Born in London in 1967, Otto’s footballing career began with amateur side Haringey Borough. However, it was his spells in prison that caught more attention at the time. Otto is certainly a character that has had as interesting a life off the field as he has on it.
Many footballers use football to elevate themselves from a life of poverty and crime, Otto did so at the age of 22. He possessed footballing and academic ability, but his head was turned by a desire to impress friends and girls. Otto’s fifth prison spell was for armed robbery just three years before his move to Southend. His lack of drive blamed on the absence of a positive male role model, it was in prison that he finally got his life together.
Whilst in Wandsworth Prison he was repeatedly told he had enough talent to make it is a footballer if he worked hard. Otto listened, spent time in the gym and changed his diet to make himself a better athlete. He was released early for good behaviour and seemed a fully changed character.
Exiting prison gave him the opportunity to progress and he was immediately picked up by Haringey Borough. Within a few games Leyton Orient gave him a chance in the Third Division. Otto’s thick dreadlocks, electric pace and skilful dribbling alerted the Blues’ manager Barry Fry.
Otto was a huge fan favourite for second tier Southend. He loved the club as much as the fans loved him; “I look back at my time with Southend with really fond memories and I think that was where I had my best form too”. Fry and Otto had a good bond and a great side was being built at Roots Hall. Scoring 19 in 76, Otto helped propel the Blues into third in Division 1 before Fry’s head was turned by Birmingham City.
Failures to match his wage demands meant Otto followed Fry to Birmingham where it never clicked for him. Had Otto and Fry remained at Southend, the Premier League looked to be a real prospect. However, it wasn’t to be.
Otto has continued his reformed lifestyle after retirement, he is now the Pastor of ARC Birmingham. He has described his life a journey from ‘Prison, Pitch, to the Pulpit’. An enigmatic and interesting man both on and off the field who could have had a much stronger legacy had he, and Fry, remained loyal to the Blues.
