by Mark Ward
In between the visit to Probation and going to my daughter Melissa’s house, my mobile phone never stopped with well-wishers. Family and friends quickly made contact and I also received text messages from some of the prisoners I’d left behind.
When I arrived at Melissa she had tears in her eyes – relieved that my prison ordeal was finally over. A get-together was arranged for that evening at the Village Hotel in Whiston, where I stood on the terrace outside the bar with a pint in my hand and soaked up the afternoon sunshine. It felt so much more relaxed compared to my home leaves when prison rules hadn’t allowed me to drink. Billy, Tony Mac and myself were joined there by Melissa, her husband Kevin, Peter McGuinness and Kevin Hayes (The Egg), who all arrived to share in the pleasure of my release day. I was gutted that Uncle Tommy couldn’t be there. Months before he’d booked a short-break holiday without realising the significance of the date. Can you believe that!
One of the funniest phone calls I received that afternoon was from my mum. I was driving my little red Corsa when she called and said: ‘You’re not ‘Naughty Mark’ anymore!’ I realised again the extent of the hurt that I’d inflicted on my family and I was determined to make up for lost time with them.
We met up with other family members and it was decided to end the night in our old pub, The Watchmaker, at Whiston. Even though it was a Monday night, there were plenty of locals in and I was welcomed by them all. Relishing my freedom, I got so drunk that a bird even beat me at pool and, of course, I got loads of stick off the lads. I joked that the last time I’d been leaning over this pool table in the company of a woman, she was straddled over the green baize and hadn’t been my cue that she was holding either!
I felt emotionally and physically drained towards the end of the evening and, after a quiet word with Billy, I sneaked off and staggered back to the hotel where I was staying the night. I really appreciated the treatment I’d been given but I skipped the formal goodbyes because I felt so tired and didn’t want a big fuss made of me as I left the pub.
I awoke the next morning a refreshed and happy man. At breakfast with Tony Mac, he underlined my busy schedule of media interviews that he’d lined up, starting that mid-morning with the News of the World. It was to be held in room 23 at the Hillcrest Hotel in Cronton, a place I knew very well. The Everton team used to eat there before certain home midweek games and, of course, it was also here that I had my last ‘encounter’ with the infamous Blackmailer.
I felt very apprehensive beforehand, as I knew reporter Tom Latchem was going to grill me about all the aspects of my crime. The reason for doing the interview was the fact that the NOTW had agreed to plug my book by showing an image of the front cover plus details of how readers could order a copy from my publishers. I considered it worth an hour of questioning in return for the free publicity in Britain’s biggest selling Sunday tabloid.
While photographer Peter Powell took lots of pictures of me, Latchem tried to get me to say if I knew of any current professional footballers who used drugs. I pointed out that while I didn’t know of any players who took drugs during the football season, which would be madness on their part because it would destroy their career if they were caught, I said it was feasible that some do dabble in substances during the close season, when they go off on foreign holidays to party with their mates. Let’s face it, drugs are rife in modern society, so why expect footballers not to dabble in them to some extent? I wasn’t being sensationalist, just stating an obvious fact.
I also told Latchem that it was inevitable some high profile footballers would attract the attention of the criminal fraternity who tend to mix in the same social circles. As I said to him, when these people, often wealthy businessman, approach you in a corporate hospitality box after a game or some other function where your paths are likely to cross, they don’t come up to you smiling with the words ‘Beware – Drug Dealer’ or ‘Fraudster’ stamped across their forehead. That’s always been the case and it still is today. The NOTW interview lasted around two hours – Tony Mac was alongside me to record everything I said so that I couldn’t be misquoted – and the article was expected to run over a double-page spread in their following Sunday’s edition.
