“This is Billy Walker,” said the polite voice on the other end of the line. “Who’s calling?” “This is Fred Hargreaves, a reporter for the Tranmere Gazette, Mr. Walker. I’m doing a story for my paper about Pongo Waring who’s just signed for Tranmere Rovers. I’d like to ask you a few questions if you wouldn’t mind.”..............“How did he ever get that nick-name of his?” asked Hargreaves. Walker laughed. “The newspapers all said he was named after this popular cartoon character in the newspaper called ‘Pongo’, a dog I believe. That was the public story. But I know better! Pongo was an eccentric young man at the best of times, and he used to keep chickens in the front parlor of his club house!” “Don’t put this in the newspaper or Pongo’ll be over the Pennines to kill me!” said Walker. “The fact is that he kept these chickens in a cage in his front room, and their strong smell attached itself to his clothes, and Pongo was no dandy dresser! Sometimes he’d wear the same jacket or trousers for days, so the aroma became very noticeable. So the lads got to calling him ‘Pongo’ because of the strong ‘pong’ or smell! He didn’t seem to mind. He only cared that when the Holte end shouted ‘Pongo! Pongo!’ they were expressing their adoration not their disgust!”
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Topic: In the beginning was the word (Read 1630 times)
