Gilded Cage

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Eamonn O'keefe, Prince Abdullah bin-Nasser And One of the princes, women in the Barracuda restaurant in London in 1976, The Grand Hotel, Cannes, 1976. On a hot Summer Night , a Rich Man and a poor man stand in an Elevator.

The Rich Man is Prince Abdullah bin Nasser: the grandson of The Founder of Saudi Arabia ; son ex-the Governor of Riyadh; rich beyond all imagination.

The poor man is Eamonn O'keefe: footballers from Manchester , the son of a print worker, owner of a terraced House in Oldham.

The Men come from The Casino . Abdullah has Lost - he has Lost - But no matter. If You are a Saudi Prince, a few thousand dollars is Lunch Money .

Eamonn't gamble, But he has won. Two years earlier, he was trying to reserve at Plymouth Argyle in the third tier of English football, coins for the electricity meter.

Now, he is flying with the jet-set: first-class-aircraft, five-star hotels, on a Grand Tour of Europe with one of The World 's richest families.

And Then , in the Elevator, Abdullah turns to Eamonn.

"I have sense, tell You something," says Abdullah. He puts His hand on Eamonn's shoulder. "I think I love You . "

Eamonn, The Prince Can smell the breath; cigarettes and Johnnie Walker whiskey. Nervous, he replies. "You Mean , Like a brother?"

"no," says Abdullah. "Not Like a brother. "

And, on a hot summer evening in Cannes, where the trouble began.

Eamonn (front left), pictured with the Manchester Boys team. "I broke my leg 15 Minutes After This was taken" Eamonn, who is now 65 years old, grew up in post-war England, in a three-bedroom, semi-detached Council House in Blackley, north Manchester . He had Three Brothers , Two Sisters and a dog. Gran also lived with them. Where did the sleep?

"I'm always amazed, still," he says in a hotel in Manchester , smiled at the memory.

His father, an Irishman, ran the St. Clare Catholic men's football team. His mom washed and ironed kit; cost of the balls is repeated, then waxed with dubbin before the next match.

Eamonn would play the apartment 30 meters from The Park and he will be there, on the wet Manchester grass until it was dark. He was a fine footballer: picked for Manchester schools and the Manchester United youth team in a match against Altrincham, he broke His leg.

His dream - to play under the floodlights at Old Trafford was over. Instead, he left school and worked as an errand-runner for the Manchester Evening News.

If His leg was better, he signed for Stalybridge Celtic, a semi-professional club in the vicinity. His first manager was George Smith , an ex-player, the the building an international career as a coach.

George - who had already manage in Iceland - on The Left of Stalybridge, Al-Hilal, one of the biggest clubs in Saudi Arabia . Soon afterwards, Eamonn left to move 300 miles to the South, to sign as a professional for Plymouth.

But he was unhappy there - His wages, which hardly covers the rent, and he lasted less than a season. Then, after Coming Home , he received a letter.

The postmark was in Arabic.

Eamonn, who is still in the North west of England, revisiting one of His former streets in Manchester , The Letter was lives of George Smith . He wanted to Eamonn fly to Saudi for a month study. If he impressed - and could be The Heat treat - he would Al-Hilal is The First European signing.

"It was November, I think, it was snowing [in Manchester ]," says Eamonn. "I thought -" This is not a bad choice. '"

But it was not addressed only to The Weather . Eamonn was married with Two Children : a spell That would Mean in Saudi , he thought, the repayment of the mortgage on His House earlier than he thought.

He went to London, and flew to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Cairo and Jeddah. On arrival in Jeddah, he knew he was in a Different World . A Saudi official took His Sunday Express, took a pair of scissors, and Cut Out the pictures of the women so That only their heads.

It could have been worse, says Eamonn: The Man who was next to him the news of The World .

The culture shock came. In Riyadh, George Eamonn waited on The Runway , sitting on the hood of a giant Buick. Drove home, Eamonn a Morris Mini estate.

In Manchester , fish and chips were a delight. In the five-star hotel, Eamonn signed up for the free food and drink.

Eamonn - a 22-year-old from a Council House - was the universe to an alternative. It was not just The Heat , or the Palm Trees or the shimmering desert to the horizon. It was the wealth.

