Insider Sport’s Matchday Programme offers a personal look at what sporting moments and figures have inspired industry stakeholders. Through candid reflections, the programme delves into the stories behind the inspirations that have shaped their perspectives and fuelled their passion for sports.
In this edition, James Flude, Head of Business Development at MatchWornShirt, reflects on a life-changing moment at Wigan in 2006. After a late Arjen Robben winner, Salomon Kalou threw his match-worn shirt into the crowd, sparking Flude’s passion for football memorabilia and setting him on the path to his career today.
Which athlete do you think demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout their career?
Roy Keane. I saw an interview with him recently where he was furious for being praised for ‘doing his job’ in that semi-final against Juventus, but it remains one of the greatest individual Champions League performances ever, given the context of his yellow card.
Until Leicester won the league in 2016, I think Manchester United’s Treble was probably the greatest example of a winning mentality coming to fruition in my lifetime and I think Roy Keane embodied that. Without him, United wouldn’t have won it. He simply demanded to win.
Who was your childhood sports hero and why? Which of their sporting achievements had the biggest impact on you?
Probably Frank Lampard. Lampard and John Terry were my earliest heroes and I didn’t realise at 10 years old how fortunate I was to be watching leaders like them (and many others in that team, to be fair) week-in, week-out for Chelsea.
Bolton in 2005 is the obvious moment, but 2012 in Munich just about tops it; not just for the captain’s performance on the night, but for the penalty and especially the fact he turned and ran to the fans when we eventually won it. I’ll never forget that moment. I actually had the opportunity to buy his right boot from that game (which he’d given to one of the fans who went onto the pitch after Drogba’s penalty), but I was 19 and couldn’t get the money together. It remains my biggest ‘memorabilia regret’ to this day.
What sports team do you follow the closest? Is this a family team or local side etc, and what has been the biggest moment in your history of supporting this club?
Unsurprisingly, Chelsea – which I owe entirely to my Mum’s ex-partner Fritz – who changed my life in many ways, but none more so than taking me to my first game at Stamford Bridge when I was age nine.
Whilst Munich and Porto are the obvious choices and two of the best nights of my life, the biggest moment in my personal history goes back to the bright lights of Wigan in December 2006.
It was there where, after a late Arjen Robben winner, Salomon Kalou threw me his shirt and started my journey of collecting match-worn shirts. Without that moment, I would almost definitely not have ended up on this path and be living in Amsterdam working for MatchWornShirt today – so here’s to Salomon Kalou and the JJB Stadium!
Is there a team manager from any sport, whether that be football, rugby, NFL, NBA etc, who you think demonstrated the best leadership qualities?
Sir Bobby Robson. If you hear the way his players speak about him and the legacy he left on them, that’s what leadership is about for me. It’s no surprise that Jose Mourinho learned so much of his craft from him and that Sir Alex Ferguson speaks so incredibly highly of his influence. You don’t get much higher praise than that.
What sports tournament do you think consistently provides the biggest thrills? Which moment from this league stood out to you the most in recent memory?
As much as I love the FA Cup and Champions League, the Premier League continues to be the most consistent source of drama of all.
The more we travel with this job, the more we realise just how big the global appetite for Premier League football is, and that’s also evident when you see the footprint of international collectors and the overwhelming demand for our PL partner shirts. It’s probably pushing the boundaries of ‘recent memory’, but it’s impossible to look past Aguero(ooooo)’s goal against QPR for the standout moment. Watch it, drink it in…
If you could travel back in time to any historic sporting moment to watch it then and now, which would it be and why?
Probably the 1970 FA Cup Final Replay against Leeds. Vicariously, that game is the reason I ended up supporting Chelsea, and by all accounts was about as big a battle as you could ever see on a football pitch.
Whilst the shiny and polished international product we have built in modern domestic football in England is impressive, there’s still something incredibly appealing to me about the rough and tumble roots from which that grew – and I think a place on the terraces at the 1970 FA Cup Final would be a great representation of that. I’ll pack the shinpads.
If you could go out for dinner with any sporting figure, current or historical, who would it be and what would you want to learn from them?
It’s Maradona vs Mourinho for me and to be honest, I would be very happy to have a date with either. They would both undoubtedly have an elite choice in restaurants and would definitely know their respective ways around the wine list. While the learning profile would be somewhat different for both, the war stories alone would keep me at the table until closing time.
To read the last edition of the Matchday Programme, featuring Matthew Wojciow, Matchday Media Assistant at Brentford Football Club, who looked back at Spurs’ Champions League run, click HERE.
