How cancer-afflicted West Indian fan 'Pipe Man' endured poverty to become a regular at the Lord's Members' Stand
How cancer-afflicted West Indian fan 'Pipe Man' endured poverty to become a regular at the Lord's Members' Stand
Under a staircase at the Marylebone Cricket Club indoor school sits one of cricket's most enduring fans. Keith F C Anderson is having his customary Test match lunch with his friends from the stewards' force. 'Hello mate, how you going,' is often heard. At times, young ladies drop in to greet him too. He cannot be anything less than a frequent visitor to Lord's. He isn't. At times he has queued up in the wee hours of the morning to get his favourite seat in the pavilion.
Keith Anderson at a room near the MCC Indoor School at Lord's in London.
PIC/CLAYTON MURZELLO
Anderson is better known as Pipe Man, a 60-year-old Guyanese who left his country in 1964 and in a virtual rags to decent living story, sits in the MCC pavilion during the morning and evening sessions along with the rich and famous; genial and stiff upper-lipped with the MCC neck tie being a common piece of attire.
He doesn't look ill, but he is cancer-stricken. His worst days of coping with stomach cancer appear to be behind him. "The surgeons opened me up and sorted out the affected area. I have no stomach, but things are in control now," he says.
That Anderson is not just a West Indies cricket fan is reinforced by the fact that he convinced the surgeon to discharge him just in time to be at Lord's for England vs Zimbabwe Test in 2003. "I was operated just before that Test. I did not feel I would survive for long so I went to my mother's grave here and said to her, 'I'm very ill, but I am not yet ready to join you. There is a Test match at Lord's to witness and I am going there," he recalls. "When I entered the gates on Test match day, my friends were shocked. I survived."
Cancer won't allow Anderson to smoke the pipe, but it still is seen in between his lips for old time's sake probably. "When I went to India for the Champions Trophy in 2006, the men at the cricket stadiums said, 'you can't smoke that here'. I had to convince them that I don't smoke it, but just carry it with me," he says.
Anderson is proud of his friendship with West Indies stars especially the erstwhile ones. Clive Lloyd is the godfather of one of his children and so is Wayne Daniel, the former fast bowler. "I got very friendly with Wayne since he played for Middlesex here. I decided to become an MCC member because I realised he would not be around forever to give me a complimentary ticket.
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"I have been coming to Lord's since the 1973 West Indies vs England Test and I've always got a complimentary. Later, I applied for membership and I became a full member around ten years ago.
"The MCC red book (issued to full members) is like a passport. It worked as a good substitute for a passport when I visited a bank in the West Indies."
He then rolls back the years. The hard times: "My father and mother left Guyana for England when my sister and I were kids. My dad was a carpenter and mum, a nurse. We were looked after by our grandmother, who made a living doing domestic work in other houses. We did not have the best of food on our table. I remember we could have either sugar or milk for tea which was bush tea. My sister cried because she wanted both milk and sugar. I was okay with just bush tea. My grandmother tried to give us the best. Once a week, we got an egg to eat, but never more than one per week."
In 1964, Anderson's parents could just about manage to get him to England along with his sister. He found work, but a comfortable living was still elusive. His sister and he resided in a rented place, but a love affair resulted in her getting pregnant. "I didn't like kids, detested the noise they make, so I left the flat and fended for myself. I found employment in local government and I came up the ranks to be Assistant Manager of several projects including housing.
"I became General Manager of one department and earned a good salary which helped me settle down and allowed me to tour some cricketing countries. Raj Singh Dungarpur got me to stay at the Cricket Club of India in 2006."
Anderson doesn't mourn about the West Indies' lack of success. Nor is he critical of the current generation of international players. One gets the feeling he comes to the cricket just to catch up with his pals and in the process, enjoys a good bat vs ball contest with his blank pipe and walking stick for company.
Troubled childhood
As much as he is proud to be on first name basis with some of the biggest West Indian stars, he can never forget his troubled childhood. India in 2006 gave him an opportunity to witness the other side of the fence. "I was staying at the Taj President in Colaba and one day went for a little walk. I saw slum kids struggle for food and I remembered my days in Georgetown, Guyana. I never begged, but I have picked up pieces of food from the road, washed and ate them. I have experienced both ends of the road."
Anderson never tires from talking, but it's time for his afternoon rest. The small cabin is not air-conditioned, but there are enough people surrounding him to keep him comfortable plus bats, balls and stumps which belong to the indoor school. His relationship with Lord's is as old as Sachin Tendulkar. And like the batting maestro, he is in no mood for a full stop, a killer disease notwithstanding.
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