Last Friday night saw a 2-2 draw with a dramatic finale!

Spizz made a welcome return from Italia, which he said was 110 pct on the enjoyment scale. Again, we had an eight-a-side game with space at a premium. Spizz was thwarted with a couple of saves by Sheffield Andy but we could not break down their defence. Then, Geoff got a first goal for them when a big hole opened up in the middle of our defence. This was followed by Steve making it two nil with a fine shot. We were making no headway so Gashead Simon changed the sides with Steve joining us for Simon Gooner.
This made the sides for us: Spizz, Will, Steve, Alan Morg., the Guvnor, Ian, Danny and Tone. Danny was making a welcome return from being based in Qatar for the Diplomatic Corp for a few years and he is a Liverpool fan.
For them were Simon Ink, Simon Gashead, Simon Gooner, Big Dave, Mick K., Sheffield Andy, Geoff and Ross.
We got back into it with a disputed penalty, which was slotted home by Steve and so he scored for both sides. I tried to push up and was linking up with Will on the right. The minutes were ticking way when Alan Morg. got free on the left and put over a precision cross. I was moving backwards to avoid being in the D and I had to admit that I was visualizing the goal before I passed the ball into the net. Simon Ink. was unable to get across in time and Mick K. said afterwards that commemorative stamps and coins might have to be issued. Spizz commented that over the years he has only seen me score three goals!!
To milk the moment I did a Charlie George style FA Cup final celebration on the
ground and the team piled in. This made it 2-2 with just minutes to go. I thought we were going to nick it at the end but the next game clanged the gate to come on and that was it. I feel sorry for regulars Ian Goughie and Big Sam, who missed the match and perhaps the goal of the season. Tone and Alan Morg. kept us in the game while Steve was man of the match playing for both teams. Mick K. and Big Dave were very organised for them while Ross was a handful. Gashead Simon had a solid game on the left but might have been more effective if he switched with Geoff to the other wing.

Big Dave marshalls a 3-0 shut-out for us.

With an unprecendented eight-a-side, Big Dave marshalled a 3-0 shut-out for us. There were reappearances from Will for us and from Phil B. for them. Ever-present Spizz was absent last Friday as he was to warble in Bologna (Italy) on the Saturday night.
Their side had pacey players in Ross, Alex and Henry but they were kept being pushed back by our well-organised defence. Will got our first goal followed by Tone and Big Sam. The Tone shot seemed to fly past a despairing dive by Gashead in goal. Big Sam played a "Mascherano" role in front of our defence while Alan Morg. had a good game for us.
On their team confidence seemed to ebb away following the first goal. Ian Goughie sacrificed his natural attacking inclinations to play back while Phil B. showed some rare pieces of skill with his sweet left foot.
In the pub Sheffield Andy got talking about a football tour of Sheffield. It is early days yet and it is not as glamorous as France or Germany but we could be going as long as the opposition is not too intimidating.

Spizz hits post twice in dramatic game!!

Punk star Spizz, who is going to Bologna (Italy) for a gig this weekend, hit the post twice in a dramatic game last Friday. The first was an explosive left-foot shot
when I was in goal. The second was with his right foot. Spizz described the first in terms of "Roy of the Rovers" in the pub later saying it was his best ever left-foot shot.
However, Spizz's team ran out losers after a 3-1 win was clinched by two rare goals
from Geoff, who had come on late and upset the balance of both sides having six players each.
We were in the lead with a precision shot from Alan Morg. and then with six against seven, Geoff sealed the win with his two goals. They got one back when I thought I had Ross covered but he turned sharply and netted from a central position. His cousin Henry did not have his shooting boots on compared with the previous week. The game was livened up by a spat between Gashead and Big Dave.
Afterwards, Big Dave said he was a bit annoyed about our team's propensity to use the back pass as we were running down the clock. I must admit how Italian it
was.
Our star players were Alex and Alan Morg., who were quite pacey in midfield. The result would have been closer, if Spizz had a bit more luck since he had two other shots well-saved. Joe made a welcome return from injury for us and might have scored if had'nt been for a last ditch tackle from Big Sam. Sheffield Andy had the honour of playing for both sides when they were re-arranged after the belated arrival of Geoff.

Friday saw a pulsating 3-3 draw!!

The game developed into a clash of the two titans of the dribbling game; Alex for us and
Ross for them. The opposition started the scoring with a smart goal from young Sam
and then we clawed back into the game with goals from Steve and Henry (2), probably
against the run of play. However, we were being pegged back by two goals from Ross.
I was the last defender both times but I was not close enough to snuff out the danger.
Alex and Ross seemed to have a good hack at each other in the corner when Ross popped out like a jack-in-a-box to equalise 3-3 with an angled shot past Steve in goal and this was despite my despairing tackle. Ross could have won it for them at the end following a precision pass by Goughie but it fell onto his weaker left foot.
Spizz did not have a shot on goal for us since he was playing too deep.
On our side were Alex, Gashead, Geoff, Henry, Spizz, Steve and me while they had Ross, Big Dave, the two Ians, young Sam, who was substituted by his mate Adam,
Simon Gooner and Simon Inkp. At the end we were hanging on a bit due to a lack of tracking back and poor positional play. Sometimes we would have three players hugging the left touchline, who would be out of the game when the ball bounced into the middle.

