A Girl Who Liked the Footie!

After I got MS I thought I could just go back to work, like nothing happened. I was fine! Well as my mum would say


"you know what thought did?"


I had a great career stewarding at football matches, OK not something that challenged my brain greatly but a job I loved and took very seriously all the same. I remembered the haunting images from my younger days as an armchair wrestling, football fan. Other girls got up early to watch Tiswas or Going live on a Saturday morning, I stayed in bed until it was time to watch Saint and Greavsy,Dickie Davis and of course Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks squaring up to each other! I loved my job at Brockville it was when I stopped being a football fan and worked to make sure other fans were safe. I read the Taylor and Popplewell reports. A bit much for a job were I was paid just £15 quid a shift! I didn't have to but I have this thing about knowing everything about anything I do.
I was haunted by Friday night nightmares about Crushes and the wooden stand I used to sit in burning. Knowing that there was only a 4 minute window where they had to stop the Bradford City Stadium fire is what kept my arse glued to that seat in the library studying what mistakes had been made before but never learned from. I have many distinct memories of those Saturdays sitting in front of the box watching the footie while waiting for those magic 8 score draws that were going to change all our lives. Two of the worst of those memories are watching that stand at Brafford burning and the people running around the pitch while on fire. The other was screaming "let them fucking out" as caged football fans were squashed against that blue fence. It was one of the few times I swore infront of my dad and escaped a clip around the ear!



I used to have a really good time working at the Falkirk FC stadium at Hope street and found I could joke with all my teams opponents on the day but at the end of the day I was in charge of my section and I soon learned how to make 100 men to do exactly what I said! I didn't leave them in any doubt that their lives could depend on it.
I admit it took some great mental discipline not to turn around when I knew the Bairns were coming up on goal but I did it. I wore a massive yellow jacket over the top of my shirt and a tie that I had borowed from dad. I worked for 6 years at that job. When I didn't trust my eyes anymore though I knew that I had to give it up.


After the stewarding came car cleaning. I wasn't as good at that but I always gave the job my best. I did try selling Ann Summers for a bit but selling naughty knickers and vibrators although great fun really only makes money if you can drive.



My next job was on the checkouts at Tescos and they were a great employer and very disability aware, they made reasonable allowances for the MS but in the end after just a couple of years I had to retire on medical grounds. Which meant I could get my pension paid out in full and keep my discount card, retired at 28 what can I say? my dad always told me I would retire young, though I suspect he thought it would be when I had made my first million! I never planned on not having qualifications. Oh I had definite plans, as an 11 year old! I wanted to be a vet but then I found out I might have to shoot horses so I put that idea down. Then I considered Politics, Law and Journalism. I used to go quite often to my local councillors house after school and keep him on his doorstep debating all manner of issues, usually while his dinner got cold! I liked him.The late Mr Ian Davidson a labour councillor who had a keen intellect and really beautiful handwriting. He also had the patience of a saint when it came to the 12 year old who wanted to save the whales, stop animal testing and to ban the bomb! I can't help thinking that he would be spinning in his grave if he could see what the party he gave his life to had turned into today. He granted my request to show me and my entire modern studies class around our local councils chambers. A trip I thoroughly enjoyed and although it made me very popular with the modern studies teacher Mr Williams I can't say that the rest of the class was all that thriled with me but thats another blog entirely!





Councillor Davidson gave me a piece of advice I have never forgotten, He said " Cath I might not agree with you, I might not like what you have to say but as your duly elected local goverment official I damn well have to listen to it!"