New poster who normally reads this board when you sleep as I am on the other side of the world in NZ. I don't have strong opinions about day to day football as I have enjoyed the massive ups and downs it brings. I just wanted to share with you all how my life could have been so different. About 1947 my brother and I got a brown paper parcel each for Christmas. He was the youngest by about 18 months so got first pick. Inside was a pair of hooped football stockings and I got the same. His were black and white and mine red and white as we were not sure what the represented we had to be wised up what they were. I felt a bit down as I thought that as oldest I should have had first dabs - what colour would I have drawn? Either way we both didn't care as some days we swapped one black for one red. We lived with our family of older uncles in Chester-le-Street and the household was equally divided between the black & white and red&white. Sadly he is no longer with us but stayed a Magpie all his life. So first time I wore the magic red & white was with a white shirt a pair of "pit hoggers" and new boots about three sizes too big clarted up from all day game on Pelaw pit football field.
What a cracking first post mate and it will be good to have someone else to chat to when I cant sleep. "Pit hoggers".years since I have heard that term.
Don't knock it mate. Can you imagine owld cuteybuns with a red and white knitted bobble hat in his pram? It's true - or so I'm told. And my mother found a teddy bear's head on the bomb-site (later, a car park) opposite Jackie White's Market, took it home, fitted it up with a body made from an old pinny, and filled it with rags. My dad called him Freddie the Teddy after Fred Hall the centre-half from the '37 cup winning team. Fred played for us until about 1951. I wouldn't go to bed without that rag teddy till I was about six! The training of a Sunderland fan took some weird and wonderful ways in them days, believe it. Welcome Nosto. Nice post mate. P.S. If anybody reading this lived in them two bombed out streets, I think I might have nicked your teddy bear's head. Apologies.
super post. I was born in 1947 so I'm a bit younger However, money was tight post war. Strips for youngsters were scarce. Football 'socks' were the norm. Kids in our street were 50/50 black and white or red and white, and we played footie in the street from dawn till dusk .... Happy days with my red socks with white tops ...
Now 1 in the morning here and I just had to check this board to see if there was any response. 6 German berman beers tucked away and after reading the replies feeling quite good. Dont't want to say too much as I will start rambling. In the words of the big lass in Morecambe & Wise - "Good night and I love you all".
Sorry Duchy, never had any interest in Rugby despite being here for 7 yrs. Living on the north shore of sunny Auckland.
