Not sure what he would have made of the events of the last three years but hopefully Nat's faith in the club would have been restored after the events of the last week.

Legend.

 

 

Nat would have hated Sweaty Ken for sure.

Glad he wasn't around to witness what was going on.

6 minutes ago, Underpants said:

Glad he wasn't around to witness what was going on.

He'll be waiting for the greasy cunt. Sort him then.

So glad we've got that statue in honour of him. Always instinctively nod at him on my way past.

He’d of been proud of how the kids have played and how our fans have responded, just when you think as a club we’ve lost it and we are not what we were then up we snap, just to remind the football world we are BWFC. 

18 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

He’d of been proud of how the kids have played and how our fans have responded, just when you think as a club we’ve lost it and we are not what we were then up we snap, just to remind the football world we are BWFC. 

I was proud last night. This football club is the hub and the beating heart of the community.

Seeing 9k turn out for the kids in a tinpot cup competition made me proud. And with recent events still raw in the mind, it made folk realise how lucky club & fans are still to have each other.

 

Sir Nat would have been proud with everything last night.

48 minutes ago, Cheese said:

So glad we've got that statue in honour of him. Always instinctively nod at him on my way past.

Met him twice; he was just how one would imagine/hope

4 minutes ago, boltondiver said:

Met him twice; he was just how one would imagine/hope

He was great bloke to be around even if you were just in same room his warmth, friendliness and pride in BWFC shone through, thankfully lucky enough to experience his presence. Never seen him play but still a hero to me. I’m not too proud to say I shed a tear the day he was laid to rest. RIP Nat

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by Mounts Kipper

My Dad played as a centre forward for Lancashire Youth in the same team as Tom Finney

He was on the verge of England Youth but there was a youngster, a few years behind, who was scaring the shite out of the lot of them

"Built like a bull" was a phrase that I'll always remember my Dad using to describe him

I had the pleasure to meet him briefly when he would have been in his '70's and I totally understood what my dad meant

As a kid i never tired of getting his autograph outside Burnden and he was always more than happy to oblige. I was too young to ever see him play unfortunately, but my dad made sure i heard all about him. I was lucky enough to chat with him quite a few times later in life and he was a lovely fella. So humble, so genuine and so proud. Legend is an overused word these days, but not in Nats case.

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by Burndens Bogs

If anybody is interested

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nat-Lofthouse-Goals-Galore-Signed-1st-Edition-Bolton-Wanderers-England-Autograph-/112451257455

I think my signed copy is in the garage

I'll see if I can find it if anybody wants to read it

What ever happened to Loft Nuthouse?

He lived in Israel

His brother is Juan Kerr who I think is Francis fogarty

 

56 minutes ago, boltondiver said:

Met him twice; he was just how one would imagine/hope

You lucky bugger. The nearest I got was one time at Burnden when I was 8 or 9, and we saw him walking into the ground as we were crossing the road. My dad shouted him and we got a wave. Very similar story to my Frank Worthington encounter after the last ever game there. 

I met Nat many times at social events over the last 10 years of his life. My old man had grown up with him in the 30's and he was a friend of a friend. Never ever have I met such an unassuming man. No heirs and Grace's with  Nat. 

In English football he is a true  legend ,not many of these people about in today's game . Never driven by money just a passion for his club and town.

Met him twice. Once was in the King Bill after we got to Wembley in the Frieght Rover. He was pissed and smiling like there was no tomorrow, as were all of us.

 

Second time was not long after the final game at Burnden. I went down and asked if I could go inside and take some pictures of the stadium. Amazingly they said yes. While I was there I bumped in to Sir Nat. I was I bit starstruck and I blabbed bollox. He was an absolute gent. I got a photo of us both.

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by Underpants

My dad was same age as Nat and his second cousin and used to drink in Nat’s pub occasionally. I met him at 2001 play off final. Me and the misses turned up at our hotel with my 3yr old lad to find Nat, Garty, McBain, etc staying there and already in the bar! The guy was always smiling, real gent. 

Edited September 4, 20196 yr by TrickyTrotter

24 minutes ago, Underpants said:

Met him twice. Once was in the King Bill after we got to Wembley in the Frieght Rover. He was pissed and smiling like there was no tomorrow, as were all of us.

 

Second time was not long after the final game at Burnden. I went down and asked if I could go inside and take some pictures of the stadium. Amazingly they said yes. While I was there I bumped in to Sir Nat. I was I bit starstruck and I blabbed bollox. He was an absolute gent. I got a photo of us both.

I was there in the King Bill that night, he came in with the players including Dave Sutton and gave a little speech about what a great bunch of lads they were if I remember correctly.

Just missed out on seeing him play grew up with all the tales about him Castle Hill lad like mi self, met him a couple of times a real gentleman.  Always thought Shearerwas probably the most comparable type of number 9 but he was a dislikeable geordie. Still a mural of the great man on the wall in the Castle. 

I was queuing for tickets when it was on west stand once and he walked passed, I  asked if he was alright as you do, his reply was ‘I will be after 3 points on Saturday’.

Big Sam completely fucked me off when I was doing the stadium tour with the mrs.  

Edited September 5, 20196 yr by Matt

2 hours ago, Matt said:

I was queuing for tickets when it was on west stand once and he walked passed, I  asked if he was alright as you do, his reply was ‘I will be after 3 points on Saturday’.

Big Sam completely fucked me off when I was doing the stadium tour with the mrs.    😄

That's because one of them was a true gent and the other's a cunt.

Met Nat lots of times, from Junior Whites when he was letting us try on his England caps. A genuine guy who was interested in other people and liked to talk about life rather than football.

19 hours ago, Casino said:

He lived in Israel

His brother is Juan Kerr who I think is Francis fogarty

 

Correct on all three counts.

He is still in Israel, still a Wanderer, been mithering me regularly for updates on our plight.

He was as pleased as any of us when we survived (though sad about Bury) and proud as any of us at the performance and attitude of the young'uns after the Bradford match. 

 

 

Back on topic, I went to a Bolton Chamber of Commerce course at Burnden once,

When I turned up there were two blokes arranging the tables, when they turned round and let us into the room they were Charlie Wright and Sir Nat. Perfect gentlemen the pair of them, chatting only interrupted by the course starting.

19 hours ago, TrickyTrotter said:

My dad was same age as Nat and his second cousin and used to drink in Nat’s pub occasionally. I met him at 2001 play off final. 

I think that's my favourite memory of him.  Celebrating as madly as the rest of us when Gardner scored the 3rd.  I saw the footage again shortly after he died and proper welled up