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Andy Topham: a family memory of my Dad's last match

I have so many memories of Warrington games, wins, loses, draws and odd events at games that stand out.

My father passed away from Alzheimers in 2008 and I remember the last game he went to against Leeds. He was a little frail and not too good on his feet but I managed to get him to the ground OK.

It was actually outside the ground that I remember a man coming up to my dad and asking his name, "Bloody hell, Kenny Topham, we used to go to school together, he was like a whippet back then - fastest lad in the area but nothing on him!" I never knew my Dad was a runner in school, i was pretty fast back in school too and wondered where it had come from.

They had a nice old chat about the school they went to 50 years back and quickly caught up on times past as only old blokes can do.

I showed my dad to his seat and got him a drink and a match programme and kept my eye on him as I was working on the day at the stadium. Every time I looked over to him he was grinning broadly and taking in the surroundings of the new stadium.

We chatted on the way home and he was "made up" with the day and the glossy programme he had, something he could keep as a memory. We talked the following weeks about him going to another game, but sadly his condition got worse and he was never able to go to another game.

When I was clearing his house a year or two later, I found that programme in the bottom of a drawer along with some other keepsakes from the day.

Sport and Rugby League is more than just a game to some, it holds memories of many happy and sad times, all of which have a place with those who keep them.

Andy Topham

 

Warrington Wolves v Hull FC Superleague memories game 17th May 2013

The Alzheimer's Society recently launched a national initiative called Dementia Friends which is giving people an understanding of dementia and the small things people can do that make a difference to people living with dementia. Alzheimer's Society want to create a network of a million Dementia Friends across England by 2015 - for more information visit dementiafriends.org.uk

Memory added on May 9, 2013

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