Hatters Worldwide- 7 John Fidler ( USA )

 

image-©John Fidler

                                                                        

 

 

Hatters Worldwide- John Fidler ( USA)

 

This next response almost did not see the light of day, as Gmail flirted the original incoming mail into hedgegrower`s spam file. Fortunately that file gets checked out regularly , so here it is, and another passion not fashion story from Marina Del Rey in the USA….

Again, hedgegrower sees no need to get in the way of the words put together so well by John, offering but the lightest of editing, enjoy…..

 

“Born and bred in Stockport (Stepping Hill, Bishops Street SK1); I  went to St. Mary’s Parish School and Mile End Grammar),  watching County as a boy with my dad, Eddie and younger bro’ Graham since the early 1960’s.

 I remember the smell and jostle of the open terraces at the Edgeley end, was thrilled to read about Len White’s epic goal at Anfield, but disappointed not be allowed to attend the replay.

 By the mid ‘60’s, we lads were allowed to attend home matches on our own, and we got into terrible trouble one time when, waiting outside the players’ entrance to collect signatures late after a game, we were invited into manager Bert Trautman’s office for some scribbled initials and a chat and thus got home very late. By then, our mother was apoplectic with fright, had rung the police, and declared us missing, kidnapped or murdered. Having walked from the ground home to the bottom of Turncroft Lane, we were frog-marched back to the cop shop on Lee Street (off Hillgate) to apologize for all the trouble we’d caused.

 

We watched the 1967-1968 Fourth Division Championship from the Cheadle End where the likes of Jim Fryatt, Bill Atkins, Len Allchurch and Johnny Price were a joy to behold.

 Other early memories from that period include a massive egg-and-bean lunch in a greasy café near Gresty Road, Crewe; packed stands at Bradford PA; even more crowding at a cup game at Derby County’s old Baseball Ground and Bert Lister’s goal at Wrexham’s giant stadium.

 

I moved away to university and gradually lost touch with County, only occasionally revisiting to appreciate the fading glory of George Best’s fleeting appearances. Roots are deep, however, and throughout County’s bad patches (and there’ve been a few), my friends and relations have remained in awe of my “character-forming” fanatical support of the under-dog club: I suppose it was due to the influence of my working-class father and his ardent trade unionism where “the only route is Up!”

 

I’ve had a successful career as an architect specializing in the repair of historic buildings (more under-dogs), and ended up as Conservation Director of English Heritage, looking after ruined abbeys, castles, Hadrian’s Wall and Stonehenge. En route, I joined the failed SCFC supporters’ buy-out, acquiring shares (and later writing them off); was enraged by the Sales Sharks episode; feared disaster; and have glowed with pride at recent progress on and off the field.

 

I am a Life Member of the Stockport Heritage Trust and active at defending Stockport’s heritage from dereliction: current projects include:

• Saving grade II listed Weir Mill while not allowing developers to hide our beloved grade II* Viaduct
• Trying to stop Stockport Council closing the grade II listed Central Library and moving only part of the collection to Merseyway precinct
• Trying to find ways to save Woodbank Hall for the council’s neglect and decay
• Working to support traders in Stockport Market

 

 

I married an American and in 2006 moved to Marina Del Rey in sunny California. 

 

 

image- © John Fidler

 

 

 

Not being able to attend matches frequently, I donated season-ticket seats for Stockport’s unemployed and homeless which featured on SCFC’s website and in Stockport papers – many on the Marionsboard blogsite appreciating the gesture, and claiming they went to school with me at a variety of institutions . 

Since then, I’ve connected remotely to games through the I-Player link, and now by live streaming and YouTube playbacks. But I also bought a bunch of Bergara stand season-tickets for my Bro’ and his family – fireman son (and Rooney mate) Dan, and his young son, George in this photo

 

image- © John Fidler

These next photos were all taken on our last visit to County vs Chester 2018 (1:1 draw bitterly cold – December?)

                                                                           

                                                                                 

 

both images -© John Fidler

 

 

 

 

 

 

I look forward to a 2021 post-COVID visit to see my family, home town and Edgeley Park. For now, I just bore my Ex-Pat mates at the Kings Head Pub in Santa Monica with the latest County news. And even though she’ll never understand the offside rule, or marvel at a last-minute equalizer for an away draw, my wife Jeanne Marie [photo with me next up at Solana Beach , Southern California] has visited hallowed ground, and impresses Brits around the globe on her business travels with her knowledge of Edgeley Park, County and the nutters who sit in freezing, wet conditions to watch 5^th tier soccer (for now……).

 

 

image- © John Fidler

 

 

 

P.S By the way, I’m no relation to the Fish-and-Chip-Shop Fidlers, nor sadly to the publicans of the same name.”

John Fidler

 

Well, huge thanks to John for his terrific story and we look forward to him visiting us at Edgeley Park in the near future!

And we could not end this neat story without a view of John and Jeanne`s `front yard, complete with Xmas tree ( delivered in Dec) showing off a third years sweet orange yield !

 

image- © John Fidler

 

 

 

Meanwhile keep those stories coming please exiles, contact hedgegrower- we`ll share yours with the world.

 

hedgegrower