When the top sporting speakers came to Huddersfield Town

Feb 18 2010 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A couple of years ago, he suffered a fall on the tennis court (aged 69) and was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

With time on his hands – and in order to keep out of the way of wife Sandra! – he wrote a book called Memories of a Sporting Man, which is now available from the Stadium Superstore or on line at www.htafcmegastore.com priced £12.99 (plus £2 for postage and packing). Profits will go to the Parkinson’s Disease Society.

As a former Sporting Club chairman, the organisation features in its own chapter with a host of pictures and Mr Waterhouse talks fondly of the stars he met.

He recounts the visit of ‘Lion of Vienna’ Lofthouse to the dinner.

“In the room were Vic Metcalfe and Don McEvoy, the latter a former Town centre half who played at the same time as Nat, and I pointed them out,” he writes.

“Nat made a note and, when he was ‘singing for his supper,’ commented that this would be the first time on visiting Huddersfield that he had not been kicked by Don McEvoy.

“This prompted Don to stand up and say: ‘There’s time yet, Nat!’

“It was the cue for the house to be brought down!”

The book features some lovely stories from Mr Waterhouse’s own sporting exploits – he was a junior cross country winner, kicked a dozen goals in one rugby union match and won the Grand Slam at his tennis club (although it took him 23 years!).

“I got there as quickly as I could,” he smiles.

On the Sporting Club, he concludes: “In 1982 the Sporting Club was the only place in the area where you could hear and speak to the sporting personalities of that time.

“Gradually other organisations cottoned-on to what could be money-spinning events.

“This competition, together with Sky TV showing a live match and the fact that the players who had just retired did not need the money as much as their predecessors, caused problems.

“As fees to speakers went up, membership numbers declined and in January 2005, the last Monday evening meeting was held.

“For over 20 years the Sporting Club had provided funds for the football club and countless hours of enjoyment to its members.”