I'm in my 'lucky' gear for football (From Times Series)

I'm in my 'lucky' gear for football

3:00pm Wednesday 16th July 2008

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Please note for posterity that I wore the cashmere jacket I bought in a cut-price sale at Barnet Football Club when I went to Clarence Park in the fair city of St Albans last night for the start of my football season.

I also wore a white shirt, an Army Benevolent Fund tie, a pair of browny-grey slacks - I'm colour blind, that's how Mrs S describes them - socks to match and brown shoes. I won't bore you with details of the hopefully lucky, but unseen, underwear.

Oh yes, and I won't be having my hair cut until the lads get beaten.

I'm recording this because we won 1-0 against St Albans City, who play in the Blue Square South League, and are thus unbeaten and have yet to concede a goal.

So, excitedly, I look forward to Saturday's sell-out home game against mighty Arsenal with the same gear... and I will wear it all until we lose.

Of course these are pre-season friendlies and not serious so I am really using them as warm ups for wearing the same kit. If Arsenal should somehow beat us, I will await the first League 2 game of the season in August before starting again for real with my lucky gear combination.

You may scoff... I can hear you!... but it works. When Barnet were in the Nationwide Conference a few years back the team went top of the table in August and chairman Tony Kleanthous said that he would not have his hair cut until they lost that position.

In the event Paul Fairclough's side stayed as leaders until they were promoted as champions the next May and the chairman nearly had to go into hiding dodging Peter Beal and other photographers with people scoffing at his unkempt locks.

So you see superstition can work. And I'm sure it will again.

I recall years ago, when John Lyall, one of my closest friends in football, was manager of West Ham United, his side were drawn away to West Bromwich Albion in the third round of the FA Cup in January.

I asked the Sunday Mirror, for whom I was then working, if I could cover the game and follow the Hammers through to Wembley as I had an inside track to any news stories. Deputy sports editor Dave Ellis, who allocated the matches, had a nose for news and he agreed.

Eldest daughter Julie had bought me a smart red roll-neck sweater for Christmas so I decided to give it an outing as a lucky charm for the Hammers.

I assembled the right clobber and, feeling suitably dapper, set off for the Hawthorns. West Ham drew 1-1 and earned a midweek replay.

When I got home I told Mrs Signy: "The same gear for Wednesday".

She gave me a despairing look and said :"You're not going to wear that sweater again, are you?"

I said Julie had only just bought it for me... at which stage Mrs S pointed to a cigarette burn right in the middle of my chest on what, as you have guessed, was an ancient abandoned red garment that I had mistakenly put on.

There was nothing for it. I wore the sweater with the hole for the replay ... the Hammers won. So I wore it through to the semi-final.

I then took younger son Richard, who supports West Ham from the John Lyall days, with me to Elland Road for the Big Game - and the Hammers won through to Wembley.

On the landing afterwards, with my hair around my shoulders and sporting a tatty old red sweater with a hole, I bumped into West Ham director Jack Petchey and we hugged each other a few times before Richard and I headed for the M1 and an enjoyable trip home lustily singing "I'm forever blowing bubbles".

The next day John Lyall rang me. He laughingly told me that Jack Petchey had sat next to him on the coach out of Leeds.

"Did you see Dennis last night?" Jack asked. John replied that he hadn't.

"I saw him", said Jack. "Very sad. It looks as if he has fallen on hard times".

So, if you see a dishevelled figure stumbling up Barnet Hill in the next few months, don't take pity. It will be me ... and it will mean that Barnet FC are doing well.

Let us pray.

PS: The lads are at Brentford the day BEFORE our 43rd wedding anniversary next March. That's a double treat for Mrs S after last season's fish-and-chip anniversary supper on the front at Cleethorpes... a London Derby at Griffin Park, then off by Eurostar to Brussels for a slap-up lunch on the day. Pausing only to change my jacket!