He did indeed - he is one of the few glider pilots to fly more than 1 mission. Before flying gliders he was a Stirling pilot, he speaks very little of this episode. After gliders he then transferred to Mustangs and when the war ended became a physical fitness instructor until he was discharged in 1955. He now lives in Dallas and is still involved with flying (as much as his health will allow him) and is a guide at the Frontiers of Flight Museum http://www.flightmuseum.com/
I have some friends in,or near,Dallas.If I go again I might visit the Museum. Duxford is interesting.They were actually trying to rebuild a Blenheim! I loved walking through the Concord.I've been kicking myself for never flying in it.The British one,of course! The Washington DC museum has some interesting stuff but nothing can touch our Imperial War Museum. Enough about war!!!! UP THE SPURS! I wonder how many Spurs fans know,Tottenham let those horrible Arsenal people share our hallowed ground during WW2?
Well I had a tortuous journey to becoming a Spurs fan and fought off a lot of opposition along the way I was born in 1956 and despite my father having no interest in football whatsoever I was infatuated with the game from the time I could run or kick a ball. My fave player was Jimmy Greaves and of course Spurs bought him so Spurs it was always going to be. My mums brother was a football fan and took me to my first ever live game which was Brentford v Bristol Rovers as we lived near Heathrow. I was totally perplexed that there was no commentary (there was on tv) and decided as Brentford won they would be my 2nd team. Oh come on I was about 7 A few years later about 1968 my uncle got two season tickets for QPR and as I was not allowed to football on my own he took me there, they were in the old 2nd division at the time and got promoted with Ipswich I think it was. He renewed the ST the next year but they had not completed the new stand in time so after being shifted from stand to stand and seat to seat he got his money back and got us two season tickets for chelsea of all places . Despite all this chopping and changing I was a devout Spurs fan and would not change my mind and it was with that chelsea season ticket that I saw my heros live for the first time. We drew 2-2 at the bridge and I was over the moon at having seen my Super Spurs for the first time. Needless to say it was another 3 years before my mum would let me travel all the way to WHL from Heathrow and I have been as regular as possible since. I did miss a bit of the 70's as I was playing on a Saturday and I missed a fair bit of the 90's as I was coaching and managing Saturday sides but I have always been as regularly as time and finance would allow. I have 4 kids (2 boys 2 girls) and all support Spurs with the eldest boy and girl being total fanatics. Had the pleasure of watching my eldest play against the reserves at WHL when he was involved in the pro game and have experienced more highs and lows than I can remember. Most exciting spell for me was the 80's when we were lucky enough to get to the old Wembley 3 times in 6 months (league cup final, FA Cup Final and Charity Shield). The only season I have ever attended every game home and away was the year we got relegated (79 I think) and we were lucky enough to get back at the first attempt. I never thought I would see us have a better side than that 80's team but IMO the team we have at the moment is better. Still have a ST, but often let my grandson use it as he is also a fanatic, live out in leafy Berkshire now so I am getting further away from the lane every time i move
I had no say as it was a family thing. My father as a boy lived in a village in the Kent, East Sussex borders and would travel to travel to Tottenham to visit distance relatives. He would be taken as a treat to see a game in the late 30s. My father as a young adult fought in the Korean war and was involved in many colonial uprisings (Cyprus EOKA) . He did not return to Blighty till the mid 60s. His passion for the lillywhites ignited back in England. As a very small boy I was taken to about half of the home games a season. I can just remember Martin Peters making his first appearance in the famous shirt. Sadly my father is old with dementia but will always be thankful for the love he passed on. My two little girls (7 and 3) are already feeling the love .
First post so i will introduce myself on how i supported my beloved team - Spurs All my family are West-Ham and Arsenal supporters so i was forced to support either West-Ham ro Arsenal, and then somthing magical happened. I was watching Spurs v Oxford and Hoddle scored that magical goal and my heart new this was the team for me, to my families disgust i must admit. My favourite player was Waddle - Present day Benny and Bale oh and Modric and Dawson ooohhh wait and Lennon dont forget Parker, sod it all of em... COYS
Welcome, Krispur I'm sure your family were upset but once you've seen the mighty Spurs there's really no choice is there. I share your sentiment on trying to pick a favourite player. King and Modric for me on purely technical excellence, Benny on coolness and Sandro is just a player that I enjoy watching - best youngster I've seen at Spurs since King.
