The Temple Fortune FC first arranged an end-of-season Dinner of any sort at the close of the 1983/84 season, when David Salamons and Peter Kyte jointly organised one at the Van Antonis Greek restaurant in Bushey.
Further Dinners followed each season but sadly details were not recorded for all of them, hence some gaps missing in the table below. For a few of the early Dinners and in more recent years, the presentation of Club Awards has been incorporated into the Dinner evening, making the event all the more enjoyable. On the occasions when awards were not presented at the Dinner, they were given out at the Club's AGM.
In addition to the end-of-season Club Dinners listed, TFFC also held at least two events at Christmas time, aptly named the "Fortune Festive Feast". Jeremy Fess ran one of these in 1987 but there was mention of one being held a year earlier (in a newsletter from the 1985/86 season) although no specific details exist.
At the end of the 2005/06 season, the Dinner was due to be held just before the 2006 World Cup but it was decided to cancel it because of a poor response. Instead, awards were presented for the previous season at a pre-season "Gala Morning" event in September 2006, complete with an post-match buffet at Hillingdon Borough FC, which incorporated a friendly between the First XI and Old Boys XI. Due to the success of this event, the idea was repeated for the following season which more or less signalled the end of the traditional Club Dinner.
The pre-season Awards Presentations continued for 3 seasons but was replaced by the Club's first Awards Presentation Lunch at the end of the 2008/09 season, held at the Round Bush in Aldenham, a quaint old public house with a beautiful garden. Attended by 29 people, it was a success and was repeated as the favoured format for season 2009/10, attracting 21 people. In 2011, the Lunch was held at the Moor Mill in Bricket Wood, organised by Jack Morris and attended by 25 people.
The Round Bush hosted a third event in 2012 although the adverse weather on a wet June day affected the attendance. In 2013 the Awards Presentation moved indoors at the Three Hammers in Mill Hill and a year later, back outside on a lovely sunny day, was held for the second time at the Moor Mill where 19 people enjoyed the occasion which was attended by MGBSFL Chairman David Wolff. He was presented with a special award on behalf of TFFC to commemorate his 50 years of service to the Maccabi (Southern) Football League.
With the Dinner becoming a traditional event in the TFFC calendar prior to 2006, we have devoted this page to record all but six of them. In this respect, research and memory has permitted details to be included going back to the original dinner, but if any Club Member can recall some of the missing Dinners, if only to add to the table below, please email info@tffc.co.uk with the details.
The Club would like to express sincere thanks to the various Officers who devoted the time to arrange the annual Dinners. Also, many thanks go to Tony Espinoza, without whose help the table below would have contained many more gaps, particularly in the early years!
TFFC DINNERS
(Incorporating the Presentation of Club Awards since 2000)
No
|
Year
|
Restaurant
|
Cuisine
|
Location
|
Organiser
|
1
|
1984
|
Van Antonis
|
Greek
|
Bushey
|
David Salamons/PeterKyte
|
2
|
1985
|
Don Francesco
|
Italian
|
Hendon
|
Tony Espinoza
|
3
|
1986
|
Villa Santina
|
Italian
|
Finchley
|
Danny Espinoza
|
4
|
1987
|
Tradgishitsa
|
Greek
|
Finchley
|
Tony Stock
|
5
|
1988
|
Alpine
|
Italian
|
Bushey
|
Tony Espinoza
|
6
|
1989
|
Tuxedo Junction
|
Mexican
|
West Hampstead
|
Tony Espinoza
|
7
|
1990
|
No details
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
1991
|
No details
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
1992
|
No details
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10
|
1993
|
No details
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
11
|
1994
|
Jun Peking Cuisine
|
Chinese
|
Hendon
|
Peter Kyte
|
12
|
1995
|
No details
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
13
|
1996
|
No details
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
14
|
1997
|
Chaglayan
|
Turkish
|
Hendon
|
Peter Kyte
|
15
|
1998
|
Jongleurs
|
American
|
Camden Town
|
Steve Feiger
|
16
|
1999
|
Jade Cottage
|
Chinese
|
Hendon Central
|
Steve Feiger
|
17
|
2000
|
Trattoria Lucca
|
Italian
|
Camden Town
|
Steve Feiger
|
18
|
2001
|
Jasmine Cafe
|
North African
|
Finchley
|
Alan Ferney/Peter Kyte
|
19
|
2002
|
Il Pizzaiolo
|
Italian
|
Finchley
|
Peter Kyte
|
20
|
2003
|
The Lantern
|
Greek
|
Whetstone
|
Peter Kyte
|
21
|
2004
|
Pad Thai-Lao
|
Thai
|
Finchley
|
Peter Kyte
|
22
|
2005
|
The Shapla
|
Bangladeshi
|
New Barnet
|
Lynne Kyte
|
|
2006
|
Dinner cancelled
|
|
|
|
TFFC GALA MORNINGS
(Incorporating the Presentation of Club Awards)
|
1
|
|
