ALPACA FORCED OFF PITCH; RHUBARB FORCED IN SHEDS

 

This is Oscar, the four legged one, who invaded the Carlton Athletic pitch when the home team was playing local rivals Ilkley Town AFC in a West Yorkshire Premier League match-Tier 7. The Alpaca is well known for following the ball up and down his farm field fence that runs alongside the Carlton pitch. Sporting a Patrick Bamford haircut, the Alpaca, hypnotised by the ball, found a way onto the pitch and stopped play-see video.

The referee lost his patience as the game was held up for about 20 minutes, waiting for the local famer to come and entice the woolly beast back to his field. The two teams were clearly disturbed by this, they got over excited, upsetting the ref, who began handing out bookings left right and centre. But at least Oscar, the alpaca, sparked some action!

It was a dire match after 35 minutes,with a dull score of 0-0 at the disturbance. At least Oscar brought some amusement to the occasion. Various players and supporters tried to entice the creature off the pitch with "treats" and the club chairman even found a "lasso" in the clubhouse and tried the cowboy rope trick with no success. Eventually the beast found itself away from the football pitch on to the next door cricket club. It was explained that alpacas have soft feet so no fear of damage to the wicket! but there was a fear of it charging one of the footballers or even making a tackle.

The alpaca came from the neighbouring farm shop *"The Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle" and was later led back to its "pen".

Ilkley won 0-2 by the way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-54224681

Carlton FC's "commercial department" went into overdrive and is suggesting t-shirts, photos, film rites and so on. It was all so "a-llama-ing" one wit said. Yes, they do spit but only when they are very upset!

The Yorkshire Rhubarb triangle is a well known area in West Yorskhire nestled between Wakefield, Bradford and Leeds....an area of helpful soils, plenty of water and flat land where surprisingly, rhubarb is "force" grown in darkened sheds. 

I first heard of this unique region from a Huddersfield born Oxford Uni educated geography teacher and footballer, Brian Hardcastle. Brian had arrived at my school in Horsham when I was in the O Level years and he had played for Oxford Uni at Wembley in the "Varsity" match and joined Horsham Town FC. This was in a year when the Hornets (non-league) played Swindon Town (Div 3) in an 1966-7 FA Cup 1st Round tie at Horsham's home pitch, Queen's Street. Don Rogers, of Swindon, then becoming famous, was an attraction and he led his team to a comfy 3-0 win. 

Swindon went on to beat Ashford Town 5-0 Rd 2, then in Rd 3 played West Ham away 3-3, winning the replay 3-1. Rd 4 they beat Bury 2-1.                    In Rd 5 they drew with Nottingham Forest away 0-0, then 1-1 and lost 3-0 at a neutral ground. Forest beat Everton and eventually lost to Tottenham in the semi-final 2-1. Spurs won the Cup v Chelsea! 

Below, no it's not Christmas, it's forced rhubarb...a Yorkshire speciality.

Just to finish the story, Don Rogers was later the hero of Swindon Town, when he and his mates beat Arsenal on March 15th 1969, in the Football League Cup Final, in front of over 88,000 at Wembley. Rogers, a winger scored twice in extra time (104', 119') having see his team hold Arsenal to a 1-1 after 90 minutes. Roger Smart of Swindon opened the scoring after 35 minutes and Bobby Gould equalised after 86'. Gould was reduced to tears. Then in extra time it all kicked off. NOTE the state of the pitch-post Horse of the Year Show!! (that was a good idea...) and Arsenal of course had been hit by 'flu! Apparently.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ-rJx13s9g