Britain’s ambassador to Thailand presented new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva with a Newcastle United soccer shirt last Monday to mark the Thai leader’s links with the city of his birth.
At a formal ceremony of congratulations, ambassador Quinton Quayle handed over the famous black-and-white striped shirt complete with the number 27 — because the Eton- and Oxford-educated Abhisit is Thailand’s 27th premier.
“He is a fan of Newcastle United football club, so today I presented a gift of a Newcastle United shirt with number 27 on the back,” Quayle told reporters at the headquarters of Abhisit’s Democrat Party.
PHOTO: AFP
Abhisit was born in the northeast English city of Newcastle upon Tyne — natives of which are known as Geordies — in 1964 while his parents were studying in the city.
He once reportedly revealed his die -hard loyalty in an interview, saying that “If I wasn’t me, I would like to be a Newcastle United striker.”
(AFP)
英國駐泰國大使上週一贈送了一件英國新堡聯隊的足球衣給泰國新任總理阿比希，紀念阿比希在新堡市出生。
在一場正式的慶賀典禮上，英國大使昆頓．奎爾送上這件背號二十七號、有著著名黑白條紋的球衣──因為伊頓公學和牛津大學畢業的阿比希是泰國第二十七任總理。
奎爾在阿比希所屬的民主黨總部對記者說：「他是新堡聯隊的粉絲，所以我今天準備了一件新堡聯隊背號二十七號的球衣當作禮物。」
阿比希一九六四年出生於英國東北部泰茵河畔的新堡市（當地人被稱為「喬迪人」），當時他的父母正在該市讀書。
報導指出，他曾在一段訪問中透露他對新堡聯隊的死忠支持，他說：「如果我不是今天的我，我會想去新堡聯隊打前鋒。」
（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
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