Photo session at Hove & Peter Shilton Dinner

Yesterday was a full on sporting day with a photo session of our Players Club at Hove Cricket Ground and a football dinner at the RAC where Peter Shilton was the guest of honour.

I arrived at Hove at 8-50.

Although I turned 68 recently I still get a kick out of seeing the ground albeit empty.

Looking at the square I recalled those great Sussex legends I have seen there.

The Sixties side that won the Gillette Cup, twice skippered by Ted Dexter, and including Jim Parks, John Snow, Les Lenhan and Ken Suttle; to the first Sussex side to win the Championship in 2003 captained by Chris Adams, and including Murray Goodwin and Mushtaq Ahmed.

As I left I said to the Head of Communications that those who seem to think county cricket should be replaced by a format reducing the number of  counties to 12 regional teams should spend a day at Sussex to comprehend how much it means and how much it does to and for the local community.

The Players Club is most social and a significant group repaired for a late breakfast.

I had to get to London for the soccer dinner after meeting another sports-loving friend for lunch in Victoria.

Peter Shilton was already there at the RAC when I arrived.

Although six foot he is smaller than the modern keeper.

He also proved to be a warm, amusing, man who could look back over his 1,000 plus games under the likes of Brian Clough and Bobby Robson.

He and his wife Stephanie have co-written a book called Saved in which he is frank about his betting addiction.

For 40 minutes he told stories about a career that spanned Leicester City, Stoke, Derby, Southampton, Plymouth and Leyton Orient.

He was a master  of every facet of goal-keeping too.

Like many a Ruster I  like to go bed early.

However, I did not emerge into the cold night air of Pall Mall till 10-45pm.

There was not a taxi to be seen but – though chilly – my heart was warmed by the event as I strolled back to my hotel.