Focus On... Al Gordon

One of the reasons why we started this series is because we knew that many of the people producing football blogs, podcasts and other online projects are thoroughly decent people that deserve to have greater recognition. A fine example of that is Al Gordon, the man whose passion for The Addicks is made manifest on his blog site God, Charlton and Punk Rock.

If you like reading the words of a true football fan without all the acid-tongued vitriol of a blinkered, deluded ultra, Al is most certainly the man you should seek out. Not only that, but if you live in South London, he's exactly the sort of man to talk football with over a satisfying pint or two. A free tip that you'll thank us later for.

If you're still curious to know more about Al, here's our Focus On profile to tell you everything you need to know...

Full Name:
Al Gordon

Current blog/podcast(s):
God, Charlton and Punk Rock and Arsene Wenger's Coat

Birthplace:
Wimbledon

Birthdate:
10 January 1971

Al Gordon

Height:
Six foot something

Married:
Yes, to Heidi

Children:
A stepson, Darrel

Car:
Scooter

Favourite blogs/podcasts:
Stand AMF, True Colours, Got Not Got, Who Ate All The Pies and a host of great Charlton blogs. Did I forget The Attic?

Team(s) supported:
Charlton Athletic, Sutton United and Horley Town

Favourite football player ever:
Eddie Youds

Biggest thrill while working on your web project(s):
Very little negative feedback. Or threats.

Biggest disappointment while working on your web project(s):
It's always disappointing when you submit something and it isn't used. I'm saving those all up for a future best-selling publication.

Best countries visited:
Poland, Czech Republic

Favourite food:
Pie and mash

Miscelleaneous likes:
Scooters. Clobber. Trainers. Real ale. Classic novels. Looking sharp whilst riding my scooter to a quiet boozer for a pint of Young's and a chapter of a book sounds like a plan.

Miscellaneous dislikes:
American sitcoms. Gastro Pubs. Badly dressed men. Trendy 'berry' ciders served over ice. Coconut.

Favourite TV shows:
Minder, Peaky Blinders, Knowing Me Knowing You.

Favourite actors/actresses:
Richard E Grant in Withnail & I, Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast, Michael Caine in Alfie. Not necessarily in that order.

Favourite musicians:
The Wedding Present, The Clash, The Style Council, old Jamaican Ska and some Northern Soul.

Biggest drag while working on your web project(s):
Trying to make a club specific blog different every week due to such a high standard of competition.

Personal ambition:
To one day write for a living. That, however, is unlikely so perhaps I'll aim for robbing a bank and retiring to a place in the sun on the takings.

If not in your current career, which job would you do?
Anything that involved wearing a well-cut whistle.

Which person in the world would you most like to meet?
If I had to host that food show where you have folks round to dinner I'd invite John Lydon, George Cole, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Partridge.

Favourite activity on a day off:
Going to a football match. If it wasn't, I'd think you'd got the wrong man for this.

A very big thank you to Al Gordon for joining the esteemed ranks of our Focus On feature, and don't forget, if you've got a football blog, podcast or other project, you can take part too. Just visit our info page and fill in all your details - we look forward to hearing from you!

Previously in Focus On:

• David Poza Calderón
• Giles Metcalfe
• Rich Nelson
• Barry Dempsey
• Andrew Rockall

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Focus On... David Poza Calderón

Football nostalgia, as we all know, is a joy and a delight for all of us that prefer The Beautiful Game the way it used to be. Yet for all the innocent pleasure it brings us, someone, somewhere is usually working hard and for little credit to maximise all the happiness we feel.

One such person is David Poza Calderón. You may not know him by name, but you may well have seen the fruits of his labours, for David is the man who diligently compiles the On This Day videos that appear regularly on YouTube.

If you love watching great goals scored during the 1960's, 70's and 80's, David's FootballGaffesGalore account is the one to visit often. Meantime, why not get to know David a little better by studying his Football Attic 'Focus On' profile...

Full Name:
David Poza Calderón

Nickname:
FootballGaffesGalore

Current blog/podcast(s):
FootballGaffesGalore on  YouTube

Birthplace:
Monzón, Spain

Birthdate:
20 March 1991

Height:
6 ft 2 in

Married:
No

Children:
None

Colin Bell

Car:
I don't have a driver's licence

Favourite blogs/podcasts:
The Football Attic, The Goldstone Wrap and Who Ate All The Pies

Team(s) supported:
Manchester City and Real Madrid

Favourite football player ever:
Colin Bell (Manchester City)

Biggest thrill while working on your web project(s):
Finding games from 40 years ago that few people have seen before

Biggest disappointment while working on your web project(s):
Seeing that UEFA or FIFA blocks the videos because of copyright

Best countries visited:
UK and Italy

Monty Python

Favourite food:
Italian pasta

Miscelleaneous likes:
Listening to vinyls and reading football books

Miscellaneous dislikes:
Having to clean the house on Saturday mornings and lack of confidence with people

Favourite TV shows:
Apart from Spanish TV, Have I Got News for You and Monty Python

Favourite actors/actresses:
There are many in my list

Favourite musicians:
Noddy Holder (singer of Slade) and David Bowie

Best friend:
Rafael, from my hometown

Noddy Holder of Slade

Biggest drag while working on your web project(s):
Thinking on what videos to do during the Summer

Personal ambition:
Try to have a good work and a family

If not in your current career, which job would you do?
Being a football journalist

Which person in the world would you most like to meet?
Any player from the 70s or 80s

Favourite activity on a day off:
Going to see my town team and having a drink with my mates.

