TRANSCRIPT

GB - George Bell, interviewee / LR - Lyn Royce, interviewer

LR: Um, George tell me, tell me about the, being a 'rink rat?'

GB: Well, I was able to get in the arena anytime I wanted to; we dusted the seats before hockey games; I could even get in the Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens, 'cause they knew me so well. So, they never let me shovel the ice on, when there was a hockey game, when there were about 3,000 people there; I never asked why, I had an idea why, but, maybe the way I was dressed - a bit poorly - but I never did that. And, uh, that... And I could go in anytime and I could get a shower or do anything I wanted, and had a great time... I used to run down from the school and get a shower, and, uh, but it all ended when a certain man who wanted his child to be a hockey player, and he did end up bein' a professional goaltender, for 1 of the teams, he said that I let the kids in the back door when there was a hockey game on and then that was the end of my being there. I didn't know anything about it, but, somebody told me later that he had said that, so I was no longer a 'rink rat.'

LR: Ah...

GB: So that ended that part of my career. But I was, had all kinds of other sports that I did; you know, I had played hockey there, and I played lacrosse, and, and soccer, football and you know. But there was running of races and things like that. So, I think I could do everything but play basketball and swim...