HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Wednesday October 17th 1990 was my son's (single figure) birthday (I shall not give away his present age). On the day he scored 3 tries in a 9-a-side rugby tournament at his school, in the morning and then we watched England beat Poland 2-0 in a European Championship Qualifier; Lineker and Beardsley scored at Wembley and 77,000 watched this victory.

England Team + subs: Woods, Dixon, Pearce, Parker, M.Wright, Walker, Platt, Gascoigne, Barnes, Lineker, Bull, Waddle and Beardsley. 

Saturday 17th October 2020, my son's birthday. I went to watch Hepworth United lose a Sheffield and Hallamshire Premier Division Division league match, 6-3 away at North Gawber Colliery, a club steeped in mining tradition but no longer working of course. They are second in the division; we have played six and won 3 and lost 3, so far, mid table. It was a vigorous game, terrible language, plenty of goals, I met three ground hoppers.....they chose this match to hop to! Amusing to talk to.

Then back to celebrate the day with my chums on Zoom and then the lad's birthday party.

Other birthdays today were:Graeme Le Saux (1968), Dwight Gayle (1989), Johnny Haynes (1934), Jim Smith (1940), Frank Blunstone (1934), Syde Puddefoot (1894) and other celebrities include Greg Wallace (1964), Cameron Mackintosh (1946), Peter Stingfellow (1940), Harry Carpenter (1925) and Shaun Edwards (1966). Happy birthday.

Syde Puddefoot (below) was born in Limehouse, London in 1894 and died on 2nd October 1972. He played for West Ham, first in 1919-20 scoring 21 goals and overall (180apps 105 goals) in two spells.

In 1922 he was sold to Falkirk in Scotland for a World Record Fee of £5,000, making (113 apps 4 goals), Blackburn Rovers (250 apps 79 goals) winning the FA Cup in 1928. 

He then managed at Fenerbache in Turkey, Galatasary and in 1934 he later managed at the exotic Nothampton Town. 

He played in three Victory Internationals for England, scoring in each game; overall he made 5 international apps and scored 4 goals.  

During the war he worked for the Blackpool Police force and later in  the Civil Service in  Pensions.

He also played cricket for Essex featuring in eight games in 1922-3...he bowled 198 balls and took 1 wicket and scored 101 runs.