Dennis Bergkamp controls a Ray Parlour cross with a lovely first touch which serves to deceive the defender, then he skips past the second on before picking the spot, the on rushing goalie is stranded . One-nil to thee Ar-si-nil. -
From the novel ‘Filth’ by Irvine Walsh( Author of ‘Trainspotting’).
She's stating to come into focus; golden dreadlocks , really just dirty fair, but I see them as golden. her features bring to mind a feminine version of the Arsenal footballer Ray Parlour. Celeste, she's called, and she's from Brighton... -
Irvine Walsh continues his Ray obsession in his book ‘Glue’.
It became a longstanding joke between Ray Parlour and me that the birth of a baby was a good excuse for a bender and we ought to go to hospital more often and check out new-born so we could then go out for a drink to celebrate. - Tony Adams recalling the bad old days in 'Addicted'.
That October also saw England and me in trouble. The 2-0 defeat by Holland in Rotterdam just three days after my 27th birthday was a bitter, virtually fatal , blow to our World Cup hopes and caused gnashing of teeth all over the country. When I got back on the Thursday, a day off, I felt I deserved a session and needed to drown my sorrows. Ray Parlour was a willing companion.
After visiting a few pubs in the Hornchurch area over lunchtime, we decided we needed some food and called in at the local Pizza Hut, mainly because you could still get beer with your meal in mid-afternoon. We were mostly minding our own business but had to endure some abuse from a neighbouring table were a few Spurs fans were winding us up. I was getting the inevitable ‘Donkey’ stuff .When we finished eating, we got up to go something snapped in me . I grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and pulled out the pin , Ray got hold of the contraption a squirted water at the people giving up grief. Then we legged it.
I didn’t think much of it until a reporter knocked on my door the same night, to be followed by CID soon after. I could hardly give a ‘no comment’ to them. They told me a complaint had been made but after talking to me they decided to give me a warning. It was in all the papers, though, and that Saturday morning , before a game against Manchester City in which I knew I had to play well and did as we recorded another goalless draw, I had to phone George Graham to give him my side of the story. Ray and I then had to see him at South Herts Golf Club. I was lucky. I got away with this one . Ray got a bollocking. -More from Tony Adams' 'Addicted'.
..We secured a goalless draw in the Stadio delle Alpi, a trip that was most memorable for the best pasta I have ever tasted. Ray Parlour kept sneaking up to the buffet for more and George caught him and had a go at him-first Pizza and now Pasta.... -Again from Tony Adams' 'Addicted'.
"West Ham's light blue and claret away kit was a classic....I remember having a team of Subbuteo players in those colours...I bet half of our listeners don't even know what Subbuteo is.....well, if you were a boy growing up in the late 1960s, that was all there was to keep you going....that and Barbarella.....with Jane Fonda.....er...er...and here, with a Barbarella-style haircut, comes Ray Parlour now....."
BBC Five Live's Jonathan Pearce in surreal mood during this season's home win against West Ham.
“I’m so honoured to have scored in a Cup final .There are plenty of great players down the years who have never even played in one , let alone scored a goal in one.
“It was brilliant to be awarded the man of the match award after that game , but to actually score in the final has to top that.
Maybe the best thing about it was it was actually quite a good goal and not just a tap in!
“I’m sure it will be shown again down the years and every time I see it - can be proud.”
-Ray On His Cup Final Goal.
“The brilliant midfielder proved he has talent off the field as well as on when he targeted a perfectly aimed bottle of beer at disastrous "model" Alicia Douval.
“After the charming Mr Parlour commented on the improbable structures that used to be dim Douval's breasts, she told him to "f*** off".
“So as the false-bosomed blonde stomped off, Ray emptied his drink down her back. Ha, ha.” -3AM Girls (The Daily Mirror)On Ray's Post Double 02 Celebations at London's ChinaWhite Club.
“I think it’s important to have a laugh and a joke at times. When we walk out on the pitch we’re very serious, but you have to have a bit of humour as well.” Ray explains.
“I try and get the foreign players using a bit of Cockney rhyming slang and they all seem to enjoy having a go.
