England National Team. Not misssed a game home or away for over 7 years. Plus Vittesse after last Saturdays hospitality
West Ham for me just had a thought i wonder how many players of professional teams were in active service during the war. A good book would be which has a chapter on footballers who served in the forces. Matches would be suddenly abandoned due to air raids, some grounds were put out of action due to bomb damage, Highbury and Old Trafford, two notable examples resulting in ground sharing with Spurs and Manchester City respectively. Exeter's ground was used as a US training camp whilst Swindon's became a POW camp. Due to travel restrictions teams could play guest players if they were serving in the vicinity which briefly led to Aldershot becoming a football power, but could often be abused as supposed amateur ringers from the crowd would turn out to be professional footballers. Restrictions also played havoc, my team, Brighton & Hove Albion, turned up to an away match at Norwich with just four players, got seven replacements to volunteer from the crowd and promptly went on to lose 18-0. The only professional club to become a casualty of the war was King's Park, based in Stirling, of the then Scottish Second Division who closed down due to financial difficulties in 1940 and had their ground destroyed by an air raid the following year. The club was wound up after selling the site of their ground with the directors going on to form Stirling Albion in its wake.
"German prisoners being taken to a football match at West Ham United's Boleyn Ground in East London. There is no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than watching the greatest team in England play football and these Germans are very privileged indeed to be allowed to behold such an event!" from this fine POW site
My favourite sport is Rugby Union followed by Cricket but I'm all round sports fan. These are the team's I support in my favourite sports: Rugby Union - London Wasps (Season ticket holder) Cricket - Middlesex CCC & England Football - Tottenham Hotspur American Football - Buffalo Bills Ice Hockey - Pittsburgh Penguins
Looks like Millwall FC Drew are you a long time fan??I have been there once,can't remember what game though
I stopped going when I moved North in the 90's...Before that I had a special spot on the terraces at Cold Blow Lane
thanks for that ill get myself a copy It's a decent read but the emphasis is on football during the war, the competitions and players and the odd stories they threw up, one of my favourites being a professional Scottish centre forward who took part in an Army trial game, during the first half he scored all the goals for his team to take a 6-0 lead, those in charge of the trial decided he would play for the other team in the second half where he promptly scored all their goals but lost the game 6-5.
my sports teams are 1.cleveland browns 2.cleveland indians 3.boston celtics 4.manchester united 5.parramatta eels
Only Australians will know of the Essendon 'Bombers', who I have barracked for for over 60 years. And of course, the Australian Cricket team, the 'Wallabies' (Rugby Union) and the 'Kangaroos' (Rugby League). Then there is the Olympics! John.