M C Sanders
Fresh Blood
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2019
- Messages
- 3
I distinctly remember a supernatural incident that happened to me many years ago. It happened on 16th October 1982. In those days I worked as a stage manager for the Welsh theatre company, Theatr Clwyd. We were doing a production of She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith at the Grand Theatre in Swansea.
On that day, Swansea City Football Club were playing Everton Football Club at Swansea’s old ground, Vetch Field, and, being an Evertonian, I explored the possibility of going to see the game. The match kicked off at 3 o’clock but we had a matinee performance at 4.30. So, I arranged with the other stage managers that they would cover for me to set up the show providing I was back for the performance itself.
This was great, as it meant I could see the whole of the first half of the game and about 15 minutes of the second half.
I went to the game. Considering it had been raining hard all day, both teams played some excellent football with Everton having the hedge and going in at half time 1-0 up.
The second half started and after about 10 minutes of play I saw Everton’s forward, David Johnson, ride a tackle from a Swansea full back and cross the ball into the Swansea goal area to Kevin Richardson, another Everton forward, who shot the ball into the bottom corner of the Swansea net.
The Swansea crowd were stony silent; I cheered. Two - nil to Everton!
As soon as the goal had been scored, I raced from the ground to get a taxi back to the Grand Theatre.
When I got to the theatre, the production crew had the stage set up for Act 1 and the cast were readying for their performances. In the stage manager’s office, the radio was tuned to a local radio station, who were broadcasting the match live.
The stage crew asked me what I thought of the game.
I replied, it was great, especially as I just managed to see Everton’s second goal.
The wardrobe assistant looked at me askance and she said, ‘No, it’s 1-0, we have been listening to the game on the radio.’
I insisted, the score was 2-0 and I described how I saw Kevin Richardson score.
Then, as we listened to the radio, the commentator described David Johnson, the Everton forward, being tackled by Jeremy Charles, a Swansea defender, but still being able to cross the ball into the Swansea goal area to Kevin Richardson, who fired the ball into the bottom corner of the Swansea net to make the score 2-0 to Everton.
There was a silence in the room and then someone started singing the theme tune to The Outer Limits and we all burst into laughter.
I had seen and described a goal scored 15 minutes before it had actually happened!
Now, decades later, I still vividly remember that goal in my mind’s eye. Over the years, I have seen many great goals in many great games but I have only vague memories of them. However, that particular goal, the second goal in Everton’s 3-0 defeat of Swansea City in an ordinary league game on a chilly, rainy day in Swansea, I still vividly remember even though I could not possibly have been at the game when the goal was actually scored.
At the time, I did not feel spooky or scare in any way, in fact, if the match had not been on the local radio when I got back to the theatre, I would never had known I had experienced the supernatural. Yet, I shall remember that goal vividly in my mind’s eye for the rest of my life.
Michael Sanders.
On that day, Swansea City Football Club were playing Everton Football Club at Swansea’s old ground, Vetch Field, and, being an Evertonian, I explored the possibility of going to see the game. The match kicked off at 3 o’clock but we had a matinee performance at 4.30. So, I arranged with the other stage managers that they would cover for me to set up the show providing I was back for the performance itself.
This was great, as it meant I could see the whole of the first half of the game and about 15 minutes of the second half.
I went to the game. Considering it had been raining hard all day, both teams played some excellent football with Everton having the hedge and going in at half time 1-0 up.
The second half started and after about 10 minutes of play I saw Everton’s forward, David Johnson, ride a tackle from a Swansea full back and cross the ball into the Swansea goal area to Kevin Richardson, another Everton forward, who shot the ball into the bottom corner of the Swansea net.
The Swansea crowd were stony silent; I cheered. Two - nil to Everton!
As soon as the goal had been scored, I raced from the ground to get a taxi back to the Grand Theatre.
When I got to the theatre, the production crew had the stage set up for Act 1 and the cast were readying for their performances. In the stage manager’s office, the radio was tuned to a local radio station, who were broadcasting the match live.
The stage crew asked me what I thought of the game.
I replied, it was great, especially as I just managed to see Everton’s second goal.
The wardrobe assistant looked at me askance and she said, ‘No, it’s 1-0, we have been listening to the game on the radio.’
I insisted, the score was 2-0 and I described how I saw Kevin Richardson score.
Then, as we listened to the radio, the commentator described David Johnson, the Everton forward, being tackled by Jeremy Charles, a Swansea defender, but still being able to cross the ball into the Swansea goal area to Kevin Richardson, who fired the ball into the bottom corner of the Swansea net to make the score 2-0 to Everton.
There was a silence in the room and then someone started singing the theme tune to The Outer Limits and we all burst into laughter.
I had seen and described a goal scored 15 minutes before it had actually happened!
Now, decades later, I still vividly remember that goal in my mind’s eye. Over the years, I have seen many great goals in many great games but I have only vague memories of them. However, that particular goal, the second goal in Everton’s 3-0 defeat of Swansea City in an ordinary league game on a chilly, rainy day in Swansea, I still vividly remember even though I could not possibly have been at the game when the goal was actually scored.
At the time, I did not feel spooky or scare in any way, in fact, if the match had not been on the local radio when I got back to the theatre, I would never had known I had experienced the supernatural. Yet, I shall remember that goal vividly in my mind’s eye for the rest of my life.
Michael Sanders.