Monday, January 16, 2006
Bolton Policemen
You know how it is with policemen at football matches - sometimes they're OK, sometimes they're bastards and sometimes they are really quite friendly. This is one of the last of those.
Vale were really pushing hard to get automatic promotion and had got a make-or-break game against Bolton really late in the season - yes, Bolton used to be in old Division 3 as well, I know that seems a bit hard to believe now, but they were. Had a crappy old ground called Burnden Park - it's an industrial estate now. And they were just as brutal then as they often are now, but they had all British players ( most teams did in those days)
Anyway, the match ends up 1-1 and we have a player with a broken bone - can't remember which one(bone) - think it was an arm - player was Mavis (David) Riley who was not usually that good, but had been playing really well...the game's finished and we are wondering what Sheffield United ( big rivals for promotion spot) had done, and the stadium announcer wouldn't tell us. Didn't give out any results.
So we leave the ground, it's still light - even though ( I think) it was an evening KO, and I'm walking back to where I left the car. This time it's not the Lancia for some reason, it's the (ex) wife's Lada Estate - well, it gets you from A to B fairly quickly, but not in "style". We are walking up to the car which I'd left parked on an unmade road by an industrial estate, and we were being accompanied by 2 or 3 policemen - no idea why, think it was their way back to base or something.
I asked whoever I was with whether it would be amusing to ask one of the police if they knew the Sheffield result - they said it probably wasn't a good idea, but I obviously knew better ( as usual) and asked one of them " Can you get the results on that radio ?" expecting to get no answer or at least nothing positive, but he said " No we can't, but I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Sheffield have drawn too, so you're in the same position as before"
Quite took me back that, didn't expect it, and my mate was even more surprised than me....so we have a bit of a chat with the force on the way up and then he sees the car - " Is that your car, sir? " he asks me - well, at this point I suddenly remember that the tax on the car had run out about 3 months ago - my ex hadn't bothered to tax it, and to me it was so obvious that I began to worry a bit about starting the conversation in the first place.....and that he'd noticed it, and that I was about to find my evening taking a turn for the worse, so I said, a bit apprehensivley, yes, it was.....and he said " Mmm. Lada isn't it. I've got one of those myself, and all the lads take the piss, but they're all right aren't they ? " I said yes, they certainly are - they're reliable and steady and although they're not flash, they work OK. He agrees with me and either doesn't notice the tax disc or ignores it....And then he wishes me a safe journey home, and I say thanks - I'll drive carefully , and good luck with the car.... and that's that. Phew ! Get into the car, watch him and his mates walk up the road a bit, start the engine and drive off as quickly as I can - giving him a cheery wave as I do.
Sometimes your luck's in, sometimes it's not, like at Brighton that time....you know about that one....
Vale were really pushing hard to get automatic promotion and had got a make-or-break game against Bolton really late in the season - yes, Bolton used to be in old Division 3 as well, I know that seems a bit hard to believe now, but they were. Had a crappy old ground called Burnden Park - it's an industrial estate now. And they were just as brutal then as they often are now, but they had all British players ( most teams did in those days)
Anyway, the match ends up 1-1 and we have a player with a broken bone - can't remember which one(bone) - think it was an arm - player was Mavis (David) Riley who was not usually that good, but had been playing really well...the game's finished and we are wondering what Sheffield United ( big rivals for promotion spot) had done, and the stadium announcer wouldn't tell us. Didn't give out any results.
So we leave the ground, it's still light - even though ( I think) it was an evening KO, and I'm walking back to where I left the car. This time it's not the Lancia for some reason, it's the (ex) wife's Lada Estate - well, it gets you from A to B fairly quickly, but not in "style". We are walking up to the car which I'd left parked on an unmade road by an industrial estate, and we were being accompanied by 2 or 3 policemen - no idea why, think it was their way back to base or something.
