A plea for help

[Andrew Vause]

Can anyone, I'm sure that there will be someone, that recalls, when was the last game that they stopped coming around with the blanket collecting money? 

I remember a bloke looking like Rick Wakeman as one of the blokes collecting. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

I apologise for responding to this thread without being able to answer the question asked, but if you're of a certain age you couldn't help but read it without the image of Annie Morris coming to  mind, she carried the blanket round for years and went on to become the first-ever female on a RL board if I remember rightly.

One of my earlier RL memories in the early 1970s was of running battles between fans on the terraces and then the blankets being fearlessly carried round at half time, including in front of the away fans, with coins being thrown in from some distance, a recipe for disaster you'd think but it seemed to work ok.

 

[marklaspalmas]

14 hours ago, Andrew Vause said:

Can anyone, I'm sure that there will be someone, that recalls, when was the last game that they stopped coming around with the blanket collecting money? 

I remember a bloke looking like Rick Wakeman as one of the blokes collecting. 

Good memory Andrew!

I certainly remember than in the late 70s and early 80s. Certainly still in action around the time of Mick Gibbins and John Marsden benefit funds, 83, 84, 85 ish.

Did it perhaps stop after the mainstand fire in 1985? I don't remember seeing such a thing when the new main stand was up in 1986.

Odd to think in this day and age that folk were encouraged to hurl dangerous metal missiles at the pitch! It all seemed to work out ok, and the blanket carriers were adept at both catching the coins and collecting off the grass any they missed.

[jamescolin]

The memories of the past.  I remember the blankets and this brought to mind the way we informed spectators of the Golden Gamble winners. A person came around  the pitch slowly with a board with the winning number on it. Can we go back to that please. I could not tell a word the announcer was saying and thought it might be my age, but asking around to other younger people, they couldn't hear it either. Quite a few said trhat they would not buy tickets again if they could not hear the result. Surely it is the best idea to SHOW the number, then people would not be bemused about the proceedings.

[lingaro]

I remember them coming around in the late 80s. 

[Squidward]

Thats a great question AV.

As soon as you mentioned the blanket. I (like you TPH) pictured a lady who I remembered was called Annie and this other chap who you have said, in my minds eye, had a striking resemblance to Rick Wakeman. Was there a song sung about this man? (Don't be mistaken, don't be misled ...)+

Its crazy that this practice existed but then it was before Health and Safety had been invented I guess. No hard hats or goggles with coins flung from 20 or 30 feet away at a small target. I remember most people laughing when the blanket carriers were hit with some aiming for them rather than the blanket. No-one really thought about the consequences. Happy memories.

[Maureen T-k]

6 hours ago, jamescolin said:

The memories of the past.  I remember the blankets and this brought to mind the way we informed spectators of the Golden Gamble winners. A person came around  the pitch slowly with a board with the winning number on it. Can we go back to that please. I could not tell a word the announcer was saying and thought it might be my age, but asking around to other younger people, they couldn't hear it either. Quite a few said trhat they would not buy tickets again if they could not hear the result. Surely it is the best idea to SHOW the number, then people would not be bemused about the proceedings.

Colin I had a word about the sound system in the family stand the other evening to Martin Vickers, they are aware of it and it will be looked into. At the moment they can’t walk around the perimeter of the field with the winning number. It’s generally put on the scoreboard but that wasn’t working properly on Sunday either. They’ve stopped announcing the GG number at half time due to many people either having a comfort break or getting something to eat or drink and missing the number

[jamescolin]

Thanks Maureen put the picture in order. I had a word with Martin about a joint MOM presentation as we can't see any other possibility. He is consuling and will advise me. If you hear anything let me know. Our cup is still in the branch office. 

[Gooleboy]

On 26/08/2021 at 21:59, Squidward said:

Thats a great question AV.

As soon as you mentioned the blanket. I (like you TPH) pictured a lady who I remembered was called Annie and this other chap who you have said, in my minds eye, had a striking resemblance to Rick Wakeman. Was there a song sung about this man? (Don't be mistaken, don't be misled ...)+

Its crazy that this practice existed but then it was before Health and Safety had been invented I guess. No hard hats or goggles with coins flung from 20 or 30 feet away at a small target. I remember most people laughing when the blanket carriers were hit with some aiming for them rather than the blanket. No-one really thought about the consequences. Happy memories.

The Rick Wakeman lookalike if I remember correctly was called Tommy, can't remember his second name. Him and Annie lived together on POR.

[Maureen T-k]

12 hours ago, Gooleboy said:

The Rick Wakeman lookalike if I remember correctly was called Tommy, can't remember his second name. Him and Annie lived together on POR.

Annie lived with her brother Wilf and the other one was a lad whose surname was Turpin on por 

[Graham]

Annie Morris - thread from 2010. I did see her in her later years in the care home in Castleford.