


Oh, the joys of Roker Park! Does anybody remember a t.v. cigarette advert - an attractive couple having a picnic by a stream with sunlight streaming through the trees, with the caption (in a very seductive voice) 'And we smoked our Players'?
Well one day, I was standing on the Fulwell End (which was uncovered then). It was absolutely chucking it down. In front of me there was a little old man who clearly had come straight from the shipyards (when they still worked a 5.5 day week) - mucky mack, greasy flat cap, and his bait-bag over his shoulder. He turned round to me and there was water running off the peak of his cap in front of his nose - comical really. "Huh, and we smoked wor f**kin' Players", he said. I think everybody for five yards around collapsed with laughing. We were drenched and loving every minute of it. Old Roker Park - Jesus, some memories. If you could have caught some of them pies, mate, I'm sure the club would have bought them back off you for next week.