Words and photos from Keith Brookman...
Another year, hot summer day and another great turnout for the Bristol Rovers Former Players Association Annual Golf Day.
This event continues to grow in popularity, and it’s always good to see so many former players in attendance, along with supporters who are golf enthusiasts and Gasheads.
There were 22 former players involved in this year’s event held, as usual, at the Kendleshire Golf Club, and they were included in a total of 16 teams who were competing for the magnificent trophy, especially polished for the occasion by BRFPA Chairman Tony Mills.
In order to partake of a bacon butty and a strong coffee, we all began to arrive just before or just after 8:30am. Why anyone wants to get up that early and proceed to bash a little white ball around several acres of beautiful countryside remains a mystery to me, an aficionado of the crazy version of the game.
As usual, the banter that was commonplace in the dressing rooms they once graced soon rose to the surface, and though these players were from different generations, the jokes, laughter and camaraderie were very much in evidence.
And so, at 9.16am precisely, the first team strode out to kick off proceedings and were followed at eight-minute intervals by the other competitors.
In case you’re wondering, a course marshal was sitting in his golf buggy, letting us know when teams could tee off, though quite how he managed to say the course was clear when, to this amateur, it really was not is anyone’s guess.
After posing for their photo on the tee, the team of four drove off, though their first obstacle was the lake in front of them and was to claim no fewer than five golf balls that morning.
As if that weren’t enough of an obstacle, the row of trees and thick hedgerow off to the right waited, ready to hide any golf balls that ventured their way and, believe me, many of them did!
And that was only the first hole – what followed was a four and a half hour walk around the oasis of green that is the Kendleshire, though it’s doubtful if any of those serious about the game took any notice of their surroundings.
Photos of the teams on the first tee soon surfaced on the socials, prompting someone to come right back at me and ask if I was going to have a swish around the course myself. Now, I’m familiar with birdies, bogeys, eagles and the odd albatross, but I’ve never heard the golfing term having a swish, so if anyone can enlighten me, please do.
Once team 16 had cleared the water obstacle and begun their trek around the next 17 holes, it was time for yours truly to set up the prizes and take a few more snaps to accompany this piece of nonsense!
The trophies and prizes on offer were as follows: First, Second and Third Team Trophies, Longest Drive Trophy, and Nearest the Pin Trophy.
The raffle prizes were: paddleboarding for six people, golf vouchers (two for the Kendelshire, one for Minchinhampton), a voucher for an overnight stay at the Rectory Hotel, Malmesbury, a meal voucher for The Globe at Frampton Cotterell, golf balls and a voucher for Hospitality at a Bristol Rovers Home Match.
In addition, there was a Liverpool shirt and a Bristol Rovers shirt which were auctioned off by Geoff Twentyman after we had all partaken of the food on offer and once the teams were back in the Clubhouse.
Some of the former players had travelled a long way to join us on the day – Steven Gillespie drove down from Liverpool, Andy Rammell from Bournemouth and Christian McClean from deepest, darkest Essex, and whilst others had shorter journeys to contend with, it was good to see so many in attendance.
BRFPA President Billy Clark made the presentations, with Shay Brennan collecting the prize for nearest the pin and, in my opinion, he should have received a prize for the best decorated golf trolley (to be fair, it was the only one, but good to see a Rovers themed trolley being taken around the course.
Lee Mansell’s brother Richard collected the prize for the longest drive, and we half expected him to run the length of the room clutching his trophy and waving to the fans, but no, simply a dignified acceptance while his brother grudgingly accepted that it was time for another family member to shine!
The third-placed team was Northern Gas, whose members were the aforementioned Steven Gillespie and his good friend and current Liverpool colleague Tim Dittmer, along with former Gas players Mike England and Simon Bryant.
Sponsors Dick Lovett BMW took the runners-up spot, and their team was made up of Ollie Jones, Will Francis, Phil Love and John Roberts.
This year’s winners were Bailey Build, with former player Paul Tovey being joined by James Williams, Ian Rawlings and Matt Gallagher.
There was even time for two legacy cap presentations, to Steven Gillespie and Andy Sandell, while Geoff Twentyman, Tom White and David Lee have all said they will be at a home game next season to receive their caps.
Thanks to the following sponsors: Westend Developments (Trophies), The Hamilton Family (Golf Balls with BRFPA logo), The Globe, Frampton Cotterell, Bristol Rovers FC, Rectory Hotel, Malmesbury, Batheaston Paddleboarding
Golf Team Sponsors: Dick Lovett BMW, Hotchkins Group, Bailey Build, PFA, Front Row Roofing, Stringer Construct, Brighton Williams & Partners, Berkeley Estates, Consort, Pasty Alley Gas, J4Projects, SM Gauge.
Finally, a big thank you to Mo Bell and Tony Mills for their hard work in organising such a hugely successful event.
Words and photos from Keith Brookman
