Archived on 6/5/2022

“Earning My Smile” by Ian Wright, discussing his childhood in Brockley

anon5422159

3 Dec '18

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/ian-wright-earning-my-smile

The funny thing about me is that while a lot of people consider me Arsenal born and bred, I’m actually a South Londoner. Woolwich to be exact. I was born there in ’63, but spent my entire childhood in Brockley. Nowadays it costs about half a million to buy a house in the area, but back then it was a lot different. No one was thinking about the kids who grew up on Merritt Road. We just went out every day and played football. Football football. South London football, where you’d play on an estate with massive brick walls and NO BALL GAMES signs and dads who would put a hot knife through your football if it bounced off their car.

I must have been seven or eight when I started playing, first out in the street, and then in this park called Hilly Fields. I never lost a game playing in Hilly Fields. Never lost a game. See, when I moved with my mum, stepdad and two older brothers to Brockley we didn’t have much money, so we shared a house with another family for a bit.

…

I told you my story has a lot of anger in it and a lot came from what my life at home was like. My mum eventually got us out of Mr. James’s house and into a place in Brockley, on this estate called Honor Oak. That house wasn’t a good place for me, which is probably why I would stay outside kicking a tennis ball against a brick wall for hours on end.

anon5422159

27 Sep '19

Another recent article:

anon5422159

17 Feb '20

Sgc

18 Feb '20

Rather than reading the Sun article I suggest people just listen to the desert island discs podcast from this week. I am sure this is the source the Sun is using (not wanting to click on the link). Not posting a link as know different versions whether on iPhone or Android.

I definitely welled up and not a big football fan or anything but lovely story how one teacher can help turn someone’s life around.

ForestHull

18 Feb '20

Here’s a link to iPlayer, which is apparently an extended version with shorter music than broadcast version: