the end of that season I was a little bit depressed really in the sense that I hated it I didn't want to do it I was questioning whether I wanted to do it anymore

1:14:10Graham Westley:Do you love football as well were you them who loved it

1:14:13Paul Huntington:Yeah but at that stage no I was going home I was like that summer so I went on loan for a couple of months it was alright there were maybe like bottom half league one they were they were dropping down a bit but they weren't like bottom four you decided to sign permanence yeah i went back to leeds and on deadline day they were like you need to go we need you off the wage bill like i was on a decent deal and i was like right so what i got off stockport just i got all my last six months off leeds like full pay up and uh and stockport give me like whatever you got off them was like a bonus really it was like you were getting paid off two teams and it also gets you back in the shop window doesn't it so i signed six months But that six months, yeah, the team was rubbish and I probably wasn't standing out in a rubbish team.

1:14:57Paul Huntington:And I was just like, that summer, just like anxiety on holiday and like I was struggling sleeping and just a bit depressed. And like my wife would probably tell you like I was horrendous. Like I was bad enough if I was out of contract in the summer, but like that I was questioning whether I wanted to do it. I was kind of saying, and then a couple of options come up. I'd played against Terry Skiverton at Yorville when I was at Leeds so I knew of him he was quite a young manager at Yorville I think he had I think he was like Hartlepool and Oldham but it didn't really bother me at the time like location I thought I've just got to go where I'm going to get decent coaching and get my head down and I thought being far away from home which it was he was down in Somerset I thought get my head down get my career back on track and so I went there on a free and that was probably the best thing I could have done.

1:15:50Paul Huntington:I had Terry Skiverton, manager, Nathan Jones, Skivvo's now assistant, Wimbledon and Nathan Jones, now Charlton, manager.

1:15:58Graham Westley:Got some anxiety-inducing stats here from Stockport. Relegated, finishing bottom of League 1.

1:16:04Paul Huntington:Yeah.

1:16:04Graham Westley:1-5, drawn 1, lost 31.

1:16:07Paul Huntington:Yeah.

1:16:08Graham Westley:So that's probably... Fucking hell. Minus 60, by the way. Football nearly retired you, by the way. Right fucking other way around. Jesus. Stockport got as many cards has won games oh yeah three yellows one red four wins yeah it's not great

1:16:22Paul Huntington:is it that's why I was depressed mate I was yeah you could say yeah I was playing with shit but I was probably performing shit but I imagine

1:16:32Graham Westley:seeing the lads like you said at Newcastle at that stage while you're at Stockport getting the starts in the team what's happened here

1:16:39Paul Huntington:obviously the injuries change of managers and you need a bit of luck along the way but yeah it was I said it was a reality check I think I'd have been fucking Nolan's

1:16:48Graham Westley:maybe got me at all

1:16:49Paul Huntington:would you have thought about sacking it that's what I was thinking I was thinking I don't need this I remember we got well shock we got beat at Stockport and got well beat by Millwall at home and I remember being pulling up at the lights and some Millwall fans giving me like I was like I didn't see the funny side of it you know you're just being battered and I think we lost 5-0 away to them as well at Millwall and long afternoon I was just like, sometimes I might have just laughed it off, but I was in a bit of a bad place with it, and I was questioning whether I want to do it. And then going to Yorba, got the love back, and yeah, they weren't shit, they were all right, and they were a mid-table League One team, and that's what I needed.

1:17:33Paul Huntington:I needed to get, up until this point, at 22, I hadn't been playing 40 games a season, week in, week out. I didn't feel quite, I didn't get the run of games where you feel like you're a main player, and you know you're going to play and the pressure's off. The manager believes in you. You get that confidence from playing. I was captain quite a lot at Yorville.

1:17:54Graham Westley:Sorry, just before, was Dave Bassett at Leeds?

