Source: Bournemouth_Echo
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! Meet Cherries' very own Flyingleaper
LIVING five-and-a-half thousand miles from Bournemouth has done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of one of Cherries' more eccentric supporters.[LNB] And Laurie Martin is hoping to have timed to perfection his latest pilgrimage across the pond in a week when Eddie Howe's heroes go in search of promotion.[LNB] Known to his friends on the Internet as the Flyingleaper, Laurie's legendary AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH catchphrase will be heard loud and clear at Burton Albion on Saturday.[LNB] Born in Bournemouth, Laurie was hooked after watching his first game at Dean Court in 1957, the final match in Cherries' epic FA Cup run against mighty Manchester United.[LNB] At the time, he was attending Summerbee School before he completed a five-year apprenticeship at Penny & Giles in Mudeford.[LNB] Now 63, he settled in El Segundo in California around 30 years ago and his home has become something of a shrine to AFC Bournemouth.[LNB] I was a scientific engineer designer and I had contract jobs all over the world, says Laurie, who once flew back to watch Cherries win a reserve league because he thought it might be his only chance to see them claim any silverware. I worked here, there and everywhere before I ended up in the States.[LNB] I'm trying to spread the Cherries word around the world. A guy near us has a pub in his back garden called the Silly Cow and I've converted a 1930s' pool house in my back garden into a pub. It's called the Cherries Pub.[LNB] It's painted in black and red stripes and is decorated with Cherries memorabilia. It's on Facebook and people from Australia, Canada and France visit us through the website.[LNB] I came over last year for the Grimsby game and got Steve Fletcher to sign the photo of him celebrating the winning goal on the back page of the Daily Echo.[LNB] I saw him after the Darlington match on Saturday and told him I had had it framed and had put it on the toilet door in the pub. He joked that people would sit on the toilet and look at him but I told him it was on the outside on our wall of fame. We get people standing next to it and mimicking the pose.[LNB] Laurie keeps abreast with events at Dean Court through cyber space and is a regular poster to the Daily Echo forum and a keen matchday blogger.[LNB] But what of his Flyingleaper nom de plume and bizarre AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH catchphrase[LNB] He explains: When I used to read bedtime stories to my son, I would make up my own theme. Like the Penguin and such like in Batman, the Flyingleaper and the Gimbler were two of my super heroes.[LNB] AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH is a pirate-thing. Everybody used to chant it at the old ground and it stuck.[LNB] Married to Sally, Laurie has four children Luke, Claire, Victoria and David and three grandchildren Sydney, Bradley, Rory and Arlo (he pronounces it AAAAAAAAAA-HHHHHHHHHHlo![LNB] He now runs an antiques business and has been trying to lend his support to Cherries' recent fund-raising initiatives: I'm trying to sell a gold pendant broche with diamonds, sapphires and rubies. It's 18-carat gold and I'm asking 500 bucks for it. It's on eBay and all the money will go to the Cherries but nobody has bought it yet.[LNB] I've been bugging Richard Branson to support the club and build a new stand. He came to El Segundo recently but I missed him by about half-an-hour![LNB] Laurie is due to return to America on Monday and hopes to be celebrating: I've got tickets for Burton and, hopefully, we can do it there AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH![LNB]
