By Adrian Shaw

I was born in 1946 and in my era there was Alan Sugar & Helen Shapiro, who I’m sure you remember. We are now talking 1956-1957 when I was 11 years old.

Like my brother, Jerome, I went to Northwold Road Primary School. I was always good at football and was selected for the school’s first team. There were two other “Tribesman” in the team. Natie Bitton, who now lives in America. Natie was over last year for a re-union of Victoria Boys & Girls Club, which was in Egerton Road, Stamford Hill. That’s where I spent my youth club years. Martin Wengrow was the other guy who I am still friendly with 62 years on. He must be my oldest friend.

Northwold Road School reached the Hackney Schools’ Cup Final where we met Daubeney School. For years & years they used to win everything in football. They were 10 to 1 on favourites to beat us.

Most of our matches were played at places like Hackney Downs or on Springfield Park’s cinder pitch. I still have the scars on my legs. Do you remember how heavy the footballs were? In those days, with those laces, if you were mad enough to head the ball, you certainly never told your mother. Say no more!

The venue for the Final was at Eaton Manor’s football ground in Hackney. It was an enclosed ground, which to us, was the equivalent of playing at Wembley Stadium. I don’t think we ever played with nets in the goals. I remember being so upset at half time because my boot lace had snapped (couldn’t afford a spare pair of boots), but luckily my cousin, Malcolm, was there and he made a knot in the laces for me.

We went in to the second half at 0-0 but we were under a lot of pressure. It was only because our goalkeeper, Natie Bitton, who was so fat that he took up most of the goal, and stopped everything.

Later on in the game, history was made. I swung my trusted left foot and the ball somehow found the back of the Daubeney net. Northwold had won the cup.

This is where it gets really interesting.

About 15 years ago, my mother, who had moved from London to Newcastle after retiring, was visiting London and we had a “get-together” for dinner in “Reubens”, the well-known salt beef restaurant in Baker Street in the West End. It was a great chance to see all the family.

During the evening a bunch of taxi drivers, working their night shift, came in for their “fress up“ and sat close by. We all happened to leave together and I was saying my goodbyes outside when one of the drivers shouted out jokingly “anyone for a taxi”. I immediately replied, jokingly and said, “if you’re going to Brighton you can give me a lift home”.

This prompted a conversation between us and it transpired that he lived in Gants Hill (where else!) but told me he grew up in Upper Clapton. I said to him, “so did I”. I then asked him, “What Junior school did you go to?” and he replied, “Northwold Road”. I replied, “So did I”. I then asked him how old he was and we were the same age. I then asked him his name, which meant nothing to me.

Wait for it.!!!

He then asked me for my name and I replied, “My name is Adrian Shaw, but the original family name was Rudash”. His reply to me was, “you’re the Adrian Rudash who scored the winning goal for Northwold Road in the cup final at Eaton Manor, I was there watching you together with the whole school”.