SPURS FOR LIFE

This volume is full of match-day programmes home and away and Cup Finals for Tottenham Hotpur in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. Can you spot the one for Brian Clough's first game in charge of Nottingham Forest, when Neil Martin scored the winner in an F.A Cup match at the Lane? Or the one for West Ham United's biggest ever attendance at Upton Park: 42,000 v Spurs? The 1962 programmes were donated by Andrew Dust (courtesy of his father who went to those matches) and a load more programmes were provided by Farid El Diwany. I'm told Farid showed those programmes to Clive Allen at a Spurs Legends Stadium Tour this year (2021) as Clive's dad, Les, was playing in those matches and Farid also showed some others to Martin Chivers too on his Legends Tour. Big Chiv, the fluent German speaker, was a true gentleman. A Tottenham miracle in the early 70's. On a serious but cautionary note you will see when we say: 'Spurs for Life' we mean it ... literally. Life! The next Hoddle ... the next Greaves ... the next Chivers ... the next Clive Allen ... will it be your child? Let it be!I dedicate this work to my great childhood friend Andrew Dust who took me to my first Tottenham Hotspur match in 1968 v Glasgow Rangers, with Bob Simpson as our mentor. That cheeky chappie Farid El Diwany came too, along with Keith Hockeridge. Essex/Havering boys.I must mention the great Ron Smith from Harold Park too who brought his neighbour Tommy Taylor of West Ham United to play football with us in Guy's Field. Tony Brown and his brother David joined in along with Paul Mantrip, Frank Phillips, Bobby Thompson, Jeff Mullins, Tony Mellon, Paul Hammond (Chelsea Reserves) and a host of others from Harold Park. Tony made us all laugh, when (he was 5 years old) he told Tommy Taylor he was useless. As for David, many years later he was decapitated in a freak train accident in the prime of life, so we all look forward to seeing you again David in the next life. God bless you dear friend! Andrew, Farid, Gary Dunn, Peter Waldock and Clifford Rymer won the Havering 5-a-side football tournament in 1971 as Eagles United. This is the 50th anniversary of that Havering Cup final win v Cumberland Colts (with the great Nigel Rogoff) on penalties at Oldchurch Park, Romford. The Mayor of Havering presented the lads with their medals. The same day that Spurs beat Liverpool at White Hart Lane 1-0. Happy days!