The Sports

When it comes to after-dinner speaking Bob “the Cat” may be the greatest but he has actually once appeared with “The Greatest”.

Bob was asked to perform a tribute function in honour of Sir Henry Cooper and Muhammad Ali was there too.

He is especially proud of his 30-year friendship with all of the 1966 World Cup winners. “Hard to believe it when I look back to watching the Final in black and white,” he says. “Sir Bobby Charlton says I’m  the only person he’s met who doesn’t claim he was there.”

Bob has actually not only become friends with them all, he has appeared on the field with every one of them in charity games.

He has played twice at Wembley, and at Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and in March this year achieved a lifelong ambition when he played for 20 minutes in a game at Dulwich Hamlet.

We can’t list here all the sports stars Bob has met and made laugh.

“I wish I had collected all their autographs but sadly I didn’t. I have however kept most of the menus, “ he says.  On a few special occasions I did ask some fellow speakers to sign. 

Fred Perry was one and the Italian World Cup-winning manager Enzo Bearzot was another. But perhaps my proudest possession is from Sir Stanley Matthews who signed it to “my pal Bob”

These days he has even branched out into interviewing. In his own humorous style – teasing but without losing respect – his recent interview with Sir John Major was such a success that they are doing it again.

He has recently been on Sky interviewing Alan Shearer and Wolves manager Mick McCarthy.

Among his other interviewees one with Sir Alex Ferguson drew praise from the Mail on Sunday as the best interview they had ever seen with the world’s top football manager. He has also appeared with, Steve Harmison, Michael Vaughan and, on Sky, Alan Shearer, Bryan Robson, Peter Shilton, Mick McCarthy, Steve Bruce and Harry Redknapp.