The formation of Opec in 1960, and the 1973 oil crisis meant there was a boom in the Saudi economy. Between 1970 and 1980, the economy of the Country have shot up by More Than 3,000%. It is the revel in of oil, and serious men of money had seriously. Eamonn was to meet one of them.

Eamonn O'keefe (the second on The Right ) plays for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s Eamonn for The First time and saw Prince Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Hilal's training ground in Riyadh.

was Still On Trial , he played a practice game, when Abdullah, The President of The Club , pulled up in a blue Buick. From The Pitch , Eamonn, a pair of eyes peering looked through the rolled-down window.

"George said: 'See You on the other side of The Car there? This is my laddo - The President . He says Yes or no [to The Contract ]. So sharpen it!'"

Straight away, The Ball came in from The Right wing. Eamonn's eyes lit up. He jumped up, blonde curls Bouncing in the desert air and headed The Ball towards the goal.

"enumeration of characters in The Top corner," he says, More Than 40 Years later. "And I my list. "

Five Minutes later, The Ball came in from The Left wing. Again he jumped. Again, The Ball bounced off The Top corner. As they waited to re-start The Game , George whispered in Eamonn's ear.

"What do You think," he said, referring to Eamonn wage further adding to demand is, "nothing. "

After The Match , Eamonn, still in His welding kit, soaked, went to meet The Prince . Abdullah asked if The Hotel was OK; Eamonn said it was. Abdullah asked if George was happy; George said he was.

"Then You go to The Hotel and make a note of your needs," said The Prince .

Eamonn and George made a list: money, car, flat, flights to England and a private school education for the cost of Two Children when they were Old Enough . At the next training session, The Blue Buick pulled up. George gave Abdullah The List .

"No problem," said The Prince .

home, Eamonn earned £40 per week to play plus £15 football. His new weekly wage was around £140 - equal to £1,100 Today , according to Bank of England inflation data. There were no taxes, no bills, and No Worries .

With His contract, Eamonn flew back to Manchester , grabbed agreed to His suitcase and returned to Riyadh with His Family . First of all, You stayed in a hotel, and - as before - Paid for nothing.

"The Bill was breathtaking, But it was never Put into question," says Eamonn.

His wife has a well Paid job at The First National City Bank, and, as Al-Hilal trained only twice a week, Eamonn brought His time at the pool, on the search for The Children , talking football with George . They were blissful days in the desert. "I Can still see That The Children with the floats on," he says.

From the beginning, Abdullah liked Eamonn. He bought him a car - "a silver Pontiac Ventura, on the hood Like a Runway " and often invited him to tea. You watched football on a big screen (a luxury, 1976) or language Abdullah brothers.

It was an unlikely set-up - a blonde boy from England welcomed the Saudi Royal Court , But Eamonn enjoyed it. He was young and confident, and found the Saudis amazingly down-to-earth " and "Art". In some ways, it was Like being in Manchester - except here, His friends, the Country of delivery.

On The Pitch , the went things good. Eamonn liked His team-mates, and The Team to the semi-finals of The King reached ' s Cup (in front of the loss, penalties for rivals Al-Nassr). Saudi Arabia was not perfect - Eamonn went once to a place where a public flogging took place, with His children in the back Seat - But life was good.

When the season ended, the O'Keefes returned to England for a holiday. Before they left, Abdullah asked for Eamonn's phone number.

"I'm also planning a trip to England," said The Prince . "We were supposed to meet. "

Eamonn was The First European Pro-playing in the Saudi League After three weeks in England, Abdullah Eamonn mother-House called, where the O'Keefes were housed. Eamonn was so His mother took The Call .

"how-is-he-was on The Phone ," she said to her son. "That Prince fella. "

Eamonn by the name of Abdullah - back - Reverse -charge at Carlton Tower, a hotel near Harrods in London. Two Days later, he was in a train to Euston. A chauffeur met him at The Station .

If one of Abdullah's aides, new shoes needed, Eamonn received 200 € and sent to a few buy. He gave it back to £150, and went to Marks & Spencer.

"Different World ," says Eamonn.

According to Abdullah made His move, the Elevator suddenly smaller, says Eamonn.

how?

mossley, cork, long reads, manchester, saudi arabia

Source of news: bbc.com