1:17:56Paul Huntington:Yeah, he was interesting. Obviously, he's had a really good career, hasn't he? Management and done a lot of things. I'd come from Newcastle and you're getting top coaching and he took the defenders and that at Leeds on another pitch. and his sessions were like, you had us doing slide tackles. Like, Parkey, I'm like, what? Do you know what I mean? So me and Matty Heath, like centre-back, you'd have to run up the line, like 30 yards, and then you'd have to go to Matty, go on then. So what I did to Robin, basically, swipe the ball, put it into the trees and take the man, and he'd be like, love it, love it.

1:18:35Paul Huntington:Honestly, we must have done that for like half an hour. I'm like, what is going on? He's got us doing slide tackles. It's fair to say, like, we clashed a bit. He had us up front in some sessions. I was like, what am I doing up front? So I just put balls away and that, you know, like just lean back every shot as far as you could, which wasn't like me to be fair, but I'd come from like good standard of like coaching, good players and he was putting me up front. And I'm like, I'm a centre half, mate. Like what is going on? And then he would filter it back, say if Wisey wasn't in or whatever, he'd be like, Hans, he's fucking messing about.

1:19:08Paul Huntington:And I'd be like, I'm not messing about. It's just your sessions of crap. And yeah, when he got talking, Bassett there was no stopping him he was like after a game and that why is he going to have to stop him because he'd just go off on one but yeah it was an interesting time did you play

1:19:26Graham Westley:against each other well Yorville yeah

1:19:28Paul Huntington:sorry we've gone back there that was Leeds but

1:19:31Graham Westley:yeah I weren't aware that you'd play I can't I can remember the game well

1:19:35Paul Huntington:I don't know how I remember this because you only remember certain bits across your career don't you but I remember you giving just usual shit in it like I've played like a channel ball it's over it it's gone out for a goalkeeping party saying to me look at that look at that fucking crap you and I've gone I'll give it the usual shut up you fat cunt or something and he's gone original and that was it and then I thought right I'm going to keep this fucking guy quiet and we were 2-1 up till about what felt like 90 minutes late go ball's gone over the top our keeper hasn't come out he said he couldn't fucking see it with the fog this was probably a ballad x killed I'm going to pop it in the changing room after.

1:20:15Paul Huntington:All this going on, and ball's got played over the top. Gary Johnson, manager, has got a green and white scarf, and he's not even facing the game. He's whipping the crowd up. So he's coming after. What the fuck's going on there? And I'm like, fucking keeps. He's stuck to it. He's got glue to his feet. He's stuck in his foot. He's like, I can't fucking see it. So he missed the goal? No, so the ball's come over the top. It's ricocheted, so at Park, he's put it in. I thought, you fucking bastard. It's responded to my Tuesday night. But obviously, we'd already had a bit in the game. But it finished 2-0.

1:20:46Paul Huntington:But yeah, I've had a pop at the keeper. Our manager's not even fucking watching the game. Whipping the crowd up with his green and white scarf. But that's my memory of Parkey, yeah. I think, I don't know, we probably did play against each other a few more times. But I just remember, yeah, a few words. It should have been called off. Yeah. You really couldn't see him. By the end, yeah, it was bad. We got a point. But yeah, Parkey spoiled me, my Tuesday night.

1:21:11Graham Westley:I scored the first one as well, by the way. Oh, did you? Yeah, I scored both that night. Oh, bastard. You shouldn't have brought it up. You should have brought it up anyway, man. I wish I'd have played against you, Mum.

1:21:22Paul Huntington:Where did you play with Alex Pearce? I didn't, but we were playing in London, Christmas Do, with Preston. And, Chef, you were in the club, in the same club. You know it's like Christmas Do. There's Millwaller in there, Preston. You've got your own booth. And do you know, like, with the package you get, and it's not me at all this, but like, you know, like, oh, we like champagne and that, they all bring it up. Hey, hey, hey.

1:21:47Graham Westley:It's definitely him. He's been to me now,

1:21:50Paul Huntington:When have you known we drink champagne?

