Enjoy the Highs, Survive the Lows by Paul Buck

Enjoy the Highs, Survive the Lows by Paul Buck

Author:Paul Buck
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Football, Tottenham Hotspur, Spurs, White Hart Lane, The Lane, Shelf Side, Park, Lane, Paxton Road, Cockrell, Cockrell Chorus, Steve Perryman, Bill Nicholson, Danny Thomas, Pat Jennings, Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa, Paul Gascoigne, Gazza, Mark Falco, Richard Gough, Micky Hazard
ISBN: 9781911476238
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2016
Published: 2016-10-26T00:00:00+00:00


Playing Days

The happiest of times

Welcome to the shortest chapter in the book...my playing days! As I am in charge of the keypad I can put a host of great achievements here, but I won’t succumb to temptation and will stick to the facts.

I could write that I was never discovered or that I wasn’t given a chance, but the truth is I wasn’t good enough! True, if I had pushed things a bit harder, I may have played at a better level, but I was happy enough with my team, packed full of mates and, in truth, didn’t expect it to end through injury when I was twenty-two.

At school, I played my first competitive football for Eldon Road Juniors, aged about eleven. I can remember the shock when my name was called out in assembly to represent the school, as at the trial the previous day I had been asked to play in goal as the first choice keeper was sick. From my performance between the sticks the sports teacher picked me for the right side of midfield! The obvious wealth of knowledge this soccer supremo brought to the school was in more evidence before kick-off. When I asked him my role in the side, meaning was I defensive or attacking, I was told to ‘run around a bit’. So headless chicken it was then, as I covered myself in something far removed from glory!

I honestly cannot remember a great deal about any of the matches as we never made it anywhere in the cups and were always mid-table in a league of about sixteen schools. Those were the days when schools could compete with each other, not like the nanny state situation most areas adopt these days with no official competitive matches.

Strangely, the one thing I do remember vividly is the embarrassment I felt when, upon turning up for school one day, I was informed that the school team photo was to be taken that day. No horror there you might think, but I didn’t know in advance and had no kit. After frantically asking everybody in sight I managed to get a shirt, shorts and trainers. Problem solved? No! Soccer supremo struck again and placed me on the end of the line with ankle socks in full view. I still have the photo and all these years later I’m glad I didn’t rip it up in disgust.

Whilst at junior school I was on the winning side of the inter-house tournament, memorable for two things. My first competitive goal, in the final no less, and the fact that we beat a class a year older than ourselves in the same game. Not the smartest move, but the winner’s medal was worth being chased around the playground for the next few days!

Senior school saw little competitive football as two schools merged at that age and my opposition for a place doubled. At this age I had evolved into a strong cross country runner and was always head to head with a mate called Steve vying to be the best in the school.



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