IT WOULD BE AMAZING TO BRING BECC THE TROPHY
Giants director wants glory for grandad Ken
JUST two months ago Rebecca Wood, aged only 24, became the youngest director of Huddersfield Giants.
Now the club she has supported since birth – which is owned by her benevolent grandad, Ken Davy – bid to win their first Challenge Cup in 69 years.
Ahead of Saturday’s final with Wigan, tax advisor Wood said: “It’s gone well. We’ve got to the Cup final. I’m not saying I’ve had any influence on that, but I’ll take it!
“I feel like I’m getting more involved, though, making suggestions and sharing ideas. And now we’re all looking forward to a very special day.”
As a child, Wood (below, with her grandad) was at Twickenham when Giants lost the 2006 final against St Helens. And again when they were beaten by Warrington at Wembley three years later.
She is hoping it will be third time lucky, especially for her grandad given how much he has invested since taking Huddersfield over as a second-tier club in 1996.
There was a touching moment when Wood kissed Davy, 82, on the cheek as ecstatic fans sang his name during the semi-final win over
Hull KR. “With about two minutes left I started welling up knowing we’d actually done it,” she added.
“The last time we reached the final, my grandma was with us.
“She’s not anymore
(Jennifer died five years ago) and it was her who got my grandad involved in the first place.
“But because he has hearing aids, I initially had to tell him what they were singing as he couldn’t tell.
“I started singing it to him – ‘There’s Only One Ken Davy’ and ‘Walking in A Davy Wonderland’ – and he was made up.
“They sing Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ as well as a club song.
“It’s also my grandma and grandad’s wedding song. Whenever they sing that at games I hold my grandad’s hand when it gets to ‘take my hand…’
“I love it. And you can see how much he still loves it. The joy on his face when he was on the pitch after the semi was brilliant.”
Although Huddersfield won the 2013 League Leaders’ Shield, they have still yet to lift a major trophy since Davy rescued them from the brink.
Wood knows how much it would mean to him to finally do that at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
And on the same weekend Huddersfield Town, who he helped rescue in 2003, bid for the Premier League in the Championship play-off final against Nottingham Forest at Wembley.
“It does get me emotional. He got involved in 1996 and I was born in 1997,” said Wood. I was six days old when we won the Division One Premiership at Old Trafford. And we got promoted.
“So all I’ve known is my family being involved in this club. I really love the appreciation the fans have for him, as I know how much time, effort and dedication he’s put into Huddersfield Giants.”