1:21:52Graham Westley:Fuck me. I'm on about the fucking bottle coming up.

1:21:54Paul Huntington:Yeah, they're like, hey, hey, all the girls that bring it up, whatever, and you can get like letters and stuff, can't you? So anyway, we've had ours, Chef Hugh's had theirs and all of a sudden the lights have gone down, music's gone off and everyone's going, woo, like boo, you know, like, because they thought something's going on. all of a sudden spotlights like these have gone to the roof there's like a zip wire coming across and there's like a chair lift on it and it's Alex Pearce gut out top off like going hey hey hey and he's got like top in hand and bottle in the oven and they're playing this wolf music or something and it's like at the start of it it's like awww and like we thought it was great and anyway later on that season we've played Millwall fucking beat us didn't they what music's playing in the changing room that down the corridor I was like, fuck, man.

1:22:41Paul Huntington:But yeah, it was funny. It was funny. Do you know, like, on Christmas tours,

1:22:47Graham Westley:you're not drinking. Are you just seeing people deteriorate throughout the day?

1:22:50Paul Huntington:Yeah, the Sunday, you're sort of just wanting to get to sort of tea time because there's not many left out after sort of like six, seven o 'clock. If they are, they're like big drinkers. But I never used to mind the Saturday, me. I quite enjoyed it, especially if you've won on that. You have a good Saturday night, don't you? The only one I struggled with was Dublin just because you can't, well, unless you sort your own flight, you've got to wait. You can't just drop the shoulder of the Sunday tea time. You've got to wait till Monday. But yeah, I didn't tend to mind them. You know, it's like a couple of months build up.

1:23:23Paul Huntington:That's all they talk about. You think some of them not allowed out of the house and then they get out and it's like, oh my God, like let on the, you know, off the leash. I was just going to tell you

1:23:33Graham Westley:the one Sunday morning when the young lads had come down and they'd done all their dough in with the strippers on the Saturday night. They left the lads and they've gone to the strippers.

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1:26:07Graham Westley:Like how you should only drink Jägermeister at zero degrees Fahrenheit. Ice cold. Like those frozen cavemen they find. Which makes you wonder, what would a caveman think of Jägermeister? Well, if you served it warm, he'd probably throw it in your face, say, Oonga Boonga, and storm off. And nobody wants that. So drink it cold or not at all. Jägermeister. Damn, that's cold. Drink responsibly. Jägermeister liqueur, 35 % alcohol by volume. Imported by Masked Jägermeister, U.S., White Plains, New York. I was signing for Carlisle you know been from there

1:26:37Paul Huntington:yeah no it was good like I grew up kind of watching them like before I went to Newcastle with my dad what did you mean

1:26:43Graham Westley:when you went to Carlisle when you left Preston

1:26:46Paul Huntington:so I was 34 so I think I was Preston 24 to 34 yeah so it was never really my thinking they were asking the back end of that season I kind of knew I'd be away when Ryan Law was there because I didn't really play in the last year I actually went to see him because you know like you have them meetings at the end of the season well you do now I don't know if you did and you have individual meetings sometimes it's just the ones out of contract sometimes it's everyone just to get with the manager and like it was getting towards like the Tuesday or the Wednesday of the last week of the season I thought well if I'm leaving I kind of want to know excuse me so I went and saw him I was like am I sort of leaving basically like I asked him because I thought I want to play a part in the last game.

