Legless post reminds me
Of possibly the most inappropriate half time match entertainment ever.

It is Saturday September 15th 2001, a few days after the twin towers came down and myself and a few friends were watching an afternoon Rugby match at Cardiff RFC. Obviously, the crowd were a little subdued, all talk being of the unbelievable events of the last 4 days, and even the players on the pitch, perhaps aware that the crowd was not paying its usuall attention seemed sluggish and lacklustre.

And then, just before half time there was a low whining roar in the distance, getting closer and closer until an airliner flew right over the ground and it was low, very low, perhaps 2000ft over the centre of Cardiff. Of course the brighter of us realised that airline schedules were shot and airliners were still being diverted left right and centre in the wake of the attack in New York, so seeing an airliner well off the normal routes was to be expected. Even so, it spooked a lot of the crowd, and even on the pitch, play stopped for a couple of seconds as all 30 players and the referee crained their necks skyward nervously.

Within a couple of minutes it was half time, the whistle blew and the players ran off into the tunnel heading for the dressing room and large parts of the crowd went in search of half time burgers, beer and urinals.

Now, for a season or two, half time entertainment at Cardiff RFC was a dance troupe of girls aged 10 - 16 leaping around enthusiasticaly waving pom poms dancing to disco type music led by their (rather fit) dance teacher.

You can see it coming can't you.

about 30 young girls in their glittering costumes came flooding out of the tunnel onto the pitch, lined up in ranks ready, the speakers crackled as the music was put on and the stadium boomed with the sound of Its Raining Men and off the girls went manically into their pom pom waving routine.

The crowd stood, silently, mouths agape, not quite believing what they were seeing.

The Dance instructors face changed from a happy jazz smile into a horrified rictus grin as she realised a third of the way in why the crowd instead of cheering as usual were looking at her aghast.

The poor girls, god bless em, soldiered on to the end, some of them getting quite teary and as the final bar of the song reverberated around the pitch, they fled back into the tunnel to the sound of stunned silence from the crowd.

The second half came and went, I can't even remember if we won or lost, and we had a very subdued few pints after the game.

Quite an experience.


/Edited for datey accuracy
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Mon 1 Feb 2010, 8:52, 2 replies)

15th
Sept 11 2001 was a Tuesday. That would make the Saturday the 15th.

I know, I'm a pedant and a pain in the arse.
(David CopAFeel Used to be The_Elcat - Spouting crap since 1970., Mon 1 Feb 2010, 11:43, closed)

Doh
You are right of course, I should have checked the dates on a calendar.
( RadG Drinking Mojitos in the sun, Mon 1 Feb 2010, 13:42, closed)

Silly as it sounds, I remember it was a Tuesday
Because the news bulletins interrupted The West Wing which was playing at the time.
(David CopAFeel Used to be The_Elcat - Spouting crap since 1970., Tue 2 Feb 2010, 3:38, closed)