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Davie

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
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Having noticed that I've now got Dave Mackay by my avatar, it's recalled some great memories. He was known as the "Iron Man" and he was one of the most determined, grittiest players ever to wear a Spurs shirt. He was not only courageous and as hard as nails on the pitch, his passing was pinpoint accurate and his considerable footballing skills were probably much under-rated.

He took over the captaincy at WHL in the mid-60's and proved he was as good a general as he was a half back. He was only 5 ft 8 ins but built like a bull with one of the most powerful boots in football. His long throw-ins taken in the opposing team's half were as good as any corner.

Who can ever forget this picture of him with Billy Bremner, which later took pride of place in his club tie shop window in Winchmore Hill?




Davie took me to the first nightclub I ever went to. It was summer, I was 17 and his wife had been despatched to Scotland to have their second son (his kids had to be born over the border so they would qualify to play for Scotland - not that either of them ever did). We were chatting at the White Hart pub on a summer afternoon and he asked me if I'd like to go with him to the Carlton Club in Arnos Grove that evening where he was meeting some friends. Would I like to go? Do bears shit in the woods?

I had a fantastic time, dancing not only with Dave but also with a Millwall player (nice guy, Des someone, can't remember his surname) and Bill Dodge who was an ex-Spur and getting chatted up left right and centre. When we moved to Whetstone in 1988 the Carlton Club was still there, just down the road, although since then it has changed hands and names several times.

I once visited Dave at home; he had a beautiful house in Bush Hill Park, Enfield.

I went to cheer him up a few times at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham after he broke his leg in a clash with Noel Cantwell at Man U (I was there that day). He was out of action for nine months and I went to his comeback game with the reserves against Shrewsbury to give him a welcome back instead of going to the away game that week. If I remember correctly, there was a crowd of around 13,000 that day doing the same thing. We all heard the crack as he broke his leg for the second time. Awful sound! But he came back eventually, determined as ever!



I have many fond memories of Davie, he was (and probably still is) a very cool guy.
 

TheChosenOne

A dislike or neg rep = fat fingers
Dec 13, 2005
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I think he had another tie shop down Seven Sisters Rd near the tube.

What was the name of the parade of shops just round the corner on the main road Cosmic ? Brooks or something
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
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I'll be trying to remember what that parade was called all day now! Bear in mind, I moved from Tottenham in my early 20's which is a long, long time ago...

I can remember where it was. If I remember it later, I'll post it.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
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I love Cosmic's post like this, I was never old enough to see these players, but my Dad's told me about them, and it's great to hear the storied about them like this and hear that they were all nice guys.
 

t79boy

Flying Dutchman
Apr 29, 2005
7,168
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Nice story cosmic :up:

This reminds me tho were is our own mr davey - GUMP :shrug:
 

Tickers

Marquee Signing
Feb 16, 2005
3,646
21
That Mackay-Bremner picture is possibly my favourite Spurs picture ever. Just look at "hard-man" Bremner absolutely cacking himself. Brilliant.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Mackay himself hates the picture, because - as Cosmic says - people thought of him as just a hard-man and under-rated his footballing ability, and that picture adds to that misconception.

I still think it's great, though.
 

GDG

Old China Hand
Staff
Aug 25, 2004
23,903
27
Great memories CH, this should be in the columns.
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
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I didn't think of putting this in the Columns - so ta for moving it.
 

Hartfelt

New Member
Sep 24, 2003
402
0
Good to hear some first-hand tales about one of our true greats. Thanks for the post.

Dare I aks why was he taking a young girl out to a club, while his wife was away??!!
 

TheChosenOne

A dislike or neg rep = fat fingers
Dec 13, 2005
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I met DM in the Tottenham High Road when I was a kid, he might have been only 5'8 but to me then looking up he looked a giant of a man with a mighty barrel chest covered in a swish houndstooth jacket
 

CosmicHotspur

Better a wag than a WAG
Aug 14, 2006
51,069
22,383
Good to hear some first-hand tales about one of our true greats. Thanks for the post.

Dare I aks why was he taking a young girl out to a club, while his wife was away??!!

Because we were both at a loose end - I was off work for a few days and he was all on his ownsome. He asked me if I'd ever been to the Carlton Club in conversation at the White Hart at lunchtime, I said no and he said he'd take me if I wanted to go. All very impromptu and I'd known Davie for a few years by then.

I also think he quite liked the idea of his pals thinking he was a bit of a man about town - he always liked to have a female on his arm and was known to have a bit of extra-curricular activity from time to time ... he was having his bit on the side regularly with the somewhat older and more sophisticated wife of a friend of his (with the friend's full knowledge, believe it or not although I doubt that Isabel, Davie's wife knew about it).

After all, that was the swinging sixties!
 

mog123

SC Supporter
Jun 3, 2005
94
4
I played golf with Glenn Hoddle and Gary Lineker but that's where the Spurs link ends!

Best round of my life too!

Doesn't even near the feel good factor of that story though.

More stories please.
 

Boaman

Member
Oct 31, 2005
935
1
Good story.

I once spoke to Sol Campbell outside Woodside College when I was at the school next door, with hindsight I would have just blanked him.
 
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