Cheers Yid Vicious (great name) We dont talk about football with my family....for the best really, but as young as i was i know Spurs was my team and always be.... i still get goose bumbs when i walk down those steps at WHL and get a view of the stadium. i know how can i forget KING, oh and theres VDV as well....... and yes i agree i do like the look of Sandro..
Welcome to the boards Kris, I'm hard pushed to pick one favourite from the current team, its the best I've seen which is good enough for me!
Cheera Notsosmartspur yeah must agree this team is the best i have seen, so hard to pick a fav player.......
Ta Yeah, there's nothing like the walk up to the stadium and into the stand, especially after a summer of boredom for your first game of the season.
I have a somewhat similarly funny story. I live in America (Philadelphia more specifically). My parents were never into football (except American football), but I have been playing ever since I was 3. I was never interested in watching football until about 9 years ago. There was never a team (until recently with the Philadelphia Union) that played in my hometown, the only thing was an indoor soccer team the Kixx. I do attend many home games so guess I also support them. Anyway back to England. All of my friends supported Arsenal, United, Chelsea, etc., aka they were glory hunters. I wanted to support a team that was mediocre and whom I loved their playing style. My answer at the time was Portsmouth. When I went around searching the internet for them, I got confused and forgot what the team's name was (I was like 8 years old) so I just looked up white and blue kit. What google gave me back was Tottenham, so from then on I support them. It wasnt until a couple of years later that I found out that I some of my ancestors came from the Tottenham area of London. My great-great-grandfather took my great-grandfather to the 1901 FA cup final game (the draw at crystal park). I also have family from Bradford, but I couldn't care too much about them (I only play with them on FIFA and take them to the prem for fun). Someday (the sooner the better) I plan on taking a vacation (holiday) to London and take a stadium tour and see a game before they build the new stadium. COYS! TTID!
UP THE SPURS. But what about those Phillies!!!? If you love beautiful football,your with the right team my friend.......
My cousins lived in wood green when I was a kid in the 70s. One Saturday afternoon there were red and white scarves and flags on some houses and blue and white on others. There were loads of banter between them and my cousins were in the middle of spurs fans (my cousins (girls) lived with their mum and hated footie) so I wanted the blue and whites to win. This was 73/74 time...I began really following the spurs results every match a year or so later....they were awful as we were nearly relegated then we were relegated...that was gutting for me as a 9 year old as all the kids in school were Liverpool fans...made up stupid excuses like 'me dad likes the liverbirds (a sit com set in Liverpool) or my mum bought a Beatles record once to hide being glory hunters (not that I hold a grudge)... The first season I did not dread seeing the results was the 77/78 promotion season...and watching us score 9 past Bristol Rovers ... I remember Colin Lee getting 4 of them....hence my name! My daughters are spurs too and I was lucky enough to have taken them to the 9-1 v Wigan a few years back...was like coming full circle....great thread really enjoyed reading all the stories on it...cheers yiddos
......ColinLee. The previous season,we had lost our Legend to that lot down the road.It was our fault.Spurs let him go!Of course that Legend was Pat Jennings.I had a strange reaction to that.I felt like I'd lost a brother!
Nice to meet you fellow followed-a-circuitous-route-to-Spurs-Pennsylvania-fan-with-some-kind-of-Munich-connection! Second things first: concerning your moniker: I lived a year in Munich when I was six, and a month when I was 30, speak German, and met some folks from Southampton there...anyway, I told that story above. I can identify with "wanted to support a team that was mediocre." In my case, my teams being my local Steelers (The Man U of the NFL) and my not local Chicago Cubs (104 years without a title), what I wanted, as it turns out, was not mediocrity, but a good team that played attractively. Not one of the really successful teams, but one with an outside chance of winning something (given I already had a real winner and a real loser.) A live underdog or in with a chance kind of team. Anyway, I'm loving watching Spurs this year and last, and now care much more about them than either the Steelers or Cubs...
bigsmithy....I was too young to fully comprehend it but as I watch big pat turn out in 3 FA Cup finals for the goons I understood what a daft decision it was to kick him out....in favour of Barry Daines!!!! I'm glad for Burkinshaw that he brought in Ricky and Ossie and won us promotion and turned us into a great team in the early 80's winning trophies etc. or he'd be remembered at the twat that sold Pat Jennings and relegated us!
.I don't blame Burkinshaw for our relegation.I blame that Arsenal twit our board signed up instead of Danny Blanchflower and Johnny Giles. The Arsenal twit was Terry Neill!
