Les Boyle RIP | Memories of Growing Up in White City / Shep. Bush

[w12boy]

last i saw of him the fella was suffering from parkinsons/or alzheimers i think.....how old are you old son???

Thats really sad Les is a legend and did a lot for me and my football.
I am 55 and next season will be my 50th

[W6hoops]

Growing up in Markland House Flats, a tower block over looking the westway by Latimer Road station around 1970 to 1977, before that was Methold Road. At This time i never went to Rangers, but as i boy I used to look out of our 9th floor window and see White city stadium lights on and i used to think they were QPR`s! Usually Banger Racing or The Dogs. Used to watch The Big Match and always see QPR on there,most of the other kids at school were R`s too, maybe ther was other teams but don`t recall too well. Our great time of that time were Nationally known and I was always out playing footie with other kids wanting to be the Likes of Bowles/Thomas/Francis/Masson/Givens et al. I`d like to think i done them proud!!

Remember my mum buying peas pudding & saveloys from butchers. Lots of west Indians. Oxford Gardens Borstal (Sorry School!) Going Round to Our Nan`s in Hillfarm Road every saturday and having to watch The Wrestling, Only wanted to see Final Score and The Great ****ie Davis!

Was`nt Presto Supermarket in Shep Bush open around this time too?

[Scarlet pimple]

I was born in Latimer rd, before the a40 flyover was built, and used to walk to Norland market with my dad.........good times, miss em terribly.

[lymehoop]

I use to play for the Harrow Club, taking the short cut over the flyover to get to Latimer Road from the manor. Back then Den Palfrey from Wormholt use to run it, see him over the Rangers a while back as well.

did den use to live in Batman Close?, manager of the infamous Batman Rangers, grew up with his son Terry, also can anyone remember when Gilbert O'Sullivan done an episode of his series in the Vic, I was on screen more than Gilbert, right looker I was in my twenties

[Hoopaman]

Thats really sad Les is a legend and did a lot for me and my football.
I am 55 and next season will be my 50th

50 years watching rangers? Nice one w12boy.

[W12_Ranger]

did den use to live in Batman Close?, manager of the infamous Batman Rangers, grew up with his son Terry, also can anyone remember when Gilbert O'Sullivan done an episode of his series in the Vic, I was on screen more than Gilbert, right looker I was in my twenties

Yes thats the same Den, lovely fella.

[superhoop67]

last i saw of him the fella was suffering from parkinsons/or alzheimers i think.....how old are you old son???

Still about , but not in greatest of health

[askewboy]

liptons,holmes hamburger house,donut diner.shorts of london,duke of sussex,wellington.mailcoach,wimpey in goldhawk road,georges fish and chip shop by the station.

[Factamondo]

the original 'house of pies'............yummie!!!

[Robsondinho]

Got a scar on my face to remind me of my days in W12...first years of my life were in the Batman Close flats. One day going shop with my mum I was running down the flat stairs and didnt stop at one the balconys, went straight through the glass door onto the balcony. Stitches to close a massive cut on my nose, still got the scar on my nose. Moved to Luton after w12, now MK. All my family grew up in the area so they tell me stories about it.

For those on facebook there is a good group called...'w12 more then a postcode' check it out.

[Stanley]

Getting into the loft for 50p...my old man parking in the white city car park on match days for next to nothing....the music they played as the team ran out in 75/76, (which amazingly nobody here can remember what it was)...my first ever home game at the age of 8, walking up the SAR steps and seeing the pitch for the first time - being awestruck by it.

[superhooper]

I used to play for the Harrow Club. We use to win the Westway Flyover, Lilley Road and Mets 5-a-side leagues pretty much every year for my age group. I remember Reg Clements very well. He was my manager for about 5 years or so. Barry Leech I think was another chap who ran sides (slightly older age groups) and I think it was him who ran the Friday night leagues. Think it was on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday that I use to go. Judo and Canoeing was on Tuesday nights and Archery was on a Thursday. Use to jump in the bus outside the laundrette near Edward Woods Estate. I played in the year above Reg's son Ian, who sadly passed away a couple of year from a rare from cancer I believe (think it was sarcoma). I remember Dennis Palfrey too and I think he now lives in Northolt. He still goes down the Rangers. Use to love the banter against I think it was the Ladbroke Celtic, Boys Brigade and Rugby Club. I also played at Coverdale School under Les Boyle for a few years too. Great memories from those days.

