[Slowhand] Ernie Clapham

[John Mills]

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/406886.html

Clapham has left the building
When Eric Clapton merged into Ernie Clapham
June 29, 2009
© Cricinfo Ltd


This was in 1987, when Ian Botham was playing for Worcestershire. Botham and
Eric Clapton were the best of mates then. We [Essex] had a game at
Worcester, but the rain forced us to sit around in the dressing room and
play cards. Clapton was with us. He won about 400 quid, and decided he would
buy an amplifier and play for us that night at Botham's local pub.

He called the local music shop and placed his order. When the attendant was
told that it was Eric Clapton on the line he said "Yeah right", and hung up.
Anyway Clapton managed to get an amp, and that was a long and fun night at
the pub.

The next day was a Sunday League game, and Botham completely destroyed us
with the bat. We lost the game, and at the end of the play, Fletch [Keith
Fletcher, Essex captain] was giving us a dressing down when Clapton stuck
his head in to sympathise. "When the man's the man, the man's the man," he
said with a shrug, about Botham.

Now Fletch is a bit of a character, forever mixing up names and things like
that. He looked sternly at Clapton and said something to the effect of,
"Excuse me Ernie, we're in the middle of something." Clapton quietly left
the room. We all just looked at Fletch and said "What did you just call him
Fletch?" He goes, "Ernie . Don't you know Ernie Clapham, the world famous
guitarist?"

(As told to Rahul Bhattacharya)