SOUVENIR-CHARTERS TOWERS, l872 TO JULY, 1950                      Page 39

How popular were the Tourists, but unlucky as
    a team,
Yet a better and a stronger side, than what
    their record made them seem;
But the clash of Queens and Rainbows, with
    strong rivalry between,
Plus a little bit of feeling, made the struggle
    extra keen;    '
No quarter asked or given, from the time they
    started play,
And a ball that just bounced luckily, could
    make a winner either way;
How we watched them through the little gate,
    as a chorus rose around,
And we picked out all the players, as they
    spread across the ground;
Then an extra cheer for "Dandy," that you'd
    hear a mile away,
For "Dandy" was our idol, and we loved to see
    him play.
From the oldest grey-beard watching, to the
    youngest sporting kid,
There were few men won the Towers hearts,
    like "Dandy" Egan did.

Aud there he was with Cossack boots, and that
    cow-lick in his hair,
One eye half-closed against the sun, to shield
    a weakness there;
Alick Inch and "Sarp" are charging, as the
    kick-off whistle sounnds,
But a bit of fumbling near the line, and the
    ball is out of bounds.
Long George Bahr in line-out, tips the balls
    to "Ooler's" hands
But "Trixie" Lewis grabs him, as the "pill" just
    barely lands;
"Offside! Offside! Mr. Referee," we hear old
    "Sharkey" call.
But they're fighting in a scrimmage, for pos
    session of the ball;
Then the grandest bunch of forwards, go down
    to a fierce scrum;
And even now their very names, can set my
    nerves a-strum.
Jack Skewes, George Bahr and "Tudgy," how
    they all roll off my tongue,
I feel I'd like to yell them now. as I did when
    I was young.

Jack and Big Jim Egan,-"Tiger" and Franky
    Lewis too,
The Davis' and the Hunters', to mention just
    a few;
Herb May thick and solid, with a bump to
    stop a horse,
His brother George and Barto, and Jack Ford
    with Queens of course,
Jim Brydon breaks right through there now"
    he's using all his pace,
But "Mighty Atom" Albert, is always in his
    place,
And he seldom failed in tackles, and he never
    missed a ball.
The smallest of our full-backs-but the daddy
    of them all;

Billy Beasley with the Rainbows, always solid
    as a rock,
Alert behind with "Trixie," and strong to meet
    a shock.
Remember him at Ravenswood, when his field
    goal through the sticks,
Snatched us victory by a minute, when' we beat
    them seven six.

Just look at "Bully" Carrol, in the thick of
    changing scenes
He stopped a solid rush there, that meant
    trouble for the Queens;
The final bell had sounded-the Queens were
    just in front,
The tired backs had held on well-now the
    forwards bore the brunt,
From a struggle, heaving mix-up, Qneens tried
    hard to get the ball,
But the Rainbows grimly
    wouldn't let it out at all;
The goal-line just two yards away, and with
    all their strength expended,
The Rainbows drained their last reserve, still
    the fighting Queens defended;
When a swift low pass from out the ruck to
    "Dandy" waiting near,
A few quick paces "Dandy" ran-then jumped
    just like a deer;
    silence snapped across the grounds, as
    though no souls were in it,
It seemed to last a long, long time, though it
    scarcely was a minute.
A spell-bound look of questioning, lit the face
    of everyone,
Asking dumbly "Did you see it?" "Did you see
    what "Dandy" done?"

And thus the games are over, and we've many
    roads to go,
We've had a quiet sitting, at Memory's pic
    ture show;
Perhaps we've had some
    we've had sonne pain,
For there's grand men in those pictures, we
    cannot meet again;
But they've given us rich treasures, real heir
    looms of the past,
To carry with us always, and to store where
    they will last;
And last they will, I fancy, till all our years
    are flown,
Till we answer each our summons, when our
    final whistle's blows.

I'll take my road through Carven's mill, past
    Craven's dam that's dry,
I'll note the rusted uprights, where the "flying
    fox" swung high;
But as I pass through Carven's way, I know
    I'll pause to stare,
At where a cottage used to stand, ...to see
    if "Dandy's" there.