This is Spizz's take on last Friday's game!!

Hi P,
Footy score:
Team with 6 players 2 v team with 5 players 2 (Spizz 2).

It was a draw but we had one player less! Tough game fitness-wise, I scored
both our goals with my left foot because.. (as I tell and bore everybody)
footballers should be able to use both feet, especially considering how much
they get paid! Ross got the equaliser to make it 2-2. I can't remember who
their 1st goal. My 1st goal was from distance, a few yards inside their
half.

Team with 5: Simon (Arsenal), Spizz, Big Dave (Scot), Jeff (the comedian),
Tony (film)

Team With 6: Big Andy (Sheffield), Simon (turned 50), Ian G (Jesus), Big Ian
(Arsenal), Ross, Sam (artist)

After a break I returned to the fray!!

I had to go to a quiz night recently but I was back in the thick of things last Friday. Again, it was an eight-a-side match but both teams played a good passing game. Unfortunately, I had a senior moment and did'nt remember that Henry scored a goal for us when I was telling his cousin Ross in the pub about his lack of composure in front of goal. Sorry about that!
The main event of the evening was the celebration of Simon Gashead's 50th birthday. His brother-in-law Andy organised the present, which was a Bristol Rovers shirt, and with our drinks in the pub we had a buffet. The game itself was a wet affair but at least the local kids did not throw crackers on the pitch as sometimes happen around November 5th. We were losing 3-0 but then changed the teams swapping our big centre forward Goughie for Alan Morg., who had scored one of their goals. Spizz got the first goal of the night with a shot, which saw the ball nestling in the corner of the net.
We managed to claw back two goals but in the end we lost 3-2. Their defence was well-marshalled by Mick K., who was gingerly coming back from a knee injury. I was playing right back and had to face a resurgent Geoff P., who has started to play a quicker passing game. He used to be well-known for mazzy dribbles, which went down blind alleys. Our defence was held together by Big Dave, while his brother Steve stayed in goal for the opposing side due to his first match back after a knee
injury.
Until recently I was the only 50 plus player but now we have got three with me, Gashead and Spizz himself. Tone reaches this milestone on Christmas Day and so we are giving a lot of years when we play against young eighteen year old Sam, who sometimes helps us out if we are down on numbers. Last week Tone played excellently for a spell and then just stayed back saying that he was knackered.
In the pub Spizz revealed that he was enjoying learning a bit of Italian and the group will be playing a gig in Bologna soon.

Eight a side leads to one-one draw!!

In a rare game of eight a side, the result was a close one-one draw. Joe outstripped me a bit and I should have put my foot in. The result was that he steered the ball into the net for a one goal lead. We only managed to get a draw quite late on when Simon Gooner passed to me on the left and I somehow crossed the ball to an unmarked Alan Morg. who slotted the ball in past Goughie in goal.
In between these two events Spizz gave me a pep talk about my attacking abilities, which even I admit are sadly non-existent nowadays. While both sides played a good passing game even though it was very crowded. It was a good debut for Ross, who selected the teams.
Just a note for the statistics. We had three Simons play for our team: Gashead, Inkp. and Gooner while Big Sam was immense in defence. Alan Morg. hit the post for us when it was still nil-nil but Big Dave marshalled his defence well.

I have been selected for tonight's game!!

I have just been talking to the manager and I have been selected for tonight's game.
Last week Spizz was in our goal and did not even flap at a long-range effort from Goughie, which streched their lead. We tried to fight back but to no avail. We have been benefitting from the incisive midfield play of Alex but have been lacking firepower on the attacking side, which has been a little stacked in favour of Big Dave.

One of our players, Alan Morg. has been in the wars healthwise and our best wishes go out to him.

The last two games have hinged on selection!!

The last two games have hinged on team selection with a 5-2 followed by a 3-1 and the stronger of the two teams registered comfortable victories. Spizz scored fine goals in both games. The 3-1 match saw a long-range effort not really gathered up efficiently by me, who had a couple of spells in goal. Gashead scored a fine goal for us but the match was put to bed by Ross, when he received a pass unmarked in front of the centre of goal.
Steve is out for a bit with a twisted knee after a 50-50 clash with Alex. This led him to go in goal and we steadily improved the score to 5-2. Big Dave was defending heroically but he could not keep us out.
For the past two games we have been graced by the appearance of an another Arsenal fan called Henry. He has a head-down approach to football and creates a few chances. Last week Henry hit the post from a narrow angle, which was unlucky.

