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Penalty shoot out in underground car park 19:20 - Jan 18 with 1309 views

In 2000 l was working for an advertising agency in London.

We occupied 191 Old Marylebone Road just up from Baker Street underground in what had been a purpose built and designed dwelling for an Ad agency.

There was quite an interest in football there and some of the male staff were playing part time for the likes of Bromley, Boreham Wood, Hayes & Yeading, Carshalton, Dulwich Hamlet etc.

Several other staff members had played for Gillingham, Reading, Arsenal and Crystal Palace. It was decided by one of the directors ( a season ticket holder at Chelsea ) that we should have a penalty competition and that it would be held on Friday lunchtimes in the underground car park.

It was a bit like the FA Cup in respect of the draw being made. ( I managed to reach the final where l was beaten by a young Account Manager ).

The agency had been located in four separate buildings due to rapid growth and my place of work had been just off the Kings Road in Chelsea where many staff members were regular visitors to Stamford Bridge.

A few years later l was at Stamford Bridge to watch Colchester United put on a fantastic performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup. With ten minutes to go it looked like we were taking Chelsea back to Layer Road for a replay. I had kept in touch with friends at the agency who were at the match and they were mighty impressed with Colchester's performance that day.

Colchester must have sold out their full allocation of tickets and l had to sit in a packed Matthew Harding Stand.

I still keep in touch with some of my work associates and several are now directors of clubs in League One, The National League and The National South. This has resulted in a very useful source of information.

Penalty shoot out in underground car park on 20:13 - Jan 18 with 1289 views

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Some people may wonder what became of Graphic Warehouse.

I always describe Graphic Warehouse as a business pyramid of sorts. It went up in a nice straight line for four years allowing me to sponsor Colchester United over several very interesting and enjoyable years.

Then spiralling interest rates and several of our major clients going into liquidation bought about a crash and it ceased trading in 1994. I had got greedy and purchased six properties and got caught out. Perhaps it served me right

Whatever the outcome it was an amazing journey and several individuals who were based in our Manor Road premises have gone on to build multi million pound companies.

The aftermath was a lesson in starting again from nothing.

I had no money in the bank and no prospect of borrowing any.

Essex were playing at Castle Park and l wandered across Kings Head Meadow which runs alongside the ground.

I spotted a ten pound note on the ground and it paid for a day at the cricket and a coffee.

That ten pound note really was a gift at that time.

The smallest thing can give you the greatest lift.

The next day l was offered a freelance design project for BT at Martlesham Heath HQ which l accepted on the spot

This was to prove life changing.

Following six months at BT l had the confidence to go back into London and see if l could work in the creative department of an advertising agency or design studio.

Creative Recruitment lined up three interviews for me in three days.

The third of these interviews was with an agency who had just won the British Telecom account ( that week l think ).

When l mentioned that l had detailed knowledge of the BT graphic design and corporate manuals that had recently been updated they actually said 'You have to come and work here then'.

So l did.

It was good to be back in London.

I enjoyed the challenge so much that l occasionally worked all day and all night to meet deadlines and insisted that l would not book overtime - such was the fun of it.

There was a night when about 40 of us were putting a motor industry ad campaign together and people were getting tired.

I ordered in food for everyone. Then l made about 40 coffees and after that everyone perked up.

I had learned this from another studio many years before.

You have show consideration for people.

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