One of the (several) nice things about writing this blog is that on many occasions when I mention someone I hold in high regard they will email me (or to take issue). It's hard to beat Janet Ellis emailing me to tell me how much it means to her to be mentioned as such an important figure in my current show (even though someone less wonderful than her might have taken umbrage at some of the things I say) and today's email did not beat it. But it would have been equally unbelievable to the teenage me.
Kevin Toms, the creator of Football Manager emailed me today! I wrote about
rediscovering his game on the internet last week and how much it had meant to me. Kevin appreciated the gesture (even though I jokingly called him an idiot in the entry - proving as with Janet that the best people in the world have the best sense of humour about themselves). This is what he wrote:
"Hi Richard,
I just re-read your story about playing my game, Football Manager. I read it originally a few days ago. I liked it, it was well written, and and it is good to hear how the game feels, and felt to people. I linked the webpage where you can play it online, on my site.
As an aside, I just did an interview with Retro Gamer in the UK, and for me, that brought back a lot of memories of those days. You might enjoy it too. They just published it issue 63.
Kind regards,
Kevin Toms"
My only issue is how his floating bearded head managed to type that. But he has probably written a computer programme that allows him to do that psychically.
Of you want to read his blog, it's
here.
And if you want to have your weekend eaten up playing this addictive and brilliant game (and though it is simple, I do want to reiterate that I prefer it to any football management game that has come out subsequently), then
you can play it on line here.
Clearly it means a lot to him that people enjoyed this seminal game and it was a pleasure to be able to email him in return and let him know just how many other now middle aged men had been in touch with me to tell me how much they'd obsessed over this game and asking where they could play it again.
Isn't the internet a (mainly) wonderful thing. Though it spreads an awful lot of bile and unpleasantness, it can be used to share positive human emotions and let people know that what they have done is appreciated.
The teenage me would be astonished by all of this, if he could even begin to understand any of it.
Of course I too occasionally get emails from people informing me of what an influence I had over their teenage years. Perhaps we are the true heroes: Janet Ellis, the object of unhealthy sexual fascination, Kevin Toms providing the opportunity to waste hours and hours of our youth in darkened living rooms and me for spreading my filth and blasphemy into the minds of the nation's more discerning youngsters.
We've all played our part.
Thank God the tour is nearly over. I was beyond tired today and the day disappeared with nothing getting achieved. I wasn't sure how up for the gig in Brighton I would be, but once I was on stage the thing really flew. It's near enough the end now to mean that I want to enjoy every moment and I am so in command of the actual material that I can really play around with it. I discovered two new jokes today, which is pretty extraordinary after all this time. The Komedia is one of my favourite venues and the crowd is always good and comedy literate here and I had the finest of times and thought I really nailed it. I was wishing that this one was being filmed for the DVD, even as it was happening.
I will miss it when it's over, though I will also be really glad when I can put it behind me and get on with the book and the next show.
But it will be a tough one to beat, I think. Though I pretty much always feel like that at this stage.