“Thierry Henry in particular will come out with phrases in the dressing room. His favourite at the moment is ‘beans on toast’ which means post, another good one is ‘bass guitar’ which is bar.
“Having a laugh and a joke can bring the squad together and help us get results . But we know we have to be serious when we walk out on the pitch.” - Ray From Arsenal Official Mag.
“It’s nice that a few foreign players have mentioned I’ve helped them ,but Iwould always help out to make people feel at home and settle in.” - Ray From Arsenal Official Mag.
“Yes everyone, everyone, except Ray Parlour.” - Junichi Inamoto when asked if he understands all his Arsenal teamates.
“It's funny actually because Ray Parlour was asking me on Saturday about good places to visit in France. He said that he fancied heading over there for a while, now the summer break is upon us and was asking me for advice about travel and so on. I reminded him that Sven Goran-Eriksson was about to name his England squad, so maybe he wouldn't be able to travel to France just yet. But Ray wasn't hopeful at all of getting in the squad.”
So his call-up will have come as a big surprise to Ray, and a pleasant surprise at that. For me though, it's no surprise at all. I think Ray is quite deserving of his place in the national team. He's a hard-working, spirited midfielder with a good engine. I felt very honoured when I was selected ahead of him for the FA Cup Final. “
“Off the pitch, Ray is such a great guy and without doubt the funniest player I've ever trained with. It's so important to have players such as Ray involved with the group, for his contribution on the field and spirit off it. I only wish I could understand more of what he says, but he's always speaking in slang. “ - Gilles Grimandi On The Romford Pelé.
"It has changed a lot since I was first involved in the first team. We have the likes of Thierry, Dennis (Bergkamp) and Patrick and to be fair it is the same at most clubs in the Premiership.
"Just look at the quality that the foreign players have bought to the side. All of the players speak English and the manager has always made a point of giving his teamtalks in English, so it is pretty much the same as it has always been in the dressing room."
- Ray On Arsenal's Foreign Players.
"Arsenal have always been big, but in the last five years we've really put ourselves on the map in Europe and we've become one of the best teams in the World.
"It's seen as a disastrous season now if we don't get into the Champions League, whereas when I first came through if we finished in the top three it was a great achievement.” - Ray 2002.
Comedian Alan Davies, a lifelong Gooner, gave a nice speech at the Football Writers' tribute dinner to Tony Adams.
He repeated a tale from Ray Parlour about how Arsene Wenger was dubbed 'Clouseau' by the Arsenal players.
Before one game the Frenchman ushered his players out into the tunnel before excusing himself to go to the toilet. Unfortunately, there was a security alert and the players were told to return to the dressing room. When Wenger re-emerged to find his squad milling around, he asked them what was going on. Up piped Ray Parlour, in his finest Peter Sellers impersonation: "There is a burm." To which Wenger replied, classically: "A burm?"
As everyone dissolved in laughter, Parlour continued: "Yes, a burm."
When the laughter had stopped, Wenger said: "Raymond . . . I do believe you are having a joke with me.'' -The Evening Standard.
"Arsene made it quite clear when he came here that everyone was equal and that everyone had a chance. I thought 'Well, this is my last chance'. And I have been here ever since." -Ray on the Arrival of Wenger .
"There were a few people who doubted me, who thought I wasn't good enough to play for Arsenal. And when he brought in the French lads I had the feeling I was on my way out. Instead the manager sold Paul Merson. He gave me the chance I had been craving and I've been in the team ever since." - Ray on Arsene Wenger saving his Highbury career.
Glenn Hoddle, insisted that Parlour saw the controversial faith heeler, Eileen Drewery. It is alleged that when Drewrey put her hands on Parlours head he asked for a "short back and sides'. –Ray upsets the cripple kicker.
."Dennis Bergkamp is the best player I've[Parlour] played with and when you see him stay behind for extra training - well, if it's good enough for him....." –Ray’s fan of the Ice Man.
"I don't get in the limelight like some of the other players do, but I'm happy with that," –Ray’s no big head.