A Very Tragic ‘Storey’

One of the best days of my life was when I got to stand in front of Emirates stadium and look at it in person. If you haven’t guessed from that one sentence, I am an Arsenal FC fan. I only started following them a few years ago but they are an easy team to fall in love with. Now if I could just get to see them play in London than I am golden. Peter Storey was a full back/ defensive midfielder for Arsenal in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He was known mainly for his aggressive playing style and was often put on the field as an enforcer (although management would never admit it). I never got to watch this guy play as it was way before my time. Both my parents were just children and teenagers throughout his career to put it in perspective for you. I have heard he was pretty damn good though. He also had some……interesting…… extracurricular activities. 

Peter Edwin Storey was born on September 7, 1945 in Farnham, Surrey, England, to Edwin and Nellie Storey. As a child he would occasionally attend matches at the Recreation Ground to see Aldershot play in the Fourth Division with his father. This is where his love of football began. He soon attracted the attention of Arsenal with his performances at schoolboy level and as they say, the rest was history. 

Shortly after leaving school in 1961 Storey signed as an apprentice with the Arsenal Gunners at the ripe young age of 16. During his time as an apprentice he focused mainly on his career deciding not to go out to nightclubs and pubs with his fellow apprentices. Dude, if I was 16 and have free reign, I would be out partying every single night. Just kidding, my crippling anxiety would make me the buzzkill of the group. By September 1962 Storey signed professional papers (I guess his strict, focused ways paid off) playing for the Arsenal third team, Metropolitan league. Storey made his senior debut on October 30, 1965 after taking Billy McCullough’s spot during a match against Leicester City. He stayed in the first team place and played in the rest of that seasons remaining 29 games. 

Peter Storey quickly made a name for himself as a nasty player in early 1966 after he intentionally injured Manchester City winger Mike Summerbee. Arsenal’s new manger Bertie Mee was having none of it, telling Storey to get his shit together after he was involved in a fight during an FA Cup match against Gillingham FC. On the other hand, Storey was never directly told to use force while playing he was often told; “You know what to do, Peter” before being sent out on the field. It would later come out that other players felt in fear once Storey decided they were a “marked man” during a match. When asked about his style of play Storey had this to say; “Here are a few choice words which have been used to describe me: assassin, bastards’ bastard (courtesy of ‘Chopper’ Harris), boot boy, bully, calculating, ‘cold eyes’, destructive, dirty, hatchet man, merciless, pernicious, rogue, ruthless, thug, vicious.” At least he never had to guess how others in the league felt about him. In March 1977 after a wonderful yet dirty run with Arsenal Storey would leave to play for Fullham FC. His contract would end in November that same year and Storey would announce his retirement from football. I should mention that Peter Storey played for the national team of England from 1971 to 1973.

Mr. Storey was dirty on and off the field. Shall we see what kind of fun stuff he has gotten himself into? In 1975 Storey’s life would slowly start to take a downward spiral after he took a three-year tenancy agreement out on the ‘Jolly Farmers’ pub in London. At the time it was common for footballers to invest in pubs and he followed the lead of some of his Arsenal teammates. He became more dependent on alcohol as his career at Arsenal came to an end. During this time his second marriage began to fall apart as Storey began to spend more time at his pub and less time at home. He also invested in a minicab firm in Newington Green, London that never really got off the ground.  

Are you talking to me…? Are you talking to…me!? Peter Storey was an enforcer on the field and wise guy off of it. Shortly after the failure of his minicab company Storey started to pal around with local gangsters known as the “Berry Brothers”. He would provide finance and storage for the cast die to help the “brothers” with their counterfeit money ring. He was eventually arrested for this and while on bail (are you guys ready for this one) my man opened up a brothel he named the “Calypso Massage Parlour”. I guess he had to make a living somehow once his football career ended. The parlor was operated by three women along with Storey himself. He had hopes that the money made from this ummm…..business venture would allow him to flee to Spain. I guess he really didn’t want to face those conspiracy to produce counterfeit money charges. Again, I seriously can’t make this stuff up! I’m just not that good. Too bad Storey would have the same happy ending as his clients who frequented the brothel.

Storey was soon arrested and on December 22, 1979 he pled guilty to ‘keeping a brothel’. Come one Pete, that close to Christmas? Santa is not going to be very happy, unless he stopped by the brothel. Peter Storey was given a £700.00 fine and a six-month suspended sentence. He did do a small amount of jail time after he was charged with contempt of court since he failed to show up for his bankruptcy hearings. Dang Petey, you are really playing it fast and loose here my friend. In September 1980 the trial for conspiracy to produce counterfeit money came to a close and Storey was sentenced to three years imprisonment. 

April 1982 Storey was given a 12-month suspended sentence for stealing two cars he had on hire purchase whilst running his minicab firm. Peter, baby, what is you doing!? But wait! There’s more! Poor Petey had to go on unemployment benefits for a while after he was released from prison. I’m sure the guys at the benefits office must have really gotten a kick out of processing that claim. In 1990, he was jailed for 28 days for attempting to import 20 pornographic videos from Europe which he had hidden in a spare tire. Hey, you can’t know the dude’s creativity. After his release he worked as a minicab driver in Islington; a borough in London. In1995 Storey moved to Istanbul and started working as a chauffeur for Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (A member of the Qatari royal family). Whew, say that 5 times fast. In 2004, he moved to a village near Toulouse in Southern France with his wife Daniele Scorceletti. He would end up selling most of his football memorabilia and medals for £20,000. In September 2010 he released a no-holds-barred autobiography, True Storey: My Life and Crimes as a Football Hatchet Man. What a fun play on words! If anyone knows where I can find a copy of that please inform me, I would love to read that. In said autobiography Peter Storey addressed his fall from grace stating that; “I was never a criminal mastermind, but rather a foolish former footballer with more money than sense… It sounds so big-time, so glamorous doesn’t it? All I did was lend some money to blokes I thought were going to make a few quid by knocking out cheap imitation jewellery.”

Well folks there you have it the tragic story of well…. Peter Storey. His time with Arsenal will not easily be forgotten and he will always be remembered as the “bastard’s bastard”. Hey at least we all know that if our current jobs fall through, we can possible open a brothel. 

Sources:

Where are they now? – Just Arsenal

True Storey – Peter Storey

England Players – England Football

Footballers Behind Bars – Football Stars