Comedian John Bishop described a painful yet humorous encounter to Jeremy Vine. A generation of Stoke City fans will remember a single 19-second clip from a pre-season friendly at Chester.
Eddie Bishop, a Chester midfielder and the brother of comedian John Bishop, was watching from the stands in July 1995 while recovering from an injury. A poor Stoke clearance came his way, and in an attempt to head it back onto the pitch, he careered down steps, tumbled head over heels over a fence, and lay in a heap on his back.
A video of the incident has gone viral multiple times on social media, including in 2020, when it was picked up by television and radio broadcaster Jeremy Vine.
John Bishop contacted Vine to explain: “Eddie was a Chester player at the time, out injured, but couldn’t resist heading the ball as it went out. The fall kept him out for another two weeks! Kevin Ratcliffe, the manager, was not happy! So you and I both have comedians for brothers.”I really enjoy this. Eddie Bishop, an injured footballer, tumbled down some steps during a Chester FC game, exactly 25 years ago today. It was all caught on camera, but I had no idea what caused it. So I tweet a video that I saw on the @chesterotd account, and when I mention that Eddie is the brother of John Bishop, the legendary comic, he gets in touch to explain.
Eddie Bishop was Chester’s then-£70,000 club record signing when he arrived in 1990, and he would score 30 goals in six years and more than 130 games for the club, including the first at the newly-built Deva Stadium in 1992. He has made headlines several times while injured. In 1995, he used the PA microphone to insult the referee during a match against Hereford United, who had denied a Chester penalty claim. He is presently an artist who specializes in iron sculpture.
It’s been 18 years to the day that Stoke City last traveled to Chester for a pre-season friendly, their second game since Tony Pulis returned as manager. Hannes Sigurdsson and Peter Kopteff scored 2-0 The Potters emerged victorious.Over the years, the clubs have enjoyed a beneficial relationship, with David Okagbue and Tom Sparrow benefiting from loans, and Jon Walters, who has returned to Stoke as sporting director, will be greeted warmly. Walters, who had controversially joined Chester from Denis Smith’s Wrexham, caught the notice of Ipswich Town in an FA Cup match and set himself on course to join Stoke in the Premier League.
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