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.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Monday, 15 June 2009
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.
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.
Monday, 1 June 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
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!!
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!!
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
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.
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.
Monday, 27 April 2009
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.
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.
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