Hillingdon Borough FC First XI v Old Boys XI, penalty prize and awards |
2
|
2007
|
Hillingdon Borough FC First XI v Old Boys XI, penalty prize and awards |
3
|
2008
|
Hillingdon Borough FC First XI v Old Boys 'A' and 'B' XIs and awards |
TFFC AWARDS PRESENTATION LUNCH
|
1
|
|
The Round Bush
|
English
|
Aldenham
|
Nigel Kyte
|
2
|
2010
|
The Round Bush
|
English
|
Aldenham
|
Nigel Kyte
|
3
|
|
The Moor Mill
|
English
|
Bricket Wood
|
Jack Morris
|
4
|
2012
|
The Round Bush
|
English
|
Aldenham
|
Nigel Kyte
|
5
|
|
The Three Hammers
|
English
|
Mill Hill, NW7
|
Nigel Kyte
|
6
|
|
The Moor Mill
|
English
|
Bricket Wood
|
Nigel Kyte/Peter Kyte
|
|
The 2005 Club Dinner was held at The Shapla Tandoori in New Barnet, a Bangladeshi restaurant. Lynne Kyte organised the event in conjunction with her husband Nigel. It was attended by 32 guests. |
|
Chairman Nigel Kyte (right) reading out the Award winners at the 2005 Club Dinner, aided and abetted by Mike Shorvon, Administration Secretary and MSFL Management Committee officer, who presented the trophies. |
|
Alexander 'Yali' Mamouri (centre) attended the 2005 Dinner on crutches following a cruciate ligament operation just 2 days previously. He collected the Chairman's Merit Award. To his right is younger brother Fared. The ladies sharing in the conversation are Elaine Waitsman (left) and Lynne Kyte, the Dinner organiser. |
|
A smiling Alexander Mamouri proudly receives the Founders' Cup for the Chairman's Merit Award from Nigel Kyte. After the Dinner, Yali said: "I just want to say thank you for all these years that I have been a valuable member of the Club which I am very much proud to belong to.
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The 2004 Club Dinner was the 18th run by Temple Fortune Football Club and attracted 29 people to the Pad Thai-Lao Restaurant in Ballards Lane, Finchley. Said organiser Peter Kyte: "We have always tried to vary our choice of cuisine. Although Thai food might not be everybody's cup of tea, I'm glad we tried it for the first time for a Club Dinner. I think those who attended enjoyed a very good meal."
|
|
|
Shown on the left are the Club's trophies displayed on a table at the Pad Thai-Lao restaurant, awaiting presenting later during the evening. The large plaque on the left is the Commemorative Award given to Jonathan Davidoff for passing 400 appearances. Behind that is an engraved silver salver given to Peter Kyte in commemoration of 600 matches for the Club. |
|
Another shot of the 2004 Club Dinner at the Pad Thai-Lao Restaurant |
|
Graham Meyer collects the First Team Player of the Year Trophy (in memory of Jack Kyte) from Jack's widow Ruth. This was the second time that Graham had won this prize. |
|
Mike Kaye, Second Team Assistant Secretary, bows out of his office by collecting the Founders' Shield which was won by the Seconds during the 2003/04 season. |
|
Chairman Nigel Kyte (left) presents the Founders' Cup for the Chairman's Merit Award 2004 to Simon Allen, First Team captain and acting First Team Assistant Secretary. Simon won the Award for the third time, making him the 11th individual to join the TFFC Merit Plaque of Distinction. Sitting down is Mrs Ruth Kyte, Nigel's mother, who was the Guest of Honour and presented the majority of awards. |
|
The 2002 Club Dinner was one of the Club's most successful, attracting a record 44 people at Il Pizzaiolo Ristorante at Henley's Corner in Finchley. Jack Kyte (pictured left) was the Guest of Honour and presented the awards. Here he is seated with his wife Ruth and grand-daughter Stephanie. There was added significance for the Kyte family regarding the choice of venue Stephanie had her Bat Mitzvah party there one year earlier! Sadly, the 2002 Dinner was Jack's last attendance at a TFFC event. |
|
A general view of the 2002 Club Dinner at Il Pizzailiola Ristorante. Within a few weeks of the dinner being held, the restaurant was surprisingly closed and pulled down for a new development, much to the sad disappointment of the Kytes in particular who had enjoyed many a good meal there over the years. |
|
Robert Botkai receives the Second Team Player of the Year and Second Team Leading Goalscorers Awards at the 2002 Club Dinner. |
|
Yali Mamouri collects another trophy to add to his TFFC collection from Jack Kyte, Guest of Honour at the 2002 Dinner. |
|
Young Ricky Stone finished his first season with Temple Fortune by winning the First Team Leading Goalscorers Award. Here he receives his trophies from Jack. |
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One of the Club's long servoing Honorary Members, Jeremy Fess, collected a 300 Club commemorative award at the 2002 Dinner and here he has just been presented with a large statuette. Jeremy has won most of the Club's honours during a TFFC playing career first commencing in 1985. |
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