1:27:31Paul Huntington:We couldn't make playoffs. I think Middlesbrough needed to win to make playoffs. It was that deep deal. And he said, yeah, yeah, we're going to go in a new direction, whatever. I had options in League One, but I'd always played League One and higher. So I thought, I don't really want to go. It sounds a bit bad, but I didn't really want to. So I was saying no to Carlisle. And I had Oxford and, I don't know, like Morecambe, League One teams at the time. And I just weighed it up and I thought, I'd probably have more, not drive but more excitement going a lot of my mates going that it's like you playing for barnsley like you know like your mates your family go like you know quality of life i imagine as well yeah i was back home with kids and family i was like 10 minutes from the training ground the training ground was just yeah basically just next to the training uh to the ground so um but yeah it was it was never really the intention and then they sort of waited for me to be fair it got to like end of August time and said they'd still do it and it wasn't like for the for the money it was just for time at home and that and you know it's like when you go you just want to be closer to home so um but yeah then I just got back on to manager Paul Simpson and just said yeah like he's still wanting to do it um like being at home and stuff's changed my thinking and um if you still want to do it yeah let's let's let's go for it and I signed a year I think I had it might have been 18 or 21 games for a second year.

1:28:56You know what we were saying earlier about the trigger

1:29:00Paul Huntington:for the second year. And the plan was to do one year, one year, one year, finish like three years, basically. First year, yeah, we went up from League Two. It was brilliant. It was too bad, didn't it? Yeah, it was brilliant. I joined about early September and then played 45 games, lifted trophy at Wembley. Yeah, playoffs. It was good. Really good.

1:29:21Graham Westley:Bit of a blow in it, you know, like, you've got promoter and that and everyone wants to buy you a drink. You want a drink? Yeah. I'll have a Diet Coke, mate, please.

1:29:28Paul Huntington:Yeah, to be fair, yeah. I was that shattered. It was extra tight and pens. It was a red-hot day. And, like, we had a do in a... Fancy a penalty? No. To be fair, to be fair, we didn't decide it. We did it. We played Bradford in the semi-finals and the manager had, like, a sort of dossier from, like, the FA when he was at England. He won the World Cup, didn't he? was it 17s England Paul Simpson so he had like a thing and we had like a psychologist that was like for the penalties stand like a yard in front and stuff of the other team so like Stockport we like stood there they were only halfway we were like in front and he was saying mentally you're already ahead and I'm like I know you'll feel like that's Wesley-esque isn't it but like he had them like you know the goals so he'd have everyone in the centre circle at the end of training from the semi-finals and he'd have a goal on like, do you know, across from the centre circle to that side, centre circle that side and you two normal goals.

1:30:26Paul Huntington:So you'd have four goals and you'd have to walk up and take and they'd have like a clipboard, goalie coach, first team coach, assistant manager, manager of who scored and how many, even the keepers, the two keepers, how many of the saved and stuff. So they took it out of your hands. It wasn't, yeah, it wasn't down to you, which I would have been like 10, number 10. Where were you on the list? No, I don't know. I'm glad I didn't. To be fair, they all scored won 5-4 they were good penalties but yeah we had a do at Hilton in Watford which was already organised for the families and that was good job we won like but yeah the the someone at the club I don't think it was general manager what was his title chief exec put his card behind the bar we're like the lads were rinsing it soon got taken away so but yeah no I didn't didn't have a drink lads were trying to pour it down my neck and that surely surely it's now uh no i was like with my family and that but it was class must have been about it was in the basement of like this hotel and was far too many people in there you know just red hot like i was like i didn't even stay out that late i was absolutely shattered i mean it didn't like sleep a wink i always felt like with the playoffs it was always a bit like the highest of the high and two days later fair enough you're still going away on holiday with your family or whatever but you're a bit like like and then you just want to rewind time because with the playoff finals, because there's always three in a row, you get your hour to celebrate.

1:31:52Paul Huntington:So you do a few interviews, lift the trophy, a few pitches on the pitch, celebrate a bit on the pitch and then it's like, right, you've had your hour, you know, the ground staff and the people that work there, right, you know, out you go, Bobby Moore Lounge, you've got closes at six on your way and you're like, fucking hell, it might only happen. Some it doesn't happen so it only happens once or twice in your career and you just feel, so I was kind of with Carlisle, obviously I did it with Preston. I tried to soak it in a bit more and just took my time. So they were kind of like pushing me out by the end.

