jemini, the fizzers and the festival

Brotherhood Of Man return in triumph.

By Dave Ord

I increasingly get the feeling I was born to the wrong generation.

My hair, my clothes, my aftershave all scream of a time gone by, when you could leave your door unlocked day and night, a night out cost less than a pound and Alvin Stardust's face hung on every teenage girl's wall.

The mid to late 1960s, early 70s would have been my time.

In football Leeds United were dominant, Wakefield Trinity were sweeping the board in rugby league, then there was Arkle, Mill House, Brigadier Gerard and Mill Reef.

Just when the magic was wearing off, Brotherhood of Man would have saved me.

As a resident of Wakefield what pride it would have given me to see "our lads and lasses" sweep all before them with Save Your Kisses For Me in a never-to-be-forgotten Eurovision Song Contest in Holland on 3rd April 1976.

17 points was the winning margin over Catherine Ferry of France, not since Agincourt have our Gallic cousins had such a bloodied nose.

The open top bus parade to welcome our heroes back is still the talk of the city. Ohh to have been there. I actually blame my mother for not dragging her three-year-old along to sample the occasion (or at least pretend she did).

Now what do we have? Leeds are hurtling towards League One, Wakefield the foot of Super League and the tears still flow over Jemini's 'nil points' in Latvia four years ago.

I blame the British public for that and have long argued against the Song For Europe concept to choose our song. Leave it to the experts. And by that I mean Bobby Gee from the Fizzers.

But the one thing that keeps me going, the one ray of light in the dark tunnel of life, is Cheltenham.

Will Kauto Star get round - let alone stay - in the Gold Cup? Does Detroit City's form stack up to that of the crack Irish hurdlers? Is Denman the real deal? Will they see which way Aran Concerto goes in whichever novice he contests? Can I walk to the track from Bishops Cleeve? Will the fear of underarm sweat prevent me from wearing blue shirts over the four days?

It keeps me awake on a night.

So has Valentines Day.

What do you give your beloved as a gift?

Roses? Chocolates? Jewellery? A complimentary badge for the Ladies Day at the Festival? A signed copy of Save Your Kisses for me? Vinyl versions are going for 29p on Ebay and must rate as the value bet of the month.

Nina is from Brisbane though and I'm not sure Brotherhood Of Man ever cracked Australia.

It's a shame for all concerned.