A big problem with this country nowadays is that there isn't many places like the Harrow Club left for kids to get a good grounding and play football in my opinion. It really was a great place.

[Harryboy]

Growing up in Markland House Flats, a tower block over looking the westway by Latimer Road station around 1970 to 1977, before that was Methold Road. At This time i never went to Rangers, but as i boy I used to look out of our 9th floor window and see White city stadium lights on and i used to think they were QPR`s! Usually Banger Racing or The Dogs. Used to watch The Big Match and always see QPR on there,most of the other kids at school were R`s too, maybe ther was other teams but don`t recall too well. Our great time of that time were Nationally known and I was always out playing footie with other kids wanting to be the Likes of Bowles/Thomas/Francis/Masson/Givens et al. I`d like to think i done them proud!!

Remember my mum buying peas pudding & saveloys from butchers. Lots of west Indians. Oxford Gardens Borstal (Sorry School!) Going Round to Our Nan`s in Hillfarm Road every saturday and having to watch The Wrestling, Only wanted to see Final Score and The Great ****ie Davis!

Was`nt Presto Supermarket in Shep Bush open around this time too?

I live in Markland house now, since 92

[HammersmithR]

I used to play for the Harrow Club. We use to win the Westway Flyover, Lilley Road and Mets 5-a-side leagues pretty much every year for my age group. I remember Reg Clements very well. He was my manager for about 5 years or so. Barry Leech I think was another chap who ran sides (slightly older age groups) and I think it was him who ran the Friday night leagues. Think it was on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday that I use to go. Judo and Canoeing was on Tuesday nights and Archery was on a Thursday. Use to jump in the bus outside the laundrette near Edward Woods Estate. I played in the year above Reg's son Ian, who sadly passed away a couple of year from a rare from cancer I believe (think it was sarcoma). I remember Dennis Palfrey too and I think he now lives in Northolt. He still goes down the Rangers. Use to love the banter against I think it was the Ladbroke Celtic, Boys Brigade and Rugby Club. I also played at Coverdale School under Les Boyle for a few years too. Great memories from those days.

A big problem with this country nowadays is that there isn't many places like the Harrow Club left for kids to get a good grounding and play football in my opinion. It really was a great place.

I remember Barry Leach very well. Lived off King Street. I played down at the Harrow Club for years every Friday night. Was a great league. Used to go off with Harrow Club every now and again to a house they had down in the Forest of Dean. Won that league quite a few times. Ben Walshe who used to play for QPR played for Harrow Club. Had a wand of a left foot when we were kids. I remember Les Ferdinand and Danny Dichio coming down a lot to give out the trophies to us. The Baldry family were very involved down at Harrow Club. See some of them every now and again at Rangers. I played down at Lillie Rd since I was about 6! My old man has run that league for about 30 years! Every Sunday morning! Not the same number of teams that we used to have down there. In my age group it was always us (Fulham Rovers), VT Colts (Vic's team), Holy Trinity (Nicky Bailey played for them......played for Charlton, Middlesbrough and Millwall etc.), Harrow Club and White City Rangers battling it out for the league and cup. During the summer we played in another good league down at Brunswick Boys Club in Fulham. Down at Harrow Club there were always some good sides. Rugby Club were always there as well as Stowe. Some good players have come out of those leagues. Jody Morris, Paul Mortimer, Les Ferdinand, some fella at Brentford whose name escapes me. There was a lad at Fulham Rovers called Sean Cummings who went on to play for that team down the Fulham Rd before going to Reading. He was from the Bush. Great days.

[qprted]

although

,although born at fulham palace road,I was brought up in suburbia,but remember the old 68-69 loft it was an amazing
experience,there was ivory shop brouges, ben shermans,jungle greens, levi sta press,harrington jackets,crombie coats
tonic suits,loathers,prince of wales checked trousers,
the whole experience of that season was unbeatable because skinheadism had just started and the northern clubs couldnt get
the skin head clothes so they wore big t boots which of course we all found hillarious
I WOULD DESCRIBE YTHE MAIN BOYS COMMING FROM, EALING ,WHITE CITY,NOTTINH HILL AND SHEPARDS BUSH
THESE FOUR AREAS SUPPLIED MOST OF THE ICONIC SKINS
but skinheadism wasnt really exclusively violence it was the music the clothes the skin head girls we wouldnt go out with a female
if she didnt wear skin head clothes