Motspur Park

Before this became Fulham FC's training ground, it was owned by the University of London and, once a year, it was loaned to (or leased by) my school for our annual sports day.

Attendance was, as you might expect, mandatory but it wasn't an event that I enjoyed. I found the house system - which dictated the teams at sports day - tedious at the best of times plus the only sport I really enjoyed was rugby. Indeed, I used the fact that I played for the school team in the winter as leverage to get out of playing cricket in the summer, when I would lie around on the grass under the pretext of playing tennis.

Now, I am and pretty much always have been a law-abiding chap but the prospect of a day spent sat on the uncomfortable stands while other boys ran up and down, jumped and threw things was more than I could stand, so I would make sure I was there for registration before slipping off home. I didn't enjoy playing truant - I found it mildly stressful - but the alternative ensured I stayed at home, playing records and miming along, dreaming that one day I might be like Gary Numan or Jim Kerr.