I forgot I was doing the blog this week!!

Dear Readers, with Gooner Simon not playing last Friday (I feel your pain about the collapse of
the Arsenal and the future dispersal of all those bright talents Arsene Wenger thought he had),
I forgot it was up to me to do the Spizz Blog.

The game started five minutes late due to an over-run with the league game before us and there was a slight argument with the guys, who normally play for ages after us, to give us the five minutes we lost. There was also a technical/logistical problem because the teams were seven versus six, if I remember correctly. The West Midlander Mick K. was a no-show but if he had come it might have hit the fine balance between the two teams because the game finished three-three.

It was a pulsating 3-3 draw with Spizz taking two fine goals for us but the relative newcomer Dan missed a couple of sitters when their rush goalie was nobody to be seen. Dan is a Hereford United fan and was on Aston Villa books as a kid. So unlike some of the guys, who turn up on a Friday night, he can actually play football.

The first goal for them was when Ian Gou. (another Arsenal fan) got the wrong side of me ( I prefer zonal rather than man marking) and placed it past Blades Andy. It was a pretty soft goal to be honest. Then at the end, Joe did his Ashley Young turn inside and flashed the ball past the hapless goalie, who happened to be me.
Hugh, who is a regular for the 7.45 guys, got a nice goal with a cross shot from quite a way out but luckily I was not in goal for that. I can't remember the other goals.

I think I am setting up a goalie time bank. As Spizz did not go in goal last week, he will have to play 11.41 minutes between the sticks next time he plays. The equation supposes seven-a-side
playing for 40 minutes, because we never start on time to get a 7pm start. On my rough calculations Stevie A. would do quite a few minutes. I know people don't like going in goal but it
is not fair on the others. Good players such as Big Dave A. and Mick K. do their stint in goal without asking.

Changing the subject me and Big Sam got talking and how about a trip to Hamburg and see
St Pauli play (click the hyperlink, it a great photo!) The team is in the second division of the Bundesliga but Sam thought there would be no problems in getting a ticket. I have only been to the Bavarian cities of Wurzburg and Munich in Germany so I would be very interested in the trip. We probably would not be able to arrange a game for us to play the locals. One problem is the lack of a candidate, who would like to go in goal, although my choice would be Blades Andy.

On a sadder note my Dad passed away last week after a massive heart attack. He was born in
Manchester and used to see Utd one week and City the next at Maine Road because the Huns, who had already taken aerial photos before WWII had started, had bombed the crap out of the Old Trafford industrial estate. And that is why I support Utd although I have got a 49 pct liking for Spurs, sorry to be so schizo.

JPT: "O Lord, let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen."

And a big thank you to all our readers - part two

Alan Morg. is knocked out at the worldwide following of the blog. Here are the page views by country for the period May to October 2010.
USA - 135
UK - 133
Russia -50
Canada - 25
Spain - 20
Japan - 20
France - 15
Malta - 12
Indonesia - 10
and South Korea with 8.
Last week's match report will be brought to you by Joe, who also stepped up to the plate and picked the sides. The game saw a guest appearance by John P., who relocated to Barcelona a few years back. It was great to see him eating up those yards on the pitch.
In the pub afterwards I had to commiserate with Danny, who went for it a bit with
an attempt at a long-raking pass. Unfortunately, this became a spooned-up effort infringing our over-head-height rules. But it was at least worth a go.
We are still missing Spizz, struck down by cruel injury. Hopefully, he is going to turn up this Friday for Big Sam's
bash.
As for Man Utd keeping Rooney rather than selling him, that probably will be the outcome after Fergie retires.

The last game of the season saw a fiesta of football!!

Last Friday was our last game of the season before the summer break. We reconvene in September. It was a fiesta of football with a staggering 10 versus 9. I was making up the ten and we won 5-2. I can't remember our goals since I was playing so deep and the scoring was so up the pitch that I could not see. But I did think that Gooner Simon was unlucky a couple of times for them in goal. He let one through his legs.

