A bizarre Midweek Sport Special interview with Ron Atkinson from this week in 1989. Here Big Ron turns up at the Euro Figure Skating Champs in Birmingham, to discuss his sacking as Atletico Madrid boss after just 94 days in charge. Extraordinary stuff.

Yeah but what did he think of Katerina Witt’s double axle?

The off air of this had Colin Addison ringing in too, seeking assurances that it wouldn't look like he was stitching Ron up by accepting the job. It very much did look like that. I also seem to remember Jo Conway and Nicky Slater in the ice skating.

So was he sacked or just skating on thin ice? ⛸️

He knew how to order a Pina Colada in Spanish that’s all he needed 😂

I remember another interview with Ron shortly after Jesus Gil sacked him and he referred to Gil as Mad Max 😂

“Well, with Ron supposedly frozen out in Madrid, let’s return to the ice rink here at the NEC.”

Ah, those far-off halcyon days before the prem, when we'd chuckle at the crazy antics of trigger-happy (occasionally in more ways than one...) overseas club owners like Jesus Gil y Gil and thank our lucky stars that English football had been spared from such 'characters'.🌹👓

@coldfoot80

Good old Jesus Gil. Hiring and firing at will.

Wait a minute. Big Ron managed Atletico Madrid?! Never knew that.

I watched the video before reading the post. Spent 2 minutes wondering where the hell that stadium was and figured it must a Soccer 6 event 😳 Bizarre that Big Ron would get a 'football interview' at ice skating 🤪😆

Plain speaking 👌

Atleti's president at the time, Jesus Gil, has countless bizarre stories like this one

@charltontwit1

@dani57

@VinceRugari what a time to be alive.