I have mentioned on more than one occasion the good work that the Saints Foundation do under the leadership of Greg Baker in helping the community.

I was pleased to attend a function this week which was put on at the club itself with the help of Nicky Banger, who also now hosts one of the rooms where an ex-player turns up to be interviewed on matchdays, under the title ‘Christmas with the Stars.’ Nicky was working alongside the legendary MC at the club Dave Richards.

It turned out to be a very entertaining evening with players turning up from the past and there were many amusing stories of behind the scenes activities in the dressing room and other places which kept the audience interested and amused, as well, of course, as talking about particular games etc.

David Peach, naturally, spoke about his Cup final experience, bearing in mind he and Nick Holmes, who now lives in America, are the only two players who played in both the 1976 FA Cup final and 1979 League Cup final.

Others in attendance on the night included Franny Benali, who it was mentioned I signed as a schoolboy when he was a centre forward and it showed what a good judge I was as he played nearly 400 games and scored one goal.

It turned out it was 21 years ago to the day when the goal went in and the older supporters remembered it as it was such an occasion.

Other ex-players who were very entertaining were Kevin Davies, Glenn Cockerill, Nicky Banger himself and Micky Adams, who went on to manage a number of clubs with some success and now tells me he runs a sports agency.

It is always interesting to hear what players from the past are doing now.

I surprised someone recently when I said that no matter how big a name the player was that I signed there wasn’t one who didn’t have to get a job when he finished playing.

I think that in its own way shows the difference between the sort of money that is around now compared to the old days.

The evening, apart from being hugely entertaining, raised, apparently, more than £6,000 for the Foundation after Nicky Banger worked very hard with the auction.

To me it is a good sign that ex-players are becoming more attached back at the club.

I have always it is good for both sides. True supporters have great memories and it is their first opportunity normally to get close to people who they admired from a distance.

Of course, everyone nowadays has a camera and at events like this the whole point is that they can mix and mingle, enjoy the whole occasion and get those precious photos.

There was also some entertainment from a young lad I met at a similar function several years ago called Tom Carter.

He’s a local boy who is your modern-day Frank Sinatra or Neil Diamond.

He is very entertaining and apparently his career has taken off very well.

Well done to the club and the Foundation and here’s to more similar events in the future.

  • I think one of the most amusing things cropped up recently to do with our game was the story of four of the Arsenal players being photographed at a private party with blown up balloons in their mouths.

Some people apparently say this is a form of doping but my memory tells me different.

Would you believe many years ago I was a guest on the Michael Parkinson show, which was live on TV.

He being a big football fan stuck to the game in his questions and I then had to sit while he interviewed the next guest, an entertainer people may remember called Kenny Everett.

He was a rather excitable and eccentric type who suddenly produced a balloon, blew it up and then released the air into his mouth and started talking again in a new voice which was so high pitched the audience fell around laughing.

That was fine until he made me try the same thing.

It was rather embarrassing so I had to go through the motions but because I didn’t suck the thing in my voice came out louder.

I suppose the point I’m making is that if the new balloons have different stuff in it could obviously be wrong.

But I’m not sure if other coaches around the country have been trying to make contact with Arsenal to try and find out where they can get similar as the team is now unbeaten in 21 games.

Hopefully if there is any punishment to the four players it could be that they lose at St Mary’s tomorrow, but I think we should all keep our eyes open to see if any of them trot over to the bench as players often do for a drink, but on this occasion a big round shaped thing is in their mouth.