1:32:24Graham Westley:So obviously the move to Bradford was never in the plan?

1:32:28Paul Huntington:No. So the first year was amazing. Great group, real togetherness, team spirit. We weren't the best team. I think we finished three go up league two. I think we finished fifth and we got Bradford semi-final, beat them over two legs, then beat Stockport penalties at Wembley. But we had a real togetherness and team spirit, real camaraderie. And you probably don't realise it at the time. It's only when you look back what you had. Because then that summer we released quite a lot of players. We would have had the lowest budget probably in League One. I think it was a bottom-end League Two budget for the team that went up.

1:33:06Paul Huntington:So we overachieved in terms of the budget. But we had a real belief in the squad we had. and then that kind of got a bit ripped up just with offering lads one year and then they'd go back to League Two on two years. Do you know, like Denno left, so Christian Dennis had scored like 20-odd goals. I think he was offered a year with an option and he was like, I've got two years at Trammeer, I'll just go there.

1:33:30Graham Westley:When you get lower down the levels, it's all about your years really, not so much your...

1:33:35Paul Huntington:Well, he's still at Trammeer now and I think he's done the two since and he's just extended another year and he's still playing. and he was Manchester anyway so it was going to need to be two years for him Amari Patrick was another one that left and there was a few others probably like five or six left that were a big part of the changing room even if they didn't play do you know like they were good around the place like you'll have been in changing rooms where if lads aren't playing they're toxic and it's not a good place to be but there was a real difference in that second year in League One and from the not just the players were like well short for the level as in the group, not like individually.

1:34:15Paul Huntington:But also the characters that, you know, you do your background checks and the characters and the personalities. I just think that that was what we lacked that we had in League Two. And then we didn't have that in League One. And yeah, the team was well short. But yeah, the plan was to do a year League Two, a year League One. And then if we stayed up and do another year League One, if we didn't, back in League Two. So I'd only had the one year in League Two and that was it. We got up. So I thought, well, I'll stay because I played 45 games. We got promoted. But then that sort of changed. I had games in my second year again for a third year.

1:34:51Paul Huntington:So I did one year, I don't know, 21 games for a second year. I did that straight away. Second year had, it might have been 21 or 23 games. So I got to like 19, 20 and then sort of stopped. You're out of the team. Yeah, but to be fair, I asked the manager about it and he said it wasn't a problem. I don't know if he was just looking at lads under contract or younger, which is football, isn't it? I didn't know the grudge. I just took it for what it was.

1:35:22Graham Westley:The thing is, there's a good chance he's going to get potted and all, isn't there? Just play him anyway.

1:35:25Paul Huntington:Yeah, well, to be fair, if he'd have said it was a problem, I'd have just said, just check it out. I'd rather just play because I was captain of the club. The team was in the shit. I wasn't really fussed about the next year. I wanted to stay. I wanted to be there. whatever league they were in and I actually said that the back end of the season had a meeting and said look if you want me to be a squad player which was essentially what I went to Bradford to do I was a squad player I played 25 20 odd games whatever off the bench starting like I won't be knocking on your door if I'm not playing like I'm not going to be a bad egg I'll be good around the place you know I'll be your captain off the pitch as much as is on it or when needed especially in league two like had the one year got up and but then that sort of changed and yeah it was hard mentally the second half of the season because I didn't really play.

1:36:12Paul Huntington:I was fit the full second half of the season. I had two injuries first half of the season, tried to get one injury calf and then tried to come back too soon because the team was struggling and redid it. So I had to take a little bit longer. But the full second half of the season, I was fit. And yeah, it was hard watching mentally because the team was well short and felt as though I could help. but obviously I was one or two games away from that, so it was frustrating.

1:36:39Graham Westley:In your head, I know you mentioned that when you went to Carlisle, you thought three years, was that a plot in your head that you were going to retire after?

1:36:48Paul Huntington:Yeah, I think so.

