For those of my age, SO piece about Tommy Harmer

[longtimespur]

This is a nice little memory jogger from Norman Giller.

I always remember Harmer as the little man with a huge head. But what a great little footballer he was.

http://www.spursodyssey.com/1516/giller_82.html?

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Yea and I was there for the 10-4 too.

 

[JimmyG2]

Yea and I was there for the 10-4 too.

I was at the Lane for the cup replay against Crewe in 1960.
He scored that day. 13-2.
A Crewe latecomer due to atrain breakdown
on being told it was 10-1 at half time inquired 'who to?'
Fans eh!
I remember his 90 degree approach for penalties
when he would swivel it into the opposite corner.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

I remember him well and was lucky enough to meet him too. He was my late dad's favourite player and was a tricky and talented footballer .

 

[CosmicHotspur]

I was at the Lane for the cup replay against Crewe in 1960.
He scored that day. 13-2.
A Crewe latecomer due to atrain breakdown
on being told it was 10-1 at half time inquired 'who to?'
Fans eh!
I remember his 90 degree approach for penalties
when he would swivel it into the opposite corner.

Me too, standing right behind the 'O' right on the centre line. Here's a reminder of that amazing night and Tommy Harmer's goal well worth seeing again, as are all our goals.

 

[JimmyG2]

'The pint sized magician'
More half pint really.
Sad end to his life with Alzeimers and fascinating to know
that he was a nervous wreck before games
even though much admired within the club.

 

[mattwilson]

Tommy Harmer was my great uncle. I've been a Spurs fan my entire life, the same as my father and my grandfather before me, and my old man used to always go on about what a legend my great uncle was, although I never really had any appreciation for it until I was at the lane on boxing day 2007 when we had the minutes applause in his memory. Made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Was there for the 13-2.

Great cowboy show on TV too that night when I got home !

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Alf Stokes.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

Alf Stokes.

Not any more.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Not any more.

Was a rival for Bobby Smith. Played in the 10-4

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Not any more.

How did I miss you. Hmmmm.

Must have been close.

 

[stewartd]

My pals Dad used to pick Tommy and George Robb up at Turnpike Lane station every Saturday and take them to the game. Poor sods were earning peanuts, in fact Robb supplemented his wages by coaching football at a school.
So different from the money grabbers today.
They loved the club and played their hearts out for it for as I said peanuts.
Hope our new home grown academy boys revive the love of have the honour of playing for the mighty Spurs.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

My pals Dad used to pick Tommy and George Robb up at Turnpike Lane station every Saturday and take them to the game. Poor sods were earning peanuts, in fact Robb supplemented his wages by coaching football at a school.
So different from the money grabbers today.
They loved the club and played their hearts out for it for as I said peanuts.
Hope our new home grown academy boys revive the love of have the honour of playing for the mighty Spurs.

That is the reason good players did not take the game up "professionally".

3 quid a week for an apprentice and 10 quid a week maximum wage if you were deemed a top player. At 17 I earned 12 quid and later 15 quid a week driving.

I was offered a trial at Tottenham and loved the Club but 12 quid over 3 quid to start was a no brainer. Imagine say 1200 quid over 300 quid a week these days regular job wise (not football of course).

Back in the day you were not an ambitious individual if you played football.

It started to change when the 10 quid a week cap was removed. Johnny Haynes immediately became a 100 quid a week footballer. Too late for a lot of guys.

 

[Ironskullll]

Amazing to think the crowd was 64,000, especially in an era when so many (most, I'd guess?) would have lived locally or a short train/bus ride away. And they say that football is experiencing unprecedented popularity? Out of interest how far would you guys have had ton travel to home games back then?

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Amazing to think the crowd was 64,000, especially in an era when so many (most, I'd guess?) would have lived locally or a short train/bus ride away. And they say that football is experiencing unprecedented popularity? Out of interest how far would you guys have had ton travel to home games back then?

I lived in Tottenham then Waltham Cross went to school at Cheshunt. At 15, 16 when I played and captained at rep level I was living at Waltham Cross playing at Cheshunt and then around the region for rep stuff.

The trial offer came either when I was living at the Cross or near Bishops Stortford.

Players did enjoy some comforts such as first class away travel with nice meal etc but they were comparatively "poor" people before the wage cap was removed.

 

[woodward]

Absolute streams of people approached WHL on foot from all parts of Tottenham and Edmonton in those days. 'Harmer the charmer' was a big attraction, but the great John White took his place.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Absolute streams of people approached WHL on foot from all parts of Tottenham and Edmonton in those days. 'Harmer the charmer' was a big attraction, but the great John White took his place.

Yes people walked a long distance, went by bus and car. It will be far easier for those going to the new stadium when it opens.

 

[CosmicHotspur]

I was lucky that I lived within minutes of the Spurs ground. However, once I was working when I was 16 I went to most away games, usually by coach and sometimes by train. I never got to any away European games, beyond my pocket back then.

I do remember in the 1960s that players earned a little more than the usual working man, enough to afford a car (not usually an expensive one) and a mortgage on a modest family home and they had a comfortable and very sociable lifestyle if they wanted it. I do remember some players working alongside ticket touts though to make some extra cash, especially if they had gambling debts which I know a few players had.

Jimmy Hill changed it all and I recall a conversation with Cliff Jones decades after that where he was adamant that the inflated wages, transfer fees and bonus system were ruining the game. I have to agree with him, it was no longer the domain of the ordinary working class population, many of whom could no longer afford the season tickets and entry prices.

 

[stevenqoz]

Life long Spurs fan. My dad spoke about Tommy Harmer. One thing I remember him saying was that Tommy took penalties and did so with the broken / feigned run up which was controversial at the time