Sorry about the delayed blogs!! Spizz is back!

Last week Spizz got a stunning long-range effort in the back of the net. The match ended two-two. The previous game he played well during a cantankerous game where Goughie walked off over the alleged gamemanship of Big Dave. This game finished eventually four-two to Big Dave's team.
I have been trying to persuade Joe H. to do the blog and go on about his two recent goals. However, he was too modest.
Last week's two-two could have been decided by Tone but he blazed over with the goal at his mercy on his weaker right foot. I don't know if it is my worsening memory but the games are becoming a blur and I can't remember the goals clearly, except Spizz's of course.
Our game has been joined by young Alex, who does these mazy dribbles and this invites some stiff tackling from opponents. This can politely lead to words. Alex is pretty skilful and this has helped make the match more entertaining.

Hopefully Spizz will be back tonight on the footie field.

Let's hope Spizz did not do himself an injury after wowing the crowds in two concerts last week and can make a welcome return to the astroturf tonight. Last week I played through the pain barrier a bit but I have shaken off the ache in my leg after resuming cod liver oil
tablets. I have also been having trouble with getting the suitable footwear so I might be wearing my gym trainers tonight.
Also I might have news of a foreign tour to take place in early February. It always fun playing abroad. Dodgy referee, hostile crowd etc. See if the team will go for it.
The possible flight seems ridiculously cheap but we will see how we go.

It was a very creditable two-two draw last Friday.

With Spizz rocking in Leuven during the weekend, it was a rare match without the punk star. The team selection by Goughie (I think it was him) was spot on and we had a very creditable two-two draw. With honours shared, Big Dave and Ross caught the eye on our team and Alex and Stevo did very well for the opposition.
Alex is quite a young lad compared to the dinosaurs of me and the Gashead, who was wittering about last week's match of Bristol Rovers against Wycombe, and does these mazy dribbles. He scored one of their goals while Stevo got a rare shot on target and it went in from quite a long way out. I was in goal for the Alex effort, which was expertly placed and beat my despairing efforts. Alright, I knew it was going in and I just picked the ball out of the net. I don't do diving saves, mainly using my feet. The Stevo effort was probably down to goalie error but it was not me this
time.
Ross got our two goals and shone in attack. Big Dave, Stevo's brother, marshalled things in defence and I played through the pain barrier in the right back position.
There were two new debutants Nick and Mark, who played quite well. It takes time to get used to the astro turf surface. Nick did some quite good dribbles while Mark got some strong running in, not quite box-to-box but nearly there.

Spizz played a blinder last night!!

Last night at the world-famous venue of the London 100 Club, punk star Spizz played a blinder. The band was really rocking (do punks rock?) but there were great versions of "Soldier, Soldier" and "Where's Captain Kirk". I went along to tell Spizz
to take it easy so as to play footie tonight but he can't make it because they have a gig tomorrow (Saturday) in Leuven. Spizz is especially looking forward to this concert since the Belgian university town is also the home of Stella Artois.

Back to last night's London gig, the crowd was an eclectic mix with youngsters and office workers. One wore his tie throughout. There was a bit of pogo dancing at the front and there was a good atmosphere. Spizz made sure the Friday night footie players were catered for in ticket terms, which was a nice gesture. Goughie did a bit of heckling with his calls for "Virginia Plain" and Spizz duly complied with a great cover version at the end of the set. Mick K. and Steve made up the numbers from
Friday night footie with quite a few players on holiday or washing their hair.

I am looking forward to Spizz's gig this Thursday!!

Last Saturday I went to one of my second cousins' weddings and all the details worked. Everything clicked into place. The church service was not too long, the canapes at the reception were morish while the meal, speeches and our table were a delight.
I hope the Spizz gig this Thursday at the 100 Club on London's famous Oxford Street should also click into place. Steve has been trying to rally a few of the footie guys around but a lot of the team seem to be on holiday.
Anyway, I am working out how my battered body will take more punishment with the Spizzenergi concert this Thurday followed by footie on the Friday. Although as per usual from Gashead, there is no official confirmation that I will be playing this Friday.

Just to keep the posts rolling along!!

I wonder who will win the Premier League or will World Cup Fever take over? We will be looking forward to Spizz on September 3rd. Or is it the fourth when he is strutting his stuff on the astro pitch? Unfortunately, my fitness campaign has fizzled out and that extra ten yards of pace have truly been lost. I can't remember when I last scored in open play. I just don't
want Spizz running round me and placing the ball sweetly into the net over the next few weeks.

The Spizz concert is on Thursday, September 3rd.

