LE I am lucky enough to be joined by
Bobby Zamora, the legend that he is,
back at Brighton of course. Just before I
start I wanted to talk about the fact that
I used to work at Juice 107.2. You and
Nathan Jones had a show on Sunday
afternoons and 12 years ago you came
in to the radio station and I asked you to
sign an autograph for me. Well you didn’t
want to sign the programme because you
wanted a decent picture and you said
you’d be back next time. I never saw you
again because you disappeared within
three days off to Tottenham. So first
things first, I have to get your autograph.
BZ No worries yeah I’ll do that one for
you.
LE Let’s start at the beginning, you were
born and raised in Newham, East London,
tell us what it was like growing up.
BZ Yeah, it was enjoyable really. I wasn’t
a massive fan of school, I suppose a lot
of people aren’t. I was just always out
playing football. School would finish,
then I’d get home and start football in
the street - between the parked cars.
Smashed plenty of wing mirrors and
the occasional window, it was non-stop
football really.
LE Did you stand out at that stage?
Were your mates saying “I want Bobby on
my side?”
BZ Yeah I suppose I did alright, but just
remember being a normal kid enjoying
life and I just wanted to play football nonstop.
about anyway because it was the first
year of the district football so ended up
playing with people a year above myself
which was good.
LE What about position wise, were you
always a striker?
LE What kind of upbringing did you have?
BZ Yeah pretty much, the odd game out
wide, but yeah generally just a striker.
BZ It was good, you know mum and dad
grafted obviously.
LE Never had a go in goal or anything like
that?
BZ Mum was a teacher and dad had
plenty of different jobs, from welding to a
social worker and all sorts so yeah they
did a lot for me in terms of taking me here
there and everywhere and made a lot of
sacrifices and that, to take me to football
training and games all over the country.
BZ Oh hell no! I don’t know why you’d
want to be a defender either, I really don’t.
LE So when did you when did you start
playing properly?
BZ I played for the county at, I think 10 or
11. I went to the district trials, but ended
up going on the wrong day. I didn’t realise
it was for kids a year older but I got
selected. It was only after when we all met
up that it was like, oh you’re in the wrong
year or group! But I stayed and hung
LE Of course you’re back here at Brighton
12 years after you left. What made you
come back?
BZ Obviously everyone knows what I
think of the club and how special the club
is to me. The opportunity sort of came
along and when I found out that there
was a sniff, I didn’t want to go anyway
else, you know so yeah there was a few
clubs abroad you know MLS(major league
soccer) as well but nothing else really
interested me. I just wanted to make sure
that I could sign for Brighton and play for
Brighton again.
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