When I was a kid, in the mid-70s, my dad and his second wife had a flat in Cardiff overlooking the Arms Park. Not the big international one, but the smaller one nextdoor, where Cardiff RFC played their club matches, so you could watch them for free.
Now, I'm not arsed about rugby. Never have been. So I didn't watch it much. I'd spend maybe a few minutes out on the balcony, then get bored and come inside to play with my Action Men.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got to see Gareth Edwards in the flesh, in the light blue/dark blue hoops, scoring tries and stuff. I'm glad I've got that memory.
Another memory, more trivial but equally persistent, is that some of Edwards' team-mates - the guy who kicked the conversions, for a start - wore gloves. They were the kind with dark brown leather on the front, dark brown leather on the back, and a sort of brown waffle-weave cloth on the sides of the fingers. A very 70s type of glove. A bit like the ones Alan Partridge wears for driving ("extra purchase...")
Now, I don't know whether that was a fleeting 70s fashion craze among sportsmen, like Keith Weller of Leicester City and his white tights, or what. All I know is, whenever I see rugby on the telly now (usually only for a few seconds, before I change channels), no-one is wearing gloves.
Does it still go on?
Now, I'm not arsed about rugby. Never have been. So I didn't watch it much. I'd spend maybe a few minutes out on the balcony, then get bored and come inside to play with my Action Men.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got to see Gareth Edwards in the flesh, in the light blue/dark blue hoops, scoring tries and stuff. I'm glad I've got that memory.
Another memory, more trivial but equally persistent, is that some of Edwards' team-mates - the guy who kicked the conversions, for a start - wore gloves. They were the kind with dark brown leather on the front, dark brown leather on the back, and a sort of brown waffle-weave cloth on the sides of the fingers. A very 70s type of glove. A bit like the ones Alan Partridge wears for driving ("extra purchase...")
Now, I don't know whether that was a fleeting 70s fashion craze among sportsmen, like Keith Weller of Leicester City and his white tights, or what. All I know is, whenever I see rugby on the telly now (usually only for a few seconds, before I change channels), no-one is wearing gloves.
Does it still go on?
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