Welcome to Centaurs RFC

Mike O’Donnell was born in Wolverhampton in 1949 - the same year that Wolverhampton beat Leicester City 3-1 in the FA Cup Final. He attended Wolverhampton Grammar School where he majored in the sciences and excelled at sport, particularly football which he played at representative level. He was good enough to be offered a trial for Wolves but narrowly missed out and was offered an apprentice contract by Notts County which he turned down.

His first job was as an apprentice draftsman for a local boiler making company but in his early twenties he decided to seek his fortune by joining the Merchant Navy, specifically BP Tankers where he rose to 3^rd Engineer.

After 10 years of sailing all over the world he left the navy and settled in London where he was offered a job as an Engineer by Swissvac for whom he worked until his retirement.

At this time, he met Liz who he duly married and with whom had his two sons Will and Dan. Sadly the marriage did not last.

 

Mike came to Centaurs in the late 70s.  Shortly after he joined, with his broad Wolves accent, the pop record “Car 67” by Driver 67 was released.  Listening to the record  (which in 1979 reached number 7 in the UK singles chart), someone said “it’s Mike O’Donnell “ and that was it.   From that day on he was ‘67’ to everyone in Centaurs and the world of rugby at large. His mates called him  6 for short. 

Needless to say, having joined Centaurs, 6 had no problems mixing in socially. Playing rugby was on not necessarily on his agenda but these were bygone days when the game was somewhat different and anyone could try their luck.   He knew his classy football days were over, his knees told him that.  But he gave rugby a go and as they say, the rest is history.

 

6 played and learnt the rules as he went along and he duly reached a high enough standard to play for the 1^st XV on many occasions.  But it wasn’t just the playing and the socialising, he gave more than that: he captained teams ( the B XV for a year followed by the Extra A  XV for 2 years), was Chairman of the Playing Committee for 5 years and Chairman of the Club for 3 years. 

 

We went on customary rugby tours although Centaurs certainly excelled in maintaining those customs.  There were some quite outrageous tales but what goes on tour stays on tour.  I do remember what would almost certainly have been 6’s first rugby tour to West Wales in 1979.  The last game on Sunday was always a case of last man standing and 6 was duly selected. 

 

My sporting association with 6 continued at Strawberry Hill Golf club where I had to revert to calling him Mike (although his nickname at the golf club was “Grumpy”).  I will personally be forever grateful to him for persuading me to join the club and later nudging me in the direction of the Secretary’s office for a 12-year stint.  

 

A truly loyal friend to me and to many Centaurs and a great servant to the club.  When we said goodbye to him in April 2022, he was finally relieved of the awful pain that he suffered in later years and he departed dreaming of his two fine sons  his grandson Archie and no doubt a few more to follow.

6, Mike, a true Centaur, cheers mate.

 

Paul Astbury with additional material supplied by Will O’Donnell