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The European Cup hero and business partner Paul Munro run Sutton Coldfield-based S&M Couriers, which provides nationwide palletised distribution services for customers from a variety of sectors, including the automotive industry.
The 314 CDI chassis cabs are fitted with curtainside bodies by JC Payne, of Walsall, and are liveried in the claret and blue colours of the Birmingham team for which Spink made 460 appearances between 1977 and 1996.
Spink famously came on from the substitutes bench to produce a superb performance in the European Cup final in 1982, and went on to play for West Bromwich Albion, Millwall and Forest Green Rovers. He was approaching his 42nd birthday when he finally called time on his playing career in 2000. He remained in the game, though, and working under Steve Bruce at Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland, and then as goalkeeping coach at Bristol City.
It was after Bruce’s sacking from Sunderland, as a result of which Spink also lost his job along with the rest of the club’s management team, that he and friend Paul Munro first contemplated the idea of starting their own business.
“Initially we leased vehicles but then bought a couple of pre-owned Mercedes-Benz Sprinters,” said Spink. “Both were brilliant – mine had done 190,000 miles when I bought it, and I then put another 160,000 on it in two years, and it never missed a beat.”
The introduction of the two new Sprinters represents the start of a new phase in the development of their business.
“These are the first vans that we’ve owned from new and given our previous experience we were always going to choose Mercedes-Benz again,” explained Spink. “The Sprinter is the perfect product for us, because it ticks every box.”
Asked whether he misses football, Spink added: “I still do a bit of corporate work for Villa, and appear regularly on BBC Radio WM’s phone-in. As far as active involvement goes, though, I don’t miss it at all.
“I’ve always loved driving and this job takes me all over the country. I really enjoy meeting the people who load or unload you at the other end. They’re real people who don’t live in the fantasy world of football.
“I do get recognised from time to time, of course, especially if I’m delivering in the Midlands. I’m asked about football and my career, and that’s nice. Most of them can’t understand why I don’t want to be in the game any longer but that’s fine, I can live with that… I’m driving a brand new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and to be perfectly honest, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
