10 Surprising Revelations About Newcastle Players You'd Never Believe

3. Mike Hooper Became A Club Bouncer

Mike Hooper only ever played 25 times for the Magpies, and his stint at the club included a pointless loan at Sunderland so he will never be remembered with too much fondness at St. James' Park. The former Liverpool goalkeeper found opportunities restricted by the form of Pavel Srnicek and later Shaka Hislop, and the man's fate was sealed when he was spotted by cameras sniggering on the bench in the immediate aftermath of the concession of a Newcastle goal. He never donned a pair of gloves again. It's nearly 20 years later, and Hooper's profession has changed dramatically. Instead of trying to prevent shots from sneaking past him, it's drunken louts he's trying to keep out, working as a security bouncer for Studio nightclub in Chester-le-Street in Co.Durham. He's still letting them in.