A CAPTAIN'S TALE
~PART 3~

I have been fortunate in attracting some major sponsorship deals. I enjoy my work on the commercial side but am always careful not to allow it to interfere with the most important part of my life-the game itself. In this respect, I am lucky to have Tony Stephens to guide me through bussiness commitments. We turn down far more work than we take on. There are five leading companies who have me under contract for endorsements and advertising purposes-Umbro, Jaguar, Lucozade Sport, Braun and McDonald's-and I have tried to give each of them value for money, not only by developing a good working relationship with them but by becoming involved on the social and recreational side of their bussiness.

I have been especially thrilled to be involved with Jaguar Cars, who are one of the world's leaders in their field-and not just because they provide me with a saloon and a sports car from their range pf vehicles. They have also given me the chance to meet one of my own sporting heroes, Nick Faldo, though it was a very hairy experience.

I spent an excellent few hours in Nick's company. He has always been a favourite of mine. I particularly admire his dedication and desire to keep on improving his game. I spend many hours on the golf vourse myself and many more watching the big events on television. I started playing when I was a young lad of about twelve with a half-set of cheap second-hand clubs. In fact if I had not become a footballer, I would love to have been a golfer.

Television advertising can be very chilly evenings at St. James' Park and was a great example of how modern technological wizardry works. There were only about 200 people in the stadium, most of them security staff and stewards acting as extras, but once the technicians had performed their magic tricks and the film was edited, it appeared to show a packed ground full of around 36,000 people.

The TV advert I did for McDonalds tells the story of a young boy who is desperate to get my autograph but always seems to miss out in the crowd. I appreciate how disappointing that can be in real life and I always try to oblige as many autograph hunters as I can, but the truth of the matter is that it is simply impossible to oblige every single request. For example, if I did stop to sign for everyone on a matchday I would never get into the ground to play the game. It's the same when I attend any official function or go out privately with family and friends. I try to do my best but I just cannot please everyone all of the time. That has been made painfully clear to me on a couple of occasions.

The first time was during a visit to Coventry for a game. I was paying my extras bill at the hotel before we left for Highfield Road when a woman asked for my signature. I asked her if she would give me a minute while I settled my account. There was a query on the bill so it took a little longer than I expected. By the time I had finished, I had completely forgotten about the autograph-hunter and I left the hotel lobby without signing her book. The next thing I knew she had telephoned Radio 5 Live to complain about my behaviour.

Part 4...

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