In 1988 I was working in Knightsbridge on ceremonial duties on the horses and I finished work at 12 o’clock. It was a big match, Ireland v England. We came here to Twickenham on the tube but we didn’t have a ticket. We met some Irish guys and bought tickets. We just got in when it kicked off, it was a rubbish game, by half time it was 2 points each. Then in the second half England scored 6 or 7 tries. It was that year when they started singing ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ and in parts of the ground you could still stand, it wasn’t all seated, and all these Irish guys had flasks so were passing them round, despite England beating them, it was just a fantastic day! Everyone was friendly, no one cared about the score, it was just a great atmosphere. Saying that now I’ve seen that little advert on England rugby about that’s when they started singing ‘Swing Low’. That match was when Chris Oti got his hat trick and when Rory Underwood should have had a hat trick, it was quite strange to have been at the match. It wasn’t like how it is now, there wasn’t a proper car park, and it was all gravel. It’s quite special.
This memory was recorded by members of the RFU Youth Council at Twickenham during the Six Nations Championship as part of the England Rugby Sporting Memories project.
Memory added on March 10, 2015
Comments
No comments have yet been added to this memory.
