First Class Lives #4: The Football Captain

Last Saturday, after my son’s lesson at the local swimming club - I assisted an elderly gentleman relying on a walking cane to his car. He had accepted my offer to carry his bag and because he was still struggling a little - he remarked “You would not believe that I once was the Captain of the English Football Team, would you?”. This led to a chat about soccer, and what clubs he had played for in England, amongst other things...

He then asked me to reach into his bag and retrieve some scrapbooks to which I obliged. The two scrapbooks were filled with old newspaper articles about footballs cup victories and displayed headlines like “Rickaby was Superb”. (He was carrying these books to show his physiotherapist with whom he had an appointment).

He was a complete gentleman and his demeanour really humble in all of this. He also told me that he had also stormed the beaches in Normandy on D-Day during WWII. And just as he was leaving he said “I have written a book – it will be in the stores this Christmas – “Its easy to remember – “Up Over and Down Under””, before shaking my hand and leaving.

I just thought I would ‘google’ his name—“Stan Rickaby” to find that his book has already been published in the UK. Interestingly his football victories and Normandy were only part of his high achieving life journey.

The synopis reads:

"This book traces the story of "Up over" (Northern Hemisphere) where Stan Rickaby was born, to "Down under" (the southern hemisphere - Australia to be exact), where he lives today. The former England International and West Bromwich Albion Footballer looks back at his childhood, wartime experiences, footballing career and his new life down under. It encompasses his childhood growing up in the industrial North-East of England, wartime experiences as an infantry soldier in the Normandy invasion and a career in football, allowing Stan the great honour to play for his country. Not content with just hanging up his boots, he goes on to experience the cut-throat commercial world as a UK director of a famous controversial international investment company, with colleagues including James Roosevelt, son of Franklin D. As a complete contrast to this fast pace world Stan Rickaby took a decision to emigrate to Australia, living in Aboriginal communities on a tropical island in the Arafura Sea and the vast and remote Northern Territory working with the indigenous people. Then working for the Probation and Parole Department to open the first bail hostel in Australia".

It appears as though this gentleman really has led a first class life. (Good thing I now know where he lives - I'm about to order a copy... and will be honoured if he might sign it for me).

Interesting comment regarding this mans life - the synopsis of the book ends with:

"Through his tapestry of life runs a thread of religion, his Christian faith has carried him through from baptism to the present time, where his life now takes on a more serene role in North Beach, Western Australia".