A lot was said on that occasion, as no doubt many things are said at book launches everywhere. But one thing stands out above everything else that has stayed with me all these years.
Brian Booth MBE who is a Christian man of note, said "The sixties era was the best as it was the era I was in."
Hence the title of this article, Sports better days.
I can obviously only speak from my personal experiences as to my "Sports better years". Each reader who has enjoyed and participated in sports will have their own memories of sport achievements and sport incidents and the people associated with them in their sport experiences.
For you the reader, these will be your "Sports better days".
It may have been a marathon run with your best ever time. It might have been a 100 metres race at school in which you surprised everyone else in the event. It may have been a sailing or yachting regatta where you 'smelt the wind change' for the first time and the achievement was overwhelming.
Whatever your "Sports better days" experiences, it was something memorable and maybe only memorable to you.
In my case, I can recall a hockey match in the green and black for St Matthews 1971, (Illawarra competition) where I drew out the goalkeeper and then back sticked the ball slamming it into the back board to score.
That same team that same year lost the Final to St George in the St George Easter Monday carnival. We lost 2-1 and Brian Booth scored both of St George's goals. The Sydney Morning Herald the following day ran a story saying St Matthews was the first ever Country team to reach the St George Easter Monday Carnival Final. Now that was big timing it! That was Sports better days for me.
As a Christian, I spoke to Brian Booth after the game, the first time I'd met him, and said that I too was a Christian. That reminded me that there are "Christian life better days" as well, where we can remember very special days in our Christian walk.
My wife Delma tells the story of a Christian Youth Rally at Evans Head on the NSW coast of NSW when growing up as a teenager in Maclean. The youth were signing heartily the Gospel song "We shall not be moved" when a down pour came and they are all moved as one (for cover) like a track athlete.
Enjoy those memories of your Sport better days, and those special occasions in your Christian walk.