Shield fever hits Chch streets again

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 1

Shield fever hits Chch streets again

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

The madness is upon us again. Christchurch turned back the clock on Saturday, with a procession through the city to precede the Ranfurly Shield match against Counties at Lancaster Park. The official estimate of the crowd at the park was 36,500, a far bigger number than had watched the first Ranfurly Shield procession in Christchurch for 12 years. The procession was bigger, it seemed, than those of' earlier Shield years. There were 54 vehicles, as well as marching girls, a band, trick cyclists, a clown, and teams of young footballers. The humour was fairly basic, occasionally crude. “Canterbury’s the cream which can’t be whipped” was the nearest approach to a Wilde-like wit. There was, however, every .expression of confidence in the home team’s ability. Indeed, one of the floats had Canterbury winning 82 to 3. It was a cheerful business. Even the dogs wearing Canterbury jerseys and shorts did not seem unduly uncomfortable. At the park there were plenty of mascots, plenty of banners. The eye-catching group was.certainly the bevy of 3ZB cheer, leaders — eight lissom lasses, plus two little ones — all wearing red-and-black skirts, black tops, and waving red-and-black pompoms in their American-style routines.

There was an official appeal before the match for both sides “to be given a fair go.” Unhappily, this was ignored by a section on the embankment, which gave voice in an effort to .distract Warren McLean, the Counties’ full-back; as he came in to kick his first penalty goal. The crowd was quick to criticise refereeing decisions which went against Canterbury. . . ' It was clear, too, that the , handling- of Ranfurly Shield crowds is going to be a. problem. On Saturday hundreds of spectators, mostly children, managed to get over the fence and . settle close to the embankment touchline. The dangers of this are obvious. When Robbie Deans kicked his third penalty goal and levelled the scores with two minutes to go, there was a mass invasion of the playing area, and it took some'time to clear.the ground before the last passages of a dramatic match could be played. It now seems to be common practice in many major sports for such expressions of enthusiasm, and this one did no harm, except perhaps to the nerves of the waiting Counties players.

It was a tense occasion. Even the reserve players — Canterbury ones — were cheered when they came out of the stand a few minutes before the start. When the players were on the field waiting for the kick-off, “God Defend New Zealand” went on too long for some nervous official. He turned off the recording before it had run its course. “We can’t stand too much of this,” said a former All Black when the bruising, dramatic encounter was ■ over. "We’re too old.”

Yes, the madness is upon ’ us. Passengers from a Tasman flight at Christchurch Airport »on Saturday must have thought we were all crazy; for as they filed from customs clearance, many people, listening to radios

before they greeted friends and relatives, were, dancing about frenziedly. Deans had just kicked the vital goal..

But it’s all over now until Wednesday.