We are Saracen's

We got some appreciated feedback from our first news letter. Penny McCarthy sent this picture of the 1985/86 winning third team.


As she says there will be a few faces you recognize even some with hair. As you can see by Duncan Pages stance it was before he had the hemeroids off.

We got a note from George Hendrie telling us that he will be at the brunch. A great letter from Tim (Master) Bates that I will post at an other time. Pat Russell, Mike Purdy responded and we got a nice letter from Tom Beckett who has offered to promote the Saracen's at the local clubs in Newfoundland. Tom, a scrum half seems to have lost his way, he just informed me that he is a member of the Opimian Wine Society. A wine society on the rock does Stompin Tom Conners know about this?

But the one I like is below. I like it because of the way he starts it. "I'm a Saracen" I like that because if you were one you always will be one. Saracen that is. Here is his offer of assitance.

I'm a Saracen who played from about 1985 to 1995 - during the period of Saracen history that included the likes of Sam MacCoubrey [hope I spelled that right], Tim Gardiner, Andy Wright and Dave Miller - during the period of the infamous "bucket house" on Lawrence Ave W.

I don't really play Rugby anymore - health problems - though quite frankly I could never really play rugby anyway. But I've been in touch with some of the alums - including my brother Peter Hadas and occasionally a few of the other Saracens at events when I pass through town.

I am now living in Japan in Tokyo, where I work for a Japanese mobile/web video production company, and may be able to spread the Saracen word to a few of the Japanese clubs here. Rugby is a huge sport here [though the Japanese national teamresults would send a different message] and I'd love to dowhat I can to recruit Japanese players who go to Toronto for work or permanent relcations. I do speak Japanese, so I can rty o get together with the rugby clubs here to spread the word.

Let me know if you have any suggenstions for drawing in recruits.

Take Care,


Mike Hadas

Rugby Legend Battling Alec Bell

Unearthed After Decades Zoom and
Battling Alec Bell:Citizens of The World


GEEK EXCLUSIVE:
Dateline Penzance -Battling Alec Bell, the brawling legend of Ontario rugby who was feared lost at sea, has been discovered alive - propping up the bar at the CAMRA-rated Alexandra Inn in this Cornish fishing port of Penzance, Geek can report. AJ Bell, a leading figure in the Saracens Rugby Club, dropped out of sight almost two decades ago in circumstances that could only be described as "mysterious".
Having wreaked considerable havoc both on the pitch and in numerous pubs from Fletchers Fields to Pittsburgh, and with rumors of unpaid parking tickets and abandoned women chasing him from one squalid Toronto bedsit to another, Bell had little choice but to disappear.


However, as with most larger than life legends, Bell was never forgotten, partly due to the regular and unsolicited late-night phone calls received by Saracens Old Boys in Toronto. It was just such a phone call in March 2005 to Robert W. (Bob), a former Bell associate and captain of the Saracens third team, that led to the historic meeting in Penzance. Geek had exclusive access to the transcript of their telecom, which begins:
Zoom: Hello.
AJ Bell: Is that you, Zoom? It's Alec. I'm pissed.
"[Remainder of transcript unprintable – Ed.]
After considerable negotiation of book and film rights, Bell agreed to allow Robert W. (Bob) access to the true facts of his disappearance and against-all-odds survival. However, due to contractual restraints, Geek must remain silent, for the moment.
"Wokonanoonay: The Alec Bell Story" - The book, film and DVD are released worldwide on an unspecified date in 2006.