Garston Masonic Hall was the venue for the Sportsman’s Dinner organised by Alan Cartwright, Lodge of Harmony No 220 Charity Steward. The event was supported by Ken Wagner who took on the role of Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
The guest speaker for the evening was former Scottish football player Graeme Sharp and one of the most popular comedians John Stiles, with a dinner which consisted of tomato soup, chicken with potatoes and vegetables, followed by cheese and biscuits. During the dinner. a raffle and standup bingo tickets were sold to all of the 102 guests in attendance.
Graeme Sharp started with a question-and-answer session with John Stiles discussing his career as a former professional Scottish player as a forward for Dumbarton, Everton, Oldham, and Bangor City. Graeme enjoyed great success with Everton signing from Dunbarton for £120,000 in 1980, winning the English League in 1985 and 1987, the FA Cup in1984 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1985. Graeme spoke very highly about the influence of Colin Harvey on his football career. Graeme made 12 International appearances for Scotland and was selected in their 1986 World Cup Squad. He has since worked in media coverage of football and as a club ambassador for Everton.
John Stiles was the entertainer for the evening; he is one of the most popular busiest comedians on the after-dinner circuit and prides himself on the fact that his act is original to meet audience requirements with voices and impressions and friendly banter with the audience. John was a former professional footballer having played for Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers before injury cut short his career in the game. he is also very proud of the fact that his father was 1966 England World Cup winning hero Nobby Stiles.
The evening was a great success, with most of the attendance being non-Masons, which is an example of the hall liaising with the local community. It is also welcome revenue for the hall during the summer season with the bar takings being £2,500 and raising £1,790, with £600 going towards refurbishment of the hall and bar area. It was an extremely busy evening for Tony Ackroyd and his efficient catering staff and the bar staff including Kerry and Carl.