Spizz has asked me to clarify to my readers that the anniversary gig is on Thursday,
September 3rd. I am going to lend my support to the evening. It is at the 100 Club
in London's West End. This is a bit of stuff from the Great Man himself, who was in the Guardian last week, "a British left-of-centre newspaper to provide context for our foreign readers. This is from Spizz:

First quotes by me reproduced where it appears I know what I'm talking
about!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jul/31/indie-chart-rise-again (+ in the actual newspaper there was a wee plug for the gig Sept 3rd Yay!)
Thursday 3rd September
SPIZZENERGI 30th Anniversary gig @ The 100 Club Oxford St. London, W1D 1LL
tickets on sale http://www.wegottickets.com/event/45576 £10 Adv. £13
Saturday 5th September
SPIZZENERGI Leuven, Belgium Support: Absolute Body Control €15
http://www.hetdepot.be/index.php?id=72&tx_depot_pi1[uid]=264
SPIZZENERGI
Sat Nov 21st Bologna tbc (or December)
*******************************************************

Personally, I would not mind seeing Spizz in Italy. I know he and the band did well in Milan. This is as long as it does not clash with the football, I should be alright.

To fill in the Spizz football blog in the summe.....

To fill in the Spizz football blog in the summer break, I am going to ask the lads to detail their holiday experiences (playing football on the Copabacana beach?). Or staycation events since Kev is allowing some of our lot to play in the 7.45pm game after us (but not me!!). I am going to get the ball rolling with a long treatise on the Danish capital of Copenhagen and reviewing its particular horrors and delights.

Horror number one of going to Copenhagen is the high VAT rate of 25 pct. So, no point of visiting there for a booze-up since you will need a small personal loan for the party or stag-do. Yet Brits seem to be the main tourists there, no Germans were there although I found a German Protestant church by accident when I was trying to
find a Catholic one.

Horror number two of going to Copenhagen is the lack of police on the streets. I have felt safer near Forty Second Street in New York during the pre-Guiliano period. The hotel was located next to the red light district. The Danish police love speeding down the big boulevards of Kobenhavn. However, for you the tourist victim it would be too late. The miscreants would be long gone when Danish plod turned up. If I paid so much in tax, I would want a decent police service, which would focus on preventive measures.

Horror number two does not apply to the Tivoli gardens. This is in the centre of Copenhagen and employs tall unarmed security guards. The fact is that, mostly, the Danes are very well-behaved and well-educated. So what is responsible
for all the low-level crime. I think you know the answer. It must be the
drugs. Some tosser half-inched some of my harmless medication, which I had foolishly left in the hotel room. Did I report it? What is the point? Had it been pinched or did I throw it in the bin by mistake? Well the most valuable drugs in monetary terms had gone missing.

Horror number two could be a delight if you like to walk past youngsters openly taking heavy-duty drugs or if you are actually interested in prostitutes.

Horror number three is that there is not much in the way of signs on the trains and metro trains. So you could easily get on the wrong one! On the way back to the airport we found ourselves returning to the main station.

Delights number one and two are that the Danes are quite friendly and virtually all speak English.

Delight number three is that despite the high prices they are not rip-off ones. The quality and quantity of the Danish food and Danish beer can be very good. All the
main dishes seem to start at DK 190 each, so there is not much in the way of price competition. While for the price of a coffee and cake, you might as well have a main meal. We saw a lot of drinks being nursed by tourists and Danes alike.

Delight number four is that the boys and girls are so good-looking. Must be all that cycling they do. When private cars finally disappear off our streets, the Danes (with the Dutch) will be well-prepared. This is due to their cycling abilities and
to their existing infrastructure such as cycling lanes and cycle compartments on the
trains. Push bikes are often left unlocked, when in London they would be nicked in five minutes. (This delight is absolutely amazing!!)

Delight number five is the Tivoli Gardens, which Walt Disney apparently visited and gave him the idea for Disneyland in the United States. There are lots of bars and
restaurants as well as rides. The DKr 80ish entrance fee was offset by the fact that
the Kaiser Chiefs from dear old Blighty were playing at 10pm. This gig was sponsored by the brewery company Tuborg. I thought the Kaiser Chiefs played pretty well, although there was not much of a response from the cool and very good-looking Danes standing next to us at the back. I got the sense the concert would have been a right hoot, if it had been held in Ibiza (don't mention the drugs again!!).

Delight number six is that the museums are world-class, especially the Viking exhibits. Denmark was a major imperial power and Copenhagen reflects that history.
Controlling Sweden and then little places like Greenland.

Delight number seven is the canal tour. I did let the side down by shouting out "hurrah" when the guide informed us that the British Navy (Nelson et al) had destroyed the Danish Navy in the Battle of Copenhagen (late 18th Century). The guide was amazing doing the spiel in Danish, English and Spanish but not in the language of Schiller and Goethe (German literary giants).

