Tim Henman, back of a cab, unremarkable ITK
My brother-in-law is a black cab driver and, as you do, he always picks up famous people (within a working year he might have 4-5 stories to tell). Some triffic stories to tell (the best fare being Daniel Day Lewis) and with regards to football he's picked up Steve Gibson (didn't have good words to say about Woody), Danny Murphy's wife and one or two others.
The other day (few weeks back infact) he picked up Tim Henman. Had a lengthy conversation with him where Tim revealed had he known how great retirement was he would have done so much earlier. Tim doesn't miss tennis at all. Apart from the banter in the changing rooms, he's happy to have left all the media pressure behind. He felt he got a hard time from the British press who were relentless with him (the crux being, he was highly ranked and especially during Wimbledon would be beaten by the worlds best tennis players in semi-finals but was still questioned why he kept failing. In other words he was the best he could be but nobody would accept that).
Anyways, one or two other stories were told about how the press took a quote from his wife ('no comment') and run with the story the next day that she had told the reporters Tim would win Wimbledon and another story about when he snapped back at a journalist, a subtle snap back, but from that day onwards he always had a strained relationship with them (the journo had mocked him saying he was the 4th best tennis player in the world, and Henman snapped back whether he would be happy if he was the 4th best journo in the world).
The cabbie asked him what he did with himself these days and he replied: Golf. Tim noticed the mini-Spurs shirt my brother-in-law had hanging in the cab and said, "As a matter of fact my golfing partner is an ex-Spurs player". Turns out Jamie Redknapp and him are very close friends.
At the time of this, the media were reporting 'Harry to Liverpool', and my bro-in-law joked, "You best tell Harry he's going nowhere". Tim joked back and said there was no chance of Redknapp leaving Spurs (horses mouth) and that the only job he'd take if offered would be, quite obviously, England. No major news as we all know Harry wouldn't say no to that. Even if it's highly improbable he will ever be offered the opportunity. Redknapp would never leave the south for a northern based club.
By all accounts Tim was very pleasant, signed an autograph for one of my bro-in-laws neighbours kid who is meant to be pretty fantastic at tennis (he's only eight but plays against older kids and shows great promise) wishing him all the best etc.
No shocking revelations really. But then it was Tim Henman.
Ironically, Harry has come out and said today (on Talksport) he'd take the England job if he was asked. Once more, no shocker there. And I'll be shocked if the FA had the balls to ask him.
