Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers

HOOPS
Columnist
TALKSPORT REPORTER AND RANGERS FAN
TONY INCENZO’S RECALLS SOME WEIRD AND
WONDERFUL STORIES...
FISHER & THE FIREMEN
I HAD to deal with some bizarre events when
I was press officer of the now-defunct non-
League club Fisher Athletic back in the 1980s.
Probably the most notorious story surrounded
a Thursday night FA Trophy replay away to
Altrincham. This involved the Fisher chairman
Terry McCarthy, who owned a direct mail company
and always had plenty of money to spend.
At 5pm on the day of the game, Terry suddenly
decided that he wanted to go to Altrincham. So,
he took a taxi from his London Bridge office to
Heathrow Airport, flew to Manchester and took
another cab to Altrincham’s ground - arriving
five minutes before half-time.
After the game, Terry bought a drink for
everyone in Altrincham’s clubhouse - paying
£140 for the privilege. When the bar shut at
11pm, he opted to continue his night out in
Chester and two Altrincham club officials
offered to drive him there.
Whilst on the motorway, their car spluttered to
a halt at 1am and then burst into an inferno of
flames. The three men managed to scramble to
safety, and it took six fire engines to put out the
blaze. Four police cars were also in attendance.
With the Altrincham secretary Dave Baldwin
almost in tears surveying the remains of his
smouldering vehicle, Terry causally asked:
“Have you ever seen the television programme
London’s Burning?”
Terry then flagged down a passing car and
continued on to Chester, leaving the distraught
Altrincham officials on the side of the motorway.
Despite all the drama that night, Terry still made
it back to London to be at his office at 9am the
following morning…
WWW.QPR.CO.UK // @QPR // @OFFICIALQPR // OFFICIALQPRFC 49