Autobiography

ouncing like a rubber ball. ‘You lucky
bastards!’ he said with gusto, knowing full well
we had been trounced and there was nothing
lucky about it.
Again everybody laughed because it was Barry,
except the chairman who remained stony
faced. I felt this had to stop, so I called him
over and said, ‘Barry, bursting into the
boardroom like this and using such language is
entirely inappropriate.’ He looked at me, quite
subdued with a look of disappointment on his
face, and said, ‘Sorry, chairman, you are
absolutely right. It is inappropriate, and I’m
out of order. I promise I will never ever use
the word lucky again.’
That’s Barry Fry! He is always at the top of my
list when I have a dinner party, along with his
delightful wife Kirsten; what is more, he is
given the choice of bedrooms. I think he has
forgiven us for his sacking at Birmingham City.
He will say it was a great experience, and I
don’t think he or I will ever forget that
wonderful season in what is now Division one
when we won the championship and the Auto
Windscreens Shield at Wembley. In return we
had given him the best job he has ever had in
football. We had chosen him without knowing
him because of his purple patch with Southend
and even that cost us money as we were fined
for an illegal approach, but it was money well
spent. I suppose it is unusual for a chairman
and a manager to remain friends after a
sacking, but Barry is so hard not to like.
Everything he does is based on kindness. If he
can do you a favour, or help you in any way,
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