For Grandma, my brother and I, our favourite thing to do together was to go to the football, to watch Norwood play. My earliest memory is of going to see Norwood vs Port in the 1980 Grand Final. We lost but as a 9 year old I remember finding a $20 note walking to the bus stop outside Footy Park which I gleefully spent on a speedo for my bike! We saw Norwood win and lose many grand finals but season by season Grandma would always buy us a membership and match day tickets for our birthdays (in advance of course!). The match day routine generally went like this:
Dad would drop us down to Grandma’s in time to catch the 12 o’clock bus. We’d have cushions and a bag with supplies which we shared carrying. We’d catch two buses to get to the ground by half time of the reserves. The first thing we’d do is get a budget and I’d always get some free kids raffle tickets as I tried in vain for years to win that prize of a bike or a game worn Guernsey of your favourite player! Then we’d take up our seats in the front row of the Western stand, right in the middle of the ground. What a place to sit – right above and between the interchange gates and just in front of the commentary box. From there, a hungry lad would want some lunch and this was always a time of trepidation as the taste buds of a ten year old were not greatly attuned to corned beef and chutney on wholemeal bread and Milo with water. Over time though, Grandma endeavoured to meet our needs by graduating to fritz and sauce, ham and sauce or just plain vegemite – on white bread! And the Milo even came with milk eventually, slurped down in a Norwood mug. After lunch, there was always a Tupperware container at the bottom of the bag which had a sweet biscuit in it as a treat.
After warming up with some reserve’s football, Grandma would always let me walk down to the end of the stand to see what the message was on the banner. As I got a bit older, I fessed up that I also wanted to see the dancing girls from a closer vantage point! Grandma would usually sit between my brother and I and by the end of the game we were usually both a bit sore owing to Grandma’s habit in her excitement of wriggling side to side with her elbows raised. Sometimes we would mimic this and Grandma would laugh at our impersonations of her, as would we!
After the game, Grandma was always happy when we won and the trip home was a bit quicker. If we lost, Grandma would usually have something to say about how the umpires had not done any favours for the red and blue team. She had a particular dislike for Rick Kinnear who was related to a Port Adelaide footballer and she always despaired when he was rostered to umpire one of our games. Over all the years we went to the footy, I’d say her favourite players were John Wynne (or “two eight” as he was known); Michael Taylor (known as Kingo), Michael Aish (“Aishy”) and Gary McIntosh (simply known as “Macca”).
As my brother and I got our Drivers’ Licenses, the roles reversed and instead of catching two buses to and from the footy, we would take turns to go and pick Grandma up and drive her home. When she got even older, we would drop her straight at the ground before parking the car and vice versa, to save her the walk. One day I remember driving to the game and as we passed through the intersection of Kensington Road and Osmond Terrace at 60km/h, I hit a dip in the road where the roads met one another. Needless to say, we all flew up and hit our heads on the roof! I think my brother and I both instinctively swore in shock and after a brief moment, we all started laughing together as like a team of synchronised swimmers we all raised our hands to rub our heads. In some small way, driving Grandma to the footy was a means to repay her in some small way for all the times as children that she had taken us to the footy on the bus.
Grandma didn’t have an easy life by any stretch of the imagination, but no one can say that she didn’t make the most of it. Grandma’s motto in life was surely that of Norwood’s, being “Fortis in Procella” - which translates to ‘Strength in Adversity’ or ‘Brave in the Tempest’.
She loved to travel, to spend time volunteering in community activities, and to spend time with family and friends especially at Christmas and Birthday times. She had very little materially but yet she found her own ways to lead a rich and fulfilling life. For one so giving to others, it is unfathomable that after overcoming the deaths of her husband and daughter well before their time and then beating cancer, she should have to be stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Her body just went on and on even though her mind had eventually left her unable to comprehend her surroundings or to communicate with us. I wish she had been able to leave us peacefully on her own terms but perhaps there was a reason why she stoically hung on.
It couldn’t be ironic that Grandma, drawing on a sixth sense, wanted to see through one more football season with Norwood. After 5 years out of the finals, the team finished 5th and won their elimination final against Port in sensational style. The next week however, we were beaten by Sturt to end our season and only a few hours later, Grandma decided enough was enough and finally let go. She had “seen” her team for one more full season and play finals footy one more time.
So long Grandma. You are finally at peace. You are constantly missed but you are always, and will always be, with me at the footy.
Got the funeral tomorrow so needless to say there is a fair bit of reflection taking place at present
[/quote]
As a South Adelaide supporter I can assure you that the very same thing used to occur at Morphett Vale Primary & Christies Beach high! 
