Central Algarve Walking Football

ROD FRASER

NAME Roderick Ian Fraser
BIRTHPLACE Aberdeen, Scotland (the centre of the known universe and traditional home of high cholesterol. Something to do with mars bars and lard I believe.
PREVIOUS CLUBS
Many, but most notable; St Drostans FC, Scotland & Bailov Rovers, Azerbaijan. My justification for calling myself an International player!
CHILDHOOD CRUSH
I don’t think I was ever crushed as a child but assuming this refers to the lifesize poster on my bedroom wall, which provided no end of ‘comfort’ during the teenage years ….. Debbie Harry.
FAVOURITE PROFESSIONAL PLAYER OF ALL TIME
Joe Harper. King Joey to the Pittodrie faithful and Aberdeen’s all-time top goal scorer. Best penalty box striker I’ve ever seen. Modelled my own game on him but failed miserably.
FAVOURITE BROWNS CLUB PLAYER AND WHY
So many to choose from! Probably Billy Quinn. He laid on a pass to score my first goal on my debut for Bailov Rovers in Azerbaijan. Played with him for another 12 years in Baku and can’t recall ever getting another pass from him. Still waiting!
MOST DIFFICULT BROWNS CLUB OPPONENT
Although getting the ball past Harry in goal is quite a challenge, I’ve got to say Gentleman Jim Haslam. Only player I’ve ever played against that necessitated rotating my shin guards 180 degrees.
MOST MEMORABLE MATCH
Aberdeen 3 v Bayern Munich 2, quarter final of the Cup winners cup 1983. 2-1 down with 20 minutes to go. That and beating Real Madrid in the final was Sir Alex Ferguson’s finest hours. Such a pity that he shuffled into obscurity after that!
BIGGEST THRILL
So many. Birth of my kids, birth of my grandkids, my daughter being awarded her doctorate, getting being (Nelya’s edit) married to Nelya. In footballing terms, scoring the winner in the annual Scotland V England game in Azerbaijan. I can talk you through it when you’ve got a spare couple of hours!
JOHN LENNON OR PAUL MCARTNEY
Lennon of course. I find his establishment of a dictatorship of the proletariat led by a revolutionary party as the political prelude to the establishment of communism particularly inspiring.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Apart from sitting beside Ronnie when the chips and garlic bread are delivered, the fact that I have continually been overlooked for my first international cap even though I have my boots in my bag, just in case, every time I go to watch a Scotland match.
BEST COUNTRY VISITED
Don’t think I’ve disliked any country that I’ve visited but I really like Portugal. Only the bureaucracy is a problem here. Other than that, it’s paradise with wine.
FAVOURITE FOOD
Possibly the only thing that Ronnie and me agree on, haggis, neeps and tatties.
FAVOURITE PORTUGUESE FOOD
Piri piri chicken takes a bit of beating.
FAVOURITE DRINK
Used to be Heineken but now Marquis De Borba white wine.
MISCELLANEOUS LIKES
Nutmegging Sprinkler, playing football with my grandkids, looking at the view from our terrace every day.
MISCELLANEOUS DISLIKES
Flight delays, WASP KAMS (whoever he/she is), Brexit, expats who complain about Portugal because it’s not like their home country.
FAVOURITE TV SHOW
Anything with football or golf. It took Nelya 6 months to realise that our TV showed anything other than football or golf when we moved in.
FAVOURITE FILM
I would love to refer to some French classic to highlight my cultural appreciation but I doubt if I could even name one. The Blues Brothers or The Commitments.
FAVOURITE SINGER Rod Stewart. That well known cockeneeze Scotsman.
FAVOURITE ACTOR
Julia Roberts & Benedict Cumberbatch. In awe of their versatility and talents as actors. Surprised someone hasn’t offered them contracts in the EPL.
BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER
When I was serving my time as an apprentice electrician I had the same journeyman for 4 years. He not only taught me my trade but taught me to be a man, like a second dad. He also taught me how to drink, gamble, fabricate a convincing timesheet and told me that ‘I wasn’t completely useless because I could always serve as a bad example’ so he maybe wasn’t that good an influence after all.
BIGGEST DRAG IN SOCCER
cheating, play acting and people who claim everybody else is running in walking football apart from themselves.
WHAT ONE ITEM WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO A DESERT ISLAND
Not sure about an item but I’d have to take Nelya or I’d starve.
WHICH PERSON IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MEET
William Wallace. I’d make him aware of all the comments Ronnie’s made over the last 5 years so that justice may be served.