Koff Koff Years of Supporting QPR

Ok it isn't EXACTLY fifty years to the day, but the opening day of the 1971-72 season saw Millwall visit Loftus Road and since this match was 4 days before my birthday, my father was finally persuaded to take me with him to the stadium.

I'm ashamed to say that the only memory I have of that day is of being very small, and the pitch seeming very large and extremely green from high up in the back of the SAR stand where we were sitting. O, and my dad, Uncle Geoffrey & Henry Pincus passing a little silver flask back and forth over my head.

The team that I saw was:  Parkes, Clement, Gillard, Venables, Hunt, Hazell, Busby, Francis, McCulloch, Marsh, Leach.  The final score was 1-1 with Dunphy scoring for them, and Marsh for us. However, as I said, I have no pictures in my head of football. But thanks to the magic of the internet: 

This has a goal by Rodney Marsh. The first goal I ever saw live!

This has Millwall's equaliser. The records say it was Dunphy, but it looks more like an own goal to me.

ANYWAY, the purpose of all this is to point out that this coming Saturday, QPR begin the new season at home to ... Millwall. What a coincidence. Were it not for all the travel difficulties caused by the current Covid situation, I would be next to my friend Chris in the SAR stadium, celebrating this anniversary. 50 years of fandom. Thank you to Uncle Geoffrey for converting my father, newly-arrived from the USA, into a follower of the Superhoops. Thank you, Daddy, for the best birthday present of my life. And thank you for all the friends I've made and adventures I've had because of this passion. COYRS!

Sixty Years Ago Today

Lots of days of remembering in the last few weeks. The final one for this section of the year is today, which marks 60 years exactly since the chuppah of Evelyn Philipp & Albert H Friedlander at the West London Synagogue. Obviously I do not remember that day, but I do remember my mother telling me that there were dozens of rabbis present as it took place during the 12th conference of the  World Union for Progressive Judaism.

The last major wedding anniversary that we celebrated together was their 40th, when they were both teaching courses in Berlin for a semester. That was a lovely party, with family & friends. I remember sitting with everyone at a cafe on the Ku'damm and my sister pointing out that, despite all the terrible experiences that our parents' generation had suffered, the bad guys were gone, and here our family was, gathered in Berlin for a celebration.

With thanks to WUPJ, at whose Youth conference my parents first met, I sit in Modena and raise a glass of fine Lambrusco to toast my parents on this anniversary of their marriage.