ERIC AS BOLD AS BRASS
MANCHESTER UNITED legend Eric Cantona once missed a court appearance for his infamous kung-fu attack on a Crystal Palace fan – because he was learning to play the trumpet.
Cantona had a two-week jail sentence overturned on appeal after pleading guilty to an assault charge for a flying kick into the chest of Palace supporter Matthew Simmons after he had been sent off at Selhurst Park in January 1995.
But it seems the Frenchman went AWOL before one appearance in the dock – and turned up in Manchester city centre music shop Forsyth’s asking for trumpet lessons.
The store, which has been situated on Deansgate for over 164 years, has sold instruments to rock stars like Jimmy Page, The Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr and John Squire of the Stone Roses.
Former United star David Beckham (below) once purchased a piano from there – but Emma Loat, whose family have owned the shop since its opening 15 years before the first FA Cup Final in 1872, has revealed that Cantona became a surprise customer during the most controversial period of his career.
“We had loads of musicians buying pianos here,” she told Manchester Confidential.
“There’s been Peter Gabriel, Jimmy Page, Gary Barlow, Billy Bragg, Manic Street Preachers, Johnny Marr, Mani and John Squire from the Stone Roses. Victoria Wood too.
“There have been footballers who want pianos such as David Beckham.
“One of those footballers was slightly different in approach. He didn’t want a piano, (it was) Eric Cantona – and he wanted a trumpet.
“It was a bit curious all round. After he was sent off for that kung-fu incident at Crystal Palace, he had to make court appearances.
“During one such appearance, he was a no-show. Instead, he was in one of our practice rooms with my dad learning the trumpet. “You might have seen him playing it in films.” Cantona did indeed play the trumpet in the Ken
Loach movie ‘Looking for Eric’ in 2009.
He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service for the assault on Simmons.