My dad died in Feb 2005. The Blades were away at Arsenal in the cup -1-1 late Andy Gray penalty. I called at half time to check if the perfectly fair, from the far end, goal by Danny Cullip (header )have been allowed ( it had been ruled out). My mother answered and said that, as the Blades didn't do well if they watched, they hadn't seen it. She said my dad was not feeling well.
Stayed overnight in London and 'phoned home the following Sunday lunchtime, from the train, and no reply which was very unusual for a Sunday.Phoned my brother to see if they'd taken them out but they'd just returned from a skiing holiday. Neither mum or dad used a mobile but eventually it transpired that my dad had a heart attack and had been rushed into Rotherham infirmary, he was, we thought, fit as a fiddle, didn't carry an ounce of weight and stopped smoking when he was about 30.
Went across to see them and he was sat up in bed and amazed by all the fuss " what are you lot doing here?" Visited again through the week and the doctors were happy with his progress and were moving him to the Northern General for a by pass operation but he never made it.
We'd been to see him on the Thursday night and he was in fine fettle telling me to get off back to Manchester and stop fussing. He died early Friday morning and we were about 15 minutes too late although I deove at about 100 mph all the way.
I was convinced we'd win the replay with him looking down on us but he obviously hadn't been up there long enough to do the team talk.
He loved his cricket too and I used to spend hours on the phone, when it was on the BBC, taklking about Sir Geoff and the rest. In fact, when Joe and Jonny are in their pomp, I still reach for the phone.