Adrian Chiles on the Roy Keane comment that made him question his drinking
Roy Keane and Adrian Chiles.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a ‘binge drinker?’ If you’ve ever consumed more than three pints in one sitting, you are, according to the HSE's low-risk alcohol guidelines.
The HSE advises no more than 17 standard drinks a week for men, or 11 for women, with at least two alcohol-free days per week.
In layman's terms, that’s the equivalent of 8.5 pints a week for a man. A bottle and a half of wine could tip a woman over the 11 units.
More than six drinks in one sitting – the equivalent of three pints – is considered a ‘binge’.
In his new book, The Good Drinker: How I Learned to Love Drinking Less, broadcaster Adrian Chiles admits he regularly used to knock back 100 units a week.
But, despite the fact this was far and above what is considered ‘safe’ drinking, the former One Show presenter didn’t think he had a problem.
“I wasn’t waking up in shop doorways, wetting the bed, getting into fights or drinking Pernod in the morning.
“Therefore, I told myself, I obviously didn’t have this ‘disease’ called ‘alcoholism’. And, as I didn’t have this ‘disease’, logically I was fine.”
Gradually, the 55-year-old came to recognise that he wasn’t, and now, he’s a proud proponent of the drinking in moderation brigade.
In this extract from his deeply personal and eye-opening new book, he shares how a remark by Roy Keane proved an eye-opener when it comes to our consumption of alcohol as a society.
Roy Keane once said something to me about drinking that really hit home. If someone else had said it, there wouldn’t have been the same impact, somehow. I suppose it’s the difference between being tackled by Roy Keane and being tackled by anyone else who’s ever played the game.
If you’re not into football, all you need to know about Roy is that he’s one of the greatest players ever. He coupled huge talent with insane levels of drive and determination. On the pitch and off, he’s always been a captivating, not to say occasionally terrifying, presence.
By the time I got to know him, working together covering football, he’d not touched alcohol in more than ten years. This didn’t seem to affect his social life; he was always great company when we were away on our travels around Europe.
Our colleague Tony Pastor and I did an awful lot of drinking as the three of us wandered around Barcelona, Warsaw, Munich or wherever. We had some great days, at least Tony and I did. I’m assuming Roy did too. Well, put it like this: he never told us he didn’t and he’s not one to keep such thoughts to himself.
I’d popped in to see him for a cup of tea at his place in Altrincham. It was during Lent, so I wasn’t drinking. (I’m noticing, by the way, just how many of my insights into my own drinking came at times when I wasn’t drinking.)
Roy and I got on to the subject, and he, as I remember it, said something like this:
The problem is there’s always an excuse to drink. If you’ve had a good day, you want a drink. Or a bad day. Or even just a boring day. A wedding’s a good excuse to drink and, even more so, funerals. If you’ve won a match, or lost a match, or had a row with someone or are getting on well with someone. If you’re going out, or staying in. Or whatever. There’s always an excuse to drink.
I wouldn’t argue with Roy on that. Then again, I’m loath to argue with Roy about anything. But no need here anyway, because he’s 100 per cent right.
- by Adrian Chiles (Profile, €21) is out now.
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