1:36:49Graham Westley:When it didn't work out at Carlisle and you went to Bradford, was it like, right, well, I'm going to have another year at a club and then I'm going to retire?

1:36:59Paul Huntington:Yeah, I didn't feel as though I was done, so I went to that PFA camp, I don't know if you've seen it, It's like out-of-contract players. And I did question myself at the time. I thought, what? I was 30, I think I'd just turned, I was 36 coming up 37 in the September. And I turned down a few things, like League 2, from after Carlisle. And I just thought, in the past, you'd just normally do it on your own, wouldn't you? I don't know if you'd use that. No, you just wouldn't do it either. But I just thought, yeah, I'm going to give it a go. so I did like five weeks there and it was put on by then your food, your accommodations down in Derby, it was a Champneys you know like lovely spa resort Ravel went didn't he this year I think yeah he went when I was there yeah he went did you have to pay for that?

1:37:50Paul Huntington:no so this is a new thing the last two years so this summer and the summer before Mehetta the new chairman he's been a lot more hands on than what it was previous like he's trying to improve things and also it kind of got me thinking more about after football so they've got a lot of like educational staff and they're like what what are you thinking about doing after football hunts like have you thought about that so that's where the thinking of the academy kind of came up from them really and I started writing down ideas I'd kind of written down a list or just some of my notes on my phone of like three four teams in league two obviously Bradford what biggest club like doable locations you know like Leeds Bradford way two hours from me because I didn't want to be a million miles from home.

1:38:33Paul Huntington:And I thought, have they got a chance of going up? But yeah, Bradford came up and probably didn't play right away. I think he sort of let me get fit. I don't think Grez is sort of like the thought of me signing without seeing me in a game. Even though I've had the career, I said, no, you just trust me. I'll be able to manage. And yeah, so gradually just built my training, then got in and I played in like a, do you know like they call it like Joey Cup don't they is it Virtue Trophy now played Rotherham and like the way he wants to play it's a lot of running for the centre half you normally think back three from Cigar in it and you felt like great middle of the three but he swings right round like the the back three so there's a lot of running that first game obviously I was trying to win Presson that wasn't I Rotherham was at Valley Parade and I must have ran about 11.5k I don't think I've ever done that yeah yeah not a problem to me that gaffer yeah yeah That's just what I do.

1:39:28Paul Huntington:But no, I was just over covering and just showing I've got the legs and whatever, and from then, I did really well in the game, and from then, I think he trusted me. But that was almost like, I'd signed at this point, but it was almost like my audition, really. And then things went really well, yeah. So when I played, we did well, and we nearly fluffed it. Towards the back end of the season, we were drawing a bit, and I remember being, I think we took the lead three times at Swindon and lost it like a, I can't even remember, was it a 4-3 or a 5-4 or something? Like, I didn't end up playing that that day, but it got to the last day of the season and it was, yeah, it was unreal.

1:40:08Paul Huntington:Like, it was the anniversary, you know, the fact that, I don't know if you know, but if you, yeah, if you know a lot, if you play at Bradford, the Reverend comes in and like talks, it's a big part of the history, the fire, and it was the anniversary, the 56 that sadly passed away and it fell on the weekend of the Fleetwood game, the last game. So everyone's like, oh, it's meant to be. You know, it's going to happen. And yeah, so the game, they've got nothing to play for. So we thought they're going to turn up flip-flops on, whatever. Pete Wilde, manager.

1:40:39Graham Westley:Do you just need to win or do you just need a result of some sort?

1:40:43Paul Huntington:Yeah, we needed to better Walsall's result. So Walsall, I don't know if you remember last season. No, that fucking 15-18 points clear or something. Yeah, absolutely, like blew up. And they were our crew. and they've won their games finished. And do you remember, like, I mean, it's not the same circumstance. Do you remember Aguero and, like, Man United are like, and then they're quickly off down the tunnel. Do you know what? They think they've done it. And then, so, yeah, their game's finished and they're, like, going over to their fans at Crewe, like, oh, what's happening? So we all saw these videos after, obviously.

