Scarves put needle on opposition

Press, 12 June 1987, Page 12

Scarves put needle on opposition

Garry Marsh was a “blue” baby; now he likes to be referred to as a redblooded Cantabrian. Mr Marsh’s problems after child-birth included repeated tests to align his problems. Eventually, physical disadvantages were rectified and now he leads a full life, encompassing being a custodian at Teachers’ Training College (Christchurch), and coaching lower grades in basketball, softball and rugby. Still, basketball appeals most. That is why he has made scarves, in the last two years encompassing the names of every player in the team.

The scarves are in the traditional Rams basketball colours of red and white. The background is white, the players’ names are red. Its length is 2.5

metres (about 6ft) and 48cm wide.

For once, this year Mr Marsh made a mistake; he included John Hill twice on the scarf — /‘perhaps with so many Hills in the team (Angelo Hill is the other) I got confused.” ’ *

That is why at the end of the season, Mr Marsh plans to present the scarf to John Hill and his wife, Yvonne Chrichton-Hill. With a smile, Mr Marsh was reluctant to tell who got his first basketball scarf after last year’s successful Canterbury challenge for the Countrywide national men’s title in Wellington. (Perhaps, at profit, he exchanged it for a late party celebration). Garry Marsh is a sporting delight, mainly because he has overcome a disability and made it, and without being competitive. He has involved himself in encouragement and responsibility for his various sporting interests and has done well. As Saints (Wellington) come to Christchurch this week-end for a vital match against Canterbury to secure a place in the final four for the championship, Mr Marsh has to be remembered for 1986. When Canterbury was going down the drain against Saints in the final, Mr Marsh and Daryl Symonds, coach of the Butlers club team in Christchurch, and a rather volatile character, led a vocal emphasis to the Rams’ support. A huge biased Wellington crowd could not cope with the

Canterbury — only 150 persons — enthusiasm. Canterbury replied to the enthusiasm and won. After, at many nondescript Wellington hotels, Cantabrians related with pride the source of the province’s success teamwork. Much later, Mr Marsh, wearily, but happily, lined up for breakfast on Sunday morning at ''

the main “watering hole” with a distinct gleam behind the usual tinted glasses. Canterbury’s success has been a bonus to Mr Marsh. He has had a tough life. Now aged 33 years, he did not expect to have a long life. But as a kid he had hope. Three times ' from the age of three

until nine he was sent from Christchurch to Green Lane Hospital in Auckland for a heart operation to correct the “blue” baby disability but was turned down because he was too young, and perhaps too light in weight. Then — he was only 4 stone (26 kilograms) and aged 12 — Greenlane decided to operate. Five other people had the same Mr Marsh was the only one to survive: “Don’t ask me why.” He spent six months in hospital and during that

time, because of boredom, began to knit jerseys and. cardigans. He first started knitting scarves in Canterbury’s glorious days of the Ranfurly Shield era in the early 1980 s. He switched his scarf-making to basketball when the shield was lost. This week Mr Marsh related his life after his operation. “I went back to school, but could not settle,” he said. From Burnside High School he went signwriting. “It flopped and I became a bum.” Mr Marsh “bummed” round for several years until he became a custodian at Teachers’ College. He has been there 10 years. “I have never wanted to get to the top, mainly because my health would prevent it,” said Mr Marsh. “Basically, I coach junior teams, mainly because of my health background; still I’ve a lot to give.” Mr Marsh has also involved himself in paraplegic sports. “I was part of the team to Australia two years ago, laid-off the involvement last year,” but has rejoined them this year.