NORTHENDRTOPS
French scout
Today reminds me of one of the best day of my life, I was a student in Cardiff, staying with an old couple in their 80's. He was the grand master at Cardiff Freemasons lodge. I spent hours in that tiny bedroom scribbling away my essays etc, no computers in those days. In 1977 the week of the Wales V England 6 nations championship, as it was then. I went down for breakfast in my accommodation, and chatted as I ate it to Mister Hardie my landlord we talked of little else but the up coming International and he asked me would I be watching the game, I told him I was going to drive my Renault 5 back home to Preston and watch the game with my dad. I told him that my dad had had a heart attack a few months before and had slowed down a lot. He asked me if my dad would be coming down to see the game, and then smiled and said, ticket eh? So I said you can't get a ticket for love or money.
I went off to do my studies for the day, it was Thursday and I didn't need to be in uni on the Friday so I was going back to my digs for tea then drive home on the Friday morning. There was a natural buzz as there always is the week of the 6 nations throughout the city, all the news channels on radio and tv were talking about it, must be honest here Wales had a fabulous squad in those days, almost every player became a legend. But the England match was going to be no push over.
I went home that evening Mrs Hardie made some great grub and as I sat for tea I noticed there was an envelope by my place setting, and I asked what it was, the old couple stood watching as I opened it, to reveal a Wales v England ticket at Cardiff Arms park. I checked the date and it was that week, it felt like I had found gold, my emotions almost got the better of me, I asked how he'd managed to get the ticket and he said just tell your dad they give em out with a box of Daz in these parts! I think the face value was about a couple of quid then, it was obviously a case of not what you know, but who.
I drove home to my parents house on the Friday morning the ticket in my case, to find my dad sat by the fire not looking the bubbly old chap I always knew, but he had a smile on his face and within a few minutes we were chatting about the forthcoming game. I asked him was he going to watch it, he looked at me with a strained frown as if to say " has my boy gone mad"? he said Ill be here by the fire watching it on tv of course, to which I replied you won't, why's that then he said, because …..and I produced this piece of magical paper, which it was to us. He looked at it as if I'd stolen it almost scared to touch it, I saw tears in his eyes as I told him how I'd come by it. He phoned about 27 relatives and told everyone he was going to the game, and so we did, I drove back to Cardiff and dropped him at the entrance and I shot back to my digs and watched the game with my landlord, then as the game was ending I shot back and picked up my dad, who kept on going on about this try and that and then said I was sat 2 seats from Michael Foot !!!!
He had another 4 years before he went to that great rugby club in the sky, but I shall never ever forget that day. Complimentary's are sometimes very very special. Edit; Wales won and the match was one of the best ever games 14-9
I went off to do my studies for the day, it was Thursday and I didn't need to be in uni on the Friday so I was going back to my digs for tea then drive home on the Friday morning. There was a natural buzz as there always is the week of the 6 nations throughout the city, all the news channels on radio and tv were talking about it, must be honest here Wales had a fabulous squad in those days, almost every player became a legend. But the England match was going to be no push over.
I went home that evening Mrs Hardie made some great grub and as I sat for tea I noticed there was an envelope by my place setting, and I asked what it was, the old couple stood watching as I opened it, to reveal a Wales v England ticket at Cardiff Arms park. I checked the date and it was that week, it felt like I had found gold, my emotions almost got the better of me, I asked how he'd managed to get the ticket and he said just tell your dad they give em out with a box of Daz in these parts! I think the face value was about a couple of quid then, it was obviously a case of not what you know, but who.
I drove home to my parents house on the Friday morning the ticket in my case, to find my dad sat by the fire not looking the bubbly old chap I always knew, but he had a smile on his face and within a few minutes we were chatting about the forthcoming game. I asked him was he going to watch it, he looked at me with a strained frown as if to say " has my boy gone mad"? he said Ill be here by the fire watching it on tv of course, to which I replied you won't, why's that then he said, because …..and I produced this piece of magical paper, which it was to us. He looked at it as if I'd stolen it almost scared to touch it, I saw tears in his eyes as I told him how I'd come by it. He phoned about 27 relatives and told everyone he was going to the game, and so we did, I drove back to Cardiff and dropped him at the entrance and I shot back to my digs and watched the game with my landlord, then as the game was ending I shot back and picked up my dad, who kept on going on about this try and that and then said I was sat 2 seats from Michael Foot !!!!
He had another 4 years before he went to that great rugby club in the sky, but I shall never ever forget that day. Complimentary's are sometimes very very special. Edit; Wales won and the match was one of the best ever games 14-9
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