County championship matches used to start on a Saturday, then miss Sunday and continue on Monday and Tuesday. Matches also used to start on Wednesday and go through to Friday. Saturday was the most popular day for the spectators. The newspapers used to have a ‘Stop Press’ column on the front page, which gave all the scores in other matches up to about 4pm and the paper went on sale at 5.15! Very often the tea score was included (4.30). After tea on Saturdays, the sports paper The Green ’Un was produced. A newspaperman, complete with full bag, cloth cap and cigarette dangling from his bottom lip à la Andy Capp, used to come round at a bustle selling Green ’Uns like hot cakes. In twenty minutes he would sell the whole pack from his haversack. An eager group of supporters used to gather round him to peruse the results, in particular those from Kempton, Newmarket, Ascot etc. The newspaperman had a quick wit and was ready with the repartee. “Here’s the jury,” he’d say when he got to the West Stand. There were all these old boys sitting there, all tremendous critics, very difficult to please. I suppose they were happy being miserable.

The Green ’Un gave way to The Pink ’Un later. Easier to produce, apparently. Then eventually the sports paper was no more.

Also after tea a steady stream of young women, mostly blonde, used to file past the West Stand, gathering at the foot of the pavilion steps. Saturday night was of course ‘special’, but no-one seemed to comment on this Saturday evening ritual. No ‘scandal’ was aired of a sexual nature, although my dad used to tell me of certain well-known players who had ‘taken to drink’, speaking in hushed conspiratorial tones. “That’s why he has lost form!” came the follow-up.
 

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