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Edward Allen |
‘Glory, glory!’ Special send-off for ‘Tottenham Ted’
EDWARD Allen, known locally as “Tottenham Ted”, was a fanatical Spurs fan who liked nothing better than to taunt Arsenal fans in his local pub.
More than 200 attended his funeral in St Pancras Old Church last month. Red flowers were banned, mourners sang “Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur” during the service, and his coffin, draped in a club shirt and flag, was buried facing White Hart Lane.
But as his many friends will know, Mr Allen shared a love-hate relationship with his club’s north London rivals. His wife Lynn, although born in Tottenham, was a red-blooded Gunner.
“We went to a few games together – but Spurs lost every time,” said Mrs Allen. “He loved to have a joke and wind people up. He’d make everyone laugh – he was that kind of man – that’s why so many people knew him.”
Mr Allen, who died last month, aged 76, lived in Camden all of his life, first in Maygrove Road, Kilburn, and later in Rochester Square, Camden Town, with a two-year break for national service.
Mrs Allen said: “He was in Suez when he was 18. He used to tell this story about how he jumped out of an aeroplane with a mate. The Arabs started firing at him and they shot his mate dead in his parachute – but he survived.”
After returning from Suez, Mr Allen started working as a long-distance lorry driver delivering aeroplane parts to firms across the country.
A promising central defender, he used to play for “Rolls Razors”, the local football team in Kilburn, and later for the Chelsea youth team, Tudor Rose.
His all-time favourite player was the uncompromising Billy Wright, who played for Wolves and captained England. His favourite songs were sung by Chris de Burgh and Chas and Dave.
Mr and Mrs Allen would take trips to Southend and Margate together to see the sea.
“He could read off the whole league-winning Tottenham side from 1961, and the reserves too,” said Mrs Allen.
Mr Allen liked to watch Spurs and have a pint in the Grafton, Father Ted’s and the Golden Lion in Camden Town, and regularly went on pub-organised trips to the big race days.
“He liked a bet and he won quite a few quid on Arsenal,” said Mrs Akken.
“Everyone thinks they have never been relegated, but they have.” She produces an almanac that proves Arsenal, in their old incarnation as Woolwich Arsenal, were indeed relegated in 1920. “He’d say this in the pub and no one would believe him – then he’d bet them a tenner and he’d always win,” added Mrs Allen.
The couple met in the early 1980s when Mr Allen worked as an ILEA bus driver, ferrying severely handicapped children to the Rosemary Primary School in Islington, where Mrs Allen worked for most of her life.
She said: “He loved the children. He knew how to connect with them. He used to go out with our dog Tia in the estate and at first all the Indian kids were scared of it – but he showed them how to come up and pat it.”
Mr Allen leaves behind five children and “countless” grandchildren.
TOM FOOT |
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