Long before I left the dubs in '72, I was praying that armageddon might actually be delayed.
Like many dubs prior to then, I was, and am still, a rabid fan of the noble game of soccer. England had just won the World cup and the atmosphere had been so feverish that the WT study on the day of the final had actually been brought forward so as to avoid a clash of interests.
The upshot of all this was that I became a football fan and looked around for a League club to follow. The quest was simplified somewhat by my immediate family moving to a house situated about 400 yards from Fratton Park, the home of Portsmouth Football Club.
I became an ardent supporter of the club that had held the FA Cup for the entire 6 years of WW2.
Unfortunately, the clubs fortunes had dried up, and they were no longer in the top league. Like many supporters, I yearned for this second division outfit to win enough matches so that they could be promoted into the top flight once again.
We came close a couple of times, but we usually finished up in the middle of the league table with not a hope of promotion.
But now I had something else to worry about!
What if armageddon came before Portsmouth could be promoted into the Premier league? Would I never be able to see them play the likes of Manchester United or Liverpool? Oh, the anguish!
Well, it's now approaching 30 years since the advent of 1975. So I've had almost 30 extra years of football to enjoy. I've seen my team play 89 different clubs of the 92 in the 4 divisions of the professional league.
Best of all though, my team have just finished their first season in the Premier League and have done well enough to remain in it. So I'm a happy bunny, no armageddon arrived to spoil my favourite pastime. ( Actually, second favourite pastime )
So, was there ever anything in your life that YOU feared that armageddon might take away from you?
Englishman.