This Copenhagen piece is the personal view of the Guv'nor and is not in anyway related to Spizz the punk star. However, saying that maybe we should move the destination of the Spizz football tour. It could go from Germany to Denmark, if we can't find a game? I would love to go back to Copenhagen (Kobenhavn).
www.spizzenergi.com

I am missing the Friday night fix of seven-a-side football!!

With the mid-summer break because we can't really get the numbers, I am still missing the Friday night fix of seven-a-side football. Truth to be told I am also missing the dulcet tones of Spizz and his incisive running off the ball. At the moment (touch wood) Spizz has not been running off to the puffer behind the goal after the first sprint of the match. His overall fitness has come a long way. Spizz often makes these diagonal runs from the wing so as to shake off (if he has one) his marker. These diagnoal runs can be quite effective.
I have just sent off a missive to Mick K. for ideas to put in the blog during the mid-summer break since he is in the creating writing game (he is a journo). So watch this space.
During August, I might gatecrash Cliff and Kevin's game, which comes on after us on Friday nights. They play through the summer. It is a mixed ability game ranging from Umma's step-overs to some pretty agricultural passes by other players. However, both Cliff and Kevin are quite decent players. Spizz and Big Dave sometimes
play and I am not (currently) high up on the waiting list.
As an addition to British cultural life Spizz and his combo are playing the 100 Club in London on September 4th, which should be a gas.

Last week was the last match before the summer break.

Last Friday was the last game before our summer break. We reconvene in September.
I will be at a bit of a loss on Friday nights. Spizz told me off for putting down
three rather than four goals for his haul the previous week. I promised to correct this oversight.
Quite a bit of effort was taken in picking the sides so that they would not be too unbalanced. However, Big Sam was nursing a hamstring injury and had to go in goal for them. Despite this the game was
evenly matched for a long time. Spizz's side took the lead with a longish range shot
from Alan. Then, we got back into it with a great shot from Mick K., which went in
off the post to square it at one all. Alan, Tone and Big Dave were keeping them in it while we benefitted from the defensive organisation of Mick K.
I was playing very defensively keeping an eye on Sheffield Andy, then somehow I got away on the right wing. The play had opened up. If I could cross the ball to Ross past Tone then he could score. Amazingly, this happened but for an agonising moment I thought Ross had not got control of the ball. This gave us a merited 2-1 win and for the first time in many weeks Spizz had not scored a goal.
Afterwards, I asked Cliff about playing in their game over the summer and I got some waffle about numbers, so I think that was a no. I will be looking to build up my fitness over the summer and looking forward to Spizz's concert in September.
In the pub afterwards we named Ross as the most improved player, although he did come up with the controversial proposal to ban penalties, so as to avoid the petty arguments. I told him I liked the petty arguments!!
Arsenal Simon treated us to a short to celebrate his forthcoming nuptials. The proceedings were livened up when a shapely blonde identified herself to Tone and Gasman as a fellow Bristol Rovers following their earlier Gashead chants in the pub.

Spizz is on the winning side yet again!! (Corrected)

Spizz has corrected me on this week's blog. He scored four goals rather than three and could have got another one if it had not been chalked off. My only defence in not
reporting the four goal haul was me trying to block out remembering my nightmarish
defending.
I don't know how he did it but Spizz was on the winning side again last Friday. He garnered three goals and the hat trick was mainly achieved by waltzing past me and then calmly shooting past our goalkeeper. We did not have much in the way of defence.
Tone was out of sorts because of the mismatched sides. I don't know why Ian and Gashead did not track back. Obviously, I did not look good trying to mark two people
and I considered bodychecking Spizz to stop him waltzing past me but I don't see the point of fouling people.
Their team also had Stevo and Ross, two strong, quick attackers and while we had Big Dave, this was not enough to keep out the torrent of attacks. We got to 6-3 down
and then they wrapped the game up at 9-3. There was a stage of the game when I kept passing it to Stevo.
This Friday is our last game before our summer break when we reconvene in September.
I hope it is a good one.

Was it a penalty or not?

Friday#s free-flowing game was dominated by claims, vocally led by Spizz, that Big Dave had controlled the ball outside the penalty area when he was the goalkeeper. The de facto ref Gashead was unfortunately miles away from the action and somehow the decision arose to deny the penalty.
Spizz was still on the winning side (I made it seven-six) while he scored a fine goal after a swivel and shot close to the penalty area eluding his marker Steve. I was unfortunately (that word again) was in goal at the time and had to pick the ball out of the net. The opposing side played a better passing game than us.
Afterwards, the beer garden at the Fountain was full so we had to stay indoors. Big Dave and I had a discussion on the consequences of the Ronaldo transfer. Spizz was at the other end of the table but thankfully there was no continuation of the heated argument about the penalty decision.
The soon-to-be wife of Arsenal Simon arrived on the scene and we wished them all the best after ascertaining that marriage would not affect his participation in the Friday night game.

