Iain Gallaway was 7 when he watched his first rugby test at Carisbrook in 1930.
He will be at the ground for his 37th test tomorrow.
Gallaway (87), the rugby commentator at Carisbrook from 1952 to 1977, has missed only one test at the 'Brook in the last 80 years.
He had an excuse for that because he was president of New Zealand Cricket in 1999 and followed the team to England.
His father was in England in 1930 and Gallaway sat in the main stand at Carisbrook with members of his family.
It was a bitterly cold day and the Lions beat the All Blacks 6-3.
He met his hero, Ron Bush, after the game and got his autograph.
"He was like a god to me and I still regard him as my greatest All Black," Gallaway said.
"I couldn't understand why everyone looked so depressed after the game. They looked cold and miserable."
Gallaway shared the commentary in a test match for the first time with the well-known Winston McCarthy when the All Blacks beat the Springboks 10-6 in 1956.
He has always prepared meticulously for a match and was not nervous when he sat in the commentary box with McCarthy.
"Winston was friendly and helpful. It was a privilege to sit alongside him," Gallaway said.
"After Winston retired he always sent me a telegram congratulating me on the commentary. It meant a lot to me."
Gallaway admitted being stage struck when the All Blacks beat the Lions 18-17 in 1959.
Don Clarke kicked six penalties for the All Blacks.
Thc Lions scored a try that started from their own goal line.
"Winston's commentary reached a crescendo when the try was scored and asked me to tell the listeners what happened," Gallaway recalled.
"I was lost in the excitement and couldn't remember. It was my worst moment. It is not often I'm stuck for words, but I was then."
Gallaway's final test as a radio commentator was in 1977, when he shared the commentary with John Howson and the All Blacks beat the Lions 19-7.
"I was very emotional that day," Gallaway recalled.
Gallaway was the commentator for the first televised test from Carisbrook when the All Blacks beat South Africa 13-0 in 1965.
Gallaway has a seat in the main stand for tomorrow's test and will be accompanied by his daughter, Alice, who lives in Queenstown.
