This made me cry today

[ricardo 8,034]

I am sitting here with the tears rolling down my cheeks.

Its nearly a lifetime ago but every time I hear that song I well up.

Incredible how it still hurts after so many years.

[dylanisabaddog 6,149]

13 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I am sitting here with the tears rolling down my cheeks.

Its nearly a lifetime ago but every time I hear that song I well up.

Incredible how it still hurts after so many years.

You've got me going now and I was still a bump at that time. 

My claim to fame having lived on White Horse Lane is that the ticket queue for Spurs replay ended outside my house. 

Wonderful thank you! 

[ricardo 8,034]

2 minutes ago, dylanisabaddog said:

You've got me going now and I was still a bump at that time. 

My claim to fame having lived on White Horse Lane is that the ticket queue for Spurs replay ended outside my house. 

Wonderful thank you! 

I must have got in that queue early because it was only at County Hall roundabout when I got there😀

[dylanisabaddog 6,149]

Apparently we have the record for the most visiting supporters at White Hart Lane which is borne out by that film. 

Possibly the record for the new Spurs stadium as well? 

[Rhiadd 7]

How the times and we have changed. I was at every game except Luton. Those months in the city were so very important to us then. I wonder if the same cup run would mean as much today?

[Robert N. LiM 6,301]

You look really young in that footage, @ricardo

[Robert N. LiM 6,301]

Had no idea there was such great footage of this. Thanks so much for sharing, Ricardo. Well before my time (but I am still upset about 1992!) - it was really great to see. Looks like we played some decent stuff for a third division team. Keep it low, splendid rush even then.

[Myra Hawtree 139]

I was at all the Cup Run games but never heard that song before. Certainly brought back memories.  Will never forget long miserable train journey back after the Luton defeat at St Andrews.  Have hated Luton ever since and even more so this season!!!

[ricardo 8,034]

38 minutes ago, dylanisabaddog said:

Apparently we have the record for the most visiting supporters at White Hart Lane which is borne out by that film. 

Possibly the record for the new Spurs stadium as well? 

It was the only time I have ever been scared for my life at a football match. I was crushed up against a concrete barrier with my schoolmate Steve Barrett. Evey time the crowd swayed forward I could hardly breath. We had gone together to London on the FA Cup Special train. He was just over 14 years old and I was a few months younger. Amazing when you think about it, you'd never allow kids to do it today unsupervised.

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

1 hour ago, ricardo said:

I am sitting here with the tears rolling down my cheeks.

Its nearly a lifetime ago but every time I hear that song I well up.

Incredible how it still hurts after so many years.

I don't know if you can remember a keyboard operator we had in the Comp Room at Jarrolds, Ricardo. He was handicapped, had calipers on bothe legs and he had short with white hair. I can't remember his real name but his nickname was Sticks.

He went to the Spurs game at White Hart Lane and broke on of his calipers. The story was he had broken his leg and had to go to a garage to mend it.

Mum and Dad wouldn't let me go to the Cup Run, I was only 9 and they thought it was too dangerous.

[ricardo 8,034]

23 minutes ago, Myra Hawtree said:

I was at all the Cup Run games but never heard that song before. Certainly brought back memories.  Will never forget long miserable train journey back after the Luton defeat at St Andrews.  Have hated Luton ever since and even more so this season!!!

You and me both Myra. I wasn't allowed to go to the replay because it was a schoolday and the headmaster warned there would be trouble for those who bunked off.

They got the entire school in the hall to listen to the replay on the radio.

 

[ricardo 8,034]

2 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

I don't know if you can remember a keyboard operator we had in the Comp Room at Jarrolds, Ricardo. He was handicapped, had calipers on bothe legs and he had short with white hair. I can't remember his real name but his nickname was Sticks.

He went to the Spurs game at White Hart Lane and broke on of his calipers. The story was he had broken his leg and had to go to a garage to mend it.

Mum and Dad wouldn't let me go to the Cup Run, I was only 9 and they thought it was too dangerous.

Yes, I remember him but the name escapes me also. I was thinking the other day about the guy who had the ginger wig but couldn't remember his name either.

[dylanisabaddog 6,149]

23 minutes ago, ricardo said:

It was the only time I have ever been scared for my life at a football match. I was crushed up against a concrete barrier with my schoolmate Steve Barrett. Evey time the crowd swayed forward I could hardly breath. We had gone together to London on the FA Cup Special train. He was just over 14 years old and I was a few months younger. Amazing when you think about it, you'd never allow kids to do it today unsupervised.

It is amazing when you think of it. I was 8 in 1968 and living in Poringland when I went to my first game with school friends completely  unsupervised . It just wouldn't happen these days but I was quite safe. My first big crowd was a couple of years later in a League Cup game against Chelsea when we were still in Division 2. 

My parents were living in West London in 1959 and were thinking of moving to Norfolk. Father went to White Hart Lane but didn't arrive until 2.30pm and got locked out. 

[Myra Hawtree 139]

1 hour ago, ricardo said:

You and me both Myra. I wasn't allowed to go to the replay because it was a schoolday and the headmaster warned there would be trouble for those who bunked off.

They got the entire school in the hall to listen to the replay on the radio.

 

I was working at Norwich Union and I think we were given the day off to go to Birmingham and it may even have been a special Norwich Union train.

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

1 hour ago, ricardo said:

Yes, I remember him but the name escapes me also. I was thinking the other day about the guy who had the ginger wig but couldn't remember his name either.

That was Donnie Pearson

[lake district canary 4,831]

That's a really special song. Amazed I've not heard it before! Does anyone know when it was written? 

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 606]

My Dad went to many of the games and he used to talk about how he made the mistake of standing behind one of the barriers. He thought he was going to die.

[ricardo 8,034]

1 hour ago, keelansgrandad said:

That was Donnie Pearson

Thats him. Always used to see him and his Mrs walking up Sprowston Rd to the City Stadium dog track on Saturday evenings in the late 1960's.

That syrup did him no favours.

[ricardo 8,034]

55 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

That's a really special song. Amazed I've not heard it before! Does anyone know when it was written? 

The Ballard of Crossan and Bly is by Paul Wyett. Its available on Youtube.

Edited March 21, 2023 by ricardo

[ricardo 8,034]

21 minutes ago, Trevor Hockey's Beard said:

My Dad went to many of the games and he used to talk about how he made the mistake of standing behind one of the barriers. He thought he was going to die.

It really was very scary at White Hart Lane with over 67k inside. Not too bad at CR even with 38k.

[Barham Blitz 869]

3 hours ago, ricardo said:

The Ballard of Crossan and Bly is by Paul Wyett. Its available on Youtube.

Thanks for this Ricardo - I wasn't even a twinkle in the parental eye back then and it even made me feel emotional.

My wife plays fiddle in a number of folk sessions and one of the guitarists there is a City fan with a very similar playing and vocal style to this.  Might see if I can get him to resurrect it.

[keelansgrandad 6,680]

3 hours ago, ricardo said:

Thats him. Always used to see him and his Mrs walking up Sprowston Rd to the City Stadium dog track on Saturday evenings in the late 1960's.

That syrup did him no favours.

Donnie loved the dogs and normally did quite well. He was shrewd which is more than can be said for his choice of syrup. Went on the train with him to watch City play Ipswich in our second game in that first season in the top flight. Looked like the odd couple with mein my yellow leather jacket and yellow and green daisy roots and Donny with Garfield the Cat on his head.