Trevor B wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2024 9:39 am
Skip wrote
Sounds like my sort of book, Trev, so I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy. Really interested in that era both from a footballing and social history aspect. Certainly have no interest in reading about today’s overpaid, pampered footballers.
Skip I totally agree with you about todays overpaid footballers diving rather than staying on their feet and the footballing authorities constantly changing the rules for corners goal kicks etc and we won't mention the fact that the linesmen aren't allowed to make any worthwhile decisions and even then ask a third party to look at the replay and even call the ref over before a goal or offside is given. bl**dy ridiculous
But you are of an era when the things that crop up in the book for social history will jog lots of memories with one of my favourites being the line up of thirteen years old boys at the Dartford Tech and how we had to suffer not just the nit nurse but also the drop your trousers with her holding your balls and asking you to cough.
My final comment for all the fans that go back a long way and will remember this I would ask both you and Spike for the best Darts magazines ever
"WHEN ARE YOU BRINGING BACK THE BEST READ EVER "THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL"
Love the memories and thanks for your very kind comments, Trev. In fact I think I heard Keir Starmer mention similar in his speech at the Labour Party conference; something along the lines that there is ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ although I think that was in reference to the current state of the economy! Spike has occasionally toyed with the idea of restarting the ‘Light’ in the years since the last issue was published during the 90s and even penned a few articles.
What a period in the Darts history for us to hang on to the coat tails of the fanzine phenomenon, inspired by the exploits of Peter Taylor’s free scoring, cup winning squad from the latter years at our Watling Street home. It wasn’t difficult having the motivation to write stories, comedy sketches, take photos, draw cartoons and ultimately produce ‘Light’ merchandise including t shirts, inflatable penguins (another phenomenon we rode the back of) and badges for and about the only club we love.
I remember the first issue had to be produced stealthily via work office photocopiers with the proceeds from sales providing enough revenue for us to engage the services of Dave Pointer to print, fold and staple issue two onwards. I wonder if Dave still has the printing press in his garage? On glossy paper it did look the absolute nuts for an amateur magazine. And that view was shared by the fanzine fraternity when various copies were featured in other publications. In fact we used to sell 100-150 copies per issue via Sports Pages bookshop in Charing Cross Road which was the Mecca for fanzines from all over the UK. The owner once told me that it regularly outsold many Football League club versions. I’ll doubt there are many supporters under the age of 30 that even knows what a fanzine is now that particular phase has passed?
But for me that shipped has sailed, it’s great to look back on that period (35 years ago and counting!) but moving house has opened up a whole new part of the country to explore. And now the missus has rediscovered the fun of watching football at this level, we’re enjoying the delights of the Isthmian North following Felixstowe and Walton United around East Anglia. With Felixstowe’s ground almost literally on our doorstep, combined with more exciting football than I’ve witnessed for sometime, has helped make the switch easier. Also, the move coinciding with the dirge on offer from Dowson and his shower pretty much put me off of travelling up and down the A12 and the Dartford crossing for home matches. In fact it was generally the away travel with mates that I looked forward to most as it provided the opportunity to put the world to rights…after we’d sorted out the team’s deficiencies, of course.
I’ve great memories of following the Darts since 77 with the one constant being Spike and me sharing the tears of joy and pain for almost the best part of half a century. It was the midweek trips in Spike’s car to the likes of far flung Yeovil and Burton and Telford when staying awake on the return journey was the order of the day. Getting home at silly o’clock and a few hours kip before giving the alarm clock a slap and setting off for work at Dartford post office. One particularly ’epic’ journey being after a Friday night preseason friendly at Dover. Staying till the final whistle meant we missed the last train connection to Dartford. So we got the train to Chatham (which arrived at 23.25) with every intention of getting a cab to Dartford. But as a wind up, we told the other fella we were travelling with, that we was going to walk to Dartford. He threw an almighty strop so of course that made up our minds. We were definitely going to walk! I rolled home at 4am and Spike at 4.30am. The benefits of living in east Dartford from my perspective. Still we weren’t all bad as we ‘dropped off’ our other mate in Gravesend on the way.
Anyway, it’s nice to have the occasional trawl through the packs of photos taken mainly during the late 80s and early 90s on mammoth away trips up north or via the chuffer out of Waterloo, when we were all a lot younger, fitter and mobile. Raising a pint is about as adventurous as it gets for me these days…
) 
but these days I can't remember the recent or current names as they seem to swop around do much. 
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