The rest of my first week of freedom was basically spent catching up with family and friends, including my four grandchildren. I had to get myself a diary because the various interviews came thick and fast and I found myself in the media spotlight again. My book, published on 30 May, had attracted great interest from all sections of the media – television, radio and the written national press alike – and I was amazed to hear that I was required to appear at three different branches of Waterstone’s for book signings
Any slight apprehension I had about being the subject of more lurid headlines associated with my crime was eased when the NOTW article appeared on page 15 of their main news section. It had been cut to just half a page, because dominating the rest of the spread was a story alleging that West Bromwich Albion striker Roman Bednar had been photographed buying drugs. The piece on me was quite tame by comparison and when I opened up the paper, I remember thinking to myself: ‘I owe Bednar a pint!’
It wasn’t just the Bednar article that took the heat off me, though. Jordan’s tits kept me off the front page, as the world’s media tracked the former Page 3 model to the Maldives, where she’d gone to ground following her very public split from Peter Andre.
I was still in prison mode and by 8.30-9.00pm every night I was ready for my bed. And no matter what time I did get to bed, I was up sharp at five o’clock the next morning. I was told by other prisoners that it takes a long time before you finally get out of this mode. Even after nearly a year of freedom, I’m still up bright and early every day.
As the day of my book launch came even nearer, I was getting a little nervous about how my family would react to what I’d written. Dealing with personal and family issues had been the hardest part of writing the book. Mum was especially apprehensive about what I’d said about her and Dad splitting up, and our family life, but I just wanted them all to enjoy my story and I’m pleased to say that no-one has expressed any displeasure at what I’ve written. They have all been fine about it.
My interview with The Independent produced a very positive two-page spread in their sports section and a back page lead on Tuesday 19 May, the same day I was invited to appear on BBC Radio 5 Live. Apparently, one of the guests due to appear on Victoria Derbyshire’s show, which attracts millions of listeners between 10.00am and midday each weekday, had to pull out at the last minute, so they contacted my publisher and were anxious for me to appear as a stand-in at very short notice. There wasn’t enough time for me to travel down to West London, so I went to the BBC Radio Merseyside studios in Liverpool, where they set up a live link to the main studios in the capital.
On the flagship station for live news, sport and debate, I followed Tory leader David Cameron on air and was introduced at the start of the show as the main guest and ‘ex-Premier League player given an eight-year sentence for drug dealing’. I felt confident at first and answered Ms Derbyshire’s probing questions as best I could.
After ten minutes the BBC went to a news and weather bulletin and through my head phones I heard a bloke ask me if I’d mind taking phone calls from the general public. Without thinking, I said, ‘Yes’ – after all, I had nothing to hide and wanted to give an honest interview.
But I had left myself wide open and vulnerable to attack. The first two callers were West Ham fans who spoke well of me, saying how good I’d been as a footballer and that I deserved a second chance in life. I felt humbled and grateful on hearing their words of support.
After that, it went rapidly downhill.
What sounded like a middle-aged woman from Devon called and was adamant that I should have served the full eight years. She felt so strongly because her daughter had died as a result of being addicted to drugs. I felt awful. Paralysed with guilt, I could only say ‘Sorry’, although the woman wasn’t interested in an
ything I had to say.
Another caller, I think he was a Man United fan, said he thought I was ‘as bad as a paedophile’. Again, I let it go and stayed quiet. I didn’t want to get into a heated debate on Britain’s biggest radio show.
I knew that there was always going to be divided opinion about me following my release but this felt like being thrown to the lions. It was a shock to the system, no doubt. Leaving the recording studio in Liverpool, I felt like I’d been kicked all over the pitch by Stuart Pearce, Pat Van Den Hauwe and Mark Dennis combined! Friends of mine who’d heard the interview all agreed that I’d handled it with dignity but it was a harrowing experience and much more daunting than having to face any of those three uncompromising fullbacks in their physical prime.
After I’d gone off air, a lad who admitted to being a heroin addict phoned Derbyshire and told her and the listeners that he didn’t blame me or any other ‘foot soldier’ who has been caught up in the drugs network for the mess he’d got himself into. He held his hands up and admitted it had always been his choice to take hard drugs and that no-one was to blame for this but himself. Fair play to him.
