John Fashanu
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| John Fashanu | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Fashanu | |
| Date of birth | September 18, 1962 | |
| Place of birth | Kensington, London, England | |
| Nickname | Fash | |
| Position | Forward | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Cambridge United | ||
| Professional clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (goals) |
| 1979-1983 1983 1983-1984 1984-1986 1986-1994 1994 |
Norwich City Crystal Palace (loan) Lincoln City Millwall Wimbledon Aston Villa |
7 (1) 1 (0) 36 (11) 50 (12) 276 (107) 13 (3) |
| National team | ||
| 1989 | England | 2 (0) |
|
* Professional club appearances and goals |
||
John "Fash" Fashanu (born September 18, 1962 in Kensington, London) is a British television presenter and ex-footballer. He was a strong centre-forward with a powerful volley.
Contents |
[edit] Football career
Fashanu's footballing career began at Norwich City in 1979. He had brief loan spell with Crystal Palace before joining Lincoln City and later Millwall. He made his Millwall debut on 15th December 1984. Fashanu played 65 overall games for The Lions, scoring 19 goals. His fame grew considerably from 1986 when he joined Wimbledon, at that time the self-proclaimed "Crazy Gang" which had gained several promotions in rapid succession. In 1988, Fashanu helped Wimbledon win the FA Cup, beating Liverpool in a final that was billed as a "rags versus riches" affair, although the two clubs were separated by just six places in the First Division. Fashanu claimed two England caps - against Chile and Scotland in a friendly tournament in May 1989. During his time at Wimbledon, Fash scored 126 goals, but he still lags behind Alan Cork, the club's leading goalscorer.
In the summer of 1994 Fashanu moved to Aston Villa. In 1995 he hit the front pages as well as the back when The Sun published allegations of match-fixing against Fashanu, fellow Wimbledon player Hans Segers and Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. Although all three players were eventually cleared of the allegations, they were ordered to pay their own legal costs.
[edit] Post-football career
Following retirement from the game through injury, Fashanu became a television presenter. He presented the UK edition of Gladiators alongside Ulrika Jonsson in the mid-1990s where he would often shout his catchphrase "awooga". In 2003 he came second in the second series of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. Later that year he presented Fash's Football Challenge, a reality television show that followed Fashanu managing an amateur football team.
Since retirement Fashanu has also maintained his sporting connections, becoming involved with the Nigerian Football Association, and as chairman of Welsh football team Barry Town for a year, vacating this post in 2003.
He also compiled a detailed report on corruption in Nigeria in the 80s and 90s that came to be known in the financial and media community as the "Fashanu Report".
John is involved in the Wimbledon Old Players's Association, an organisation set up by the Wimbledon Independent Supporters Association. On its launch in September 2005 Fashanu said "I am proud to join up with the Wimbledon Old Players’ Association.
"It’s going to be great to be back as part of the Wimbledon family. As an ex-Wimbledon player, I know all about the heroics of the likes of Roy Law and Dickie Guy in the old days, as well as what the new boys have been doing at AFC Wimbledon".
John is the younger brother of Justin Fashanu, and controversially told 'The Voice' magazine: "My gay brother is an outcast".
[edit] Cult status
Fashanu has mild cult status following his presenting of Gladiators and his trademarks catchphrase "awooga", and a brief appearance on the early 90s bbc spoof news show The Day Today where a montage of video clips of him are shown with threatening music and presenter Chris Morris repeating his name in an American accent.
Australian band, Magic Lunchbox, have a song entitled "Fashanu", which sends up the match fixing allegations with lines such as, "What are you gonna do Johnny Fashanu? Who do you think you are? Bruce Grobbelaar?". The track appears on the band's 2005 release, "Spastique".
[edit] Links
- [1] The Fash LiveJournal
- [2]The Fash Gang vs China White Crew Video
- [3]Akabiso and Fash LMFAO Story.
Categories: Cleanup from September 2006 | All pages needing cleanup | English footballers | England international footballers | People of Nigerian descent | 1962 births | People from Kensington | Living people | Norwich City F.C. players | Crystal Palace F.C. players | Lincoln City F.C. players | Millwall F.C. players | Wimbledon F.C. players | Aston Villa F.C. players | English television presenters | I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!
