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PHS023 Derek Willan MP3

PHS023 Derek Willan MP3
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Audio details

Collection Title Pompey Champions of England
Date of Recording 1st January 2016
Name of Interviewer Colin Farmery
Location of Interview Gosport
Participant Name Derek Willan
Participant Date of Birth 1st January 1917
Participant Sex Male
Participant Occupation RN Officer
Participant Background
Type of Recorder iPhone
Track No 1
Track Duration [00:24:31]
Recording Format MP3
Transcript Summary [00:00:26] How he came to be involved with Pompey, lived in Alverstoke and cycled over, left it in a back garden, children threepence, adults sixpence, memories of the “grim” Gosport Ferry and the number of bicycles
[00:02:40] Memories of Fratton Park in twenties and thirties, sat in west end of south stand, bench seats, toilets on North Stand were “awful” and used to wait until an enclosed one was empty for him to use!
[00:05:40] Memories of Xmas day 1937 when he was 20 and his first game, versus Preston NE, morning kick off, won 3-2 with Parker, blind in one eye, scored a late winner
[00:10:03] Memories of joining the Navy through to leaving in 1960 on a “golden bowler” introduced to retire early as a Commander, on courses in Portsmouth, lived on base, home at weekends, went to sea, in the China station 1935-37, the complement on his ships and life on the ships in general including how the watches he was on meant he often missed the games on the radio unless eg on cup final day in 1939 he was in Greece and he was given dispensation to go to the wireless room instead (kindly relieved by a 1st Lieutenant, Nigel Roper) - described how he listened on headphones on BBC Overseas Service until the final whistle
[00:23:00] Remembers a game in 1950 when the score was 0-0 with Raymond Glendenning doing the commentary and he knew him so was alongside him getting the numbers out for him and was disappointed that the game was 0-0 (note to reader - in those days the pitch was divided up into 8 squares, firstly by a Producer Lance Sieveking, so that listeners could follow the play from home using the grid published in the Radio Times for the week)

[00:24:31] Ends
Copyright Clearance Full
Copyright Holder Pompey History Society / Portsmouth FC