Just talking with an old schoolmate recently about our 'formative years' back in the 60s and how different things are now and it got me thinking what are our best memories of our childhoods? What things really stand out of that era? I spent my childhood in Brixton and remember being one of many children who spent hours playing on the street corner and local churchyard. It really was jumpers for goalposts and often a worn out old tennis ball that was our football. There were very few cars around at that time so there was always space to play but neighbours to upset. In the summer it would be cricket with the same tennis ball but most of the time it was football. I would always be Bobby Charlton and my best mate was always Jimmy Greaves. In those days of the early 60s Spurs really were the glamour team, it's strange that unlike my mates I never followed them and eventually got hooked on the Rs through my uncle who fanatically followed them long before any success came their way. Primary School football at Effra School consisted of Friday mornings playing on the cinder pitches at Brockwell Park and I would endlessly come home covered in grazes, Elf & Safety would've had a field day. The ball we used at school was a gnarled old leather ball which on damp days would be like kicking a ton of concrete and heading it would leave your ears ringing, I remember going home with weal across my forehead when I headed the bit with the lace in it! Today's kids don't know how lucky they are. By time I was at Secondary School at Tulse Hill our once a week sport mornings would be getting bussed to Ewell Playing Fields near Epsom. There we played four weeks consecutively, Rugby Union, Hockey, Football and Cross Country running, all presided over by a devout sadist call Mr Tricker who was head of the sports dept at the school. He wasn't afraid to tackle you studs-up or flatten you with a rugby tackle, even after the ball had gone on occasions. In fact, several of the sports teachers were quite venomous when let loose on the field. They'd all be up on assault charges these days but it was par for the course then. I look at the way sport is done at my grandson's school and it is so much more professional these days and they often have professionals from Millwall and the London Broncos coaching them, it really is a different world now. What are your memories of the 60s or even the 70s and 80s for those not quite so old?...
I had no toys, only a ball. Not that we couldn't afford toys but all we ever wanted was to play ball. Back way soccer with all the kids from our street was great fun. I look at my son aged 8 and he has no interest in sport at all. The world has changed. We had so much more freedom. It was a more innocent time but more fun. Comics and ball, that was it for me.
Excellent, this can be our own 'memory room', like they have in homes for elderly people with dementia. Pardon? We'll doubtless have a bit of 'because we were poor' as well...... Seriously Sooper, good stuff, I'll try and drag a few memories from the dank recesses of my mind at some stage. They captured a bit of one of my lessons on film. For some reason we were all talking in Northern accents that day. [video=youtube_share;_9nDHupVqVw]http://youtu.be/_9nDHupVqVw[/video]
That clip is absolutely brilliant, storming performance by the late, great Brian Glover - I recall watching it at school and everyone recognising themselves despite the Northern setting.
Great thread soop, yep remember that with the jumpers & caused a lot of friction whether it was a goal or not, also we used to play in the street not a lot of cars back then, great memories.
