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Quickly Kevin; will he score? The 90s Football Show
Quickly Kevin; will he score? The 90s Football Show

Dave Beasant Part 1 (QK Reloaded)

April 27, 2026 • 55m

Summary

⏱️ 11 min read

Overview

Dave Besant, legendary goalkeeper for Wimbledon, Chelsea, Southampton and more, shares incredible stories from the Crazy Gang era. From Sam Hammam taking penalties in brogues to Bobby Gould wrestling Dennis Wise in 'the circle,' Besant reveals what life was really like at Plough Lane during football's most notorious team culture. He discusses the 1988 FA Cup Final, being football's first sweeper-keeper, and how the WhatsApp group 'Don's and One Irritant' keeps the Crazy Gang spirit alive today.

Andre Villas-Boas: Football's Most Connected Teenager

The hosts discover that Andre Villas-Boas lived in the same apartment block as Bobby Robson at age 16, leading to an impromptu deep dive into his extraordinary early career. By 21, he was managing the British Virgin Islands, having already obtained all his coaching licenses as a teenager. The discussion hilariously explores how living in proximity to football royalty essentially made him 'football's equivalent of an Old Etonian,' with the hosts imagining scenarios of teenage Villas-Boas discussing Championship Manager tactics with Sir Bobby in the lift.

  • Villas-Boas lived in the same apartment block as Bobby Robson at age 16, leading to his breakthrough in football management
  • He obtained his coaching licenses at remarkable ages: C license at 17, B license at 18, A license at 19
  • At 21, he was managing the British Virgin Islands national team
  • He was managing Chelsea at 33, just three years older than Josh is during recording
" He's football's equivalent of an Old Etonian. He's a made man. "
" It was like a badly written football movie. It's like a terrible version of goal. Or like, woof. Next time you'd see it on CITV. "

Life in the Wimbledon Crazy Gang: Training With Dogs and Nightclubs Under Stands

Besant reveals the chaotic reality of Wimbledon's infamous culture, from training on public parks with dogs running across the pitch to having a nightclub (Nelson's) under the stand as their post-match players' bar. He describes the brutal initiation rituals, including having his crash helmet filled with talcum powder and younger players being thrown in wicker skips and covered in flour and eggs. The goalkeeper explains how standing up to Wally Downes in training was his test to become accepted as a Wimbledon player.

  • Wimbledon trained at a transport cafe on a public park where people walked dogs and rode bikes across training sessions
  • The club had Nelson's nightclub under the stand which served as the players' bar after matches
  • Besant's initiation involved having his crash helmet filled with talcum powder, leaving him with grey hair for two weeks
  • Young players were put in wicker skips, soaked with liquid, and covered in flour and eggs as initiation
  • Ian Holloway struggled with the Wimbledon culture despite his later reputation as a tough character
" It was a form of bullying, but it was the making of Wimbledon. You had to be strong enough to come through the onslaught that was given to you from certain players. "
" Wally told me, 'why don't you get on your motorbike and go back to Edgeware Town?' He was a little bit stronger than that. "

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