This week's blog is from Joe!!!

With temperatures reaching the highs of those of Monaco in early April, this was certainly going to be a testing game. Only the strong would survive.

Ross was the first casualty of the heat. Arriving late and unshaven, he took to the pitch un-stretched and unfocused. A player of usual boundless enthusiasm, Ross faltered early on in the heat-induced maelstrom. Spizz on the other hand was one of the few players to thrive on the relentless sunburst. Not only responsible for one of the better goals of the match, he also outclassed his fellow musician to such a degree that Ross looked like a stoned Ian Botham who had wandered onto the wrong pitch.

Erstwhile blogger Paul, clearly relaxed by the prospect of a week off writing this column, excelled thought-out the 45 minutes. Out on the wing he consistently delivered incisive passes. Paul also played the psychology card. As part of the pre-match build up he took a leaf out of Fergie’s textbook by berating Simon’s game in recent years as one of ‘terminal decline’. The plan would probably have worked had Paul and Simon not ended up on the same team. I must have missed Paul’s subsequent motivational apology because Simon, temporarily broken by Paul’s earlier psychobabble attack, proceeded to have an excellent defensive game.

So, what was the final score? At the end it seemed incongruous. When the final whistle went I heard someone mutter something about a draw. 3-3 another claimed. Whatever the result lessons had been learnt. Ross knew that an earlier bus would have been better; Paul will now hold back on the mind-games until the teams are picked. Spizz just confirmed to himself what he had known along; in life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are.

We experienced that Zico moment last Friday.

I think it was Jack Taylor who blew up on a Brazilian corner depriving Zico of a goal
in the 1974 World Cup. We had that Zico moment when at 2-2 Big Dave scored for us as
the team following us on the pitch walked on. There is usually a rattle of the gate to signify the game is over but we must have missed it!!
The game was marked by Spizz playing a fine game and grabbing two goals for the opposition. I managed to keep him out for a possible third when I was in goal. For their side Alex played a fine game while Gashead Simon kept it tight in defence.
On our side we benefitted from getting a goal from a moving free kick. Mick K. hit the post after a conventional shot. This followed him trying to make the ball both curve and rise into the net. Not once but several times!! My dictum is to shoot as close to the goalkeeper as possible, since there is a good chance he would drop it into the net. However, two-two was a fair result.
Arsenal Simon is getting married but has assured us that this won't put a dampner on his regular participation on the pitch. He hoped that Arsenal would buy some centre halves.
Following the game we retired to the pub and the lads sang happy birthday to me, which was quite gratifying. At 51 surely I deserve a discount on the match fee!!
As it is Wednesday, thoughts go towards the European Cup. Let's hope it is a free flowing game. I am fed up of boring finals. Last year's one between Man Utd v Chelsea was a bit of a slugfest. Chelsea is the team of Alan M., who needs a run of games before he gets his shooting boots on.

Apologies for a bit of an absence from the blog!

Dear Readers, I have been trundling along the six/seven a side pitch but have been a bit remiss in penning the match reports. A couple of weeks ago it was thought that
Spizz was a bit too vocal trying to get a penalty for us (usually when someone steps inside the area). But I thought it was more of making sure that the principles of fair play are maintained. After the kerfuffle, a guest player took the penalty and diplomatically ballooned over the bar.
I can't remember the exact score but I think we won.

Last Friday we emphatically won and we were helped by the return of Mick K., who marshalled the defence, after a hamstring injury. Embarrassingly I told him how much I missed him (chaps are not supposed to do this) but I think he accepted the compliment. I spent quite a bit of time (willingly) in goal, since I could not see very well through my glasses with the rain, which was almost incessant. We were helped by Stevo hitting the post three times and the fact that young Sam, who goes to college, did not have his usual effective game. Spizz was playing for them and was unlucky in front of goal because Mick K. made sure he was standing in the way.

The next match report should be written by Joe, who hopefully will bring some brio
to the assignment. There was some amazement that Spizz had turned up at all after supporting the New York Dolls the previous night. Just shows what a true professional he is!!

This is an appreciation of Simon, drummer for Rubinthecubin.

Simon Ink.,as different from Gashead Simon, is a drummer for the band Rubinthecubin and is one of our relatively new players. He is quite good in goal, actually diving to make a save, and does these mazy, long dribbles, which are quite exciting to watch until Simon gets a crunching tackle from Big Dave or his brother Stevo.
Simon Ink.also has a tendency to shoot off-target. It might sound counter-intuitive but it makes sense in our standard of five-seven a side footie to shoot closer to the goalkeeper. This would make the goalie work for a save or the goalie might drop the ball and this would lead to a brilliant goal.

