| Centenary Game on Friday 23:17 - Aug 24 with 1544 views | 49thseason |
I was thinking about this game last night, well this morning actually, and wondered if there ought to be a minutes silence in memory of all the fans and players who supported or played for the club and are no longer able to?
I especially thought about lads like my Dad who was called up in 1941 and spent nearly 5 years with XXX Corps in Africa and Europe and was lucky enough to return home. How many fans and players were denied their Saturday matches forever?
I also thought about how as a youngster I was always surprised that my Dad seemed to know Jack Ashworth who ran the tea bar on the Willbuts Lane side and how they usually exchanged "how do's" at matches. turns out they were both in XXX Corps , Jack in the Gordon Highlanders (51st Highland Div) and my dad in the RAOC with 7th Armoured Div (Desert Rats).
I realised where they knew each other from at a "do" in the early 80s when I was invited to the wedding of Jack Ashworth's Daughter to Len Hilton's (former Dale Director and pie supplier) son. I caught My Dad and Jack talking in the car park, whilst taking in some fresh air, about the funnier side of their exploits in North Africa. Not that most of what either of them did was particularly amusing but like so many they brushed that aside and remembered the bits that made them laugh. Recently I have discovered that Jack Ashworth was transferred to gliders and was amongst the first wave into Arnhem. and by coincidence my Dad was just down the road with the rest of XXX corps trying to get 30,000 vehicles down a one-lane road.
My Dad was eventually de-mobbed in 1945 whilst Jack went to Norway as part of King Haakon's bodyguard when the King returned to Norway following his years of exile in London
By coincidence, my wife is Jack Ashworth's niece, Jacks son Michael still stands in the Sandy Lane End, sometimes with his son as I do occasionally with mine and the thread to the past continues unbroken.
I write this mainly because this club is an integral part of peoples lives and has been for 100 years and we need to recognise those who helped to build it as much as those now who have stepped up again to save it. A silent minute seems like the least we can do.
Later thought...
Maybe we should try and collect recollections, memories etc from past generations of supporters and players whilst we still can
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| Centenary Game on Friday on 00:58 - Aug 25 with 1438 views | pioneer |
Thanks for posting that - I knew Jack when he ran the fighting fund after the original supporters club collapsed. Him and has mate Alan (and their wives I think). They did much more than just run the tea bars and the income they generated during some of the darkest days of the club must have been instrumental to the clubs survival.
I think he may have been behind the old past players association - though I cannot be certain.
But I never knew about his military history. |  | | |
| Centenary Game on Friday on 07:10 - Aug 25 with 1304 views | rod_leach |
I like the idea of a minutes applause to remember all supporters who are no longer with us. I prefer to keep my minutes silence for our military and their sacrifices to November |  | | |
| Centenary Game on Friday on 15:41 - Aug 27 with 949 views | modelboydave |
I really enjoyed reading about Jack.
I have vivid memories of Jack in the Tea hut and i always used to buy my pie and cup of coffee from the pie stall in front of Willbutts.
I knew nothing about Jack, but can picture him now as clear as daylight. Now i know a little about him and what an inspirational life he lived.
The war generation just carried on and got on with civilian life, no moans or groans.
What was the name of the gentleman who ran the pie stand in front of the main stand? |  |
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