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lofty evans
Rambler Joined: 20 September 2007 Location: Gorseinon Status: Offline Points: 53415 |
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Posted: 17 September 2022 at 10:17am |
The World has changed...if there is one constant in life, its change.
The first Derby when I won't be hearing my dad's enthusiasm for all things Scarlet and his latent dislike of all things Jack's. An empty void that exists now and yet because of this , im that flag bearer for all things Scarlet to be passed on and hopefully enthused in my Sons and daughters of the pride and love for all things Scarlet and my birth place Llanelli, my home. My deep seated love of all things Scarlet have been well documented on here ....and I don't spend the time on this forum as years gone by, but change is natural and change can be exciting. A Monarch just passed, covid is disappearing and Benny won't be up in the stands and Butler ( who had soft spot for the Scarlets) it's all different this year as the Ospreys...that lot cross the bridge once again come over to our lands...proper West Wales, where the accent is richer and less abrupt and the rugby is played like no other, stylish, exciting, daring with cavalier spirit and those hymns and songs sung with souls filled with passion and history.........there is nothing like a Scarlet crowd on fire. And only true brilliance will ignite that fire and by God do the Scarlets deliver...not always but when it happens there is something special about Scarlet rugby. Known throughout the World as the Scarlet way, the style, it attracts players from far and wide to taste the elixir of running rugby ....the way it was set up to play. Life changes, events mould opinions, cultures and as stated change happens everyday. But there is one change that has never happened, the biggest rivalry in Welsh rugby...still continues ...the only game of rugby that matters...the Jack's v the Turks, Llanelli v Swansea, Scarlets v Ospreys. For weeks perhaps months, this game has been digging into your brain....nerves ruin your appetite, thinking about it first thing in the morning....last thing at night ....running the final scenarios of the final result, composing speeches or counter remarks if we win or lose. The build ups to these games were excruciating....it was tension times tension times tension. If you were a turk living in Swansea it was relentless carnage and probably vice versa .....I can only speak from experience......but it wasn't pleasant...only a victory and only a real victory would make Monday mornings bearable. I can truly say I never enjoyed these games.....unless we were 30 pts up with 2 mins left....the only game that mattered...instilled in me as a boy by my dad, reinforced by the great supporters I have had the pleasure of watching our team play and the endless stories of past games and the incredible games they had witnessed and passed on to eager young minds. So I write this to all the countless Scarlet supporters who will not be watching the game .....maybe they were once nervous and the only way to calm those nerves were copious amounts of beer ......so for the Dicks, John's, Myrddins, Jack and Harry's and all the others, relax guys we are going to win. It's only a game it's true, but this game is always more than that ....this is when we lay a marker for the season ahead.....and the only way is to thrash the Ospreys......I would gladly accept that as a constant in a World of change. Sing your hearts out people nobody does it better. The team responds ....always. |
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In 1972, Roy Bergiers scored that try and said "that was for you lofty"
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" |
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surfing-mtber
Veteran Joined: 28 January 2012 Location: Devon/MilfordH Status: Offline Points: 2926 |
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Good one Lofty, blessings to you and yours.
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Joshua24:15
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Eastern outpost
Rambler Joined: 13 March 2012 Location: South Suffolk Status: Offline Points: 21936 |
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Long live the king of this forum’s soul and literary heart, King Lofty.
The corner has turned and he’s back for this match day. Hopefully, a regular feature now.
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In a world where you can be anything – Be Kind.
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157cb
Veteran Joined: 29 January 2007 Location: Wales Status: Online Points: 17907 |
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Great Post Lofty mate! So sing your hearts all! We are the 16th man🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷
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magnus
Newbie Joined: 17 September 2022 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 1 |
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Confession, an Osprey fan and hoping for a win today.
But just saw a piece on Saturday kitchen. Ray Gravell with Keith Floyd. It was excellent. Just reminded me of Ray. I know he loved to beat the Jacks, but i wont hold that against him. Still hoping for a good Osprey win, but the timing of seeing Ray may be ominous for us.
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Eastern outpost
Rambler Joined: 13 March 2012 Location: South Suffolk Status: Offline Points: 21936 |
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In a world where you can be anything – Be Kind.
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Brainfart
Groupie Joined: 02 September 2022 Location: Carmarthenshire Status: Offline Points: 126 |
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Wonderful words and sentiment. Thank you. Enjoy all. Or try to.
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Wasp
Veteran Joined: 29 April 2008 Location: Sunny Pembs Status: Online Points: 17547 |
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8000 seats gone in N&S stands
That's enough to make a very decent noise!!
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We're still still here, but I wish we were in an Anglo-Welsh
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Rob o'r Bont
Veteran Dr. Optimist Joined: 03 May 2008 Location: Bont Status: Online Points: 14626 |
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There is no greater thread on SF than one started with Lofty in full flow. We live in great days folks.
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In a world where you can be anything – Be Kind.
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Mugwuffin
Veteran Joined: 24 July 2010 Location: Llanelli Status: Offline Points: 7124 |
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Definitely. With a good walk-up we could pretty much fill the South and North stands, plus the North Terrace. Looking at the etickening site we seem to be around the 9,250 mark. The North and South sides hold around 11,000 combined.
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scarletpimp
Veteran Joined: 22 November 2015 Location: llanelli Status: Offline Points: 2585 |
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Thats a remarkable post from Lofty,, really from the heart.
Eddie butler himself couldn't have written it better! I lived in Morriston for 20 months, loved the park, and the many other wonderful parks Swansea has to offer, during my sojourn over the Lougher bridge But coming home to Llanelli and having read Laurence Durrell's "spirit of place", I now know exactly what he meant. Its my home, and whether Iam in park Howard or the coast path, my spirit is at peace with itself The town centre itself may be sad, but there is more to a town than that. There's its history, and of course its people. Your never alone in Llanelli, you can strike up a friendly conversation with anyone. Then, of course, there's the Scarlets, the heartbeat of the community. My Scarlets Today, back in the north stand, and as Lofy eloquently states for the clash with our oldest and closest rivals. We mourn the loss of our monarch, our hero's benny and ken jones, of a giant of broadcasting Eddie Butler, but the Turk/Jack rivalry remains, and burns brightly...nothing changes! In the past, as a young man, I even travelled home from the south coast of England for a Llanelli V Swansea clash! Stoked up with alcohol, we would stand on the tanner bank, and hurl all kinds of abuse at Moriarty and co, some of it unpleasant. I am not proud of that at all, but that's the way it was then, with the games, far more "violent/dirty " affairs than they are now, even though the modern professional rugby is more physical Looking back, these games were the highlight of the sporting calendar. If we won, you were on cloud 9, for days, but if you lost, it was the reverse. There of course some differences now, as there is a lady with 4 young children sitting in front of me, so I have to be on my best behaviour...even against the Ospreys !! |
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I stood yer on tanner bank
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