A look back at our 2006 Sportsman's Dinner...
The long awaited evening exceeded everyone's wildest expectations. People began arriving at 6.45pm and by 8.00pm, 220 people (a complete sell-out) were seated as the MC Gerry Earl called for order. After an accomplished speech from skipper Joe Lunn, Gerry got every table to delegate a table captain. Each table captain was selected by a demographic vote. Everyone on each table had to point at the person on their table who they thought had the most money. It will come as no surprise that people on the Crossflatts Cricket Club table that Jonny Gath was voted! The table captain had the responsibility of getting £10 off everyone for the raffle and stand-up bingo. It didn't take long for the money to collected in (Shane has trouble getting a fiver a week off his players for subs!). The stand-up bingo and raffle was over in no time and it was down to the main event. Even though an un-named player was too intoxicated to listen to the numbers that Gerry was calling out - he was too blind to see straight! Anyway the food was scoffed in a breath, despite the lack of bar service (the only negative of the whole night), we were all ready for the main event. Norman Hunter took the stage to rapturous applause and even a bit of over zealous chanting. Nicky Corward can be seen by the camera to be putting his heart and soul into his 'version' of 'We are Leeds', not bad for a City fan!. Norman wooed the audience with references to 'appauling decor', 'that little fat bastard', Gary Sprake, Brian Clough RIP, and obviously the great late Billy Bremner. I am not going to satisfy those of who who didn't make it by telling you his jokes, unless you donate £35 to the club, you tight ****! I would have paid £35 to listen to Norman himself, this coming from a City fan. Rumour has it that Norman paid £35 for the photo Ronnie posed with him, but that is another story, eh Joe! We were all on about it on my table about how nervous Jimmy Bright was, having to follow Norman Hunter. Norman had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Without naming and shaming anyone, here are some quotes from our table:
'How the **** do you upstage that?'
'Bet he's sh**ting himself after Norman's display!'
'He looks well nervous to me!'
As it turned out, Jimmy was coolness personified. He was funnier than any stand-up I have seen (admittedly this isn't a lot) either live or on tape. Peter Kaye wasn't a patch on him. Having got through the UK's annual ration of Bud during fifteen minutes or so, he handed the mike back over to Gerry, who began the auction.
James Bairstow.
The following is a selection of pics from the night.
