Not many 22-year-olds would name Lionel Ritchie and Jamie Oliver as major influences on their life, but Andy Bishop is a man with an old head on young shoulders.
His formative years have seen the Leicester lad take in the sights of Europe, attend two major football tournaments and embark on two university degrees.
Andy’s passion for travel was ingrained into him from his father, who moved to Leicester at 18 from his home in London’s East End. “I support West Ham because I wanted to be like my dad, he was a bit of a trailblazer. I want to see where the journey takes me too.”
So far, Andy’s journey has taken him to both Newcastle and Brighton Universities. “I studied Economics at Newcastle, but realized within 10 minutes of my first lecture that it wasn’t for me. I have no regrets though, just more experience.”
This led him to make a more informed decision when he came to Brighton University, choosing to study Sport Journalism. Here, he is able to satisfy his major passion – sport and letting people know his opinions on it.
“I’m quite chilled out, but Frank Lampard wearing an England shirt really gets me angry. Tottenham get me angrier than anything else, especially if they beat West Ham!” Andy clearly cares about his football.
This has seen him globetrot around some of club football’s most respected teams, from AC Milan to Real Madrid, Ajax to Barcelona. “I took a gap year after A Levels, and traveled around Europe. The whole experience was incredible, experiencing different cultures, meeting new people.”
The continent made such an impression that Andy would consider moving abroad. “I am up for trying anything, and would definitely do it. Italy really appeals to me, mainly because I love Serie A!”
Leaving his roots behind wouldn’t be too challenging for somebody with experience at passing himself off as a fanatical Dutch supporter, like Andy did in Frankfurt last year. “I went to Germany 2006; one night after a few too many beers we decided to pretend we were from Amsterdam and adopt Ruud Gullit’s accent. The only ones not convinced were the actual Dutch fans, they saw straight through us!”
This is typical of Andy’s attitude to life, finding fun wherever he can. “The simple things in life make me happy – Jamie Oliver is an inspiration to everyone! But a good night out, lovely girls with cheeky smiles, they make me happy.”
However, the student has a moral conscience, which has seen him become involved in schemes such as Football For Peace, an organisation that uses football to offer hope to children in places torn apart by war and conflict. “I would like to use my skills as a journalist to get more publicity for the scheme; I think it’s a really worthwhile cause.”
Making a difference like this is central to Andy’s own personal philosophy on life. “As Desree said, ‘Money don’t make my world go round, I’m reaching out to a higher ground.’ But no, seriously, having good people around you and being happy, they are the truly important things.”
Though this isn’t a clear vision of the future, Andy is sure he is on a journey somewhere. “Maybe I won’t know where I’m going and what I want to achieve until I’ve done it.” This happy-go-lucky approach to life seems to suit a man who cites Lionel Ritchie as a hero.
Nevertheless, Andy does worry about the future like anybody else. “In 10 years time I want to be settled down. I don’t want to end up a lonely old man.” But right now, sipping on a pint with a wry smile on his face, Andy thinks everything is easy like a Sunday morning.
Greg Rose
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