Legends Of The Fall

I dreamed I heared that you were dead,I dreamed I searched an empty bed for a sign of you
And the sea called hard to me lke a cell w/out a key and I felt the distance
I watched the tall ships go w/ the driftwood on the flow w/ the pride that grows in hardship and I knew you were below
I hear you voice and it keeps me from sleeping,why must it always be dreams when your voice comes to me?

Tall Ships Go-Big Country

Much as I prefer to get out on a Monday and kick start my week in training Monday saw two outstanding obligations that needed taking care of
One picking up volume #83 of my diary....if you think what I write in my blog is close to the knuckle you's probably shit a breeze block never mind a brick if you read my diary!!!!
The second was obligation was to stop by St John's church to light a candle and pay my respects to my late father Kevin aka The Auld Fella who died 30years ago on Oct 27th.
I think by now most people who know me are well aware of the infamous night back in Ireland at the end of August 1972 when he chased me home in the pouring rain cracking a towel and swinging his boot in the direction of my backside if I even thought of stopping....he wasn't joking trust me even at 8 years old I knew NOT to see if he was bluffing!!!

Fast forward 8 years to the summer of 1980 and another classic Auld Fella gem,the upcoming Lewisham Parks championships were fast approaching and I'd entered the 800m
My issue as a younger runner back then was I was always too old for the younger age group and subsequently the youngest runner in the older group.
To The Auld Fella second wasn't "first runner up" it meant you'd failed and in his book that was NOT an option which always put undue pressure on me,trying to blunt that I pointed out the whole age group issue a few days b4 the race......
"We'll give them a run for their money" he said to wit I replied "We??? I didn't realize you were running too"......and which point the crafty old devil said"well if you're too fucking chicken to run don't bother showing up".......
He knew exactly what he was doing 5 days b4 the race cos he lit such a fire under me there was never any doubt who's win the 800m race .......yours truly.

I inherited a number of things from The Auld Fella, a strong work ethic,a short temper,the balls to speak my mind no matter how unpopular it makes me and w/out a doubt his lasting legacy my love of Tottenham Hotspurs.
Due to a family connection on my mothers side of the family tree I was born into a Chelsea{Chelski} family however my father always rooted for Tottenham,I asked him why Spurs when I was little but old enough to remember the answer and he told me that he chose Spurs for one reason,Danny Blanchflower was the first Irish player to make a name for himself playing football/soccer in England and that was good enough for him and so when I graduated high school and began to work on Saturdays which screwed me for football on a Saturday I began a 33 year and counting love affair w/ Tottenham,I even took The Auld Fella w/ me to White Hart Lane a few times which considering how uncomfortable he was in large crowds was a major coup on my part.

Ironically in the 30 years since his death the fortunes of Spurs have declined considerably,we won  several trophies under the guidence of the late and great Bill Nicholson but since 84 we've won three an average of one a decade,Bill Nicholson passed away ten years ago this past Sunday and I dare say Bill and The Auld Fella have shared several conversations inside the pearly gates.....