Cheggers Plays Pop

Last Friday’s game saw another excellent turnout at Coram Fields and another golden evening as the seasons inexorably turn toward the halcyon days of Summer.

Simon selected the following teams to do battle:

Yellows: me, Ian Baggies, Mick, Ross, Mario, Steve, Bristol Paul, Simon Ink

Blues: Andy, Liam, Nick, Spizz, Simon Gas, Ian Arsenal, Will, Danny, Mark

Liam opened the scoring, taking over from where he left off last week with a great finish from just outside the area that swerved viciously before going in. Ross – back after a lengthy spell of knee-knack - equalised with a tremendous goal that ricocheted off both posts before ending up behind the goal line and beyond Andy’s despairing reach. That was as good as it got for the Yellows, however, as the Blues retook the lead and gradually added to it, taking the game beyond their opponents.

The story of the game was that despite being reasonably organised in defence and having plenty of people in advanced positions (Bristolian Paul eschewed his usual defensive berth to play wide on the left) the Yellows lacked a central midfield presence that could prevent the Blues from coming forward. This was the first time I had played on the same team as Super Mario and the first time he has failed to score with a twenty-five yard screamer that barrelled into the net, the ball still accelerating as it went in. Instead, Will scored with an effort which matches that description, while the aforementioned Genoese larruped the ball over the crossbar, over the fence and over the roof of an adjacent building with his most memorable effort.

Also among the goals was Spizz, goal hanging  poaching with aplomb, and my fellow Gooner Ian, who ignored Danny’s anguished exhortations for him to drop back in defence to pick up the ball on the edge of the area and finish with his left foot for the final score of the evening.

Other notable events included a bizarre appearance from Yev, who arrived complete with briefcase and tie to pick something up from Steve. Despite not intending to take any part in proceedings, he nevertheless strode across the pitch like a football manager taking the plaudits of the fans, or a coach addressing his players ahead of extra time.

Nick and Spizz continued their highly entertaining verbal jousting, until Spizz was transferred over to the Blues after their fourth goal in an effort to stop the game descending into farce. It was only at this stage that I became aware the Blues had the extra man, so all things considered Simon made a pretty decent attempt at balancing the two teams.

Final score: Blues 5 – Yellows 1

Not quite so many people in the Skinners this week as many of the bearded hipster contingent headed off to pop-up events in disused scullery hatches in Shoreditch, but Mick, Ian and all three Simons made it along. The evening descended into the now familiar trope of discussing high-profile celebrity sex offenders – you know all the names. Mick weighed in with a joke about Keith Chegwin – categorically not a sex offender, but a familiar figure from BBC television in the 1970’s 80’s - which ended with the punchline ‘Cheggers can’t be boozers’, while I expressed concern than John Craven was a well known Countryphile.

Until Friday.