Word reaches me by way of twitter that a group of Bristol Rovers fans are organising “An Evening With Dean Windass”. It might not actually be called that, but you get the drift. The reason they are doing this, I assume, is because Windass scored the winning goal for Hull City against Bristol City in the 2008 play off final. Yes. Some people are holding a celebration evening for a bloke who scored a goal against Bristol City. It’s schadenfreude on steroids.
I can understand why Windass would want the gig because he’s a bankrupt. He needs any amount of money he can get from credulous individuals. But where is the attraction for Gasheads?
Of course I get rivalry. Once upon a time Bristol Rovers were serious rivals to Bristol City and thanks to the efforts of Wael al Qadi and his team, evolutionary steps are being taken to bridge that gap. And yes, I understand why we want our team to win and their team to lose. But isn’t this a gloat too far and aren’t there other, more constructive things folk can do?
Were any of you at the Memorial Stadium a few weeks ago when Stuart Taylor was presented to the crowd? Stuart is a legend of our club, having played a record 546 games in his illustrious career. Sadly, he is now suffering from a rare form of dementia, caused by heading heavy footballs. I have no idea of his personal circumstances and have no wish to speculate on his finances, but wouldn’t people’s energies have been better spent on, say, a fundraising evening, if not in support of Stuart and his family, but for dementia charities? After all, Stuart is not the only player from his generation who is suffering from what is, essentially, an industrial disease. Wouldn’t that have captured the imagination in a more positive way?
Bristol Rovers have been magnificent supporters of the Children’s Hospice (South West). I am very proud of the club for what they have done. A hospice can never have enough money and support. Why not build on the wonderful work the club has done? Arrange a get together, raise a few bob, the charity benefits, the club’s name benefits and, most of all, the end of life for a terminally ill child is spent in a wonderful, purpose-built building, with her/his family, surrounded by the most caring people on earth. Do we really care whether a dying child supports City or Rovers? Don’t we just want to do the best by that child?
“This is over the top. We’re only having a laugh, taking the piss.” Well, I know that. It’s a free country, do what you like. Celebrate the defeat of a team you hate by a team you couldn’t care less about with a guest who would never be invited to anything in Bristol unless he scored an important goal against the City. That’s just fine and dandy. But as a friend of mine pointed out, it makes Rovers look “tinpot” by association.
Call me old fashioned – and I am afraid that in many instances I am very old fashioned – but I don’t care what Dean Windass did nine years ago. It is of no interest to me, impacts not one bit on my life. There are, surely, more interesting and more important things in life than to gloat about something that happened so long ago, to someone else.
Good luck to Dean Windass and all that. It was a bloody good goal and I smiled at the time. I don’t care now though, not one jot, because time and life has moved on. And there are more important things to fret about.
