badgerx16 Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 ( From being a Horse Racing trainer ). Not many top footballers have such a successful second career in a completely different sporting arena. There must be quite a few on here whose first Saints match involved Mick, and probably many more who have lost money backing one of his horses. Well played sir, and enjoy the rest. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InvictaSaint Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 CHDAJFU? 🤔🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 (edited) Channnnnnnnnoooooooooonnnnn……..you won’t see a better goal than that this season! That was marvellous! Edited 29 October, 2022 by The Kraken 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 I wonder what he regards as the better or more pleasurable sporting achievement. He was always big racing fan, there were stories of him asking fans of race results during a game or being down the bookies before a match, I don't know if they were true or apocryphal stories. Mick was a hero of mine when I was a kid, so it was great seeing him do so well as a trainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 2 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said: I wonder what he regards as the better or more pleasurable sporting achievement. He was always big racing fan, there were stories of him asking fans of race results during a game or being down the bookies before a match, I don't know if they were true or apocryphal stories. Mick was a hero of mine when I was a kid, so it was great seeing him do so well as a trainer. I think I read it somewhere, it might have been The Windmill Diaries, but sure I read that for Mick football was always his job whereas racing was his love. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 7 minutes ago, The Kraken said: I think I read it somewhere, it might have been The Windmill Diaries, but sure I read that for Mick football was always his job whereas racing was his love. Definitely. My dad's and uncles, who were a few years older were the same. I got taken to nearly every race course in the south as a kid but I don't know any friends or work colleagues that are into it like people were back in the day. My dad was always tinkering on his system right up until the end. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle04 Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 First game I went to , Seffield Utd at the Dell, and of course "our Mike" scored. Ended 1-1 though as I recall. I was sat in the east stand and still remember him running past with the windmill arm in full flow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thereisonlyonemickychannon Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 This man adorned my bedroom wall when I used to go to the Dell aged 14. My hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintscottofthenortham Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 3 hours ago, Fan The Flames said: I wonder what he regards as the better or more pleasurable sporting achievement. He was always big racing fan, there were stories of him asking fans of race results during a game or being down the bookies before a match, I don't know if they were true or apocryphal stories. Mick was a hero of mine when I was a kid, so it was great seeing him do so well as a trainer. He is famously quoted, during a half-time Lawrie McMenemy rant being aimed his way, as saying "Lawrie, Lawrie, Lawrie... You know this is only a hobby!" Between football and racing, I think there was only one winner for Mick Channon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonman Posted 29 October, 2022 Share Posted 29 October, 2022 We are crying out for that type of player right now. What price in todays market for Mick Channon in his prime? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
64saint Posted 30 October, 2022 Share Posted 30 October, 2022 My first ever autograph was Mickeys. . There's some great story's about how his football world and horse racing world clashed both in his and Laurie Mac's books. Not many have been so successful in two sports. Enjoy your well earned retirement Mickey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the saint in winchester Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 On 29/10/2022 at 18:54, Fan The Flames said: I wonder what he regards as the better or more pleasurable sporting achievement. He was always big racing fan, there were stories of him asking fans of race results during a game or being down the bookies before a match, I don't know if they were true or apocryphal stories. Mick was a hero of mine when I was a kid, so it was great seeing him do so well as a trainer. 100% true. He was often last man back on the field after half time break as he had been watching the race finish before dashing back on the field. And I know, cos I was there (to quote Max Boyce). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toussaint Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 On 29/10/2022 at 18:53, The Kraken said: Channnnnnnnnoooooooooonnnnn……..you won’t see a better goal than that this season! That was marvellous! What is this high strangeness, players moving forward into space, quick interplay through midfield in triangles, its alchemy I tells ya, work of the devil. Hope we don't have to witness such herrassy ever again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom & Gerry Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 I remember his first game against Bristol City at Easter 1966. There were no stadium announcements in those days , or certainly not that day so we weren't 100% sure who he was, but he did score an important goal. He used to get quite a bit of stick in his early years but it changed when he scored two late goals against Everton which after a lean spell tranformed our fortunes. We knew then he was going to be a good player. