Phil Leitch Peter Charles - What a Ride, Mate!: the Life and Times of the Mad Butcher

This book is dedicated to Janice and our family for their love and support.

To my mum and dad, who were always behind me in everything I did.

To my brothers and sisters, who have always been special to me.

To all the Mad Butcher customers: Without you the Mad Butcher would not have been possible.

And to all my mates in sport, charity work, and life: I hope the ride has been as much fun for you as it has been for me.

Phil Gifford would like to thank David Kemeys for his invaluable help with research, and his wife, Jan Gifford, for so often asking When are you going to work on Peters book?

I HAVE KNOWN Peter Leitch, aka the Mad Butcher, through my associations with rugby league for many years. Peters contribution to the sport has been phenomenal. He has always shown his passion for rugby league and his total commitment to the sport, the players, and the fans.

Peters unshakeable support and backing for the Warriors is legendary. At the best of times, and in the worst of times, he is still there helping the team, hosting events, finding sponsors, and using his Mad Butchers radio advertising slots to promote the games and the team, win or lose.

Peter has made the unique transition from Team Mascot to Team Managerfrom individual mentor to financial supporter. But it should not be overlooked that he is also a successful self-made businessman, who started from scratch and now has a multi-million-dollar business.

Peter is a great networker: not only do I have a direct line to him, but he also has one to me!

I wish Peter every success with this bookhe deserves it for all the work hes done for sport and charity over many years.

HELEN CLARK

Prime Minister

W HEN THEY MADE the Mad Butcher, they threw away the mould. He is unique, distinctive, different and indescribable. An amazing mix of ego and humility, shrewdness and naivety, intensity and relaxation, intelligence and ignorance, arrogance and humanitythe Butcher is, quite simply, all things to all men.

Peter has never heard of the proverb, Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Immediately after the 2007 Rugby World Cup loss by the All Blacks in Cardiff he rang me to announce, Graham Henrys all right, mate. Ive just phoned him.

When the New Zealand media attacked me for a drug report I released in 1990, my phone rang. Mate, you dont know me, but youre right, and those stupid dickheads in the media are puffing the shit anyway. Now, when youve fixed that drug problem, I want you to sort out this graffiti. The little pricks are even writing on my Mangere shop.

As a friend he is all-embracing, demanding, loyal, genuine, sincere and, at times, hilarious. The Butcher once gave the most entertaining speech I have ever heard, and it was off the cuff. The scene was the eve of a Bledisloe Cup game in Sydney, and, since it didnt involve his beloved Kiwis, the Butch was out of his comfort zone, if that was possible.

Half the audience were Aussies, and the guest speaker didnt turn up. Peter didnt know he was the replacement until the master of ceremonies had finished introducing him. Undeterred, he jumped up and all the old lines flowed. Aussie mongrels, sons of convictsdo you always bring your daughter with you, sir? (this to an interjector who had obviously married his secretary the second time around)and, of course, Listen, you mongrels, Ive got 500 readies here on the mighty All Blacks. Put your bloody money up or shut up. He concluded by getting all the Kiwis to sing the national anthem, followed by a rousing haka.

The man is all about belly laughs, and in the main it is harmless stuff that is often at his own expense. Hes an entertainer, who has lived the role of the Mad Butcher full-time. Its hard to tell where Peter Charles Leitch stops and the Mad Butcher startsnot that it matters, because either way it is great fun.

Peters generosity is legendary. He is not as wealthy as some think, because he is always giving stuff away. He drives around with a car boot full of sausages, meat, gadgets, photos of the Warriors, posters, books, dolls, jerseys, jackets and other assorted giveaways. Hes not happy unless he is loading you down with a load of junk you dont want. Nor can you give it away, because it is all branded. More important, though, are the charities hes involved in.

When the Butcher gets involved, he takes over. And why not? As he so politely puts it, the dickheads wouldnt know what theyre doing. They couldnt run a piss-up in a brewery. If theyre especially incompetent, they are categorised as not being able to get a root in a brothel. Once hes taken over though, the show rocks.

How much has he raised for charity? It must be millionsa brilliant effort.

Throughout all the highs and lows (and they have been steep highs and deep lows) the Butch has been supported, advised, cajoled, lectured and loved by the three women in his lifewife Janice and daughters Angela and Julie.

Janice has given him his head while riding the highs and surviving the lows. He must be very nearly impossible to live with, but publicly there has never been a chink in the Leitches combined approach. Angela is reserved, polite and courteous, qualities she obviously inherited from her mum, because her dad missed out on all three. Julie is a chip off the old block, and there is little doubt that she will provide great support as her partner, Mike Morton, the new owner, continues to build The Mad Butcher dynasty.

It seems incredible that Ive written this much without mentioning rugby league. Its widely known that the Butcher loves the sport and the people in it. His success as Kiwi manager, and the trust that was built up between him and coach Bluey McClennan, led to one of the most successful campaigns the Kiwis have ever had.

What is not known is that the Butch knows nothing about the game. How could he? Hes on the phone right through the gamenot that it matters. He has become as much a part of the games history as Ces Mountford, Stacey Jones or Mark Graham. Just dont ask him what happened, because, outside of the score, he doesnt know.

Why has he been so successful? It is his energy, enthusiasm and passion, his street cunning and intuitive ability to pick the good guys from the pricks (there are only two types of people in the Butchers categorisation of humanity) and his basic honesty that mark him out as different, as hugely successful.

Ours has been an unusual friendship. At times the Butch has almost jeopardised his status as Mister Ambassador for All Things Rugby League when his bloody mate on the radio has been bagging league. He reckons he has stopped hundreds of blokes from knocking my block off. We all know how much he exaggeratesIm sure there were no more than a dozen.

Through it all we have remained good mates, even confidants. I trust him implicitly. My life has been richer for him being in it. There are times when I wish he wouldnt try to take it over!

Finally, theres no one better to write this biography than Phil Gifford. Peter and Phil have been friends for many years, and only a man with Phils sense of humour should attempt the task. What has been a rich, full life will certainly be portrayed by a writer capable of bringing it to life in prose.

MURRAY DEAKER