Read Online Rio Ferdinand--Five Star--The Biography by Wensley Clarkson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wensley Clarkson
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inexorably towards England recognition.’
Then, out of the blue at the end of August, the scene was set for Rio to become the second-youngest player, after the legendary Duncan Edwards, ever to put on an England shirt. With Arsenal’s Tony Adams and Martin Keown out and Stuart Pearce and Sol Campbell nursing injuries, Rio was called up for the England squad for the World Cup qualifying clash with Moldova in early September despite having just two U-21 caps and 16 Premiership starts to his name.
Everyone at West Ham tried to play down the situation because they wanted to ensure that Rio’s transition from ghetto kid to international football star went smoothly. ‘The kid’s definitely got a lucky streak but you know what they say, “You make your own luck in this life …”’ said one who should know.
The problem was that Rio’s luck was about to run out.
Chapter 6
A KICK IN THE TEETH
O n 31 August 1997 Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed died when their chauffeur, Henri Paul, smashed a Mercedes into a concrete pillar in a Paris tunnel. Paul’s decision to ignore basic rules about not drinking and driving helped deprive the world of one of its most glamorous figures. Flags were immediately flown at half mast throughout the UK and local authority buildings opened books of condolence for members of the public to sign.
A few hours after the Princess’s death, in the early hours of the morning of Monday, 1 September, Rio was pulling out of a garage in his BMW in Colliers Wood, south London. His lights were off. Not surprisingly, he was stopped by the police and breathalysed and found to have 55 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. He was just over the legal limit of 53 micrograms.
Rio told the police officers he had no idea alcohol wasstill in his system but that didn’t stop them arresting him for drink-driving. Rio had gone out with a bunch of mates following the Hammers’ thrilling 3–1 victory over Wimbledon two days earlier and also to celebrate his England call-up. They went out in his car, but returned in a taxi to his home in Peckham because he was worried he might be over the limit. But Rio then made the mistake of having three more drinks at dinner with friends on the Sunday evening before driving home in the early hours. This effectively ‘topped up’ the alcohol remaining in his blood. Rio’s arrest tragically mirrored the circumstances behind the death of the ‘People’s Princess’. The timing could not have been worse.
As Rio later recalled, when he was stopped and the breathalyser showed positive, it sent a shiver down his spine. ‘The thought of being over the limit didn’t even come into my mind. I thought it was a routine check because I’d got a flash car. When it came up positive I was sure it was wrong. The second one also came up positive and I just collapsed inside.
‘I saw my whole life crumbling. I thought, What am I going to tell my mum, dad and West Ham boss Harry Redknapp? At that point Glenn Hoddle didn’t even come into my mind. It was only later, during the three hours I was at the police station, it hit me that I had to tell Glenn as well. I begged the policeman to let me off this one time. I said, “I just want to go home now, please let me go.” He knew I’d been picked for England but he said, “You can’t expect to be let off just because of that.”’
Rio’s mum eventually turned up at the police station. As soon as Rio told her what had happened, she said, ‘Right, we’ve got to sort this out.’ As usual, it was Janice to the rescue of the son she’d fought so hard to bring up safelyand securely. Within three hours of Rio’s arrest, West Ham had provided a legal team and he was released on bail.
Janice’s take on those events tells us a lot about her relationship with her oldest son. She told one friend: ‘He’s totally devastated. On Sunday he went out for a meal and later drove some of his friends home only to find he was still
Then, out of the blue at the end of August, the scene was set for Rio to become the second-youngest player, after the legendary Duncan Edwards, ever to put on an England shirt. With Arsenal’s Tony Adams and Martin Keown out and Stuart Pearce and Sol Campbell nursing injuries, Rio was called up for the England squad for the World Cup qualifying clash with Moldova in early September despite having just two U-21 caps and 16 Premiership starts to his name.
Everyone at West Ham tried to play down the situation because they wanted to ensure that Rio’s transition from ghetto kid to international football star went smoothly. ‘The kid’s definitely got a lucky streak but you know what they say, “You make your own luck in this life …”’ said one who should know.
The problem was that Rio’s luck was about to run out.
Chapter 6
A KICK IN THE TEETH
O n 31 August 1997 Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed died when their chauffeur, Henri Paul, smashed a Mercedes into a concrete pillar in a Paris tunnel. Paul’s decision to ignore basic rules about not drinking and driving helped deprive the world of one of its most glamorous figures. Flags were immediately flown at half mast throughout the UK and local authority buildings opened books of condolence for members of the public to sign.
A few hours after the Princess’s death, in the early hours of the morning of Monday, 1 September, Rio was pulling out of a garage in his BMW in Colliers Wood, south London. His lights were off. Not surprisingly, he was stopped by the police and breathalysed and found to have 55 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. He was just over the legal limit of 53 micrograms.
Rio told the police officers he had no idea alcohol wasstill in his system but that didn’t stop them arresting him for drink-driving. Rio had gone out with a bunch of mates following the Hammers’ thrilling 3–1 victory over Wimbledon two days earlier and also to celebrate his England call-up. They went out in his car, but returned in a taxi to his home in Peckham because he was worried he might be over the limit. But Rio then made the mistake of having three more drinks at dinner with friends on the Sunday evening before driving home in the early hours. This effectively ‘topped up’ the alcohol remaining in his blood. Rio’s arrest tragically mirrored the circumstances behind the death of the ‘People’s Princess’. The timing could not have been worse.
As Rio later recalled, when he was stopped and the breathalyser showed positive, it sent a shiver down his spine. ‘The thought of being over the limit didn’t even come into my mind. I thought it was a routine check because I’d got a flash car. When it came up positive I was sure it was wrong. The second one also came up positive and I just collapsed inside.
‘I saw my whole life crumbling. I thought, What am I going to tell my mum, dad and West Ham boss Harry Redknapp? At that point Glenn Hoddle didn’t even come into my mind. It was only later, during the three hours I was at the police station, it hit me that I had to tell Glenn as well. I begged the policeman to let me off this one time. I said, “I just want to go home now, please let me go.” He knew I’d been picked for England but he said, “You can’t expect to be let off just because of that.”’
Rio’s mum eventually turned up at the police station. As soon as Rio told her what had happened, she said, ‘Right, we’ve got to sort this out.’ As usual, it was Janice to the rescue of the son she’d fought so hard to bring up safelyand securely. Within three hours of Rio’s arrest, West Ham had provided a legal team and he was released on bail.
Janice’s take on those events tells us a lot about her relationship with her oldest son. She told one friend: ‘He’s totally devastated. On Sunday he went out for a meal and later drove some of his friends home only to find he was still
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