I should have stood up for myself and told the lady from Devon that I would still serve the remaining four years of my original sentence in the community under licence and that I would always regret making such a terrible mistake. I should have said that I’d taken my punishment and done the time. I treated her with respect and genuinely felt sorry for what she must have been through with her daughter. But I realise now that there are still many people in this country unwilling to give people a second chance in life.
Not all the radio interviews were an ordeal, though. The one I did with Ken Early on the national Irish radio station Newstalk was entertaining and relaxed, with balanced questions about football and my time in prison. My old mate Mickey Quinn invited me on to his talkSPORT show and he reminded listeners of some of the crazy things we got up to at Oldham in the early 1980s.
While in London, I also did a pleasing live radio interview for Liverpool-based Radio City’s Terrace Talk show co-hosted by my former Everton team-mate Ian Snodin and Reds’ legend Ian St John. ‘Snods’ is a great mate and he sounded very humble when he said to me that it was difficult for him to ask some of the more awkward questions. The interview went well, though, and I’ve since done some Q&A forum nights with Snods and enjoyed his company immensely.
On most of my frequent visits to London and the south-east to promote my book I stayed with my best mate Mick Tobyn at his place in Romford. It was a great feeling to be sat in the garden with him, reminiscing about the good times we’d had together while taking phone calls from different newspapers and magazines.
Mick and his sons Gary and Danny joined me at a mini reunion held in the Hammers pub in High Street North, East Ham on 22 May. My former team-mates Alvin Martin, Tony Gale and Tony Cottee had organised a coming-out party. Les, who owns the pub, had kindly let the lads use his premises for what turned out to be a fun night.
Getting off the train at East Ham tube station, I thought I’d arrived in another country – it was wall-to-wall foreigners and a stark contrast to Liverpool. I was feeling very nervous as we walked to the pub when Danny Tobyn pointed out to me the big, black A-board outside the pub entrance which read: ‘Innocent – Mark Ward’. I laughed my bollocks off!
The pub was empty when we arrived but within the hour it was rammed full. It was great to have a beer with Galey, Alvin and TC, members of the Boys of ’86 who had been unbelievably loyal to me.
It was also good to see Trevor Morley – one of the players involved in the swap deal that took me from West Ham to Man City in 1989 – who was with a group of Norwegian Hammers supporters. Tony Gale had clearly not lost his cutting wit and went on to slaughter everybody, including me.
I’d demolished about eight bottles of Becks in fairly quick time before Mick told me to slow down. He said I’d soon have to get up and do a bit on stage, where Galey and Tony took it in turns to interview their ex-team mates. When it was my turn to face the small audience, Galey didn’t try to ease me in gently with a couple of sensible questions about my time at West Ham or anything else to do with football. He got straight to the point: ‘Did you bend down in prison to pick up the soap?’
I was prepared for Galey, though. Before I took to the little stage, Gary Tobyn gave me a line – no, not that sort! – for me to use when it was my turn to speak. I explained to Galey and the assembled crowd how John Lyall came to sign me from Oldham. I told them the scouting report on me read: ‘Mark is a little winger with bags of speed!’ Nice one, Gaz – it got a laugh too.
At the end, I thanked the magnificent Hammers supporters who were there to greet me on what was a very emotional evening. I just wanted them to remember me as the little right-winger who always gave a hundred per cent for them, not the bloke who had been banged up for something he did wrong, and every one I met had only kind words to say. I ended up in some flat with Danny and a couple of his mates until the early hours of Saturday morning – it was a great night.
On the Sunday, the last day of the Premier League season. I was welcomed back to Upton Park by Phil Parkes, Alan Devonshire, Geoff Pike, Bobby Barnes and Stuart Slater, who were also attending Hammers’ game against Middlesbrough. It was great to watch the Hammers again, although I just wanted to turn the clock back and be running down the wing. How things had changed for me since those happy and unforgettable days in claret and blue.