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 Just found this, hairline,whats's visible and sideburns aren't the same but no mistaking him otherwise: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmes_and_Watson Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 An end of a second era for him. Still, it would have been too much to expect him to keep going with it. Especially when he rejoins us as a free agent. We can just put the racing on the screen, in between VAR decisions for him. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nordic Saint Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 (edited) Great player and wonderful character. I have followed his career both in football and racing. The first time I saw him play was when he was a 16-year old playing for Southampton Resrves against Brighton Reserves in the Football Combination in 1964. The only Saints player I'd ever seen anywhere near that skilful before was Terry Paine. I was so excited. I remember going home and telling my Dad that I'd just seen a brilliant young player and he was going to be great. His special knack was getting to the byline and he was a brilliant dribbler. I saw him score so many wonderful goals for Saints and England but unfortunately the best one wasn't televized - not many matches were in those days. It was against Coventry in the old First Division at the Dell. He took the ball from his goalkeeper and then proceeded to run the length of the pitch and very deliberately tried to dribble past every single player in the Coventry team, just because he knew he could. 7 of them took him on, including the goalkeeper who he rounded before slotting the ball into the net. Saints instigated a goal of the season award for the first time just to commemorate that goal. It remains the best goal I've ever seen. The only one I've seen live that comes close to it was Le Tissier's at Blackburn. As an England player I especially remember him as the hammer of the Scots. He always turned it on against them and revelled in the hostile atmosphere at Hampden Park. As a boy, I got his autograph several times after games. He was always approachable. Then one day he turned up at my front door. He didn't want his autographs back. Our next door neighbour was the sister of the girl who became his first wife and she'd told him I was a Saints fan. He offered me a free ticket in the Upper West Stand but I told him thank you but I preferred to stand behind the goal. I probably should have just taken it but I was quite awestruck at the time. There was a little racing clique at the Dell: Channon, Keegan and Ball. It was the main hobby for all of them but for Channon it was much more than that. When he started training racehorses, my first memory of him having a winner was Purple Rock at 50/1 at Carlisle, which my uncle made a lot of money on. I learned that if ever he sent a horse north, you should put money on it. I am a big racing fan and I often saw him at racecourses around the country. He was especially good at training 2-year-old fillies and in 2001 he trained the perfect one: Queen's Logic. She was his dream horse and was named the European champion two-year-old filly. The racing world was her oyster but the day before her first classic, the 1000 Gunineas, she went lame. She then developed a series of health problems and never raced again. Mick must have been devastated. Coincidentally, his last winner was also a 2-year-old filly, Caernarfon, who beat a strong field in a listed race at Newmarket. Maybe she'll be "the one". He'll be sadly missed from the racing scene but of course his son is taking over from him. Edited 1 November, 2022 by Nordic Saint 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectisSaint Posted 31 October, 2022 Share Posted 31 October, 2022 (edited) Sad to hear that he is retiring. I have no interest in horse racing, but have always followed Mick's career (but never placed a bet). It is a shame that he never managed to achieve an English Classic win, but that is a tough nut to crack especially these days. My hero as a footballer, from the first time I saw him when I was 12 (Chelsea, 1967, lost 3-5). My daughter is named after him (had to change the first letter of his name). Best player we ever had (yes I know there was that Tiss fella) and nicest bloke too (met him a couple of times). Good luck in your retirement Mick. Edited 31 October, 2022 by VectisSaint 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintscottofthenortham Posted 1 November, 2022 Share Posted 1 November, 2022 12 hours ago, Badger said: Just found this, hairline,whats's visible and sideburns aren't the same but no mistaking him otherwise: A great interview. I'm a big racing fan and always enjoyed following his horses. Racing is in a tricky spot, with a lot falling out of the game (trainers, jockeys and owners), so he'll be a big loss to the game. He'll be on the racecourse until the day he pops it, but the game needs more people like him. His passion is definitely infectious so hopefully jack can carry it on and do it justice. Big task ahead, for him. Mick is looking in far better health than when I last see him at Newbury, which is great to see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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