Newcastle FC Star Trades Football for Builder Job and Lives in “Hobbit Hole”
Brian Kilcline, a former Newcastle FC star and Coventry City’s 1987 FA Cup-winning captain, traded in his football career to become a builder’s labourer earning just £60 a week. Kilcline said he wanted to learn a new trade, and after 18 months on the job, he used his skills to build his own home in Cornwall.
The “hobbit hole” is situated in St Austell and features a muddy bank, a pond, and a statue of a naked mermaid. Kilcline jokes that the pond is now the swimming pool, despite having to evict 20 newts and a bad-tempered frog. The house’s main body comes complete with feathered arrows and a bow, which Kilcline uses for target practice outside.
The story of Kilcline’s career switch follows other former footballers who decided to pursue different professions after retiring. One such ex-player trained as a builder and plumber, while another launched his own multi-million-pound clothing line.