SPURS FANS UNITE!
In troubled times true fans close ranks and talk of the glory days at White Hart Lane. Trinity seemed to have special links with Spurs, as we were at the other end of “The Lane”, and in the mid 50s I saw both Arthur Rowe and George Robb at the school, much to my amazement.
I first saw George Robb from the Boys Enclosure (6d or 1 shilling entrance fee) which overlooked the corner flag, and he would romp down the wing and centre for whoever was centre-forward at the time –Duquemin, Dunmore etc. Soon after I think George Robb played for England once or twice, such was Spurs ranking after their 1951 Championship and their revolutionary style of push-and-run passing game. I must have started going to Spurs around 1955 then more often 1957-61.
Slightly older Spurs fans in the Old Scholars will correct me, please, on any inaccurate detail, but I think I even briefly saw Eddie Baily of the old guard of 51 around 1955. Favourites of the mid 50s included Tommy Harmer, small but a clever ball player. Once, when Manchester United visited and Johnny Giles, their new tricky winger, was showing off his ball skills in the warm-up, our Tommy outdid him by juggling the ball for much longer, and the Spurs fans roared their approval.
Again, from behind our goal, I saw Bobby Charlton, as a new young thing, impress against Peter Baker at right back, but Peter made sure Bobby was dumped in the mud after he crossed the ball with just a slightly late tackle. Bobby just looked at Peter in surprise, and with just a hint of sadness. There was another game against the Busby Babes, before the
Munich Disaster,* when we went 2-0 up in impressive style. I think it was under floodlights or it was a dark afternoon, but Manchester came back very strongly and it ended up 2-2, crowning a very skillful entertaining match, with very little fouling, as I remember.
Just before the double year of 1960-61, I went on a supporters coach to Leicester’s ground and watched Cliff Jones play well. I think we won but cannot remember the score. My real hero was Danny Blanchflower, who thrilled and amused the crowd with his silky and sometimes unorthodox skills. How I tried to copy him with disastrous results! I think he introduced the tricky skill of shaping to pass over to the left wing, but at the last moment he would bring his right foot round the other side of his left ankle, and chip it in the opposite direction across to the right wing. I have seen modern players like Gascoigne try to emulate this, but never so often and accurately as Danny.
The Spurs crowd had a reputation for being impatient with sloppy play, and always demanded attractive football. But even then, on a rare (only?) occasion when Danny was mis-placing passes from the start, someone near me shouted out “Give it to the Governor – he will mess it up for you!” Such was the affection for Danny that the crowd around me, many with flat caps on, found that very funny and laughed their heads off.
(* 50 years ago on the 6th February this year.)
In later years I was able to go to the 1962 FA Cup final of Spurs v Burnley, and see Jimmy Greaves score, and Danny also scored from a penalty, with us winning 3-1. My career, education and marriage stopped me seeing a lot more of Spurs, but I did return to Wembley on nine occasions in 1966 for the World Cup, and was there when England won the cup. Only recently David Stevens from my class and year, 1954, said he was there too!
My support for Spurs, even when I was moving round the country, was steadfast during the fallow years of the late 70s and the under-achievement since the 1991 FA Cup win. I will not fall out with other Tosa members by contrasting our style with Arsenal, except to say they have improved lately in the entertainment stakes!
My former class mate and school team mate (goalie), the late Ken Hogan (54) became an Arsenal fan and so was Melvyn Jarvis, but we somehow remained friends by ignoring it, or me teasing them about Arsenal being boring.
My old primary school friend from Garfield School and I talk on the phone at length several times a year about Spurs’ progress, or lack of it, and endlessly talk about Spurs great history when we visit each other, to the despair of our wives, who just go shopping and leave us to it.
I have noticed on the website, and in newsletters, that there are a few Spurs fans around who admit it, including Ray Conner (54) who was a superb centre half for our school team in our year. If anyone wants to get in touch with me and form an action group of Spurs Supporters, I would be prepared to coordinate the inter-action., but I could get trampled in the rush!
As someone who chose Trinity partly because of its sports and soccer reputation, I was privileged to see Arthur Rowe and George Robb at close quarters, and see some older pupils with exceptional ball skills in the playground. If anyone can add earlier stories of the Spurs connection from their memories, or correct my version, please get in touch. Remember the singing of Glory, Glory, Alleluia when Spurs went marching on, especially on those European nights with huge scores against teams like Gornik and the like.
Peter Turner (1954)
Editors Note I have only ever been to one football match, and that was on Boxing Day 1948 (or thereabouts) when I walked from Western Road baths (where I lived) to The Spurs Ground in Tottenham with a boy friend. It was not my scene at all until three years ago.
I was raising funds for my Local Cancer charity and I had written to John Madejski (the Reading Chairman) asking for any donation to a big raffle we were organising. I was offered a football signed by all the players in the A team and Steve Coppell their manager, and then invited to go to their training ground to collect.
When I arrived, I was met and taken to the players’ rest room and Canteen. They all came off the field and before they did anything else, spent some half an hour or so signing gifts and such like for the supporters who had written in.
I was told that John Madejski sets a big store by players making this sort of effort, and it is on his instruction that this happens on a regular weekly basis at their training ground. (Incidentally, this is walking distance from where I live). I was most impressed by their whole attitude to this. You may be interested to know, taking it a stage further, that Reading Footballer Wives have held several events themselves to raise money for local charities.
I have become quite a fan myself of the Reading squad, and can even pick out a few of the players on TV.
