April 3, 2008
According to today's Popbitch mailout:
"In the 1970s the Grand National, as an event, was dying. We all remember it as halcyon days, with Red Rum winning three times. But in 1977, when Rummie won his third race, fewer than 10,000 spectators were there.
The race has been resurrected - in 2007, the crowd was 68,000. Back then Aintree was owned by an eccentric old lady, Mirabel Topham, with Ladbrokes having the thankless task of managing it for her. One poor chap was sent up to the course and given a scruffy office with a couple of desks and phones and told to sort out tickets, sponsors, hospitality - the lot.
The only way he got through it was with help from a surprising source. Every day, after football training finished at Liverpool, Emlyn Hughes and Terry McDermott, big horse racing fans, came over with a crate of beer and got on the phones to make the sales calls. Somehow you can't quite imagine Torres and Kewell doing it."
ajnspencer
Pro 
With our lot it's probably best to keep them away