Manny Gelagotis reckons the quiet, polite, 67 year-old Englishman sitting with his daughter, could be the greatest sports star to ever walk through the Magic Millions sales complex.
Considering some of the horse flesh that’s been sold there over the years, trainers who do their bidding plus other sporting stars who swing by, it’s a decent claim.
But Gelagotis is probably right.
In a room at Magic Millions full of racing royalty, sits Bryan Robson – one of the greatest footballers of his generation, a bonafide world-wide star.
For the record, Robson is a household name across much of the world and is talked about as one of England’s greatest ever players, potentially Manchester United’s too. He played in World Cups, won championships, captained his club and happens to love his racing.
Next to nobody recognised Robson last week – apart from Gelagotis of course.
Gelagotis, who is the assistant trainer at Gelagotis racing, was a serious footballer too.
Not in the same ilk of Robson of course, but he was a recognised talent who played professionally in Australia.
So when Gelagotis got word the famous footballer was in the room, he was on a mission to find him.
“He’s football royalty and I am not sure how much, sort of, people knew, but it was just funny because he was up there on the Gold Coast with his daughter,” he told Betsy.
“I said to a couple of journos who asked me who I was talking to, and I’m like ‘Mate, it’s Brian Robson and he would be the greatest sports person that’s ever stepped foot in this joint’.”
“I could tell you one hundred percent he is.”
“It was overwhelming for a genuine football man like myself, because he actually said to me ‘you’re an ex footballer?'”
“I said ’yeah, look, I am’”
“He says ‘oh, you know where’d your play?'”
“I said ‘mate, it’s irrelevant’.”
As an aside, such was Robson’s love for racing during his playing days, his manager Alex Ferguson famously banned him from Haydock Park near Manchester, due to the distraction.
Gelagotis tells Betsy that Robson, as it happens, has a deep connection to Australian racing through his daughter.
“It’s actually a funny story because two years ago I took a horse to Adelaide and I normally stayed with Will Clarken and Lachie Weekley, who manages Jamie Melham, who also works obviously in conjunction with Will,” he said.
“We’re just there having a chat and he said ‘oh mate, there is a girl here that works for us and she’s a bloody ripper. And her dad’s apparently a really good player in England’.”
“And now, they don’t know much about soccer so I said, ‘oh yeah, no dramas, sounds all right’.”
“As the morning progressed, I sort of sort of met the young lady and I just started talking to her. And I said ‘Will, he says your dad was a sort of ex-footballer back home and I asked who’s your dad?'”
“And she said Brian Robson.”
“So I sort of freaked out and… I thought, I’ve got a lot of British mates and ex-teammates that are obviously expats over here, so obviously I took a photo with her, sent it to my mates.”
“So then the other day, a couple of my ex-teammates were up there at the sales that we always go every year. And someone mentioned that he was there and I thought to myself, ‘oh bullshit’.”
“And I started searching around the complex and we found him pretty quick.”
“He was bloody outstanding, terrific guy. Really, I mean am looking at my generation obviously a little bit older, but he’s football royalty.”
“I am not sure how much, sort of, people knew how big he is, but it was just funny because he was up there with his daughter and he’s in Australia, I think, he’s here for another two or three weeks if I am not wrong.”
Gelagotis admitted he was star struck.
“He is a humble, a very humble guy, quiet. You want to sit there and just pick his brains, it was unbelievable.”
Gelagotis said he considers himself a Chelsea fan of sorts, but mostly follows former coaches, teammates, contacts and friends who still work within the industry, including Ange Postecoglou.
According to Gelagotis’ own Wikipedia page, he was well known for his “tough tackling” – which begs the question, how would he have defended Robson if they met during their playing days?
“Mate, he was a great midfielder and he’s one of the all-time greats. And probably, if not the greatest, captain at Manchester United.”
