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Ask Me I'll Tell You : Chris Doyle

Ask Me I’ll Tell You : Chris DoyleHe’s the rock at the heart of the FC defence who plays to win and who pioneered the ’solobration’, but did you know he’s got musical talent and has a plan to get Tunde to 60 goals next season? .

Q: What’s your daytime occupation?
I install fire protection equipment and materials for a building company, I’ve been doing that for a couple of years now; it’s a good job, really hands on which I enjoy and helps keep me fit.

Q: How are occupying yourself during the lockdown?
Before the lockdown happened my girlfriend and I bought our first house together and we’ve been working hard on that still doing bits and bobs, it’s keeping us busy but it’s exciting at the same time, decorating all the rooms and getting it how we want i before we move in.

Q: Do you watch any programmes at home that your partner watches that you secretly like but wouldn’t admit to her that you do?
Erm, yes she watches this thing on Netflix, it’s a sort of teen crime drama called Riverdale and she’ll have it on and I’m peeking over her shoulder to watch it; when I’ve had enough of the playstation I’ll casually suggest that she sticks it on. I wouldn’t put it on myself while she’s not in as she could see that I’ve been watching it ahead of her, she’d kill me!

Q: Favourite all-time television show (apart from the one you secretly love that your missus ’makes’ you watch):
I’m a big big fan of Game of Thrones, Jon Snow is the man and if anyone hasn’t seen it go and watch it!

Q: What’s the worst self inflicted injury you’ve had?
Very similar to Chaz (Charlie Ennis) in terms of the same knee injury,after training we always have a joke about ’how’s your knee coming along’ as we’ve sort of been through it together. I rushed back from a partial ACL and it completely ruptured which made the rehab period far longer than it needed to be, I was playing for Southport at the time and was out for nearly two years in total, I’ve been back now two seasons but it was a tough time, not only physically but also the mental side of things too.

Q: Best music gig you have ever seen and why?
Last year I saw Liam Gallagher in Liverpool, I was meant to be seeing him this year too in Manchester but it’s been cancelled. Oasis are my all-time favourite so watching him was a dream, it was amazing, he does a few of the classic Oasis numbers, considering he’s a Man City fan too I like everything about him, the way he is and he’s a funny guy.

Q:Guilty pleasures time:
Food - Definitely a takeaway pizza, Domino’s or a Pizza Hut, stuffed crust Meat feast or something like that, got to have meat on it!
Drink - If I’m having it with the pizza it would have been a lager but recently I’ve got into white wine, I’m not a wine snob or anything like that but got into it since moving in with my girlfriend, something like a Pinot Grigio is good.

Q: Last film you saw?
Avengers Endgame, I’ve watched all of the series and love them, I grew up watching all the superhero films and so during lockdown I made my girlfriend sit down and watch them all so she could enjoy them too! Really recommend the series to anyone.

Q: Biggest fashion faux pas?
Last summer I bought what I thought was a really nice shirt to go on holiday with, I got some stick off the missus when I put on on, but stupidly I put it on Instagram as a holiday photo and I got absolutely hammered "you look like a referee / foot locker assistant" you name it, those were some of the kinder comments. I thought it was nice when I bought it but given the amount of grief I got it’s been in the wardrobe ever since, maybe I’ll wear it for painting the house.

Gladiatorrrrr rrreadyyyyy!


Q: You’re playing for Manchester United against Liverpool who you have supported since a boy, you’ve got an open goal in front of you, it’s the last minute of the game and scoring sees the United win the title and relegates Liverpool - what would you do?
Tough call, well, professional mindset you’d just have to tuck it away but I’d get my head down after scoring and I’d just jog back to the half way line - there would be no solobration,.

Q: What would happen afterwards, friends/family reaction etc?
My brother and grandad would be waiting with pitchforks ready to kill me, my best mate who’s an Everton fan would be absolutely made up but I think deep-down I hope they’d be happy that I’d won the title, maybe I’d treat them or something to sweeten them up a bit!

Q: Favourite FC moment so far?
Easy one this, the last minute winner at Lancaster definitely, that’s up there as one of my best experiences in football ever, unbelievable, I can just remember Jack (Lenehan) crossing the ball in and I got my head on it then it went into the net in slow motion, then the fans just erupted, aaah it was amazing, it gives me shivers just thinking about it. If we’re ever in need of a goal with ten minutes to go then I’ll always be looking over to the bench to get up there. I used to play up front as a striker when I was younger so I’m not shy and would go up there if needed to.

Click here and scroll to to 1:00 to see that goal and hear that ROAR

Q: Would you ever consider becoming a referee if you had a good chance of making a career out of it?
No chance, no, there’s some good referees out there but I couldn’t do it, I think I could handle the stick but it doesn’t appeal.

Q: The first half hasn’t gone well, Reno is raging with the performance, he’s just kicked a football boot into one of the other players face - are you eyeballing him or looking at the floor hoping he doesn’t pick on you?
When I was younger I would have looked at the floor but now I would just look back at him, I think it’s more respectful to look back at him and take the criticism, so I’d keep eye-contact as I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

Q: Is there any FC player/staff  that you wouldn’t want to room with and why?
There isn’t anyone I wouldn’t want to share with particularly but I don’t think I’d share with the younger lads as they’re up all night and that’s not me, I like to get my head down and relax

Q: if you could play another position on the team what would you fancy?
Definitely as the target man up top, winning all the headers and flick-ons for the other forward, maybe it wouldn’t go with our style of play but I’d enjoy that, the feeling of scoring is unbelievable and I think Tunde would be getting 60+ goals a season if I was providing him service! 

Q: What’s your favourite part of playing football?
Definitely the fans, the noise, football without the fans and the atmosphere they create is nothing, at FC it’s spot on and that’s why I enjoy my football so much here.

Q: Record for keepy-ups (kick ups etc)?
I did about 300 when I was younger but I don’t think I could do that now, I’d get bored or cramp up or something!

Q: How many press-ups can you do before your arms start trembling ?
About 35-40, I tried the "Bring Sally up" challenge that Charlie Ennis shared and got about half-way, it’s solid.

Q: Any one handed ones?
No - doing two handed ones is hard enough!

Q: Do you have any talents or abilities other than on the pitch?
I used to play the guitar quite a bit, been a while though, I quite like singing and enjoy the initiations, I like a huge range of music but if you asked me to pick one to do at a karaoke I’d do "She’s Electric" - if there’s a chance at the Christmas do then I’ll be up there!

Q: What’s the worst initiation you’ve ever had to do when joining a new team?
I’ve never had a bad one as I quite enjoy the singing, when I joined FC I sang ’Country Road’ by John Denver and it went down really well, everyone joined in. I’ve never seen anything too brutal like some you hear about but a couple of years ago there was one where this lad had a routine where he started singing and started taking his clothes off, it went down horrendously, it didn’t get a laugh it didn’t get anything, it was awful and you were cringing for him. 



Chris is sponsored by Barsigns UK but if you’d like to sponsor one of the other players for the forthcoming season for only £250 (+ VAT) ,
then click this LINK Thank you






First Posted ~ 18:22 Mon 25 May 2020
News ID ~ 8717
Last Updated ~ 16:00 Fri 19 Feb 2021