Bill Moat’s Big Day

Susan Sumpter plans to get married next year.  But she cannot make the final arrangements until she has seen Tottenham Hotspur’s fixtures for the 1972-1973 season.

Problem number one for Susan if Tottenham are at home on September 23 – the day pencilled in for the wedding, will be to get husband-to-be Bill Moat to the church on time.  Bill is a keen Spurs fan who rarely misses a home game.

Problem number two for Susan if Spurs are at home … she plans to get married in her local parish church, St. Paul’s, which stands just 50 yards away from the White Hart Lane ground.

Explains Susan : “Apart from the problem of parking if there is a match on, we are planning an afternoon wedding and if Spurs are at home, no one in the church will hear the Wedding March, let alone the service against a background of the Spurs’ Kop in full voice.”

Worried Susan contacted Spurs’ Supporters’ Club and asked for help.  They advised her to write to the League which is exactly what she did.

This is probably one of the most unusual requests you have ever had,” she explained.  “I only hope that it is not too ridiculous.”  Unusual – yes, ridiculous – no.

But we were not able to help very much.  Although the international and representative fixtures are mapped out well in advance, the League’s fixture planners cannot start to think in terms of actual League pairings until far later in the season when all the promotion and relegation issues have been settled.

One possible guideline however is the fact that Spurs were away on the fourth Saturday in September this year.  It is not always the case, but often fixtures are arranged so that the club away one Saturday is at home on the corresponding date the following season … which does not help Susan.

But the resolute Miss Sumpter is going ahead with her plans for a September 23 wedding at St. Paul’s.  “We have been to see the vicar who has pointed out some of the problems there could be if there is a match on,” she says.  “We’re hoping for the best so far as parking is concerned but obviously I did not want the church choir to have to compete with the Kop over the road.”

And fiancee Bill ?  He too is hoping Spurs are away on his wedding day.  Otherwise, he might be tempted to nip over the road during the wedding proceedings to see how Alan Mullery and company are getting on.

The follow-up article updated Football League Review readers of how Susan and Bill’s plans were progressing.

Tottenham Hotspur supporter Bill Moat will miss Spurs’ derby game with West Ham United at White Hart Lane at the end of this month … he’s faced with a more important match on the same afternoon.  For while Spurs are in action against Bobby Moore’s men, Bill will be getting married … across the road from White Hart Lane.

Readers of the “Review” last season will remember that Bill and his fiancée Susan Sumpter were a couple with a problem.  They arranged their wedding day on a Saturday in Late September but were unable to find out whether it clashed with one of Spurs’ home games.

Apart from the fact that Boll does not like missing any Tottenham games at White Hart Lane, the main problem is the wedding is to take place at St. Pauls’ Church – 50 yards from Tottenham’s ground.  And around this time, Bill will slipping the ring on Susan’s finger, Spurs will be battling it out with West Ham across the road.

Says Susan, “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the match won’t interfere with the ceremony.  We didn’t see Tottenham’s fixtures until a few weeks ago when all the wedding arrangements had been made.  It’s a pity that the ceremony clashes with the home game – particularly one against another London club – but there’s not much we can do about it now.

The main problem will be to find enough space for guests to park their cars  and we’re hoping that the local Police will help. We’re also hoping that those in the church will be able to hear the ceremony above the noise of the crowd over the road.”

So, if you are at White Hart Lane for the West Ham game and Spurs score after about half an hour  – don’t shout too loudly – Remember that Bill and Susan will be saying ‘I Do’ just across the road.