VENISON: FROM THE KOP TO LA

BY

WITH his mullet bouffant and flamboyant jackets, former Liverpool star Barry Venison was one of ITV’s leading football pundits in the late 90s.

But, in 2003, he shunned the TV cameras for a new life in California.

There was a brief football reconnection, coaching Orange County Blues in the USL Pro League, but it’s been mostly fun in the sun.

“I had a chanceto go over to America to help build houses, but surfing quickly took over!” said Venison, 58, (above).

“When I was at Liverpool, we had a lot of things going on with remodelling houses, delving into the property market. I had the chance to advance that business in America.

“After making the decision, my wife and I made sure there were no bridges back.

“We sold our properties, so there was nothing to come back to.

“We are still in Southern California, just outside Los Angeles. We love it. I’m more into my motorbikes now.

“I can spend three or four hours on those windy, twisty roads and I might see one car, one motorbike. I love it.

“We couldn’t be more mundane, bland. I would say 99.9 percent of the people on the street have not got any idea that I ever played football and was on TV. I went from being on TV, in some people’s eyes a household name.

“Now I can go to any part of the USA, walk down the beach with my backside hanging out of my shorts and nobody gives a stuff because I’m a nobody.

“When I retired at Southampton, I got a call from ITV would I like to link up with Gabby Yorath for On The Ball? It was moving on from ‘Saint and Greavsie’, It was nothing like their show.

“We must have been doing something right because dodgy jackets and mullet hairstyles lasted for six years.

“Nice work if you can get it.”