Yesterday afternoon I took a break from sorting my important paper file and stared out at the 30 degrees of heat seen through my dirty window. The view was marvellous, sunshine improves the most hideous of places, the rusty leaves beginning to appear reflected the light, near naked people sweated across my view, I remained indoors half hidden behind piles of ripped up old papers.
The afternoon previous had seen me deep inside the store cupboard, the one full of things kept 'just in case.' The reward for that afternoons work was four bags of recycled items dumped outside and one of total rubbish! Why did I keep these things? The electric kettle that did not work properly but remained just in case was dumped after several years of space filling. Cardboard boxes, useful for sending things north, were dumped as nothing goes north these days bar birthday cards and store cards, piles of plastic bags kept for wrapping things going north, a sisters idea, have found where the recycled stuff is collected from and just what to do with a computer keyboard that came with my first computer in 1997 I have no idea!
However the store cupboard now contains important things, a box full of various electric cables which must be useful one day somewhere, recycled bags awaiting use (where did they come from?) and proper 'must keep' items that now have plenty of space, apart from the huge roll of bubble wrap that I kept - just in case I send things north!
There is a satisfaction in sorting out a cupboard. In fact I was so impressed that before I began the huge file of urgent important papers going back four years I cleaned out the 'Brexit store' cupboard also. Now the gleaming kitchen stands in contrast to the filthy oven which also demands work.
I looked away.
For some time I had wondered what had happened to old reserve team football programmes that I once possessed. Monday Holiday in that store cupboard explained that. In the bottom of a box filled with now recycled items there lay a pile of stored programmes, once at the centre of my heart, not at the bottom of a box!
Naturally I cried as a man ought to do in such circumstances.
Some ten years ago when my mother died I had a large box filled with programmes collected over the years. Most concerned the Heart of Midlothian from the sixties and on but there were many odd jobs in among them also. What to do when clearing the house? The answer was easy, I put aside some which meant something to me, a cup final, first 'big game,' and the like and we passed the rest, including a scrap book or two, onto the neighbours grandson who at that time played for the Heart of Midlothian under 12's. I am unclear as to whether he made it, if so are free tickets abounding? but I do know he was delighted to have that box dumped upon him. A quick look though those programme seller websites reveals it is probably he who is still trying to sell them at £3 a go.
The football memories mix with historical realities as we peruse the programmes. The fact that the Hearts (pronounced Hertz at that time) produced programmes at 2d a go for reserve games in the 'North Eastern League and for 'A' team games in the 'C' Division indicates just how many people would turn up at Tynecastle Park in 1950 to watch.
1950, a time when my mother had discovered an 'accident' was on the way, offered my dad just under £7 a week to deliver milk by horse and cart. A time when the huts, used by the Royal Navy during the war and now abandoned, in the school field behind the tenement in which we lived were filled with people, often young couples, desperate for proper housing. 1950, five years after the war, was also a time of confusion for many as they fought to re-establish their lives after service overseas and with children who grew up while they were away. People were grateful for the NHS and other improvements that arrived at the time yet managed to grumble against the government constantly, how unlike our time today?
The programme for December 2nd 1950 calls all Hearts supporters to attend the ANNUAL BALL on the 11th at the New Cavendish Ballroom. Dress informal, which means lots of demob suits put into action, while at 15 shillings a ticket just how many Hearts fans with pregnant wives and children could afford to attend that?
In the middle of the page between the team line ups we see an add for RED HEART RUM an Edinburgh favourite while inside an add claims
BOOZE
Doesn't Help
It Just
Bamboozels
This did not stop the programme editor taking cash from Red Heart Rum however.
Two banks advertise, The Bank of Scotland proclaims £115 million in assets while the Edinburgh Savings Bank claims the best Defence is to open an account with them and save regularly.
On the other side is stated
A
GOOD SUPPORTER
IS LOYAL
DO YOU
SUPPORT
YOUR CHURCH?
Church of Scotland
They would not advertise like this today, especially playing Celtic!
(Interesting however that so many football teams grew out of churches up and down the country.)
I wonder if William Scott, Gents outfitter still exists today? Leith Street has changed too much for that. Certainly THORNTON'S once a pricey sports outfitter in Prince's Street has long gone.
Also advertised was the 'Pink News,' the coloured paper that brought reports of games played every Saturday. Rushed out at high speed they often contained mistakes, reports mixed up and some times in places upside down, but were the first with the reports of games played far and near, a must read in every city that produced them. Indeed throughout the country sports 'Pinks' and 'Greens' were devoured each Saturday night and remain much missed though modern technology has done away with them today.
Incidentally the young winger playing in that game was one Cumming. This was the great John Cumming who went on to dominate the midfield alongside Dave MacKay during the 50's earning more medals in his time than any other Heart of Midlothian player so far. His comment when suffering a head bleed in the 1956 cup final v Celtic was 'Blood does not show on a maroon jersey' and he returned to the field carrying a sponge to wipe away blood. This is now a much loved Heart of Midlothian slogan.
In 1963 I attended the Heart v Raith Rovers game, game in which the great Jim Cruickshank allowed a feeble shot to run between his legs giving hope to the enemy. We won 2-1 and I have collected the autographs of Roy Barry, Alan Gordon, Danny Ferguson and several other Hearts greats even if I canny read their writing today. This makes me wonder what is the point in autograph hunting? What did it do for me? Nothing really but it might increase this programmes price by 50p. This was a game Hearts had to win as previously at Paisley goalkeeper Gordon Marshall had been taken off with a head injury and Willie Wallace the kind of small centre forward took his place. The ten men lost by 7 goals to 3. The 60's programmes reflect the growing wealth, 'we never had it so good' indeed, we never had it at all and I have kept that line up ever since. The better quality programme, still with adverts for beer, banks, and Thornton's, now included photo's and much more information, mostly as such info always is, irrelevant.
With the news that Bury FC have lost their place in the English league I find a programme featuring Bradford Park Avenue a club which also died during the 60's in similar fashion. I believe such a club exists again today taking the name and is somewhere in the northern leagues hoping to recover their place one day. The league table for December 1965 however shows this club in 10th place in the 4th Division, now League Two. Not bad for a struggling club? However the list is interesting as several clubs listed died later, Aldershot disappeared, Barrow are now somewhere in the Northern Premier, Stockport County have just been promoted from that division, Halifax and Wrexham along with Hartlepool all reside in the National League today. Several others also faced death by relegation or chairmen's ineptitude. Several Scots clubs went through similar in recent years and have now sorted themselves out, well except Rangers of course, and more sensible accounting takes place now for the most part.
We have to ask why such clubs disappear when often they are healthy enough when new men take over? Inept management, bad luck, injuries or corruption all play a part. However surely there must be a way to ensure such clubs do not die? A football club has an emotional appeal business cannot compete with. Once it has a hold little can remove this. If only we had a government interested in what the people require...
Having collected these programmes I never look at them yet I am unwilling to let them go. Part of me in in many of them, games I have attended, important events elsewhere, historical events recorded, all have a meaning as they lie in a box unattended. Indeed I wonder if there is one from the first game I saw, it appears not but if one came along would I buy it and add to the pile?
As I ponder this I notice the oven looking at me, I ignore it...
WHAT?
