CHAPTER 6:

Wednesday saw Ed playing his part for the city of Pittsburgh. They were making a movie and the film company had decided to use our old haunt, the Stardust Lounge, for a scene. As the movie was set in the past, Ed was swapping out the modern electronic machines in the bar and replacing them with ones contemporary with the movie's period. I guess it helps if you have a warehouse full of such machines.

Mike Fabus had invited us over to the Steelers’ training ground at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex for lunch, so we headed down to the South Side. The complex is shared by the Steelers and the University football team, the Panthers.

The car park was packed and we eventually found the last available spot. A touch of solid reversing always comes in handy when the steering wheel is on the wrong side. Well if you are English it does! The complex was extra busy as it was the day of coach Tomlin’s press conference.

As we waited for Mike at the reception desk, we began talking to the receptionist, as you do. No, I didn’t invite her back to England! In answer to her question as to whether it was our first visit, the poor girl had to suffer the history of all my previous trips.

She did ask me if Pete was my son. I wasn’t quite certain what to make of that?

A KDKA cameraman overheard us exchanging pleasantries and recognised that we didn’t have Pittsburgher accents. I’m afraid that our accents do stick out, as would Bin Laden in a monastery!

The TV man began to inquire where we were from and why we were over, then Mike arrives so I handed the cameraman one of my black and gold cards and joined Mike, while Pete gave the guy his phone number.

I think Mike had forgotten that Mike Tomlin’s press conference had been move from the Tuesday, which is why the complex was full of Pittsburgh’s media; well the canteen was packed with diners now that the press conference had finished.

Mike gave us a tour of the facilities, including the players’ locker room (another great photo opportunity), while the Steelers trained outside. As Mike showed us around, we watched the team through the huge glass windows of the gym going through their warm-up.

Mike then took us to the canteen to eat and introduced us to Art Rooney Jr., who was just leaving, but I don’t think it was anything I said. I had met Dan Rooney several times before, but Art had always managed to avoid that particular trauma.

While we were eating our lunch, Mike told me about a couple of shops that sold Ugg boots; this information from his lovely Linda. My daughter doesn’t know how lucky she is to have so many people looking out for her. I’m on a trip to see the Steelers and everyone is looking out for Jodie's boots.

Mike showed us the Steelers’ trophy room which hosted the five symbols of the Steelers success as a football team – the Lombardi trophies. Named after the Vince Lombardi, who coached the Green Bay Packers from 1958-1967. The trophy is presented to the winner of each year’s Super Bowl.

Under the guidance of Vince Lombardi, the Packers won Super Bowls I and II. He passed away Spetember 3rd 1970 and a week later the Super Bowl trophy was renamed in his honour. Lombardi was inducted into Canton’s Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

When I began my adventures to Pittsburgh in the nineties, the Steelers four Lombardi trophies were located in the reception area in Three Rivers Stadium. They were the rewards of a glorious decade that saw the Steelers dominate pro-football.

On the first of my many visits to the stadium, replaced by Heinz Field in 2001, it was an obvious buzz to have my photo taken in front of those trophies.

This year Mike provided me with an unexpected chance to have my photo taken in front of all five trophies, including the one from my eventful visit for Super Bowl XL eighteen months previously. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

Modern technology in Mike’s office meant that he had printed our photos within a few minutes of taking them. Carefully armed with the spoils of our visit, and very appreciative of the time Mike spent with us, we left the poor man to get on with his real work .

On the way back to our hotel, we couldn’t pass Piper’s Pub, on East Carson, without paying it a visit. This is the place to be if you want to watch Premiership Football while in Pittsburgh. The previous year, I had watched Liverpool win the FA Cup at 1000 in the morning of Ed’s wedding.

I still remember Jodie coming out with that big grin on her face after Liverpool had won the penalty shootout. I never watch penalties so had sat outside in the car. That always works for Liverpool and me.

Pittsburgh's Vietnam Memorial is adjacent to Piper's, so we made time to pay our respects.

That evening it was off to the Capital Grille on Fifth Avenue. A pricey restaurant that could well have focussed on providing a service as opposed to swamping the tables with waiters, who nevertheless somehow managed to bring the vegetables five minutes after serving the meals.

We adjourned to the bar after the meal and met up with an Englishman, who was visiting from Tennessee. He introduced us to David Beihoff, the President of my favourite newspaper, the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. I paid my compliment to Pittsburgh's premier newspaper in the eighties by calling the UK Black & Gold’s newsletter, "The Pittsburgh Steelers Gazette," when I first started sending it out .

Mr. Beihoff decided to pay tribute to the fans who had come from the UK and offered me the ultimate present. To celebrate the Steelers' 75th anniversary, the Post-Gazette was giving away 34 medallions of the players from the anniversary team, at a rate of one a day.

I would obviously not be staying long enough to collect them all so he promised me the complete collection. They duly landed on my doorstep after I had arrived home and now have pride of place in my Steelers’ room. What a superb gesture from Mr. Beihoff!

CHAPTER 7>>>