WELWYN Garden City’s most famous sportsman returned to his old school last week – for the first time in 40 years.
Sir Nick Faldo dropped in at Sir Frederic Osborn School on Friday, along with a crew filming a documentary about his life.
The 56-year-old winner of three Open Championships and three Masters titles was filmed touring his old comprehensive in Herns Lane by American channel CBS for an hour-long documentary.
He told the WHT: “This is amazing. I have not been here for 40 years.
“I was here from ’69 to ’73, so we had to cope with decimalisation. I was very happy here. I loved school.
“I wasn’t smart, but I tried hard.
“Mostly I liked the sport. I had some great sports teachers – Brian Winter, David Harvey, and the second head Rex Tregannon, who coached me at discus before I discovered golf.
“I played my first round at WGC Golf Club on my 14th birthday.
“I told Rex Tregannon I needed a day off for a golf tournament, and he was fine with it.
“But I wasn’t smart enough for Loughborough University, and there were no sports scholarships.
“If I wanted to play golf I would have to leave at 16, so that’s what I did.”
For the documentary, which will be screened in April, just before the next Masters tournament, the former Ryder Cup player and captain was filmed visiting his original home in Knella Road, where he was born.
Although his infirm father lives in residential care, his mother Joyce, still living in the Sherrardspark area, was interviewed by the film crew.
Sir Nicholas, as he has been formally titled since 2009, told the WHT: “It’s been great coming back to Welwyn Garden City. I was even filmed eating a jammy donut at Simmons. I was gutted they don’t do the creamy ones any more, that was my treat.”
CBS is talking to both the BBC and Sky about screening the documentary in the UK.
Year 10 pupil Jacob Howard said after Sir Nick had adressed a special assembly: “As a keen sportsman myself, I was inspired by what Sir Nick Faldo had to say.
“Just like him, I want to reach that level and be the best at what I do.”
The school has decided its proposed new sports centre, which builders will start in December, will be named after Nick.
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