I was born and raised in a little mining village, Thornley and spent my infant and junior school years in the village school. My best mate lived a few doors down from me and along with some other lads we played out most nights. I know he was a catholic because he could not play out Sunday mornings, had to go to church and he did not go to my school. My only real knowledge of Catholics, I those days, is in that last sentence, different school and church. When we moved up to senior school I had to travel to the next village and passed the catholic school. I remember passing each morning and seeing my best mate in the playground, ââ¬Å****ing left footersââ¬Â, I would shout and,ââ¬Â****ing prodyââ¬Â, he would shout back. Then just as we continued I would shout,ââ¬Â See ya tonight mateââ¬Â and would get a thumbs up. I had no idea at the time I was showing any kind of predudice, I shouted what I shouted because itââ¬â¢s what you did and I knew no better. I do now and so do you, I hope. Tomorrow I will mingle with around 40,000 people, black, white, men, women, young, old, every religion, some gay and lots straight, it will not matter because we will be joined by our love of SAFC. This forum should be the same, IMO, a place for SAFC fans to come together and laugh, cry and share. Today a few Sunderland supporters got upset and fell out, it happens, tomorrow we will be one again. We will find a new moderator and move on, I hope the Sunderland fans who had a tiff can do the same. BTW, not a prody these days and have not been for a long time, now here is something to set you off, Iââ¬â¢m a fully fledged spiritualist, thatââ¬â¢s right, I talk to the dead.
I've got Irish relatives who keep telling me that they were treated like scum in England. Many shops would have signs saying "No Irish, no Blacks" Can't imagine that sort of crap today. Thankfully.
Still, you hve an impressive talent, I once got told I had healing hands because a spiritulist could see sparks coming from my fingers
Hey who you calling dead (only joking) I too used to pass a catholic school on my way to school in pennywell shouting St Annes snobs,I didn't swear tho's days we all should look back and remember what idiots we were in them days. The younger guys on here should listen to blokes of our generation and come together as one. Support your team of joice without the hatred I have witnessed over the last few days. On a lighter note 2-1 to the lads tomorrow.
You tell us this now once wellbeck and campbell are nearly fit again.... you could have speeded up their recovery times mate
My Mam used to send us to Sunday school, I was thrown out age 7 for arguing, when we were expected to believe everything we were told on faith alone. On the plus side, while my Mam didn't know I had been thrown out, I got to keep the tanner for the collection. Straight to the corner shop for a lucky dip wrapped in old newspaper out of an actual barrel.
I remember that barrel, did you have to get it out with your mouth then feel a sharp pain in the arse vfrom the vicar behind, sorry, wrong barrel
I remember getting made to go to St Lukes church in pallion but then my mates told me to join the choir at St Marks because you got paid two and six for weddings on a saturday i used to get 2 in and it paid for riding lessons at the stables behind the wheatsheaf, bloody strange place to have a stables but we could only afford half a ride so one of us would ride to seaburn then swap over with your mate and you would have to walk back.
With all respect lads and lasses, I went to Carol st methodist church, off Trimdon st, from three years of age until fifteen, got me out of my mothers feet, she found a cheap way of getting rid of us on a sunday, not to help me develope, not to teach me christian values, because if anything she was a communist, realy a communist, never had love in her for her kids, no sob story, but when I left school my claim to fame was, I was the best at Diamond hall at religeous instruction, this has stood me in good stead ever since, it makes me very good at cryptic crosswords, its made me more cynical, and has realy helped me out in the aviation industry[sic],but above all I respect anyone who has a belief, christian, hindu,mormon whatever, and I believe I will have another drink. one thing I did learn was table tennis,,,,,,,,now that was worth twelve years of growing up,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,my kids ,,I forced no religeon on them, decieded they could make own minds up, I enjoyed my kids for then, still enjoy them now nearly forty years later,,,,,,used to walk to school with catholics, via smokers back lane, they were at st joes, they would meet me after scool to go home via smokers back lane, we all started smoking together, went out together, no ratcatcher/prod ****, just mates,,, well sadly , its an age thing, some are gone and some are long gone, but the fact remains religeon is only religeon. nothing more, Dedicated to all the catholics and prodestants circa 1953 onwards. from. rose street violet street may street lilly street deptford road hedley street lansdown road milburn street grafton street hylton road st marks cres god bless you all, not a believer myself, but then again............................................
Did you ever get thrashed sensless off Mr Potts ( nice old lad ) or punched black and blue off Mr Rosebury something tells me he used to enjoy it ( I didnt ) but what the hell we used to see how many sticks we could get in a day if you tried really hard to beat your mate you could get into double figures. By the way I used to walk past st Joes to walk home with my mates and I was known as a proddy dog and they were known as cats but none of us could give a toss really.
new poster here been reading for a while syd and your post funny the people...etc hit a thread for me. Ive been a sunderland fan since 1959 introduced by my dad who was born bred in thornley. He married and moved to tyneside ,bill quay but my grandparents lived all their lives in thornley as my grandad worked down the pit. they lived in Dyke street just up from the picture house on the main street and spent their last years in the aged miners bungalows opposite Kirks shop. As a kid we went every summer holidays for the six weeks and had great fun running wild around the village, Baldasaras ice creams and long walks with my grandad over the hilly past the pit and accross the moors past the school you mentioned in your article, I had five brothers and we all went to Roker Park with my dad many happy memories sadly I only have two brothers surviving but we are all still red and white. Ive lived in Cumbria and France over the past thirteen years and dont get to the games much anymore due to finances but it must be great to see the quality we have in the squad now. Have read and enjoyed many of your articles both on here and the BBC site so thanks for jogging some lovely memories in times gone by cheers
Aye welcome Cumbrian, make yourself at home. Thing is on the BBC this would have been booted for being off topic, I much prefer it here.
Thanksfor bringing memories back for me mate. Never had ice cream that coild beat Baldasaras, non of this softscoop crap. Kirks shop and the one on the front street, cnt remember the name but it was simply the dwarfies because the couple who owned it had two sons, twins and yes, they were dwarfs who both worked there all their lives. I bet I knew your dad?
Syd, Syd, you've got to watch out lad. In your original post you talked about 40000 including black and white etc. Don't get tainted by too much fraternisation with the Northern tribe. Some mixing is permissable- a little missionary work is a good thing. Too much mixing and they might mess with your mind. Believe me I know, I operate deep inside enemy lines and vigilance is the key.LOL.
