More good news is that a good friend has supplied me with details of his father's sporting exploits during the War. Philip Hardstaff must have been quite a good goalkeeper in the 1940s and he was assigned to the Navy. Naturally sports were encouraged and since the chances of a goalkick staying on the boat deck were slim, the troops were given opportunities to play games whenever they docked. Games were set up between boat crews and against local dock staff. You could never be sure who you would be playing against or with.
Philip was part of the crew on the Holdfast, a cable laying vessel with only a dozen men who claimed to be footballers.
http://atlantic-cable.com/Cableships/Holdfast/index.htm
He remembers playing football against the Brylcreem boy, Denis Compton and captaining a cricket team including Trevor Bailey. Professionals would be posted to "cushy" locations where they might continue their interests and raise morale. Many took advantage of a sporting fixture to have a wager and used sport as an excused to miss a duty.
When Philip docked at Southampton he played at the Dell and made friends with their right winger Eric Day (see below), who worked on dock security. Eric played nearly 400 games for the Saints from 1945-57 and scored 145 career goals. He is the club's 7th all time goalscorer and represented the Third Division South league side.
On one occasion Bill Dodgin, then at Southampton, rang the docks and asked if Philip would play for him and despite being on duty, his captain kindly did a deal and let him play in exchange for a ticket to the game.
Whilst berthed in London Philip played at the Boleyn ground and the Valley.
On a more exotic occasion he was on board the Worcestershire and played against some "locals" on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. They were barefooted but dextrous and gave a good account of themselves. Keep it on the island!
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/856.html
This is a complete education you know; you never stop learning.
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