1:41:14Paul Huntington:You can smile about it now. So we're 0-0. And, like, Fleetwood are now to play for 14th in the league and you think, fuck off. like where have you been all season like you're trying your nuts off now if you tried that hard like you'd not been 14th but they were like goalie was going down you know that one and that and it was like fucking get him up like it's a shambles and then yeah like we hit the polls think they had one off the line keepers making safe Sarsevic misses a sitter so then literally the clock's ticking keepers took like forever to take the goal kick and we're in the last minute I think there's about well I've seen a picture of when he goes in, there's about 30 seconds left.

1:41:55Paul Huntington:So, Sars got the goal, but he's actually known goal. He caught, I think, defender Bolton. So, Sars, and then, like, we've ended up going away to Ibiza and, like, a few lads of, like, Alex Patterson's got, like, Sars of its 90 plus 6 tatted on him. Fuck off!

1:42:11Graham Westley:So bad!

1:42:13Paul Huntington:Steaming! And he's missed, so, I don't think he's missed, he's new. And, uh, Sars has gone on Sky and done the game. they've asked him about Pat O's tat. Yeah, I could have seen that. And he put a picture on it and his missus had gone straight on to Pat O, like, what the fuck was this? Pat O's like, oh yeah, I can't even remember. Jeremy Walker got the worst block, like dark black number seven right across his belly. He was number seven, but what he's thinking there, I don't know. Andy Cook's got McGrew off, is it Wallace and Gromit, on his shin. So, to be fair, he's got random ones anyway, but it's just like, it was a good trip, to be fair.

1:42:56Paul Huntington:But, skipped on a bit there. But, yeah, so anyway, 30 seconds to go, a ball sort of like ricocheting about, Lapsley's hit a shot, and it's hit, I don't know, it was probably going wide, it's hit Bolton, Fleetwood defender, and you can see it spinning, and everyone's like, and there's pitches, and then pitch invasion, oh my God, like, yeah, it was unbelievable. and we were just like oh missed it like oh and then got all the obviously had the trophy got all the medals lifted I don't know if you've seen it was a fucking little cereal bowl shield thing like everyone was messaging like what the fucking hell was that I thought it would be the same as like what you get for second and third place in no the automatic positions I thought it would just be the same trophy you know what you get for the playoffs oh just a little bit smaller second yeah but it was like a silver bowl and people were like, you should put your cereal in that.

1:43:51Paul Huntington:And it was like, hey, but, and then we got the families off, like onto the pitch and that. I remember saying to mine, like fucking get in, like eight weeks off buzzing, like, because you know, it's playoffs, you ain't getting that. So I was like, it was just relief and like, but I was warming up down the corner and 94th minute, anywhere we score, I get on. So like the last minute, you just head it away, and he would always sort of do that. If we were ahead, he'd bring me on if I wasn't starting. So, they were shouting on, like, you can't even do it. Well, somewhere, the majority was just eerie silent because everyone was fucking thought we'd fluffed it, basically.

1:44:28Paul Huntington:But some of them were shouting in the corner, you can't do it for the 56 and that. And you're like, that's a bit harsh. Trying our nuts off here, just not happening. Hit the post, hit the bar. Sars has missed that chance that he wouldn't normally. And then we get the winner and they're all on. And I'm thinking, where's that cunt that was calling us all sorts? A minute ago, oh, yeah, the best thing since sliced bread. and it's like, yeah, I heard you about two minutes ago. But yeah, it's like, it's obviously fan base where when it's going well, like it was, they were great selling out every week and a real powerful thing to have, like sell out away, sell out home.

