Former Arsenal player 'feared for his life' during non-stop drinking session with Ray Parlour

A former Arsenal player has recalled fearing for his life during a big drinking session with teammate and creator of the famous 'Cobra Bomb', Ray Parlour.

Gilles Grimandi enjoyed a trophy-laden five-year spell in North London after signing from French club Monaco in 1997.

In his first season under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners lifted the Premier League and FA Cup double with one of the most talented squads in their history.

And the versatile French midfielder played an important role in the 97-98 campaign, although one of his biggest memories from that time happened away from the Highbury pitch.

In his early years at the Gunners, a curious Grimandi decided to go out with the self-branded 'Tuesday Club' – a social gathering held by Arsenal players.

The so-called 'Tuesday Club' involved heavy drinking sessions with the likes of Arsenal regulars Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Paul Merson and Ray Parlour, amongst others.

And on one particular day, Grimandi, who would go on to make over 100 appearances for Arsenal, wanted to join in the party.

“I was only starting to speak English but I like good company so wanted to go," the 52-year-old recently told The Sun.

“I went one day and I met many good drinkers. I said to Ray soon after, ‘I need to go home or I am going to die!’ Ray was laughing.

“I was very surprised. Another day, a French player was smoking and the English players were shocked.

“Yet the day before they were totally drunk and it wasn’t shocking. We had very different approaches to drinking and smoking.”

Image credit: Alamy

Funnily enough, Parlour himself has told a similar story about Grimandi during the start of the 1997-98 season – and it sums up what the drinking culture was like back then.

“I can tell you a story about the time we went on tour with Arsene Wenger in 1997/1998,” Parlour told talkSPORT. “It was his first real season and we ended up winning the double.

“We go on pre-season and there was no drinking for 14 days. Imagine the British guys, we were gagging.

“On the last day, we had a meeting and Arsene Wenger said, ‘you’ve been superb, you can do what you like tonight’.

“We’ve already seen the pub we’re going to.

“There were about five of us who’d seen this pub and couldn’t wait; ‘half-an-hour, be ready in reception and we’ll go’.

“Just before we are going to leave the hotel Gilles Grimandi, one of the French guys, said, ‘can I come out with you guys?’

“I said, ‘Gilles, come out with us, you’ll have a much better time’. I know what the French guys will do. They’ll go to the coffee shop, and talk about football.

“I said, ‘no, no, Gilles; we’re going to the pub and going to have a good time’. So he comes along with us.

Image credit: Alamy

Parlour added: “Steve Bould was the biggest drinker by a mile… he was always at the front of the queue! He was at the bar and said, ‘hello Gilles, what do you want to drink?’

“He said, ‘can I have a small glass of wine?’ So Steve goes to the barman, ‘can I have 35 pints and one small glass of white wine?’

“We had seven each and the first two didn’t touch the sides. Gilles Grimandi is like, ‘how can you drink so much and run around?’

“We walk out of this bar after a quick seven pints, and we’re going to another bar now. And all the French lads were at the coffee bar smoking!

“I thought, ‘how are we going to win the league this year when we’re all drunk and they’re smoking?’

“And we ended winning the double!”