EACH week Sun Racing talks to one of the top names in the sport to find out their secret love outside of racing.
Paisley Park owner Andrew Gemmell is in the spotlight this week.
I have supported West Ham United through thick and thin for over 40 years – since the late 1970s.
There have been plenty of ups – and, in our case, quite a few downs too – along the way.
Back in the old days the West Ham players used to have a motto: “Win or lose, we’re always on the booze.” I’m not sure what they did when they drew!
I first went to a game with a colleague I met after moving to London to work for Westminster Council.
I have been blind since birth but I was hooked – my friend gave me a commentary on the match. I loved all the singing and the shouting.
The atmosphere was amazing, especially at the evening kick-offs. You were almost on top of the pitch at Upton Park, so close to the players, in a stand called The Chicken Run.
I love so many sports, including racing, cricket and boxing . . . but going to all the West Ham home games soon became an important part of my life.
My favourite player over the years was definitely midfielder Billy Bonds. He had a never-say-die attitude I loved and was as hard as nails. He played 799 first team games for the club spanning 21 seasons.
There have been a few highlights over the years such as winning the FA Cup in 1975 and 1980.
And I particularly love it when we beat clubs like Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool and Spurs.
In the league, I loved the 1985-86 season when we finished third and Frank McAvennie and Tony Cottee were scoring goals for fun.
We have had a mish-mash of managers over the years but my personal favourite was John Lyall – he was a real gentleman.
He played for the club and was manager for 15 years from 1974-89.
Because I’m blind, I can have headphones at matches but I prefer the live commentary from my friend, Nick Moore. He has sat next to me since the 1980s and I don’t know what I would have done without him. His commentary is more personal and, without headphones, you can talk to people around you and enjoy the match so much more.
Before a big game, I enjoy a drink at the Black Lion in Plaistow.
The landlord, Tom Friel, is a friend of mine and we now own a nice horse together called Discorama, who has been placed at the last three Cheltenham Festivals.
I have been a West Ham season ticket holder for well over 30 years but things have changed from the good old days.
That’s mainly because of the new ground at the London Stadium.
We have been there since 2016 and I don’t like it. I don’t know many fans who do.
It will never beat the buzz and the feeling of ‘home’ you used to get at Upton Park.
The new ground is bigger but it doesn’t have the same atmosphere. However, once an ’Ammer always an ’Ammer.
I own and co-own 20 horses with trainers in England, Ireland and Australia so now, if one of them is running on a Saturday, I am much more likely to go racing these days than go to the football.
Cheering a West Ham goal is a great feeling . . . but nothing beats the thrill of a big-race winner and I certainly had that when my horse Paisley Park, trained by Emma Lavelle, won the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last year.
That was a day I will never forget.
