stevetolmie

Collecting King Charles – When Samuel Pepys Met the Merry Monarch

The contrast is admittedly fatuous but still intriguing. King Charles III’s accession to the throne is a sombre, formal affair imbued with widespread public sadness at the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. For the last King Charles, Charles II, the circumstances were very different, with his country having been through even more upheavalContinue reading “Collecting King Charles – When Samuel Pepys Met the Merry Monarch”

September 3rd Plymouth v Derby

Derby fans need no reminding about their beloved club’s financial problems, and this weekend’s fixture list threw up a match that probably haunts their memories in more than one way. In 1984, Plymouth and Derby were pitted against each other in the FA Cup Quarter Finals and, after a draw at Home Park, they metContinue reading “September 3rd Plymouth v Derby”

NEW SEASON, NEW MATCHES OF YESTERDAY

I’ll be trying to be more consistent and add more to the site now the new season has started…

LOST FOOTBALL TEAMS OF 19TH CENTURY LITERATURE (What if…)

WUTHERING HEIGHTS Long before people were asking “Yes, but can they do it on a wet Tuesday in Stoke/Burnley?” people were asking “Yes but can they maintain their proficiency during inclement weather at Wuthering Heights?”. Visiting teams would always feel the odds were stacked against them: the pitch was vast, bumpy and soggy; visibility wasContinue reading “LOST FOOTBALL TEAMS OF 19TH CENTURY LITERATURE (What if…)”

Great goal, but runners-up…

The old adage says that no-one remembers who comes second, which isn’t quite true because when it comes to Cup Finals most people can remember who got beaten on the day. It’s a bit more true (if something can be ‘more’ true – ask your local philosopher) to say that not many people remember brilliantContinue reading “Great goal, but runners-up…”

More bits of the foot

OK, so let’s move along from toes and briefly pause at the instep. I’m glad I have paused here because just a few clicks of the mouse have helped me realise that all my life I have been confusing the arch of the foot with the instep; I thought they were the same thing. IContinue reading “More bits of the foot”

Toes!

I’m still not back running yet, so the blog has been even quieter than it would have been because of Christmas. Anyway, my back is getting better so I still believe that I can be running again soon. In preparation for this, I have been doing an audit of my legs to check that theyContinue reading “Toes!”

1908 Olympic Marathon

What started at the East Terrace of Windsor Castle, went through Slough and Pinner and past 28 Railway Cottages, Willesden Junction – all on the same day? The answer, of course, is the 1908 Olympic Marathon – of which Oxo were the ‘official caterers’; no trendy energy drinks back then. This race has entered folkloreContinue reading “1908 Olympic Marathon”

Things that can run – Hares

Hares are good at running. In fact, they are Britain’s fastest land mammal, capable of speeds of about 43mph – usually reached when they are running away from predators. There’s a hare in Keats’ poem Eve of St Agnes, but it’s going nowhere near 43mph. Keats tells us that “the hare limped through the frozenContinue reading “Things that can run – Hares”

#10 Luton v Fulham, Dec 11

Fulham and Luton meet in the Championship this weekend and each team will be hoping that their forwards can emulate the prowess of Malcolm Macdonald, an old boy of both clubs. He started out as a full-back at Fulham in the late 60s, but a switch to centre-forward was the catalyst for a fine career. Continue reading “#10 Luton v Fulham, Dec 11”