For instance, when Spizz shoots, invariably he is quite accurate. Then, he spoils the moment by half-collapsing with his puffer, if he has had to make a strong run to get into the shooting position.

We scrapped through with a 4-3 win!!

We scrapped through with a 4-3 win last week. The winner was a lucky ricochet when their goalie tried to kick the ball out and it hit Alan M. and went in. We were playing against Big Dave and Spizz. The punk star had a solid game but did not have the same goal opportunities as in previous weeks. Big Dave was a tower of strength although there was some debate from Alan M., who claimed he was on the wrong end of a studs-up challenge, but it was nothing really.
Our side was helped out by one of the guys from the previous game. Tony could really play football and scored two amazing goals. He could actually pass and the Guv'nor benefitted from the decent passing game that followed. I was moaning to Gashead about passing to Tony P., his big mate, rather than me once. I was in the clear while Tony P. was being marked by Big Dave's brother Stevo. Dohhhh!!
www.manutd.com
I put in the Man U. link because Stevo is a big fan although his first true love is Ayr United. Stevo had a pretty strong game overall. He was part of an attacking trident including Ross, who is also a Man Utd fan and Joe.
Ross's game has gone up a few gears. He was always good at direct runs but now he is getting consistently a goal a game. Now, Ross is really delivering an end product. He is also brave and I have never seen him complain about the strong tackling he can receive. (I complained on his behalf!)
Joe is a relative newcomer to our game and also scored a good goal. His passing has come on streets and bounds. Joe now always plays the easy ball unlike Gashead.
Since the blog has started I have wanted to open it up to guest contributors. So watch this space!! It could feature Ross, who is in a band called
Rubinthecubin.
No news about the Deutschlandtour but I can contact an old mate in Barcelona about setting up a return game to gain revenge after our one and only drubbing in the Catalan capital. We got whacked because their referee was an old fusspot blowing up all the time booking Stevo in the process. We also did not have a specialist goalkeeper. Nobody but nobody wanted to go in goal.

Spizz had a brilliant game last week!!

This Friday I am really looking forward to the game. Last week I actually played something resembling a six-a-side football player. We raced to a 3-0 lead but got pegged back thanks to Big Dave and Spizz playing really well. The punk star got a good goal and spent a productive time in goal, when the team took on a more conventional shape. Spizz does have a tendency to lead the attack and rather forsake his tracking back
duties.
Our star players were Tony, who can really hold the ball up, and Sam, who is in sixth form college and actually knows how to play football. Sam, notwithstanding being nearly 33 years younger than me, actually passes to the Guv'nor.
No more news about the Deutschlandtour but I will keep you, dear readers,
posted.
Big Sam D. says he will be back soon after a few more evening shifts. In the pub after the game me and Spizz started chatting about pension plans as you do. The rock'n roller quipped that he hoped REM would do a cover version of "Captain Kirk."

Spizz bags another brace but we still lose.

The Deutsches Fussballorganiser has not turned down the idea of a bit of a footy match in Germany. I said to Mick that I was the new Cafu and needed to be selected for the right back position. However, I going to have to own up to a distinct lack of pace and will probably end up a late impact substitute to soak up time. I am trying to work on my pace but suffer from the handicaps of wearing glasses and having a pin in my leg.

Spizz bagged another brace of goals last Friday night. It was like vintage Maradona, a combination of grace and power. However, we were soon 1-4 down and thanks to Spizz and Big Dave, we got our noses ahead to 5-4 only to let in two soft goals at the end. I seemed to spend an inordinate time in goal and so next week I will strive to spend more time on the pitch.

For the 14th of May there has been a change of plan and SpizzEnergi will be supporting the legendary New York Dolls at the 100 Club. Spizz said they would be headlining a date in September. Spizz and I reminisced about the Dolls' performance on "Old Grey Whistle Test". Spizz said that Bob Harris was a bit sniffy about the Dolls and did not get it.

By September, we will be well into a new football season and have more of an idea of the German trip. I would prefer to play in October just to get into some shape and we could have a few practice games since eleven-a-side is not our forte.

Just a quick post to say the German football tour could be on!!

We were in the pub last night drowning our sorrows after a 5-2 drubbing although Spizz was the star of the match for us with two goals. Anyway, the drink started flowing and we have decided to revisit the idea of a German football tour. Obviously,
the Bundesrepublik will not welcome with open arms our team, who can be a right bunch of herberts. In reality, we are not that bad.

On the musical front I have solemnly promised to go and see him at the 100 Club on May 14th. This is going to be the 30th anniversary gig and should be a hoot. Having seen Spizz sing in the showers without a stich on, I know he a real performer. I don't know if he will be singing if his beloved Aston Villa miss out on a top four place.

