Sir Stanley Matthews

Peter Gilbert 24.2.00
The kick for off for The League Cup Final on February 27th 2000 will be preceded by 1 minute's silence for Sir Stanley Matthews who sadly passed away recently.
A man who played the game with love and affection, without cynicism, with humility modesty and respect for the occasion; his opponents and the supporters. Unbelievably he played until he was 50, and afterwards his only regret was that he 'Packed in too early.'
I never saw him play 'in the flesh' but I once encountered him in Buxton which is where I live these days.
I was looking in an antique shop window and sensing there was someone behind me I looked up and saw his reflection in the glass. It felt like a spirit somehow, but the face was familiar. I turned round and there he was alone, unmistakable and immaculately dressed out for a walk in the cold morning air.
I was momentarily speechless. He seemed to realise. He nodded and said 'Good Morning.' I wanted to throw a million accolades at him, but somehow he looked as if he didn't want any histrionics so I just said 'Good Morning' back to him.
We stood staring into the same shop window for a couple of minutes. I felt privileged to be there in his company. And I was.
Then he sniffed.......... put his hands in his pockets....... nodded at me again, turned and walked away. I watched him wander bandy legged down the street. He was well into his 70's but he still had fluent movement and an unmistakable gait. A small child wandered into him carelessly and momentarily out of control. He gave an immaculate little body swerve to avoid a collision and the child never saw him really, rather like all those full backs he danced round. He looked back at me and smiled and winked I think as if to say 'See I can still do a body swerve.' I smiled back and nodded my appreciation in the great knowledge that Sir Stan had turned it on just for my entertainment. I liked that and I'll think of that moment at Wembley and everyone else will have their own private moment that they've picked up from watching him on black and white television clips or actually seeing him play.
Wembley is synonymous with Sir Stan. Who could ever forget the 1953 final? when at the age of 40 he finally won an FA Cup winners medal which the whole country wanted for him. And how about his dazzling England appearances?
I went a walk round town this morning, I looked in that antique shop window again and of course.......... I saw his face reflected in the glass. Was it his spirit? Was it my imagination? Or was it an optical illusion created by the tear in my eye. Whatever, it smiled and gave me a crafty wink.
Goodbye Sir Stan......thank you for being a true artist............... a craftsman....... a diplomat......... and a dancer.............things which are not easily achieved while you're playing football.
Sir Stan's 1 minute silence will be a real event, there will be no hype, no fireworks, no ticker tape reception, no sponsorships............no agents........no greed............no media lies.........but........ it will extract something genuine in all of us ............if only for one minute...................and that's the mark of the man.

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