Blackheath F.C.

But that's nothing.

I didn't think there was a soul in England who didn't know Godfrey Staunton, the crack three-quarter, Cambridge, Blackheath, and five internationals.

Good Lord, Mr. Holmes, where have you lived?' Holmes laughed at the young giant's naive astonishment.

"'You live in a different world to me, Mr. Overton, a sweeter and healthier one.

So although I will still listen to the matches that aren't on Sky, on my beloved CWR Radio, it makes a nice change to have a change of voice.

On Friday evening, which actually caught me out totally, our Cov Rugby lads entertained Blackheath.

Gosh, I remember them days when Coventry and Blackheath were in the top division, but Coventry did play at Coundon Road then.

I'm feeling very old.

Anyway, this match was played at the Nic Newbold Stadium, known to its friends as Butts Park Arena, and it really was a game of two halves.

The first half, we were totally on top of them, and the score at halftime was 35 points Coventry, 15 Blackheath.

However, the second half, as so often has happened recently with Cov, it was turned totally belly flip.

But fortunately, they couldn't quite reach us, but the final score was Coventry 38, Blackheath 36.

So I spent a lot of time growing up in North London, but I grew up, did a lot of my growing up, the majority of my growing up in Southeast London.

Well, that explains how you started with Blackheath, I guess, and come on to that.

But I've met a few people of Nigerian heritage in my time, and I've always asked them, oh, do you know about Marutoje, who's the captain of the British Lions and what have you? And they don't.

So I wondered how you got into rugby.

I didn't want any trouble.

So I rocked up to the training session and yeah, it's just been a sport I've fallen in love with ever since then.

It used to be kind of a Saturday, a Saturday hobby, going to school, play the local school and I just, you know, grew a liking towards the sport and it wasn't until about maybe 14 or 15 where I decided to join a rugby club, which was Blackheath at the time.

So was it a posh school or was it a grammar school or something that played rugby? I went

"'Why, I was first reserve for England against Wales, and I've skippered the varsity all this year.' But that's nothing.

I didn't think there was a soul in England who didn't know Godfrey Staunton, the crack three-quarter, Cambridge, Blackheath, and five internationals.

Good Lord, Mr. Holmes, where have you lived?" Holmes laughed at the young giant's naive astonishment.

you live in a different world to me mr overton a sweeter and healthier one my ramifications stretch out into many sections of society but never i am happy to say into amateur sport which is the best and soundest thing in england However, your unexpected visit this morning shows me that even in that world of fresh air and fair play there may be work for me to do.

London Scottish have recruited well.

They're gonna be a team that's right up there." I remember looking at it, thinking, 'cause I, 'cause I went to that Blackheath's, uh, playoff final game against London Scottish, and I thought, "I c- I just don't see it." And I looked at their recruitment and thought again, "I don't think it looks that great." However, I'm not a rugby expert, I'm gonna take people's word for it.

But it's one of those, I'm looking at it, I'm going, "I'm not surprised." So I don't know what recruitment people were so convinced by that they, they were gonna be so good, but they are, they are down there, and I'm not surprised.

Cambridge, I don't know what's going on there, but they've g- clearly got a massive losing culture.

Rosslyn Park, I've had a f- I've had a few f- fans and players actually messaging me about Rosslyn Park, going, "You know, Rosslyn Park, they'll finish about third.

Don't think they're too keen to go up." But, um, yeah, I, h- the, the, the standard of Nat 1 this season compared to last season, it just doesn't seem quite there.

It's one of those things really that I think last season you had Albion who were like, did very well, then you had Rotherham and, uh, Blackheath, who obviously recruited well and were keen to go up.

You had Sale, who were a team on the up.