Special Guests: Ally McCoist, Jimmy Bullard & Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock. Hosted by: Pete Graves (Sky Sports)
Date: 1 December 2023 | Venue: The Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane
Join us on Friday 1st December at the stunning Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane for a day to remember: Lunch with the Football Characters. Following 2021’s hugely successful London sporting Lunch with the Premier League Legends, and last year’s World Cup Big Screen events, we’re pleased to have confirmed our line-up of football characters for what is sure to be an hilarious and revealing day. Talksport lead presenter and Rangers legend Ally McCoist will be joined by Sky Soccer AM’s former Premier League midfielder, Jimmy Bullard, with our panel being completed by legendary Premier League enforcer, Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock.
Following a superb lunch, our guests will join Sky Sports host Pete Graves on the podium for a lengthy discussion of their careers and the trials, triumphs and tribulations as big characters playing at the pinnacle of the beautiful game! Soak up the atmosphere with a complimentary bar, memorabilia auction and plenty of festive cheer, a great way to treat colleagues and clients in the run-up to Christmas.
ALLY MCCOIST
One of the most prolific British strikers of all-time, Ally scored over 400 goals during a career spanning over two decades and almost 800 appearances in all club and international formats. A bona fide Rangers
legend, he was part of the dominant team at Ibrox which brought home the Scottish Premier League title in 10 out of 11 seasons from 1986-1997, also winning the Scottish League Cup nine time during his 15 years at the club. He represented Scotland on 61occasions, scoring 19 times, making him his country’s fifth highest goal-scorer in history, featuring in the 1990 World Cup and Euro ’92 and ’96. Between 1996 and 2007, he was a team captain in the BBC sports quiz ‘A Question of Sport’, before becoming assistant to Walter Smith at Rangers. He succeeded Smith in 2011, before guiding the club through its darkest period following liquidation and demotion, taking the club back from the fourth to the second tier
with successive promotions. Ally is now a Talksport regular on the morning show with Alan Brazil and Laura Woods.
JIMMY BULLARD
Jimmy played youth football at West Ham United before moving to Gravesend & Northfleet in 1998. Two seasons at Peterborough were followed by a longer spell at Wigan Athletic scoring 10 goals in 145 league appearances, helping them to their first promotion to the Premier League. Bullard was known for being a passionate leader on the pitch and for his funny antics, playing football with a smile throughout his
career. Paul Jewell described Bullard as “the heart and soul of the dressing room”. He played for Fulham from 2006-2009, continuing his professional journey with Hull City and Ipswich Town, before a spell at MK
Dons brought the curtain down on his career. Despite suffering a catalogue of serious knee problems, Jimmy played 339 times in all competitions, scoring 44 goals. Jimmy’s infectious personality has seen him thrive in the world of television, notably as presenter on Sky’s Soccer AM, in addition to many
TV shows including I’m A Celebrity, The Xtra Factor, Celebrity Juice and Alan Carr’s Specstacular!
NEIL ‘RAZOR’ RUDDOCK
A fearsome competitor on the pitch who pushed the boundaries of physical intimidation, ‘Razor’ Ruddock was a striker’s nightmare, as a tough-tackling centre back with confidence on the ball, and an eye for
a goal or two. In a 17 year career played almost entirely in the top flight, Neil starred for Millwall, Spurs, Southampton, Liverpool and West Ham, winning the League Cup whilst at Anfield in 1995. His colourful career was littered with on-field altercations with other hardmen of the day including the likes of Eric Cantona, and perhaps most famously, with Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira in 1999. With 466 appearances in all competitions and almost 50 goals, Neil was a relatively free-scoring centre back, gaining his only England cap under Terry Venables, against Nigeria in 1994. Since retiring in 2003 he has featured many times on TV including in I’m A Celebrity, Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Masterchef, A League of Their Own, and
most recently some hilarious antics on ITV’s ‘Harry’s Heroes’ with Harry Redknapp!
PETE GRAVES
A passionate Newcastle Utd fan, Pete has enjoyed a swift rise through the broadcasting ranks to become one of the most recognisable faces on Sky Sports. After leaving university, Pete started his broadcasting career with the hospital radio show Radio Tyneside, before working in the local Metro Radio, and then ITV Tyneside as a sports reporter. Since 2009 he has worked at Sky Sports, mainly as a presenter, where his passion for football and all-round sports knowledge are amongst his greatest assets. Pete has become a much-valued member of our team at our many lunch and dinner events, we are delighted to be in his safe hands once more!
THE GROSVENOR HOUSE HOTEL, PARK LANE
Amongst London’s finest, the 5* Grosvenor House Hotel is located on Park Lane, one of the capital’s most prestigious addresses. Over the years the Hotel has hosted some of the capital’s largest and most unique
events including the world’s oldest charitable ball, the Royal Caledonian Ball, and many big TV Awards ceremonies including the Royal Television Society and the Broadcast Awards. Between 2004 and 2008 a massive renovation project restored the ‘Grand Dame of Park Lane’ to her former glory; the magnificent Ballroom will be the setting for our event, and guests will enjoy the catering and service for which the Hotel is rightly renowned.