Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterRob Beckett admits he should have been a Crystal Palace fan but a love of Ian Wright rather skewed things.Most recently, the comedian has been a star of The Traitors alongside friend Romesh Ranganathan as a member of the faithful.But back in 2021, Beckett spoke to FourFourTwo exclusively about his life following the GunnersRob Beckett: 'Id do laughing gas with Grealish!'What was the first game you ever attended?Tottenham vs Arsenal in the early 90s it was 0-0 and there were loads of fights. We were south London I should be a Palace fan, really. But I just loved Ian Wright, so I started watching Arsenal. Im an Ian Wright fan first and an Arsenal fan second. I feel quite guilty I mean, I did have a season ticket for a few years, but I feel semi-ashamed because I should be Palace or Millwall. I dont get too upset about it like other fans either give me 10 minutes after a defeat and I dont care. You cant get in trouble for switching to a worse team, can you? You may like The Traitors star Romesh Ranganathan tells FourFourTwo all about his life supporting Arsenal My life is very strange Ive been in a bath with rose petals, recreating American Beauty, and over the California countryside in a hot air balloon that was also a pair of pants Peter Crouch tells FFT about his latest acting venture Dimitar Berbatov opens up on his career as a cult hero Is Wrighty your favourite footballer ever, then?Always! He was from near me in south London he looked like he enjoyed it whenever he played; he was a bit dirty and would have a fight. Hed kick Peter Schmeichel and I loved all that like when Martin Keown smacked Ruud van Nistelrooy on the head. I reckon I should have watched boxing instead really, because I hate it when people say that having a scrap in football is disrespectful and its such a shame no, its f**king brilliant. Id love for football to be a bit more like ice hockey: imagine how good it would be if Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira could just have a two-minute scrap and have it out properly.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Have you got to meet many of your footballing heroes?Well, I got to meet Wrighty when I did a radio show, and I was crap because I was so nervous. Then I saw him in the street. He just shouted, Oi, whats happening? and gave me a cuddle. I was like, Oh my god, he knows who I am! Then I started working with him on Absolute Radio and its so weird: they say dont meet your heroes, but it should be dont meet your heroes unless your hero is Ian Wright. Definitely meet him hes more than you can ever imagine.It was quite funny, because Id start to get annoyed with him whenever he turned up late. Id be sat there thinking, For f**ks sake, mate. A few years ago, Id have been desperate to meet him, and now Im getting the hump because hes turning up to work late. But hes a lovely bloke. I was at a hotel with my wife once for our anniversary, and Wrighty was there with his wife. He sent us over a bottle of champagne when my wife didnt actually get me anything that year. I got an anniversary present from Ian Wright instead of my wife... What to read next "Trabzonspor tried to sign this Ukrainian lad...I don't think they'd understood what the tournament was" England international and 'The Gaffer' comedian Josh Pugh explains partially-sighted football I sat on the bench for two months, so someone tweeted a picture of me to David Gold saying 'Missing person' and he retweeted. It was hilarious Michail Antonio on a curious incident from his early West Ham days Troy Deeney on coming back from the brink Do you get to Arsenal much?Nah, I had to give up my season ticket. Between having kids and touring, I very rarely go. I see those guys who sing over land and sea and think, What the f**ks happening in your home life? You know that lot?Its a waste of a life, Ive got to be honest. I think you can be too committed as a fan you really need a balance in your life.Whats the greatest goal youve ever seen live?I saw Aki Riihilahti score from about 35 yards for Palace, and was directly behind it. I must have been young, but I saw it bend it wasnt the best goal ever, but position-wise I couldnt have been any better. It probably wasnt even that good, but in my head it was unbelievable. It was the first proper long-range goal Id seen!Whats the funniest thing youve ever seen or heard at a game?Lloyd Griffith [fellow comedian, once of these pages] dropping his phone into a toilet at half-time during the Euros final at Wembley. You know when something happens and you just explode?Whos the one footballer youd love to take on a night out?I bumped into Paul Robinson while on a massive bender in Edinburgh, when he played for Blackburn. He came out on the piss Im not sure if hes calmed down, though. He just came to see my show up there. He once got smuggled into Arsenal for a meeting with Arsene Wenger apparently, but Wenger didnt want him and signed Richard Wright instead. Great decision.Theres Jimmy Bullard, too hes brilliant but he can be too much. So it just depends on how big this night out is going to be. But someone Ive not been out with is Jack Grealish. Id love to have a drink with him, because everyone loves Jack Grealish now, dont they? Phil Foden is great too, and I love Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, but theyre only kids. You need someone whos had a bit of a life you know, some headcase from the Championship. But no, Id do laughing gas with Grealish.Which player would you choose as your room-mate?Someone really little, Id imagine. Andrey Arshavin really small, really quiet. Would probably rather be in Russia. The smallest player whos ever played football, Id say.Which player do you like even though they never played for your club?Thats two-fold. We could have had someone like [Didier] Drogba upfront with Thierry Henry. But do I want to weaken another team or just make Arsenal great? Im overthinking this now! I think either Ronaldinho or fat Ronaldo. Its awful that hes just become fat Ronaldo now, isnt it?Who from your clubs past would you bring back for the current side?At their peak? In this team it has to be a centre-back or defensive midfielder, so if I could have a young Tony Adams coming through at 20 now, and you know youre getting 15-20 years of him at the back, that would be great. Id say either Adams or Patrick Vieira. Were all right with our attackers at the moment, but we need a leader to help us out a bit.Whos your current favourite player?I really like Smith Rowe. I think hes brilliant especially after the North London Derby [where he scored one, assisted one and won the man of the match award].If you could drop yourself into your all-time five-a-side team, who would you be playing alongside?Ive got to go with David Seaman in goal. There may be better goalkeepers, but hes so lovely youve got to think about morale. Id have Patrick Vieira in the middle. Thierry Henry upfront, of course. And then f**k it, Ill go Dennis Bergkamp as well. Just because then Ill really enjoy it Ill just be playing with a load of club legends.But then Ive not got Ian Wright, have I? Right, get rid of Henry and stick Wrighty in there for the banter. Ill just stay at the back with DaveTOPICSArsenalMark WhiteSocial Links NavigationContent EditorMark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge both past and present Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
