Lord Football
Blues on Tour
Today Southend have Alf Smith as guest of honour. I know Alf because he is the grandfather of my best mate. He is also one of the few people on the planet who when he speaks, I shut up.
His story is incredible and he tells it an understated way. He spent his 21st birthday on a beach in Northern France. Dunkirk to be exact. Its only when you hear it first hand do you realise the horror of it. Just waiting on the beach for a boat or a bullet. He lost many friends.
It wasn't the only day he spent on a French beach. He went back several years later on D Day. Again, he lost many friends as he stormed the beach.
Once in France he had various other "scrapes with Jerry" and has had more near death experiences than anyone else I know.
He still relays his story at various speaking events. He is the very last of those who survived both Dunkirk and D Day. He is 97 now.
He may just look like an man walking around a stadium today, but he isn't....... and the above is why he is their very special guest.
His story is incredible and he tells it an understated way. He spent his 21st birthday on a beach in Northern France. Dunkirk to be exact. Its only when you hear it first hand do you realise the horror of it. Just waiting on the beach for a boat or a bullet. He lost many friends.
It wasn't the only day he spent on a French beach. He went back several years later on D Day. Again, he lost many friends as he stormed the beach.
Once in France he had various other "scrapes with Jerry" and has had more near death experiences than anyone else I know.
He still relays his story at various speaking events. He is the very last of those who survived both Dunkirk and D Day. He is 97 now.
He may just look like an man walking around a stadium today, but he isn't....... and the above is why he is their very special guest.
