A 93-year-old man from Rawcliffe Bridge living with dementia, was given the VIP treatment at Doncaster Rovers Football Club for the game on Saturday, October 18.
Alan Turner, a former electric linesman, celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary last month with his wife Rita from Goole and, to mark the occasion, their granddaughter Kate hosted a get-together with family and friends. Kate’s father and Alan’s son Paul is also a Rovers supporter. Kate said: “My Grandad is living with dementia, and sadly, his short-term memory is almost entirely gone. “He isn’t very mobile and doesn’t get out much anymore.”
They invited his best friend from school, Harold Mason, also 93, to the celebration. Harold worked as a builder in the local area and even has a street named after him - Mason Drive in Hook. He is widowed by his wife Josie and enjoys painting. Harold turned up wearing his old Doncaster Rovers scarf that he has had for over 60 years, which triggered past memories for Alan. Kate explained: “The moment Grandad saw it, something clicked. He lit up and started talking about how they used to cycle nearly 40 miles from Rawcliffe Bridge to Doncaster every week to watch the Rovers play. “It unlocked a core memory and, for a while, we all got to hear the two of them reminiscing.” She recalled how “everyone went quiet” and were “in shock” at how fluently he remembered their visits to their boyhood club. They reminisced how they would undertake the four-hour journey as young as 14 to the old Belle Vue stadium and would store their bikes for one tuppence each in a neighbouring garden. They spoke for at least one and a half to two hours.
Kate added: “That night, I reached out to Doncaster Rovers on LinkedIn to see if we could get Grandad and Harold to just one more game. “The club’s CEO and Family Liaison Officer went above and beyond.” Alan proclaimed “wow” and “I didn’t expect this” as the family attended the game. Kate elaborated that Alan met a club legend who he saw play in his younger days and that they were invited to a two-course meal. Rovers took the lead in the League One clash against Northampton Town FC before their opponents equalised in the second half, followed by a penalty strike that ultimately gave the away side the 2-1 win. Despite the unfortunate result, Alan and Harold could be heard shouting and cheering at the game. Kate concluded: “Although not the result we wanted, today we had an unforgettable day at the stadium enjoying the match, the hospitality and, most importantly, making a memory that will stay with our family forever.” (23-10-25 SU)
