The Grand Prix Poker Tour (GPPT) Old Trafford leg is being made more special for Manchester United fans because The Theatre of Dreams welcomes back two of its former stars on Saturday 16 January.
Sky TV’s lead Formula 1 presenter, Simon Lazenby, is hosting a Q&A session at 12:30 on January 16 with David May and Norman Whiteside where they’ll share their football and poker stories with those attending the £250,000 guaranteed GPPT Old Trafford Main Event.
Whiteside played for Manchester United between 1982 and 1989, making 278 appearances and scoring 68 goals, before being sold to Everton in July 1989 for £600,000. Everton turned out to be Whiteside’s last club because a knee injury forced him to retire in June 1991 aged only 26-years-old.
Among his achievements, Whiteside can boast of representing Northern Ireland 38 times, scoring nine goals, and holds the record for being the youngest player to participate in a World Cup, is still the youngest player to score in a League Cup and FA Cup final, and is the youngest player to score a senior goal for Manchester United.
May signed for The Red Devils in July 1994 in a £1.2 million deal from Blackburn Rovers and spent nine years at the club, during which time he made 85 appearances in defence, scoring six goals. Despite injuries to himself and the form of Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, and Gary Neville, May still managed to win two Premier League winner’s medals, two FA Cups, two Community Shields and the UEFA Champions League.
If you have a particular question for either Whiteside of May, leave it in the comments box below and we’ll pass it onto the team on your behalf.
Other Poker Playing Footballers
Poker seems to be a popular past time with professional footballer, perhaps because of all the traveling those in the modern game have to undergo each season.
In November 2012, then Manchester United players Darren Fletcher, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Jonny Evans, Rafael da Silva, and Phil Jones all competed in the partypoker.com Challenge, a charity event that was eventually won by Evans, who won the previous event too!
Other high profile footballers spotted at the poker tables include:
Teddy Sherringham
Another former Manchester United star who loves to play cards is Teddy Sheringham. The star striker played 898 games in his career and scored 355 goals. Since retiring from the game, Sheringham has been spotted at various major poker tournaments and even managed a fifth place finish at EPT Vilamoura in 2010, which netted him €93,121.
John Arne Riise
Former Liverpool and Norway left-back, John Arne Riise, was spotted playing in the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event. While he failed to cash and has no cashes listed on the Hendon Mob Database, Riise is obviously a fan of the game!
Gerard Pique
There’s another for Red Devil who has a penchant for poker, Gerard Pique. The Spanish centre-half made 12 appearances for Manchester United before moving to Barcelona in May 2008 for a bargain €5 million. Although his poker playing time is limited, Pique has cashed twice in EPT Barcelona side events, including a €10,300 buy-in, and has played in the World Series of Poker Main Event.
Oh, and he’s all but married to Shakira. What a life!
Jan Vang Sorensen
Unless you’re Danish you may not be aware of former Odense BK player Jan Vang Sorensen, but believe us when we say he knows what he’s doing when it comes to poker. Sorensen finished third in the Amsterdam Masters Classic in 2005 for €132,000 and then won it for €623,100 three years later. Sorensen also has two WSOP bracelets having won a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event in 2002 and a $5,000 Seven Card Stud event in 2005.
Tony Cascarino
The much-travelled striker, Tony Cascarino, has won more than $500,000 from live tournament poker including winning the 2008 GUKPT Bolton Main Event for £52,850 and the 2009 GUKPT Grand Final for £168,800 in 2009.
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