Ron proud to be part of 'special night'
Posted on: Wed 22 Jul 2009
Monday night's testimonial wasn't all about celebrating the playing days of Graeme Murty, there were also two other men who earned the frenzied applause of the thousands in attendance.
Former kit man Ron Grant and ex-player and groundsman Fred Neate were also honoured by Murty on his special day and rightly paraded in front of the Madejski Stadium crowd.
"It was unexpected," a beaming Ron admitted. "I didn't know anything about it, but it was brilliant - what can I say?
"I feel quite guilty actually, because Fred walked out with more than 50 years of service behind him and then I followed him with just 16 and a half years!"
"We finished working for the club on the 30th of June and we had a lovely presentation evening which involved the Chairman and the staff at the club.
"But tonight was special. It was great seeing some of the old faces again too - Curo, Martin Butler, Scotty Howie and even some of the more recently departed players such as Aaron Brown."
Asked what he'd miss about the job, Rob admitted "I shall miss the people that I was involved with on a daily basis.
"And I shall miss that little bit of adrenaline that runs through you on a matchday too.
"But I think it was time for me to finish - I'm not getting any younger. And there's only so long you can bend down to pick up dirty knickers all the time."
And when asked what he wouldn't miss, Ron said "The travelling. I dread to think how many miles I've totted up and it's a terrible waste of time sometimes, just sat on a coach.
"I always look at the old black and white films and see the documentaries on the big bands that went on tour in America, and I reckon I've spent as much time on a coach as Glen Miller did!
"And now with modern coach facilities that give the players internet access for their laptops, they all watch films or have their music playing and nobody speaks to each other any more."
Having travelled with the team home and away for such a long time, Ron is already wondering how he is going to fill his time now his first team duties are over.
"I'm not a golfer, but I've got 11 grandchildren and a son that plays cricket every weekend.
"My youngest plays in Banbury in North Oxfordshire and I went to see him play last weekend, and they didn't have a scorer.
"So I stepped in and scored and, in actual fact, I got the man of the match award - in the league that they play you get docked five points if you don't have a scorer. And, as they were beaten, I got them the only five points for them."
Former kit man Ron Grant and ex-player and groundsman Fred Neate were also honoured by Murty on his special day and rightly paraded in front of the Madejski Stadium crowd.
"It was unexpected," a beaming Ron admitted. "I didn't know anything about it, but it was brilliant - what can I say?
"I feel quite guilty actually, because Fred walked out with more than 50 years of service behind him and then I followed him with just 16 and a half years!"
"We finished working for the club on the 30th of June and we had a lovely presentation evening which involved the Chairman and the staff at the club.
"But tonight was special. It was great seeing some of the old faces again too - Curo, Martin Butler, Scotty Howie and even some of the more recently departed players such as Aaron Brown."
Asked what he'd miss about the job, Rob admitted "I shall miss the people that I was involved with on a daily basis.
"And I shall miss that little bit of adrenaline that runs through you on a matchday too.
"But I think it was time for me to finish - I'm not getting any younger. And there's only so long you can bend down to pick up dirty knickers all the time."
And when asked what he wouldn't miss, Ron said "The travelling. I dread to think how many miles I've totted up and it's a terrible waste of time sometimes, just sat on a coach.
"I always look at the old black and white films and see the documentaries on the big bands that went on tour in America, and I reckon I've spent as much time on a coach as Glen Miller did!
"And now with modern coach facilities that give the players internet access for their laptops, they all watch films or have their music playing and nobody speaks to each other any more."
Having travelled with the team home and away for such a long time, Ron is already wondering how he is going to fill his time now his first team duties are over.
"I'm not a golfer, but I've got 11 grandchildren and a son that plays cricket every weekend.
"My youngest plays in Banbury in North Oxfordshire and I went to see him play last weekend, and they didn't have a scorer.
"So I stepped in and scored and, in actual fact, I got the man of the match award - in the league that they play you get docked five points if you don't have a scorer. And, as they were beaten, I got them the only five points for them."
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