I liked Liverpool as a young lad, Keegan, Toshack etc, it stopped when we got promotion and played them, at which point they just became “the opposition” like any other team. I’ve only ever worn a City top, I wouldn’t wear any other.
When I went to Bemi Down school in the late 60’s/early 70’s, everyone I knew supported City with a few on the blue side, but most also “followed” a First Div club. Mine was Everton. Why? Simply because I liked their away strip, which, in those days, was amber shirts with royal blue shorts!! I grew to appreciate the likes of Labone, Kendal, Ball, Hunt and others, but it was still secondary to City
I can honestly say hand on heart that I haven't. Yes, I've favoured a team occasionally when watching as a neutral - When I can be @rsed to watch a Champions League game I always want the British side to win - for example I enjoyed Man U win their treble beating Bayern in extra time - and I enjoyed the Liverpool turnarounds in their finals - but those are isolated games and I was neutral but with a slight nationalist bias towards the UK side. I also favour the lower league side in cup games (unless they are against ourselves of course) - it's the British culture of favouring the underdog - but again they are isolated games and can't be classed as supporting. I keep an eye out for Swindon's results for banter purposes so I can tease my mates here if they start on me. I also kept an eye on Sunderland's results for a while out of sheer curiosity when LJ was there to see how he was getting on - but I've lost interest now - I can't even tell you what Scottish side he's managing now - I'd have to Google it to find out. For me it's been Bristol City (and England of course) but ONLY Bristol City the club - ever since I discovered football in the 1970s. It's painful, frustrating and downright miserable at times countered by moments of delight, excitement and the occasional burst of hope and belief - which is ultimately shattered as always. Sometimes I wonder why I bother but I just can't help it.
I never minded Liverpool until they beat us 1-0 down here in the 6th round of the FA Cup in '74. They slowed the game right down at every opportunity and i can still remember the likes of Emlyn Hughes passing the ball back to Ray Clemence multiple times to break up any moves we tried to make. We got our revenge eventually when we won 1-0 at Anfield when Tins got the winner, but I've disliked Liverpool ever since 1974 and the way they played the game against us. I have a long memory for that sort of thing, but ask me what I had for tea last night and I couldn't tell you !
I went to Chew Valley 1978-1984 I got a couple of detentions for silly things - drawing pins on chairs and pea-shooting and the like - but I was never a REALLY bad boy - just an immature nuisance. I turned it around in the 5th year when I realised that schooling was important and maybe I should do some homework and put a bit of an effort in!!!
In some ways I was the opposite. At the end of the lower 6th, my mocks indicated I would get 3 'A' levels at good grades; fast forward one year and I scraped one after finding beer, women and football (not necessarily in that order!) big time!! Failed the retakes as well
I went to Hengrove Comprehensive from '73-'77 and emerged with 4 O Levels/ I never got a detention, but i bunked off once in my final year and got intercepted by the Deputy Head before reaching the safety of Hengrove Shops for a pasty or bag of chips, I forget which !
I was too busy getting thrown out of exams for for reflecting sun light via a ruler onto teachers bald head.. left and started apprenticeship before I was 16.. School and I didn’t have the greatest relationship, it has to be said.. Being told what to do and when to do it was never in my DNA.. Hence starting my own business!!
I left school at the age of 15, no certificates, finished on the Friday night and started work at Gateway Supermarket, Shirehampton on the Saturday morning, I was a milk monitor ( if that counts) in my junior school in the glorious days of free milk, like One4 school and me didn't gel, it was pure joy from then on for me, free and earning.
Got to say that I enjoyed school, well the social side certainly and, to be fair, most of our teachers were great. One exception to that was a short, arrogant, ginger, Welsh PE teacher, whose name I can't remember! Four of us were playing tennis and he was with a group of younger kids behind the court; an opponent volleyed the ball which literally hit me on the bridge of the nose, straight between the eyes. Glasses that I've always worn were smashed and I hit the deck like I'd been snipered!! I thought my nose was broken, but it was just a deep cut caused by the glasses. I obviously shouted something I shouldn't have and he started to have a go, so I told him to **** off!! Didn't go down well
Taffy Lewis by any chance? What a dick he was!! Had several run ins with him!! Along with most of the others as well!! Mr Smeaton wood work was the only decent one there in my eyes. Loved my mates, hated the rest!! Edit.. sorry just seen PE teacher. Yes can’t remember his name but fancied himself using a plimsoll to whack you with!! Edit 2.. Bryant?
Got on OK with Taffy but then again, we didn't really cross paths much! Roger Smeaton was well liked by everyone as was Pete Randall, geog/geology teacher. Went on several field trips with him, most evenings were in the local pub! Those were the days!! I really don't have a clue about the name of the PE teacher; other than the incident, he's been deleted from my memory banks!! If you're interested, there are a couple of FB pages relating directly to Bemi Down
