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Fathers Day - RIP
at 00:15 18 Jun 2018

Long time lurker, very rare poster. Not least because my fat fingers managed to put a typo in my intended username when I first registered which I never fixed.

Italia 90 was the first World Cup I really remember. Not a bad one to start with. I was still pretty young but, as we got deeper into the tournament, I was increasingly allowed to stay up to watch the games; for Belgium I was sent to bed after 90 minutes, Cameroon I think I was allowed to watch the first half of extra time in one of the most nonsensical compromises I can possibly think of. But for Germany I was allowed to watch the whole ordeal.

We were having our lounge redecorated at the time and the details of the evening are one of those bizarrely enduring childhood memories. As a consequence we were crammed into the back half of our dining room with the furniture from two rooms and a tiny television where you needed to get up and lightly press the metal touch strips by the numbers to change channel.

My Dad had, by his standards, gone all out on this one - bringing home a box of Cornetto’s as an ‘Italian’ half time treat. We all know what happened in the match itself but probably the most exciting moment - at least on a par with Lineker’s goal - was when the commentator (Motson or Davis? We definitely watched on BBC) commented on Bobby Robson’s smart haircut and relayed that he’d flown out his long-time barber, who was an Italian himself, to do the job.

My Dad practically bounced out of his chair. “It’s Gino. He’s talking about Gino”.

Gino’s was, and still is, a well known hairdressers in the centre of Ipswich. The eponymous owner ran it along with his children. My Dad was a regular and I’d been taken in a number of times and marvelled at all the signed Ipswich photos on the wall donated by players and managers who’d been in for a cut.

A number of years after Italia 90, I went there to meet my Dad. Well into my teenage years and, by now, hook line and sinker a blue, I was just shy of six foot’s worth of underweight gangling awkwardness and acne. As I walked in the door, I see the back of my Dad’s head in the first seat by the window. Gino greets me, broom in hand sweeping up the trimmings, grinning like an idiot and making eyes further down the salon. I just think it’s Gino being a bit daft so carry on down to the leather sofas at the back to flick through a few magazines and wait. But he follows me and is still trying to get me to look at the fourth chair in the line.

And that’s when I clock Mr Robson. And the teenage awkwardness really kicks in. But Gino ushers me over, explains I’m a big Town fan and Bobby looks at me via the mirror that runs the length of the shop - he’s in the middle of having his hair cut after all - and he’s all smiles and “nice to meet you”s. We share a short conversation and then he reaches out from under the barbers gown to sign me an autograph in the back of the hairdresser’s business card. For some reason no one lays hand on a biro and it’s some sort of thick marker pen. But it doesn’t matter - the “best wishes, Bobby Robson” are clear enough. I’m thrilled and I keep it in the back of my wallet for years until it’s inexplicably and inexcusably lost.

All three of them are gone now. Three fathers. And all three to cancers of varying forms. But all who made a mark on me to a greater or lesser degree.

So it came something of a full circle today when the new Sir Bobby film was presented as a Fathers Day gift. The first World Cup that my own children have taken a real interest in and will remember is warming up nicely. We’ll watch England tomorrow. And if we progress I’ll let them stay up to watch if they want to - extra time, penalties and all. I’ll watch the film soon too with my sons and it will probably make me shed a tear because of those memories. My boys and other half will think I’m crazy for it and I’ll just have to take their bemused sympathy.

It’s taken so long to write this it isn’t even Fathers Day any more. But if you’ve made it this far, thanks for listening.

[Post edited 18 Jun 2018 7:48]

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