It’s fitting that the melodic lyric connecting Liverpool Football Club fans is "You’ll Never Walk Alone," when chatting with Football Veteran (and Army Veteran) Goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who joined the Rhodesian Army in 1975, speaking about bonded brotherhood during bloody conflict – While in an ambush, Bruce yelled to a buddy, “When we get out of here, I’d like to play football for Liverpool.” Fast forward to 1980, and the great LFC Coach Bob Paisley spotted Bruce warming up in the rain under an umbrella, and from that moment on, that figherfight banter 5 years earlier became a reality. Over 14 years, Bruce and LFC won 6 Premier League championship and many other major trophies. As an Army Veteran of the current Zimbabwe who experienced trauma on both battlefield and the pitch during 2 horrific stadium tragedies, Bruce’s own life was saved by football, owing much to the fans who support him and his iconic team.
_________
Many thanks to Bruce Grobbelaar for sitting with me in the great city of Liverpool and teaching us about brotherhood, the religion of football, and even getting to sing together from South African sounds of Paul Simon to his adopted homeland sound of The Beatles. Bruce has an autobiography you can check out in 2019 called: Life in a Jungle: My Autobiography. And for a good read about Bruce, football and the Rhodesian War, I recommend an article from that same year in The Guardian.
A very special thank you to Rob Glover – our friend from Boston and Liverpool for all you do in helping and connecting with others, who graciously connected us with Bruce.
And of course, thank you to our Chief Development Officer at Home Base for the great work you and team do with LFC Foundation partners, Karianne Kraus.
To learn more about the Run to Anfield and find out about next year’s event, you can go to: https://www.liverpoolfc.com/foundation
And we didn’t forget to find the Anfield Rap with Goalkeeper, Jungle-Man, Bruce Grobbelaar to take us out!
MUSIC:
You'll Never Walk Alone - Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1945 / Gerry and The Pacemakers, 1963
_________
Home Base Nation is the official podcast for Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families – Our team sees veterans, servicemembers and their families addressing the invisible wounds of war at no cost. This is all made possible thanks to a grateful nation – And if you want to learn more on how you can help, visit us at www.homebase.org, or if you or anyone you know would like to connect to care, you can also reach us at 617-724-5202.
- Follow Home Base on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
- The Home Base Nation Team is Steve Monaco, Army Veteran Kelly Field, Justin Scheinert, Chuck Clough, with COO Michael Allard, Brigadier General Jack Hammond, and Peter Smyth.
- Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Assistant Producer, Editor: Chuck Clough
Chairman, Home Base Media Lab: Peter Smyth
The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.