1:45:02Paul Huntington:So it got us over the line, bar the fella that was shouting that at us or the team. But yeah, like it was some way to finish. in a way like not that I wanted it obviously Carlisle ended up going down again and then I went up with Bradford so yeah it wasn't a lot of people said to me like Bradford like the fan base Bradford and Carlisle had a thing since kind of we played them in the playoffs and a bit of like back and forth and stuff and a bit of rivalry in more recent years and just said oh I bet you're buzzing at Carlisle and having a shitter and I said well no not really because you know I've got a lot of mates at the club still in the team and people that work at the club and a lot of my friends and family support the club and I keep a close eye on on the results you know I want them to do well so it wasn't really it wasn't like I was looking at it like oh you know gloating because I had gone up it was it was sad to see really because last couple of years have been difficult

1:46:00Graham Westley:for for Carlisle so just tell us about your academy mate is it what made you start yeah so

1:46:06Paul Huntington:Pro Spire Football Academy yeah been busy been manic it's just probably 90 % of the day like I don't know if I said to you, admin and emails and laptop. The actual coaching part is a relief to get out of the house and take the kids. It's around Carlisle area, as I said, from that PFA camp and leaving Carlisle. A lot of people asked about taking the kids' other kids' teams. I just thought it's all I've known, football really, for 22 years since leaving school. So I just thought, yeah, give a bit back and don't get us wrong. It's not like Pep. I'm not going to be like that much detail but as long as they enjoy it I'll give pointers and basic information and yeah try and help them improve and as long as they give 100 % and have smiles on their face then yeah Pro Spire Football Academy it's called and take up's been fairly mental yeah Have you taken any of Wesley's methods?

1:47:02Graham Westley:You're not big enough to play for me Get a little fucker's box in

1:47:05Paul Huntington:I think we have a few complaints no I might have to do the press up on the full length of the pitch but yeah get them involved kids will think that

1:47:14Graham Westley:as fun

1:47:14Paul Huntington:but yeah it keeps us involved like with the academy and the radio like it's kind of like the next best thing like I enjoy like things like this like chatting to you about just about footy and yeah you still get sort of it's not the same buzz as playing obviously but yeah like I don't know how you's found it like finishing it's just a new normal isn't it like a different such a you're that used to the routine of getting up breakfast and then going to training, getting sorted for training and then your home for whatever. And yeah, I wouldn't say I struggled with it, but it's just different, isn't it?

1:47:48Paul Huntington:Like, you're a bit used to it now because you've done it for... A long time retired, haven't we? We've been really lucky,

1:47:54Graham Westley:they just got trained to this, didn't we? Yeah. I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what I'm doing next week, next year. I'm having fucking two weeks at Champneys. I'm making a comeback. Just for the food. You're in food. I can see you coming down. Training it white robe and slippers.

1:48:08Paul Huntington:Hey, the food, the food is top notch. I'm pulling my car first day. Some just go for that. You want to see some of the plates, honestly. Lads are like, yeah, freeze it. I'll be needing.

1:48:17Graham Westley:I'm pulling my car first day. I'll be right at the end of the week.

1:48:20Paul Huntington:To be fair, mate, a lot of them, you know, like Peter Clarke and that Mahetta, the new chairman, like they join in and that. Like Jeff Whitley joined in as well. Like quite a few of them join in. Just the obsession and that, you know, like, no, he'll just be there for this grant and the spa.

1:48:36Graham Westley:He's pitched again. nobody's going to take him it's the hot tub other good lads injured I just can't get it right this car it's a six week car you've been here three years can't you

1:48:51Paul Huntington:can't get rid of him no it's only on for ten weeks to be fair so

1:48:57Graham Westley:I'll have a good two and a half months of tips

1:49:00Paul Huntington:just Shane Shane the fella reorganises it yeah I'll be sick of the sight of you

1:49:04Graham Westley:get me Shane's number yeah Oh, what the... Thank you for that, man. Thank you for that. Brilliant, man. It's rad to me. I'm a big fan of the show, so...

1:49:35Graham Westley:With a panic button, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and gasp in horror as the show spirals completely out of control. It's not just news, it's emotionally unstable. Lunatic in the newsroom. Listen today.