So impressive was Dave Gibbons’ performance at the weekend that Hunslet stalwarts Pat Benatmane and Clive Allsop wasted no time in sponsoring him for the rest of the season. Pat is hoping that Dave helps her break her jink on player sponsorships….
“I have to confess; every player I’ve sponsored has been injured within a couple of weeks. One of the first was a young, tall, Afro-haired player called Jermaine Coleman. He’s coach of London Skolars now. He’s still young, tall and has an Afro. Jermaine was injured pretty soon. Still, it was interesting to have your very own player on the pitch. Probably I would have run on with a brolly and bashed an opposition player over the head with it, if there’d been a rough tackle on Jermaine, just like the famous lady from St Helens called Minnie.
The pattern of jinxes leading to injuries was so regular that I stopped sponsoring players for many years. Then, the season before lockdown, I tried to fool the fates by going “halves” on a player. Well, he ARRIVED injured, and never even played for us – so I’m not taking the blame for that one!
This season, I’m trying again with another crafty trick – apart from going halves, I’m sponsoring loan players, so if one goes back to his club (possibly injured) then the jinx passes to the next loanee. At present, Dave Gibbons Jnr is at risk. I asked his dad and uncle, both former Hunslet players, why they didn’t sponsor him, and they kidded me they couldn’t afford it!
If you go to Kirkgate Market in Leeds, you’ll see their business. It’s D.A.D Fruit and Exotics. As usual, Anthony pretended to be David and vice versa. Once David (or was it Anthony?) said he was the one who wore glasses, but the next time Anthony (or was it David?) said that that was him. Anyway, I’m expecting at least an apple or a carrot in thanks every time they come to watch David Junior.
PS I did not sponsor Jimmy nor any of the others injured so far, so don’t go blaming me – you might just get a mouldy tomato, courtesy of D.A.D, thrown at you”.
