Back in the late 70’s, we were playing Gillingham at home on a Tuesday night. I had been going out with this girl from Alumwell fir about 4 weeks. I had forgotten we were at home that night and i had arranged another date with her, hoping for our first fruitful night of real passion. I was really conflicted. I was waiting in the town for her bus to arrive about 7.00, and seeing all the Walsall fans walking through town made me think again, sod the promised night of passion.
When she got off the bus, i told her i was so sorry, but i really felt ill, and packed her back off on the same bus back!
By this time, about 7.50, the Walsall specials from the Cenetaph had gone, so i ran all the way up Bradford St, Wednesbury Road and Hillary street, getting there for half time. Found my mates who said the match had just been abandoned due to high winds!!
The relationship was abandoned not long after too!
Similar story going to a match on crutches.
in 1993, I went to Saudi Arabia on a business trip. The day we were due to fly home, we were involved in a car crash, resulting in a broken femur. I spent a week in a Riyadh hospital and three weeks in the Royal in Wolverhampton. Not related, but got released from hospital and was determined to go and see the Saw Doctors on crutches at the Civic the same night!!
Fast forward to 1995 and I was fully healed, so had to go back into the Royal to have the pin removed from my leg.
This was done and I was released from hospital on the same day as we were playing Torquay in an FA Cup replay. Sure enough, on crutches again and against my girl friend’s wishes, I was at Bescot, standing on the Gilbert Alsop terrace. The game went to extra time and on the full time whistle, I was knackered, so watched the next 30 minutes from the family stand seats.
Well worth it, as the game finished 8-4!!
The reverse of that - was out in Walsall town centre with a few mates one Friday night (we used to alternate between there, Dudley and West Brom - occasionally staying local in Wednesbury). Got to the taxi rank outside the Mucky Duck and it was heaving with other people queueing. One of the lads with us (a gobshite Albion fan) started an argument with a police woman (actually only in costume as it happened to be Halloween - but I don’t think he realised that) which spread out to a fair few others waiting. I rolled my eyes and started talking to a girl stood on her own also waiting for a cab. One pulled up but the argument had grown so much by now that not many people noticed - I grabbed it before anyone else did, called my other mates not involved in the row, and asked the girl if she wanted to share. She didn’t live anywhere near where we were going but got in. Dropped all my mates off first and then I accompanied her back to her own and asked if she wanted to meet up again the next night - but would have to be after 8pm as I was out during the day. She said yes and that suited her as she was out too.
Next day me, my dad and my brother went to watch us play away at Chester. At the end of the game I turned round - and she was stood a couple of steps behind us! It lasted a while before it fizzled out (including going to many games together), but I still see her at the odd game now and then.
I missed one game in 87/88. Grimsby at home on Boxing Day.
Had the shits.
Was booked onto a Royston bus for Chesterfield a few days later so hit the Imodium big time. Silly big time. But it enabled the chesterfield trip despite me feeling really rough.
It seemed months before I finally negotiated the release of my chocolate hostages.
Well when I jumped up and down when we got an equaliser at Boothferry Park (it ended 1-1) the day after I had a vasectomy I did think perhaps this is a bit crazy.
Does walking from Bescot Stadium to Shrewsbury’s ground to see us get relegated almost five years ago counts as an example, albeit it was to raise some money for Prostate Cancer UK?