I am getting near to optimum fitness!!

I wish I was getting near to optimum fitnss. I am still a few weeks away. This Friday's game should see me at my old self (messing about, falling over and picking the ball out of the net. I might go for a run tomorrow or tonight just to get everything warmed up.
I am looking forward to playing and looking forward to play with the one and only
Spizz and hopefully with him. For instance,
Spizz can be a tricky dribbler up front and as I tend to stay close to the goalkeeper we tend to meet up if we are on the opposite sides. He also does his shift in goal unlike some miscreants. I think he is on the winning side more times than most.

I think I have passed the late fitness test.

This is just to say that I think I have passed the late fitness test and should be available (if selected) for this Friday's (March 6th) game. The pitch is relatively close to the Emirates and I wonder how well they will do against Roma next week. The games are coming quick and fast for the top teams in the Premier League.
I might go for a short run tomorrow morning because my speed is pretty non-existent and needs working on. Unfortunately, I have not got the match report for last week and I don't know if Spizz performed his usual mecurial best.

Spizz is quite fleet of foot on the pitch.

I suppose Spizz is close to being a modern renaissance man. For instance, people buy his paintings, he had a few pop hits and although somebody might decide that his body is less than svelte, Spizz is pretty quick on the six-a-side pitch. He always gets close to me, since he thinks it is a pretty sure bet that I will be unable to tackle him.
I am definitely going to make an effort to play this Friday coming. I suppose Spizz will be a bit unhappy that his beloved Aston Villa gave away points to struggling Stoke. The Villa have a pretty uninspiring record at home. I remember the Holt Stand from the old days when it was standing only and it was awesome. However, some of the exits from the stadium can be blocked a little bit too easy for the fans of the away side.
I don't understand why Aston Villa have not gone out to win all their matches. The club seriously let down their travelling support in the recent UEFA away game.

Another Friday football missed!!

Well, I know it is not a very good show but I missed another Friday night footie. I was having a few drinks near London's Liverpool Street with an old mate. I don't know about the economic downturn but it was three deep at the bar of the Hamilton Hall, which is a Wetherspoon pub and one of my favourites. We went to Dirtys Dicks and then ended up at a great pub selling stout, which was great fantastic. Football was not on the conversation since we are both Man Utd fans.
My mate was born outside Manchester and my Dad, from Irlam, ensured that I followed the Red Devils. However, I have seen Spurs quite a bit. My favourite player of all time is John Pratt followed by Steve Archibald ("We'll take good year of you Archibald, Archibald"). Pratt had a pre-match routine of walking a particular route within the White Hart Lane comoplex. You could time your watch by him!!

Which brings me to the one and only Spizz. The plan was for Gashead to send me a match report, which I could put in the blog. However, it has not worked out. I will give Gashead a call. As for the Reds on for the Quintuple, not every game will be against Spurs. Talking about real football, I have asked Ian G. to be my agent and negotiate a better package with Gashead. I don't
want to play in goal.

PS. The Hamilton Hall link is a bit sniffy about recommending the place but I think it is great with the very high ceilings and it is a good place to start an evening from.

It looks like I will be missing football again this Friday!

For all sorts of reasons I might be missing football this Friday, which would represent a third consecutive no-show. I was half-thinking about going out for a few sherbets with a mate. I suppose I have missed Spizz's deft flicks and running into position. Spizz does not stand in an offside position but leads the attack.

I am getting nervous about the Mourinho and Ferguson clash tonight. The wiley Portuguese has the bluff Scotsman in his pocket. Apparently, Man Utd might play 4-5-1 and I wonder
if Fergie will play Darren Fletcher tonight. The burglary at Fletcher's house sounds pretty terrifying. I think the police should give more protection to Premier League players, especially Liverpool who have suffered badly from break-ins.

I will definitely be back next week or perhaps this week if my mate blanks me out.
I am trying to get my fitness back and will be starting to jog soon. I am still worried about my right leg. Maybe next week I will go for a nice run thinking about getting some extra pace.

Sorry for the delayed blogs about Spizz!!

Since the New Year Spizz has been showing considerable prowess on the field of play.
Recently, I was trying to mark him but was too static and he easily beat me to score a goal. Unfortunately, the game finished 3-2 to them and my mistake was probably crucial. Next time I have got to push up closer.
Spizz has recently celebrated his 50th anniversary and mused that thirty years ago he wrote "Captain Kirk". I wonder if he will be like Giuseppe Verdi and create masterpieces in his old age. His football is showing no signs of absolute decline unlike mine. I am going to see a nutritionist and hopefully this will lead to more of an impact on the pitch.
No further news on the football tour front but we should take a strong squad. I am seeing myself as more of a substitute. I am thinking the Germans would be fitter than us generally and fitter than me in particular.