Chris Hope

Christopher Jonathan Hope (born 14 November 1972) is an English former footballer. Hope made over 500 appearances in the Football League for Scunthorpe United and Gillingham between 1993 and 2006. Career Born in Sheffield, Hope was raised in Stockton-on-Tees, after his family relocated to the North-East following his father, John, joining Hartlepool United in 1975. Hope initially played youth football for Billingham Synthonia, before following in his father's footsteps in joining Darlington just one week before he was due to start as an apprentice pipe-fitter. Hope was then offered professional terms just one year into his apprenticeship; but after a chance end-of-season encounter between Darlington's and Nottingham Forest's first-team squads in Majorca, he was recommended to Brian Clough by then-Darlington boss Brian Little. After a successful trial with Forest's under-19's squad, the City Ground club paid Darlington £50,000 for the defender. Hope never made a first-team appearance for Forest, but was a member of their travelling party for the 1991 FA Cup Final. In addition to meeting Prince Charles and Princess Diana pre-match, Hope was infamously then forced to help Clough get changed on top of the Royal Car, before later being dispatched to block TV cameras from focusing on the Forest manager.