Characters don’t come any more bubbly or loved in English football than former player and manager Barry Fry.

I bumped into him at Burton last week when he was there as director of football at Peterborough United. He gave me a big hug with that huge smile and his regular ‘pleased to see you’ manner which is always genuine.

He did the same to Laraine Astle, widow of the Baggies legend Jeff. Laraine and myself were independently guests of the Burton chairman, Ben Robinson.

Barry, who will be 79 next month, lives every moment of football and sitting behind him I watched as he gripped a rail while the Posh made hard work of it before finishing 3-1 winners.

I have a lot to thank Barry for in my career. He allowed me to make a documentary on him which won me and my producer Mitch Price a Royal Television Society gold medal for Central TV’s 24 Hours – Barry’s Blues.

It was voted the best regional documentary at the television sports awards for 1996 which were held on February 27, 1997, at the Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane.

Barry........

© Birmingham Mail Sport