1966 and all that

[Feethams 1966]

With all the current fuss about it being 50 years since we won the world cup, it suddenly dawned on me that it had to be also 50 years since I started watching the Quakers. I found that a sobering thought and suddenly felt very old.
As a ten year old in 1966 I remember most of England's games in the tournament and most of Darlo's - particularly England's 2-0 win over Portugal, and our 2-0 win over Colchester. Darlo got promoted that season and England went on to lift the trophy. At that age, I just thought these things happened regularly/routinely.
I remember the first game I saw at Darlington for the simple reason that I found a shiny half crown on the concrete ledge under the crowd barrier next to the field. I wasn't tall enough to reach over and get it so I scrabbled around underneath at arms length. Success! Two and six in those days was a lot of money and more than it cost to get in. I think it's twelve and a half pence in today's money but back then it would have kept me in comics and ice lollies for a while.
I remember that the advertising hoardings all over the town were proclaiming "Battle of Hastings 1066 - Bottle of Guiness 1966". But I can't say what I had for tea yesterday. Funny what you remember as you get older.

[theoriginalfatcat]

I know someone who's been watching Darlo since the early 50's ! So Feethams you've got a bit of catching up to do there and I'm sure he once told me he sometimes used to bicycle up to Feethams (20 miles) to see a game.

Football is very evocative, the games you take in when your young, stay with you forever.