Where Are They Now?

Sutton upset Coventry in the 1989 FA Cup

FA Cup 1987After winning the FA Cup in 1987 it was widely expected that Coventry City would push on to become the biggest club in Europe. With household names such as Cyrille Regis, Keith Houchen and Gary Mabbutt (og), not to mention an aesthetically pleasing kit, the West Midlands juggernaut continued to crush all comers; finishing 10th in 1987 and then 7th in 1988. Heading into the FA Cup 3rd round match at Sutton in 1989, Coventry players were rumoured to have arrived at the game, smoking cigars, via stretched limos and helicopters. Unthinkable defeat in a Matthew vs Goliath FA Cup classic followed, amid suggestions that the Coventry players may have underestimated the opposition. Here, the Gaffer finds out what happened to the Sutton heroes …

1. Tony Rains

After spells at fellow non-league clubs Epsom Victory, Horsham YMCA and Sporting Club Banstead, Rains joined Sutton in 1986 and swiftly became a fan favourite with his no-nonsense approach to hoofing the ball – at a time when many non league fans had become disenchanted with a new style of passing football copied from the Dutch lower divisions. Rains’s opening goal against Sutton – which deflected in off Steve Ogrizovic’s nose – meant he was recognised in the streets of the London borough for years to come. However, he would later admit in a 1993 interview with the Sutton Guardian that “probably 80% of autograph hunters mistook me for Sharon’s husband from Birds of a Feather”. Now 47, Rains splits his time between his family and running an infidelity website.

2. Pink Champagne

After being invented in the early 1980s to fill a gap in France’s blossoming homosexual drinks market, pink champagne crossed the Channel in 1988, becoming the must have drink among City traders and semi professional footballers. Popular celebrities of the time Elton Welsby, Bob Carolgees and Annabel Giles were swiftly papped by the tabloids drinking the frothy fey bubbles, and were copied by the millions who idolised them. Freddie Starr was even rumoured to have doused a hamster in a bottle before eating it. However, the drink’s swift rise was followed by an even swifter decline as unfashionable big names such as David Bowie and Joe Strummer were seen swilling the continental bubbles. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, pink champagne is largely seen as an affordable treat for working class women.

3.Vernon Pratt

Though best known for being Peter Simon’s replacement for the final series of Run The Risk, Pratt, now 51, played the final 25 minutes of this memorable encounter, winning two throw ins and a goal kick. After his heroic role in the victory over Coventry, Pratt signed a four figure deal with local theme park Chessington World of Adventures to be the face of their newest attraction, Giantkiller. However the ride shut down just three weeks later due to a lack of interest caused by Sutton’s 8-0 defeat at Norwich in the 4th round.

4. Lennie Dennis

Sharp-suited Lennie Dennis was just 21-years-old when he became joint player chairman in 1988. Famed for both his straight talking and inability to beat the first defender at corners, dyslexic Dennis brought in Sutton’s first sponsorship deal in a tie in with the inaugural World Book Day. Despite the aggressive tone of the sponsorship message, and the fact it was misspelt, the deal helped pay for a new stand at the Sutton’s Gander Green Lane ground, which later burnt down in a fire in 1990 (giving the club a huge insurance payout which Dennis blew on a tandem parachute jump with Sam Fox). By the summer of that year Dennis had been hounded out of non-league football and was last seen in August 1999 selling torches in Guilford during the build-up to the solar eclipse.

5. Matt Hanlan

Winning goalscorer Matt Hanlan wasn’t even due to play in the famous match as the part time bricklayer was busy building a new branch of Wimpy on Kingston High Street, yet after seeing the face of Jesus on a brick he made the decision to bunk off work and hop on a 213 bus to the ground just minutes before kick-off. He would later tell Terry Wogan the decision was the greatest one he ever made, even though after returning to the building site on Monday he discovered the brick looked more like Micky Quinn, and decided to become an atheist. Now in his mid 40s, as well as boring his nine children with daily VHS re-runs of his appearances on Pebble Mill and Doobie Duck’s Disco Bus, Hanlan campaigns for Kick Racism out of Football and is credited with formulating the EU’s proposal to ban retailers from selling bananas between 3 and 4.45pm on matchdays.

More from Where Are They Now?