I asked whoever I was with whether it would be amusing to ask one of the police if they knew the Sheffield result - they said it probably wasn't a good idea, but I obviously knew better ( as usual) and asked one of them " Can you get the results on that radio ?" expecting to get no answer or at least nothing positive, but he said " No we can't, but I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that Sheffield have drawn too, so you're in the same position as before"
Quite took me back that, didn't expect it, and my mate was even more surprised than me....so we have a bit of a chat with the force on the way up and then he sees the car - " Is that your car, sir? " he asks me - well, at this point I suddenly remember that the tax on the car had run out about 3 months ago - my ex hadn't bothered to tax it, and to me it was so obvious that I began to worry a bit about starting the conversation in the first place.....and that he'd noticed it, and that I was about to find my evening taking a turn for the worse, so I said, a bit apprehensivley, yes, it was.....and he said " Mmm. Lada isn't it. I've got one of those myself, and all the lads take the piss, but they're all right aren't they ? " I said yes, they certainly are - they're reliable and steady and although they're not flash, they work OK. He agrees with me and either doesn't notice the tax disc or ignores it....And then he wishes me a safe journey home, and I say thanks - I'll drive carefully , and good luck with the car.... and that's that. Phew ! Get into the car, watch him and his mates walk up the road a bit, start the engine and drive off as quickly as I can - giving him a cheery wave as I do.
Sometimes your luck's in, sometimes it's not, like at Brighton that time....you know about that one....
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Another Glorious Triumph !!
Yet another victory, and one we deserved - 3-2 against Barnsley. Great performance, some really good play, players doing what they should - trying their hardest to win the game and playing well too. Three really good goals for us, one of theirs was Ok - their keeper messed up for one of ours, but so what, we deserved to win it - and yet another goal from super Sam - I really hope he stays with us a bit longer - he's due back at Palace at the end of the month - who knows ?
Referee was a bit crap - why do we always get them ? Are they cloned or something ? Far too many at this level - too many bizarre decisions, too much of the time - will they progress on to "better things" ? Like the Premiership ? Probably because they're bad enough at our level....and they have to move them on to give them more experience....can remember watching both Graham Poll and Andy D'Urso ref Vale games - Poll was OK, but D'Urso bottled an obvious sending off - keeper handled ball outside the area - should have been straight red, but he only gave yellow. We lost the game in the end, as far as I remember. Useless. And he hasn't changed, either.
Referee was a bit crap - why do we always get them ? Are they cloned or something ? Far too many at this level - too many bizarre decisions, too much of the time - will they progress on to "better things" ? Like the Premiership ? Probably because they're bad enough at our level....and they have to move them on to give them more experience....can remember watching both Graham Poll and Andy D'Urso ref Vale games - Poll was OK, but D'Urso bottled an obvious sending off - keeper handled ball outside the area - should have been straight red, but he only gave yellow. We lost the game in the end, as far as I remember. Useless. And he hasn't changed, either.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Victory in the Cup !! Bring on the Villa
So they can do it when they try - I know it was only Donny Rovers, but they only lost to Arsenal on pens and they beat Man City and Villa....so it was a good result.
First half they weren't very good, conceded a good goal, but didn't really play well, and the way things were going in the second half, at least for a while, looked like it was going to be another "play quite well but end up losing" type of game....then super Sam struck - and did it twice !! Must admit to not being his biggest fan when he first came here on loan, in fact I thought they should have sent him back just as quick, because he was crap, and what's more, bottled it on 60-40s never mind 50-50s, but then he seemed to click and be bothered ( and his face looked bothered) - more to the point, was I glad he'd stayed when he rifled in those two crackers !!!
Leon played pretty well too, should have had a couple himself, but not quite and it was good to see Mickey Cummins back and playing like we all know he can !!
So now it's the Villa - last time we played them we got stuffed 6-0 - I couldn't go, but this time I'm intending to be there !! So should be a different result then....superstition rules !!
