The Beautiful Game
Christmas 1981 was the last Christmas I spent with my parents whilst still living with them. It was also the last Christmas that I played Subbuteo against my Uncle Bill, who was responsible for introducing me to the competitive side of the game many years before. Uncle Bill was the Secretary of a small local club that I became a part of, but most of all he opened up the door to many youngsters in the area, to his way of thinking they were the future of what he called the “Beautiful Game”. Uncle Bill was an ex pro footballer with Reading and in the 39/40 season had become a member of Reading’s first team squad. A winger by trade but never really had his chance to shine as that season was abandoned after 3 games due to the outbreak of World War 2. He then joined the Army and was posted to North Africa. After coming through that campaign unscathed he found himself part of the invasion of Italy and was wounded at the Battle of Salerno. He was then shipped to a mi