A couple of years ago, following Sly Stallone's appearance at Goodison Park, one of the local (that's a novelty in itself!) red intelligentsia wrote to the Echo saying that he had been lucky enough to share a drink with Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford, in a clubhouse on a Las Vegas golf course. According to the 'loveable,' Dean Martin overheard his english accent, and asked him which part of England he was from. When he told him he was from Liverpool, Deano then asked him if he supported "the Pool soccer team."
Supposedly he had been present in the studio, when also supposedly, 'Afterbirth FC' had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City in 1964, whereupon he became an instant admirer of them (obviously well pissed!) And, get this, Peter Lawford added that President John F. Kennedy himself had a passing admiration for the redsh*te, due to his family connections back in Ireland!!
Anyway good ol' Deano promised him there and then at the bar, that he would attend a game at Analfield one day (no doubt, after several dozen scoops in the Sandon first of all?) Our jolly correspondent then pondered upon whether Deano actually ever made the trip, whilst at the same time taking the opportunity to denigrate Stallone!!
Well, to set the record straight, it's got to be said that it would have been a remote possibility if either of those gentlemen had even heard of the city of Liverpool before the Beatles arrived in the USA. Pre-1965, anyone would have been hard pushed to find many people in this country alone who had heard that there was another football club in Liverpool, besides Everton.
Now, I simply couldn't let the opportunity pass to forward a response to our local rag, so I helpfully described a similar experience of mine in Las Vegas, in 1974, when I was fortunate to share a few moments with the King - Elvis Presley. The great man was obviously an Evertonian, and even asked me if I thought Bob Latchford would eventually reach 30 goals in one season!
And at least Rocky walked the walk on our hallowed turf!" Ronald Ragin'!!
