My first days at Grammar School..

I turned up with a dap bag of brand new rugby boots, shirt, and shorts.
Part of the expensive compulsary purchase list of essentials for starting there.

What.. no football allowed at Grammar school..!!! So what's this rugby all about then...???

I was a big lad 11 year old who enjoyed rough and tumble play fights with mates on the council estate,
so was well up for having a go at tackling.
I was never any good at playing football, but enjoyed lurking in defence to foul the other teams strikers..
So rugby tackling definitely appealed to me as a substitute for football fouling.

On a freeezing Autumn morning we turned out for games in full rugby kit.
As soon as we lined up to be selected for teams,
the PE teacher ordered me to take my glasses off,
or I wouldn't be allowed to play.
Arguing with the teacher did no good, so I ended being stuck on the sideline freezing my bollocks off.

That was the start and end of my rugby career.

Annoying thing was, glasses never stopped me getting in playground fights.
My NHS specs were always held together with sellotape...

After that, I tried playing without my glasses, but was useless.
So Rugby lessons just became a futile exercise in going through the motions learning scrum and passing skills
I'd never be able to use in any match..

.. and I hated cricket..

Grammar school games and glasses is one of the main reasons I ended up in the despised arty farty clique,
wannabe rock stars, writers, and actors...