Sk?l - the story of the welcoming Retriever

In the early Noughties, I got involved with Bedford Athletic RUFC ('The Ath') as a volunteer Commercial Manager. (This is how I how got the idea of setting up the Sports Marketing Network).On match days Sk?l (Danish for ‘cheers’), my Golden Retriever, would walk around the clubhouse wearing his bandana with the club logo (see photo), look pathetic and generally beg for pork scratchings, making the club a bit more welcoming.

I wrote the programme notes for the first XV team matches and after a while, I started to include a column where Sk?l commented on club life through the eyes of a Golden Retriever. Again trying to create something that helped the Ath stand out as a bit more than 'just a rugby club." One Sunday morning I was walking around the club with the dog and some of the Juniors brought some of their opponents over to introduce them to Wonder Dog pointing at Sk?l! “Why Wonder Dog I asked?" "It’s because he can open a bag of crisps himself”, they answered. Somehow, Sk?l had helped the Ath to become a bit more welcoming. When Sk?l passed away a few years into my period as a volunteer the club was almost in mourning. I am only half-joking when I suggest that your club should have a Golden Retriever walking around your club making it that bit more welcoming, but trust me it works! While we were transforming the Ath into a real welcoming place, one day, whilst producing the programme I made a typo and 'Enjoy the atmosphere' became 'Enjoy the Athmosphere' (geddit!?). It stuck.