WHISTLEBLOWER ‘SPECIAL’

On Wednesday evening (20th March) a game in support of Wooden Spoon (the children’s charity of rugby) took place at Sale FC’s Heywood Road ground between the Anti-Assassins and the Royal Navy. This was the Whistleblower’s programme article

THE ‘GOLDEN AGE’ BRIEFLY REVISITED

David Matthews sets the scene for a very distinctive rugby encounter

Put tonight’s three components together, Wooden Spoon, Anti-Assassins and the Royal Navy, and I am right back down memory lane, almost returning to the ‘Corinthian ‘ spirit if you like. There is an average of twenty years plus per subject behind these musings so where possible evidence has been supplied to prove that I am not making it up. In best Julie Andrews’ tradition “I’ll start at the very beginning.”

You will have read all those tedious requests for information  “How did you hear about us? Please tick: On line, from a friend, advertisement, mail shot etc.” I was (quickly) persuaded to join Wooden Spoon by an attractive female envoy in the West Car Park at HQ in the late 1980’s. Why bother with other promotional ploys?  I have been on the Merseyside Committee for the last ten years, so ably represented by President Mike Slemen, Spoon Ambassador Richard Greenwood and Chairman Stan Bagshaw; in case you haven’t got a clue about the latter, his claim to fame is that he was baggage man on the Lions Tour to South Africa in 1997.

Under the felicitous headline, at least for tonight’s game, “RAF hand Navy wooden spoon” The Times reported on a 22-14 victory for the RAF at Twickenham in 1990, “The Navy had another of those frustrating days which would have forced Captain Nemo and other famous sub-mariners to seek the solace of the depths.” My abiding memory of a first time experience refereeing a Services game on the hallowed turf was that barely 1000 were in attendance to watch England’s Rory Underwood languishing on the wing for the RAF. Shortly after that the Navy v Army encounter became the only game in the Tournament to be staged at Twickenham, currently played in April for the Babcock Trophy and usually watched by a crowd of 40000. Four years ago I had the pleasure of being TMO for this colourful occasion.

Despite refereeing a variety of invitation XVs, including the Barbarians, it was 1994 before involvement with the interestingly named Anti-Assassins. On a bleak January Sunday in Rochdale the North Under 21s lost 19-5 “in a match when ankle deep mud and a biting wind combined to test the skill and resolve of both sides.” The Daily Telegraph went on to praise the “tenacity” of the Under 21s who were “under territorial threat for much of a surprisingly fluent game.” Paul Turner, no stranger to Heywood Road, was the master tactician for the AAs.

There’s a convenient reminder that I nearly omitted the fourth piece of this nostalgic review: a real rugby venue. A lot has happened since my debut with the whistle here thirty one years ago, but for the teams visiting Sale each Saturday in North 1 West it must be like a trip to a Six Nations stadium. Get ready to roll back the years.