X-Men star Hugh Jackman has revealed he was asked to invest in Norwich City Football Club.
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman: I was asked to invest in Norwich City
by DAN GRIMMER
Saturday, October 8, 2011
6:30 AM
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman has revealed he was approached about investing in Norwich City Football Club, and said he now regrets having turned down the chance to pump money into the Canaries.
Although born in Australia, the actor, whose films include X-Men and Real Steel, has links to Norfolk through his mother, who still lives in Norwich.
Jackman has previously revealed how he visited her a number of times as a child and made a trip to Carrow Road when he was 16.
But, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he revealed how he had been approached about investing in the Canaries, before their rapid rise through the leagues and back into the Premiership.
He said: “I got a letter about a year ago saying, ‘Being such a huge Norwich City fan would I like to be a celebrity investor?’, like a small part-owner.
“I said, ‘I think that’s a little stretched, I’ve been to Carrow Road once, my mum took me’, so I decided not to invest.
“And since then they’re on a run, so what do I know?”
After last month’s 2-1 Carrow Road win over Sunderland, Jackman tweeted: “congratulations norwich city...first home win of this EPL season...many more to come!”
The Wolverine star continued in his radio interview: “People say to me about these underdog stories in Hollywood, ‘it never happens in real life’, but hey, Norwich city are in the Premier League.” The 42-year-old also said he still has a shirt from when the Canaries beat Sunderland to win the Milk Cup in 1985, although he was a little out with his year in the radio interview.
He said: “I have the Milk Cup shirt, the commemorative shirt from 1984, there’s really been nothing since that, except for Delia Smith’s poached eggs.
“But there was really not much more going on until now and our big rebuilding.”
In a recent interview with Norwich City’s official website, Jackman revealed the first time he ever saw snow was in Norwich and said he was “pumped” about the Canaries playing the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.
He added he used the internet to keep tabs on how Paul Lambert’s team are faring and said although the Canaries will find it tough in the top flight that he believes “they are ready”.
And in 2009, speaking in an interview on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM football show Jackman spoke of his love for the Ipswich and Norwich derby game.
But Jackman’s interest in Norwich goes beyond the football. Back in 2004, when asked about his favourite bar, he told an interviewer from FHM magazine: “I’d have to say my favourite is a pub in Norwich called the Nag’s Head. There’s always music and everyone has a sing-song, a couple of jars and tells stories.”
Sadly, for the star, the Nag’s Head ceased to be in 1997. These days the King Street bar is known as King’s.
• For the latest news from Carrow Road, make sure you visit www.pinkun.com
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20 comments
Timbo, does Alan Partridge count? Surreality Football! OTBC.
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Mad Brewer
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
If Bernard Matthews were prepared to bequeath his entire fortune, tax free, to NCFC then we could afford Carlos Tevez transfer fee and wages for the next 6 years, but that would be it. I think that shows how ludicrous the money gap is.
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Swiss Canary
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Suitable local hot-shots incude the Guinness Family, Thetford (£1.2 M), Charles Dunstone of the Carphone Warehouse £529m (second home in Norfolk), Bernhard Matthews (animal rights enthusiast) £136 M. Unfortunately, apart from te Queen, most of the really big money tends to live around Newmarket and having lived around there myself I know that their allegencies are at the dark end of the A14
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Swiss Canary
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I believe we also have: Prince Andrew, Sophie Ellis-Bexter, James Blunt, The Darkness (might be better not to mention them...), Cathy Dennis, David Frost, Clive Thomas (ex-ref), Mylee Klass, Jake Humphrey, Charles Clark MP, Martin Bell + Henry Blofield. Any more?
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Timbo
Monday, October 10, 2011
Great terrible joke, Timbo. Like you, can`t imagine NCFC turning down an investment should he still be interested. You know, I think there`s a terrible risk Norwich might become fashionable. TV chef, Actor-writer-wit, Film star. What next? Also we have eye-catching colours and the pundits are beginning to sound less negative. A bandwagon! Out go the pies, in with the prawn sandwiches. As long as we don`t sign D. Beckham!