After the match I bumped into Ray Winstone and Perry Fenwick who both made a right fuss of me. They were asking about my book and when they would be getting their copies. Me and Mick went with Ray and Perry to The Cricketers pub at Woodford Green before ending up at Ray’s house in Hertfordshire for more beers. I sent both Ray and Perry a copy of my book and Perry texted me to say he hadn’t been able to put it down. He said he read it in two days and thought it was brilliant.
He also said that if a movie was ever made of my life story he would love to play me! Ray slaughtered him, saying the EastEnders actor didn’t have a Scouse accent and couldn’t kick a ball either! Actually, Perry is quite a good footy player. I’d played against him years earlier in our annual Boys of ’86 football tournament at Upton Park, where I gave him a right kicking!
I was pleased that my release meant I was able to play in the 2009 Boys of ’86 tournament on the main pitch. Nearly everybody who played in that historic season was there, although Tony Gale feigned an injury and appointed himself manager. He was his usual sharp-witted self as we were all getting changed in the dressing room before the tournament began. He confirmed the starting line-up and announced that Frank McAvennie and me would be joining him ‘on the line’ as subs for the first game. ‘Oh sorry – I shouldn’t have said that,’ he sniggered. Our keeper was Tommy Walsh, one of the stars of BBC TV’s Ground Force gardening show and Olympic gold medal-winning rower Mark Hunter joined the ex-Hammers team.
A few weeks before the football tournament I’d arranged to meet up with Alvin in The Ship, his local pub in Gidea Park. It was great seeing my old captain and fellow Scouser again after all those lost years. Just like we did on my first day at Chadwell Heath in August 1985, we hit it off straight away and he seemed very concerned about my well-being. The trouble I’d got myself into obviously came as a tremendous shock to him and all the others I’d played with. We reminisced about the good old days over a few pints and he kindly promised to help me get work on the after-dinner circuit.
He mentioned that I’d become a little more articulate since my incarceration and he was surprised by that. Maybe I am. Perhaps the long nights and hours of boredom had shown me a different way to express myself.
Even though the BO86 tournament was held on a boiling hot day, people were saying how fit I looked. But just from kicking the ball back and forth to Alvin in the warm-up, I wasn’t feeling right – my balance was all over the place.
I still played in all the games on our annual corporate day at West Ha
m and the fun continued afterwards in one of the main lounges, where it was good to catch up with all my old team-mates. I spent the night in one of West Ham’s corporate boxes that convert into bedrooms on non-matchdays. HMP Upton Park has better facilities than its Romford counterpart (aka Travelodge) and the view out onto the pitch was better too!
I was commuting by train between London and Liverpool for weeks following my release. On Tuesday 25 May I returned south for a 90-minute meeting with PR guru Max Clifford and two of his senior staff, his daughter Louise and Denise Palmer-Davies, at their plush offices in Mayfair. Although Tony Mac came with me, I was a little apprehensive at first but the two girls soon put me at ease. They said they had read a synopsis of my book and were fascinated about how I’d managed to conceal my mobile phone SIM card while in prison! I didn’t get to speak to Max for long – he was busy outside giving a TV interview about how he was representing Britain’s first known swine flu sufferer.
The meeting at MCA was also attended by management representatives from a television production company who indicated there could be scope to adapt my story from book form onto the screen. We talked enthusiastically about the possibility of me ‘starring’ in a one-hour documentary titled From Premier League to Prison.
Later that day, the busy round of interviews continued at the Hilton International Hotel in Euston, where I met Jim White (Daily Telegraph) and Alan Fraser (Daily Mail). These two educated, experienced men are proper journalists and I enjoyed their intelligent questions.
As I boarded the 6.00pm train back to Liverpool, I felt shattered and still couldn’t believe all that was happening to me since my release.
I was on the train once again on the Thursday to visit my publishers in Hornchurch to sign copies of my book that had just been delivered from the printer. I was delighted to see the result of all those hours I’d spent writing away in my cell over the past few years. And then, with the ink barely dry on the hardback, I was off to a local hotel for an interview with Dave Evans of the local Recorder newspaper group that covers West Ham. Ken Dyer of the London Evening Standard, who I’ve known since my Hammers playing days, also met me for a chat.