Our grateful thanks go to David Poza Calderón for being the latest person to grace our Focus On feature, and don't forget, if you've got a football blog, podcast or other project, you can take part too. Just visit our info page and fill in all your details - we look forward to hearing from you!

Previously in Focus On:

• Giles Metcalfe
• Rich Nelson
• Barry Dempsey
• Andrew Rockall

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Focus On... Giles Metcalfe

A familiar face to football nostalgia fans on Twitter, Giles Metcalfe becomes the latest person to step into the spotlight as The Football Attic finds out just what makes football fans tick...

Full Name:
Giles Metcalfe

Current blog/podcast(s):
No Standing

Birthplace:
Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Birthdate:
17 February

Height:
6 ft 3 in

Giles Metcalfe

Married:
Engaged to Ailsa

Children:
Step-children James and Abbey

Car:
2004 Ford Ka

Favourite blogs/podcasts:
Football Attic; Got, Not Got, The Goldstone Wrap, Two Unfortunates, No Clash of Colour, A United View on Football

Team(s) supported:
Bolton Wanderers, England, Bradford Park Avenue, Brighouse Juniors

Favourite football player ever:
Pelé

Biggest thrill while blogging/podcasting:
First time Football Attic and GNG published my stuff

Biggest disappointment while blogging/podcasting:
Scammers and rip-off merchants promising the moon on a stick

Pelé

Best countries visited:
USA

Favourite food:
Roast Beef dinner

Miscelleaneous likes:
Football, coats and jackets, trainers, shoes and boots, vintage and retro stuff, the 60s and 70s, Italian scooters, Mod, watches

Miscellaneous dislikes:
Ignorance, prejudice, football hooliganism, liars and cheats, DIY

Favourite TV shows:
MOTD, The Football League Show (if Bolton have won), TOTP 78 (if post-punk bands on)

Favourite actors/actresses:
Michael Caine, Julie Christie, Clint Eastwood, Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis, Phil Daniels

Favourite musicians:
Doves, The Jam/Weller, Small Faces, The Who, Neil Young, The Byrds, Love, Shack, Jake Bugg

Best friend:
My partner, Ailsa

The Byrds

Biggest drag in blogging/podcasting:
Not getting published (hence set up my own blog)

Personal ambition:
To be discovered as a writer/blogger, play for BWFC

If not in your current career, which job would you do?
Football writer/journalist/astronaut

Which person in the world would you most like to meet?
Pelé

Favourite activity on a day off:
Sleeping, jacket or trainer shopping, blogging

Our grateful thanks go to Giles Metcalfe for contributing to our Focus On feature, and don't forget, if you've got a football blog, podcast or other project, you can take part too. Just visit our info page and fill in all your details - we look forward to hearing from you!

Previously in Focus On:

• Rich Nelson
• Barry Dempsey
• Andrew Rockall

(Image of Pelé by Ricardo Stuckert/PR [CC-BY-3.0-br (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons. Image of The Byrds by Joost Evers / Anefo (Nationaal Archief) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

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Focus On... Rich Nelson

The world of football is full of wonderful people doing good things without receiving the credit they deserve. Not players, of course - good god, no. We're talking about the people you see every day on Twitter or Facebook, many of which spend their valuable time perhaps writing blog articles or recording podcasts for your pleasure.

One such man is Rich Nelson, the brilliant blogger who skilfully created the go-to website for all things Finnish football, Escape To Suomi. Undoubtedly an authority on his chosen subject, you probably wouldn't no much about him other than his devotion to The Land of a Thousand Lakes and its footballing prowess... but that's about to change as we Focus On the man himself, Rich Nelson!

Full Name:
Rich Nelson

Current project(s):
Escape to Suomi

Birthplace:

Rich Nelson

London

Birthdate:
18 March 1980

Height:
5 ft 9 in

Previous blogs/podcasts:
Nelson's Column

Married:
Yes, to Hanne

Children:
No

Car:
Toyota Aygo

Favourite blogs/podcasts:
The Football Attic (of course!), In Bed With Maradona, The Sound of Football, Swiss Ramble, The Two Unfortunates, The False Nine

Team(s) supported:
Arsenal, Stranraer and KuPS

Favourite football player ever:
Dennis Bergkamp

Biggest thrill while blogging/podcasting:
The Finnish league hosted my season preview on their official website, with full credit and were very good hosts when I visited in the summer.

Biggest disappointment while blogging/podcasting:
Was specifically asked to write a comprehensive DVD review for a popular magazine on a documentary about Jari Litmanen, and was told it wasn't quite what they wanted - they didn't realise the film wasn't in English...

