Читать книгу To Cap It All - Kenny Sansom - Страница 19

My mornings would still begin with bread and dripping and two jam doughnuts. Mum put this fandabydozy grub on the table to ensure I had a contented belly and my tank was full for the day. There was none of that ‘go to work on an egg’ nonsense in the Sansom household. And forget the ‘apple a day keeps the doctor away’ – that wasn’t me. Just take a look at the photographs of me during my young adulthood – do I look like a boy who’s just eaten all the pies? I was bloody gorgeous – Handsome Sansom.

In my early days at Palace I trained with the youth team at Langley Park. My mum and I would catch the double-decker bus home together and more often than not we’d sit opposite each other on the long seats downstairs. She was so proud and so funny. In her loud cockney voice she’d call over, ‘Kenny, who are you playing on Saturday?’

Blushing like mad I would try to ignore her, which was ridiculous – you couldn’t ignore Louise Sansom.

‘Kenny, who’s Crystal Palace playing on Saturday? I suppose you’ll be at left-back as usual.’ She’d be shouting by now.

Still blushing like mad, I’d nod a silent response, but she wasn’t having any of it. Mum was never content until I answered – for the whole of the Old Kent Road to hear me – words such as, ‘We’re playing Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup.’

Now that really would make her happy. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t one to brag. Well, she loved every minute of it – and good on her!