The first visit to Taylor Field is a Sweet memory for Govind Achyuthan.
Kicking into a forbidding wind, the Montreal Alouettes’ Don Sweet was short on a 51-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of an Oct. 8, 1978 CFL game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who emerged with a 35-35 tie.
A win for Govind — the latest recipient of the Roughriders’ 13th Fan Award — was the impetus for documenting his uncannily precise recollections of a down-to-the-wire game that was played nearly a half-century ago.
“We were in the end-zone seats, northwest corner,” he recalls. “Steve Mazurak made a touchdown catch near where we were sitting. Joey Walters also caught a touchdown pass in that game.
“Molly McGee caught a lot of passes that day.”
Six, in fact, during Ron Lancaster’s second-last home game as a Roughriders player.
In fact, 10-year-old Govind saw the final two TD passes the legendary No. 23 threw at Taylor Field.
A home game for the Roughriders necessitated a road trip for Govind and company, who headed to Regina from Holdfast.
Govind and his father, Achyu, were accompanied on the journey by three friends — Eugene and Mary Rice and their son, Owen.
Nobody could have imagined at the time that Owen would play a pivotal role in the elevation of Govind’s fandom to the point where it is now legendary.
As the 2006 CFL season loomed, Owen contacted Govind — a non-Stampeders-rooting Calgarian since 1994 — and asked if he would be interested in buying a Roughriders season ticket.
It turned out that Govind, despite the considerable distance involved, had been pondering such a purchase. The only snag, at least initially, was this: Who to sit with?
Problem solved, thanks to Owen’s timely message.
“Originally, I thought I’d maybe make four or five games a year,” Govind says. “It never dawned on me that it would become eight or nine.”
It he does miss a Roughriders game, it is for reasons that pertain strictly to logistics and timing.
The nearly 800-kilometre drive, each way, has to be compatible with Govind’s responsibilities as the chief compliance officer for Acumen Capital Partners, a Calgary-based investment service.
“If I miss a game, it never comes down to, ‘I don’t want to make this drive,’ ” he says. “That never enters my mind.
“When I’m on the road, I’ll often listen to music. And, at this time of year, there are more than enough football podcasts between two leagues to keep me going.
“I’ll usually download the Roughriders’ post-game shows (on the radio) and listen to me on the ride back. Between the two post-game shows, they get me to Medicine Hat.”
Cheering for the Roughriders is old hat for Govind, whose Green and White-related memories date back to the mid-1970s.
“I remember my father watching the games on TV,” he says.
“Growing up in a small town, football was my favourite sport, and those were in the days before cable TV.
“I’ve always had a huge love of sports, with the Roughriders at the top of the list. Sports is a hobby and my hobby became the Roughriders.”
Govind lived in Holdfast until he moved to Saskatoon to attend the University of Saskatchewan, at which he earned a commerce degree.
Next stop: Regina, where he resided for six months before accepting a job offer in Calgary.
“We give up a lot when we leave the province,” he says, “but one thing we don’t leave behind is our love of the Riders.”
His devotion to the team is such that he owns the Riderfans.com message board, which was created a quarter-century ago by Shane Chapman. Stewardship was transferred to Govind in 2009.
“Everybody has got a thing in life that they’re passionate about,” he says, “and the Riders are that thing for me.”
That passion was formally recognized on Saturday, when the Roughriders opposed the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium.
Govind joined a 13th Fan Award fraternity that also includes the inaugural recipients from 2021— Ron Taylor and Connie Dobson — along with Doug Cronin (2022) and Keith Pratt (2023).
“When I got the call, I was overwhelmed,” says Govind, who was notified of his 13th Fan status by the Roughriders’ Director of Ticket Operations and Sales, Jenn Senger.
“Yes, I’m a passionate fan, but in my mind I consider myself just a fan. Maybe a crazy one. Maybe an over-the-top one. But still a fan who enjoys cheering for my football team.”