Big Goughie picked the sides and so on a rare occasion Spizz was selected to play with Gashead Simon.
The Bristol Rovers supporter, it can be said, is not a fan of Spizz's direct style of play, which can see little in the way of tracking back or in passing. We had key players in Tone, Stevie A, Big Sam and Alan Morg. Their defence was marshalled by Big Dave and Mick K., who both coincidentally got on the score sheet. The latter with a stroked shot from a tapped free kick. The former scored with a penalty when I did a misplaced pass across the goal to Stevie A., who trapped the ball in the penalty area.

The only negative was quite a few players on both sides did not do their stint in goal. This is a recurring problem that Gashead Simon seems unable to sort out so perhaps it is something we can resolve next season. I quite like a stint in goal since I often need a breather.

Last Friday saw a homage to the black arts of defending!!

I am afraid to say that last Friday saw some blatant time wasting by Tone and Spizz in goal!! We were 3-1 up and playing into the sun. There was no excuse for the dark arts of defending. Maybe we should start giving penalties against the goalie? For them, Alan Morg. hit the post twice with consecutive shots while Dave A. blasted against the post with one of his howitzers. We were on the ropes but that does not condone time wasting.

During the first half we raced to a 3-0 lead with some crisp passing and goals from Spizz, Tone and Baggies Ian. Despite some strong play by Alan Morg. Dave A. Geoff and Big Sam the opposition were unable to score during the first half. Spizz could have wrapped up the game at 4-0 but somehow chipped onto the bar. With our switch into the sun somehow our goal threat fizzled out. Tone spent more time in goal due to a slight injury problem. After I lost the ball Big Goughie slotted the ball for them from a pretty central position. Then, came the shameful time wasting.

The teams were six-a-side with me, Gashead Simon, Baggies Ian, Danny, Tone and Spizz. We could have easily lost to Big Dave, Big Sam, Alan Morg. Gooner Simon, Geoff and Goughie, who just kept hitting the post. Unfortunately, Blades Andy and Mick K. could not make it at the last moment.

This Friday the plan is to start at 6.45 so we can get in a bit of the England v Algeria game. It was a pretty terrible start against the USA with all the obvious problems rearing their ugly head. On the plus side I thought Stevie G, Lennon and Johnson did really well. It was a shame that Heskey did not take his gold-plated chance but that is the reason he does not make the Aston Villa first team. The mistake by Green was just one of those things. At least we did not lose. I remember Ray Clemence doing something similar at Spurs against one of the big Spanish teams (Barca or Real Madrid) and there was no coming back.

Last Friday we lost four-two!!

Last Friday, we lost four-two on a six-a-side basis. Team A was Gashead, Big Dave, Simon the
Arsenal fan, Big Sam, another Sam, who helped us out and Andy. Team B was the Guvnor, Boro Dave, medium sized Ian, James, Joe and Ross. I let in a soft goal from Big Sam, who completed a
hat trick in 12 minutes. We did not have much of a defence and were a bit unlucky in front of
goal when Boro Dave hit the bar.
In the post-match analysis at the pub, Big Dave noted that the
key moment in the game was when we imploded. Unfortunately, the Guvnor let himself down and had a spat with Boro Dave about tactics.
Spizz was otherwise engaged preparing for the Milan gig while Mick could not play because something turned up. Next Saturday, May 24th, Spizz is playing at Filthy's. By then I should know the result of the Chelsea-Man Utd game in Moscow. I suppose it will be like the Community Shield game and will go to penalties.

Big Sam is a tower of strength!!

If there is any team selection conference, I want to play with Big Sam!! He is a rock in
in defence. I am usually in goal so I get to see quite a bit of Sam unlike those sods at
the front, who don't run back. You know who you are!!
Big Sam is also a fully rounded gentleman and expressed concern if I was OK or not
at the pub last Friday. I did not tell him but I was concerned that Gashead went without
paying for a round!!

In one of my future posts, I will express my views on the footballing skills of Spizz himself!
But don't forget the Dec 15th London date at Filthys!