Best countries visited:
Finland, Australia, Germany

Favourite food:
Pulled pork sandwich

Miscelleaneous likes:
Catching villains, dogs, eBay

Miscellaneous dislikes:
Traffic, Sunday football

Favourite TV shows:
24, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, In-Betweeners, Thick of It, Family Guy, Alan Partridge

Favourite musicians:
Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, The Jam

Biggest drag in blogging/podcasting:
People nicking posts/photos and not crediting

Personal ambition:
Blogging-wise, to feature on a podcast. Otherwse, speak fluent Finnish (it's pretty basic at the moment).

If not in your current career, which job would you do?
Guide Dog instructor

Which person in the world would you most like to meet?
Larry David

Favourite activity on a day off:
Taking dog to the park

So there you go, that's Rich Nelson and our thanks go to him for taking part in Focus On. If you'd like to appear in a future edition of Focus On, remember to visit our info page and find out how you can take part.

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Focus On... Barry Dempsey

Continuing our series looking at the good, honest, decent people that make the football world go around, it's time to Focus On Barry Dempsey, better known to many on Twitter as @HMS Baz...

Full Name:
Barry Dempsey

Nickname:
HMSBaz

Current project(s):
Those Were The Days AMF

Birthplace:
Belfast

Barry Dempsey

Birthdate:
8 September 1970

Height:
6 ft

Married:
No

Children:
No

Car:
Renault Master Van

Favourite blogs/podcasts:
Football Attic, Got, Not Got, Stand AMF

Team(s) supported:
Spurs and Glasgow Rangers

Favourite football player ever:
Glenn Hoddle

Biggest thrill while blogging/podcasting:
Working with articles, etc, that represent the past

The Big Match Revisited

Biggest disappointment while blogging/podcasting:
None - all good

Best countries visited:
Spain

Favourite food:
Indian

Miscelleaneous likes:
All sports, retro football, 1970s 80s and 90s. Northern Soul, Scootering, Shoot and Match magazines, 1980s bobble ski hats!

Miscellaneous dislikes:
People with no patience, ignorance

Favourite TV shows:
Soaps, sports, The Big Match Revisited

Favourite actors/actresses:
Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood

Paul Weller

Favourite musicians:
Paul Weller

Best friend:
Mother

Personal ambition:
To be happy... simple.

If not in your current career, which job would you do?
Footballer

Which person in the world would you most like to meet?
The Queen

Favourite activity on a day off:
Sleeping

Our thanks once again go to Barry Dempsey, and if you'd like to appear in a future edition of Focus On, remember to visit our info page and find out how you can take part.

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Focus On... Andrew Rockall

Have a look at all the people you follow or interact with on Twitter. How many do you know? How many people play their part in making the football world go round, yet appear only as mere names on your computer screen?

Here at The Football Attic, we're committed to bringing everyone together as one big happy family and generally promoting peace and harmony for one and all. That's why we've created our Focus On feature - an occasional interview in the style of Shoot! magazine that'll help you see the person behind the Twitter handle. If you'd like to get involved, visit our info page where you'll find all the details you need.

Meantime, let's start our series by telling you all about Andrew Rockall - football fan, occasional football kit illustrator and all round good egg.

Andrew Rockall (left) with former Tottenham
Hotspur manager Martin Jol.

Full Name:
Andrew Rockall (@Statto_74)

Nickname:
Statto

Current project(s):
Tottenham Football Fancast (guest)

Birthplace:
Leytonstone, London

Birthdate:
26 June 1974

Height:
6 ft 3 in

Previous projects:
Regular contributor to True Colours comments section, Twitter

Married:
Yes, to Jennifer

Children:
John, 18 months

Car:
Ford Focus

Favourite blogs/podcasts:
The Football Attic, The Football Ramble, Guardian Football Weekly, anything by Richard Herring.

Team(s) supported:
Tottenham Hostpur (season ticket for 25 years).

Favourite football player ever:
Glenn Hoddle

Biggest thrill while blogging/podcasting:
Being described as a friend of the show on the Attic podcast.

Biggest disappointment while blogging/podcasting:
Wish blogging / podcasting had been around before I was married as I'd have been far more active.

Best countries visited:
Australia, South Africa

Favourite food:
Italian

Miscelleaneous likes:
Refereeing, Cricket, Walking in the Lake District

Miscellaneous dislikes:
Idiots, American TV, American sport

Favourite TV shows:
Only Fools & Horses, Alan Partridge, Phoenix Nights, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Life on Mars

Favourite actors/actresses:
Rachel Weiss

Favourite musicians:
Stone Roses, Squeeze, Madness, REM

Best friend:
My two best mates live in Dubai and China.

Biggest drag in blogging/podcasting:
Ill informed people having a platform.

Personal ambition:
To officiate in the FA Cup. Have had two appointments as an assistant, both had to be turned down due to injury.

If not in your current career, which job would you do?
Football adminstrator.

Which person in the world would you most like to meet?
Ever - Brian Clough; now - Richie Benaud.

Favourite activity on a day off:
Refereeing. Have been lucky enough to officiate at White Hart Lane 20 times for staff games or corporate hires.

Our thanks once again go to Andrew Rockall, and if you'd like to appear in a future edition of Focus On, remember to visit our info page and find out how you can take part.

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