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Mad Brewer
Monday, October 10, 2011
Indeed Crab. I'm also puzzled as to why he thinks he's missed the boat? I'm sure if he approached the board offering to invest a few million, a deal of some sort involving shareswhatever could be worked out. They certainly wouldn't "keep the wolf from the door"...ha,ha sorry that was dreadful. I just wish I was in that income league. Anyway, I'm sure to win the next Euro-millions draw so a £10 million chunk for transfers is on it's way...Ahem...
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Timbo
Sunday, October 9, 2011
@ lordyfan - to save going through it all again, see the posts lower down.
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The Crab
Sunday, October 9, 2011
To say nothing of the 1993 European run, eh Timbo!
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The Crab
Sunday, October 9, 2011
well, if what i have heard is correct 23mil in debt. lambert given 40mil for aquisitions and wages. and being promoted from the championship being worth 90mil.NCFC should be solvent. is this the case?
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lordyfan
Sunday, October 9, 2011
With that photo he is only showing he wanted a slice of the cake or several :p
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chebram71
Saturday, October 8, 2011
"Nothing since the Milk Cup" ? Mr. J seems to have missed out a whole previous promotion ( + reaching a play-off final). Who does he think we are? 1p5wich Down ?
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Timbo
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Hi fellow contributors. My stuff has been liquidated again, it seems. In the hope this is acceptable to the Grand Moderators, I agree with Crab! OTBC
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Mad Brewer
Saturday, October 8, 2011
I am thankful that JR was not wearing Wolverine claws during the Drogba incident. Of course getting rid of the debt all together runs the danger of brining in sharks like the Glaziers at ManU. They gave the well-run club a huge debt to finance their take-over bid and have been playing fast and loose with the cash ever since with soft private loans to the family etc. Definitely a case of the 99% v the 1%
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Swiss Canary
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Quite right Crab-again! We shouldn`t be thinking in terms of immediate relegation. From what we`ve seen so far this season there are clubs more vulnerable than us and not blessed with internal harmony. Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan, Sunderland, QPR, Swansea, Everton(!), Arsenal(!!), WBA (Roy Hodgson is out of favour hereabouts) spring to mind. We can do it! OTBC.
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Mad Brewer
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Almost right MBA, but the parachute payments only come into operation after relegation. Until that time the club will be paid an annual binus based upon its final League position each season. Hence the £90 million is a minimum that the club will receive as a result of last season's promotion. Are you expecting immediate relegation? I'm not, so I'd expect to see considerably more than £90 million income to the club over the next 4 years. And you can be sure that the Club has a sound Financial policy in place to deal with our outstanding debts!
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The Crab
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Who he?
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NchNthMan
Saturday, October 8, 2011
I thought the first lump was around 40m with the other 50m in parachute payments.
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MBA Marine
Saturday, October 8, 2011
MBA Marine - all that Premiership money isn't paid to us in one lump sum, it comes into the club in instalments. Given the number of players we signed, and the almost inevitable increase in wages, I would therefore be very surprised if our debt has been reduced significantly - so far. What we can say however is that the Premier League is committed to paying us around £90m over this and the next 4 seasons, so you can rest assured that McNally and the board have a plan in place to assure that our debt is reducedeliminated in that period, even while we do our best to remain competitive.
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ChibiSeicento
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Thought Wolves might have been more to his liking.
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Mad Brewer
Saturday, October 8, 2011
sounds like he is tryin to talk himself into another investment offer! We are doing well without big name investment (i know Deilia and S Fry are well known but i doubt there earning are close to the big money of many prem investors) but im sure an extra few million would come in handy. Speaking of money how is the debt reduction plan? we were careful in the spending dept considdering the number of plyers that came in. with our promotion windfall so has the 20m odd that was owed been re-paid? or do have crazy sitution of money in bank but still paying interest on borrowings?
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MBA Marine
Saturday, October 8, 2011