Ray Parlour’s 12 best anecdotes: Kolo Toure, Spurs, playing drunk & more

Planet Football • 07 Mar 2023

Ray Parlour won nine major honours and went a full Premier League season unbeaten as a player for Arsenal – and most importantly he has plenty of incredible stories about it all.

The midfielder, nicknamed the “Romford Pele”, is a regular on talkSPORT and often has us in fits of laughter listening to some of the crazy things that went on during the 90s and 2000s.

We’ve picked out some of our favourite stories…

The Double

In 2002, Arsenal completed the Double as they won the Premier League and FA Cup.

Parlour scored in the cup final and has since recalled the few days that followed – including an away game against title rivals Manchester United.

Ray Parlour was a superb midfielder, underrated throughout and beyond his playing days. Fortunately for us all, if there’s one thing besides football he‘s equally adept at it’s storytelling. Enjoy this one, won’t you.

🎥 – @SoccerAM pic.twitter.com/YGhczI9SvZ

— These Football Times (@thesefootytimes) May 9, 2020

Kolo Toure

The centre-back certainly had an eventful trial.

Keown on Sherwood

Martin Keown knows how to hold a grudge.

Right on the sauce

A long flight to South Africa, a sleeping manager and a training session a few hours after landing. What could go wrong?

Tottenham mates

When Parlour spotted two of his Spurs-supporting mates at White Hart Lane, he thought he’d have some fun…

Another classic @RealRomfordPele north London derby story! 😂

You can hear Tottenham v Arsenal live on talkSPORT tomorrow from 12:30pm 📻 pic.twitter.com/Pbu9UjcJkw

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 9, 2018

Igors Stepanovs

We bet Arsene Wenger never listened to Parlour or Dennis Bergkamp ever again after this.

😡 “@MartinKeown5 never liked a CB coming in on trial.”

👌 “We were trying to wind Martin up saying Igor was unbelievable.”

🤦‍♂️ “Wenger was listening, didn’t realise what we were doing & bought him!”

Ray Parlour tells an hilarious story about Igors Stepanovs at #AFC! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Q19i7PhGTU

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 10, 2021

The Carlsberg Lounge

If this teaches us one thing, it’s to always be ready. But free beer is never something to turn down.

Black eye

Sounds like it’s fairly easy to con Arsene Wenger.

Sir Alex

Fergie even managed to get George Graham to break his own strict rules.

“George Graham had been drinking with Sir Alex and couldn’t walk!”

Ray Parlour with another classic story from his days at #Arsenal… 🍺🚎😂

📻 https://t.co/AYsRgJWZEr pic.twitter.com/2cmu7PnADW

— talkSPORT Breakfast (@TSBreakfast) February 6, 2018