The 1995 Jimmy Armfield radio interview with the great man is available hear again.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/football_legends/11901.shtml

Sums it up perfectly. How easy would it have been for the great man to become big headed with all of the adulation and hero worship? Not a chance. Feet on the ground and always proud of his roots at Castle Hill school etc. Always had time for everyone. The ultimate ambassador for BWFC.

 

They don't make them like this any more. Other heroes like Super John and JB were similar characters - always had the common touch and understood that the fans are what it's all about. Looking at blokes like this, it's easy to despise some of the so called heroes of the Premier League today in their Lamborghinis and haute couture.

Spot on,last year, Nat was visiting daily a nursing home and spending a few hours each day there, where my mrs works, My mrs was talking to him each day in the course of her work, telling him "my sons play football and are Bolton mad" etc etc, she, then mentioned that it would be nice if she could get his autograph for them, just one to the two of them, his was response was "what? they're 13 and 6! they wont have heard of me or be bothered about my autograph!," I went to pick her up one day, and she came out of to the car, with Nat beside her and some other woman who was with Nat, and said Nat wanted to meet these two great footballers he'd been hearing about! I was in a state of awe obviously, he came to the window of the car, said all reet cock? this the football stars then? looking in the car he could see i had more than just the two lads ( I have 5 kids) and he said " eeh, yer got yer hand full here cock, no wonder yer send her out to earn some money for yer! i said, er, yeh the two lads there play, how are you doing?(was kind of lost for things to say to be honest), I'm alreet he says, they tryin to get me stay in of of these places but i dont need to, any way lads, yer mam says you'd like me autograph so i've wrote it already, here you go. on two pieces of care home note paper, now framed and in their bedrooms, is wrote "to *****, keep kicking, all the very best, Nat Lofthouse". absolute gentleman.

on the other side of the coin, to put in context,later the same year was at my sisters wedding in the Lowry in Salford, the American franchise outfit were staying in the hotel on the same night, going in the lift to my room during the evening, me and my son met Edwin Van de sar on the way up, he said hello and was pleasant enough to be honest. on the way down, we were waiting in the corridor for the lift, along came Gary Neville and some security type person. seeing my sons face (6 yr old) kind of get excited because he'd seen another premier league player, that twat looked and said " I'M not signing autographs tonight" !! not that we asked or would ask, but it just sums up the difference.

(oh and i told the twat too, but thats a different story and to long for an already long post)

I knew a woman who is very good friends with Nat, use to go on holiday with him to Spain and goes round to his house. I'm a grown man and I asked her for an autograph. When I got it back she said that he still can't understand for the life of him why folk from 6 to 65 still want his signature. Very humble and down to earth bloke, they don't make them like that anymore.

Edited July 11, 201015 yr by Underpants

that twat looked and said " I'M not signing autographs tonight" !! not that we asked or would ask, but it just sums up the difference.

(oh and i told the twat too, but thats a different story and to long for an already long post)

 

So, for the sake of 10 seconds, he could have made a young uns night/week/month yet the miserable cnut is too fcuking mean. He wasn't to know that if he'd offered he'd probably get told where to go anyway. I detest that fcuker and everything he stands for.

 

I hope he gets buggered by a scouse bull queer.

Nat Lofthouse - a proper footballer

 

Today's Jessies get tired playing twice a week. Can you imagine them doing a shift down t'pit then playing.

Nat Lofthouse - a proper footballer

 

Today's Jessies get tired playing twice a week. Can you imagine them doing a shift down t'pit then playing.

I?m immensely proud of Nat and the thought we share the same home town.

 

I met Nat on the way out of the Millennium Stadium following the thumping we game PNE. He was walking up the road towards the Castle for the reception at the Angle Hotel with his arms aloft and waving his clenched fist in triumph. What a sight that was, it brought a lump to my throat.

 

Today?s footballers would do well to look back on yesterdays stars and take a leaf out of their books.

 

 

Nat came to our primary school in the 80s to present us with trophies for winning the local cup. My dad is a Bolton fanatic and brought my uncles and Grandad along - he's still got all the photos at home. I remember having the picture taken and seeing my dad wiping a tear from his eye - really didn't get it at the time. I can't imagine a modern day footballer having that kind of impact.

 

A genuine one-off and just hearing his name makes you proud to be a Boltonian. Sad to hear his health plight.

when the reebok first opened met the great man outside

 

had a photo taken and a good talk with him .

 

nothing was too mutch trouble a true gent and legend,always been my hero and always will.

 

some people say when you meet your hero its a dissapointment,not with nat its not