A request for free tickets to his "Mum Wants A New Bungalow" show, for a string of top players, was met with a point-blank refusal. A friend said the star of Channel 4's Phoenix Nights - who coined the catchphrase "'Ave' it" for his John Smiths bitter ads on TV - was totally against celebrity freebies.
"He thought it was a real cheek," he said. "They've got enough money to buy tickets themselves so why is he expected to give them away? Peter was told the players were big fans and talk about Phoenix Nights in the dressing room. But there was no persuading him. He's not impressed by Man Utd players - he's a big Bolton Wanderers fan."