A R U G B Y TA L E BY ALAN DICKINSON (58-67) While I have pursued a lifelong career as a stockbroker, it was a love of tries, rather than trades, which has brought me much joy.
M
y journey began in ‘61 when I was 12 years of age. Recollections are dimmed with the passage of time but memories of my first competitive match for the RGS remain clear; Colin ‘Claude’ Dales (Staff 50-86) – what a gentleman – taking us on a bus to our first fixture. I was nervous; Blaydon U15’s were VERY physical. Fast forward to the school rugby tour of ‘67. I was in the lower sixth at the time and was part of a very strong 1st XV. The late, great John Elders (57-82 & 92-96) was our coach and as we had a powerful pack including the formidable back row of Campbell, Duff and Dempster together with a strong half back combination (Fairbairn and Williams). It was no surprise that ‘10 man rugby’ was often the norm. Consequently, I never saw much of
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the ball, a pattern I have to say seemed to follow me. Shortly after that, the selectors from Old Novocastrians RFC, as it was known then, may have seen something they liked in me as I was picked to play for Old Novos 1st XV against Northern at McCracken Park, towards the end of the 1967 season. I was only 17 and as my opposite number was a former England trialist I soon discovered the gulf between school and club rugby. I left the RGS 1n July 1967 on a Friday and started work as a stockbroker the following Monday. I could, and probably should, have gone to university but it was my choice in the end to go straight into business; a decision which may have contributed towards my early retirement 34 years later.
