One On the Other Side

The 1980s were a bittersweet decade for Daz Levine. He went from boy to man in that era and not just in terms of age. Life was tough where he grew up, Tottenham had never been a place for the faint-hearted and those that were born there were blessed with resilience to hardship.Daz was lucky; he left school and went straight into employment at his uncles construction company and by 1983 was in a position of responsibility. As he entered his twenty-first year the transformation into a mature adult was amplified with the announcement of his engagement to his childhood sweetheart. Daz's three lifelong friends were convinced he was making a rod for his own back by marrying Becky. She had many attributes from an aesthetic point of view, but she interfered in what was the lads' passion, a devotion they developed together long before she came along. From the age of six nothing had meant more to Daz than Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, his mates were equally fanatical and it was a bond that would last a lifetime. The 1983-84 season was one of the best yet in the lads' young lives. The racism and violence was almost irrelevant as Spurs went on an amazing run in Europe in pursuit of UEFA Cup glory and for the four mates it was without question they should attend every game. This posed problems for all, but especially Daz as the Spurs progressed in the competition. He faced obstacles with getting time off work and of course there were financial constraints, but ultimately there was Becky! It took a myriad of lies to get to the European games and a spell in a foreign jail to keep him away, which aided a realisation of what was his first love. It was only when the decade had passed would he look back and regret his blinkered devotion. He never questioned his support, but the fact nothing else really mattered caused him to miss out on something most precious... He learnt that his lies to follow the Spurs were insignificant to the lie Becky was harbouring. Only by chance did he discover the truth and when he did it was too late to change events. It was a painful situation added to by the unthinkable fact that there was 'One On The Other Side'.