A Geordie All-Rounder: 11 - How Much Do You Get Paid?
...Another problem occurred during the later stages of my apprenticeship when I requested time off periods of 2-3 days at a time to play cricket for County Durham. The firm co-operated but not before I was asked to see Mr Hall - one of the senior managers. He suggested I should decide what I wanted to do with my life. "Play cricket or serve you apprenticeship."...
Malcolm Scott, continuing his life story, tells of the problems of combining sport with an engineering career.
Lots of rumours used to circulate the shipyard and many of them turned out to be someone's idea of a joke. Therefore, on the 6th February 1952 when it was said the King had died nobody believed it, unfortunately, it turned out to be true. Flags were flown at half-mast.
Whilst working at Readheads I was getting some good publicity in the local papers about my ability on the cricket field for the town's senior team. My workmates would tease me asking, "How much do you get paid each week?" They couldn't believe that, apart from the professionals, the team didn't get paid, and that we all had to pay to play as members of the club, and pay for our own teas.
Another problem occurred during the later stages of my apprenticeship when I requested time off periods of 2-3 days at a time to play cricket for County Durham. The firm co-operated but not before I was asked to see Mr Hall - one of the senior managers. He suggested I should decide what I wanted to do with my life. "Play cricket or serve you apprenticeship." He allowed me time off but I don't think he realised the precedent he was setting for the next few years.
Some people thought that because I played cricket with Alan Lawson, a senior buyer at Readheads and a long time treasurer of South Shields cricket club, I got preferential treatment at work. This was not true. I never saw Alan at work and as far as I know, he had nothing to do with Readheads allowing me time off to play cricket.
I never played cricket for Readheads during my apprenticeship -1 don't think they had a team - but I remember playing in at least one special football match. It was, I believe, a challenge match between Readheads and another shipyard or factory, played at Marsden Welfare ground.
Perhaps the best thing to come out of my apprenticeship was the meeting of a Rate-fixer named Bobby Donaldson; Bobbyplayed 87 times for Newcastle United during the 1939-45 war years, and hearing of my ability at soccer was instrumental in getting me a trial at St. James1 Park.
I finally finished my apprenticeship at Readheads in May 1957 and awaited my 'call up' papers for National Service in the RAF.
