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Cricket
Bill Shankly of Liverpool Football Club said famously: 'football isn't about life or death - it's much more serious than that'. I feel the same way about cricket.
All my life I've been playing cricket and been involved with clubs all around the county (and country). The thing about cricket is that it brings people of all ages together. I play for Gloucester City Wingate Cricket Club (www.gloucestercricket club.com), sometimes with either or both both my sons. How many fathers can play football for their city in the same team as their sons? It's magic.
And I really love seeing the enthusiasm of playing with the young, going off to nets at the Spa Road ground, or at AIW nets, or with other teams. It's like early Sunday morning rugby at the Hucclecote RFC, Old Cryptians and other clubs - lots of boys getting coaching and plenty of competitive matches.
Over the years I've captained school and university sides at school, refounded the Shanghai Cricket Club in China (closed for almost 40 years) Cirencester. I've also played for many other clubs, including (in Gloucestershire) the Gloucestershire Gipsies,Tarbarrow, Bisley, the Desert Rats and Rodmarton - and loved them all.
Because cricket isn't played at some schools now, the best way to get involved is to join a club - Hardwicke for Quedgeley residents (until the Waterwells Club side is up and running), AIW, Gloucester City/Wingets etc. I recommend it strongly - a wonderful way to make friends in the summer.
Meanwhile let's all support Jon Lewis and the young Gloucestershire Cricket Club, they've had a tough season and need our help. And we need Gloucestershire to play here again in the summer of 2010.
Rugby
This is a rugby city and Kingsholm rugby is special. It's partly the quality of play, the tension of the key matches, the feeling that we could have the European champions in Gloucester: and partly the strength of support that the GRFC expects and gets from its core supporters.
I was a poor winger in an average but my elder son played for the winning U13 G'shire side and my younger son is a better winger than I was. We're all small and nippy but nver nippy enough!
My dream remains for Gloucester to win both the championship and the Heineken Cup. I think it'll happen soon..
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Council