First half they weren't very good, conceded a good goal, but didn't really play well, and the way things were going in the second half, at least for a while, looked like it was going to be another "play quite well but end up losing" type of game....then super Sam struck - and did it twice !! Must admit to not being his biggest fan when he first came here on loan, in fact I thought they should have sent him back just as quick, because he was crap, and what's more, bottled it on 60-40s never mind 50-50s, but then he seemed to click and be bothered ( and his face looked bothered) - more to the point, was I glad he'd stayed when he rifled in those two crackers !!!
Leon played pretty well too, should have had a couple himself, but not quite and it was good to see Mickey Cummins back and playing like we all know he can !!
So now it's the Villa - last time we played them we got stuffed 6-0 - I couldn't go, but this time I'm intending to be there !! So should be a different result then....superstition rules !!
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Getting Towed Away at Brighton
As you'll know if you're reading these, I used to go to a lot of away matches - most of the away games in one or two seasons, as it happens. Usually went with my mate BJ - nobody else seemed to want to go, for some reason. So this goes back to the days when Brighton had a proper ground - their own, the Goldstone Ground it was called, not that jumped -up athletics track called the Withdean. Mind you, I never liked their old ground either - we never seemed to win, and they'd always got players who scored against us. Vale are a bit like that ( a lot like that) certain players always score against us, even if they don't ever score against anybody else. Luke Beckett springs to mind at the moment, but there have always been palyers like that.
Anyway, me and BJ set off to Brighton to watch the Vale. Because we knew where the ground was, we took back roads into the town but we got there not too long before kick-off and were having difficulty finding somewere to park. I found somewhere not too far from the ground, but BJ pointed out that it was only a 2 hour maximum stay, and it might take longer, so we drove around a bit and eventually spotted a whole line of cars parked on double yellows. We thought it must be OK to park there on match days, and anyway, there were 10 or 12 cars there, so we decided to take the chance and do it.
The game was awful. Vale played like a load of strangers and we lost 2-0. Both goals scored by the same player - forget his name, but he always scored against us !!
So we come out of the ground and head back to the car - but it's not there, nowhere to be seen, disappeared. First reaction is that it's been stolen - well, it is a nice white Lancia Delta, more than a bit flash, sort of car that could get nicked.
So I go to find a copper - and say to him that I think my car has been stolen. He asks me where I'd left it ( strange question, I think, to start with) so I point him across the road and say "Over there" . He says -" I don't think it's been stolen, sir, I think we've had it towed away for parking on double yellows" and I point out to him all the other cars still parked there and he says they can only take one at a time - and did I see the signs warning me that Brighton tow away illegally parked cars ? So I say, no we didn't, and he says well you should have. So I ask him what we need to do now and he says we need to ring the police station and find out if the car has actually been towed, and that if it has, we'll have to go to the police station to sort things out.
So we find a phone box and call them, tell them the registration - and it has indeed been towed away. Great. So then we ask them how to get there and they say it's actually a few miles from the ground, it's in Brighton and the ground's in Hove ( or vice versa, can't remember) and so you need to get a taxi there - they say that will cost about a fiver. ( Great, I think) and then you'll have to pay the fine and the towing away charge before you can get your car back. This is beginning to sound worse by the minute. Anyway, we get a taxi to take us to the police station- and it does cost a fiver ( a bit more, but so what) and we get to the police station. Parking fine is £14 ( I think) and the towing away charge is £75 - and you have to pay it all in one go or they keep your car, and charge you £15 a day for keeping it if you don't claim it there and then. Bastards is the immediate reaction.
This is now certainly not in the least amusing. The copper at the station is very sympathetic, says they only ever catch visitors - all the locals know how to get round it. I do point out about the fact that loads of other cars were parked there, and he says, that's how it works out - they usually go for the non-locals first....even better.
So now got to find £89. Got cheque book with me, but cheque card only covers me for £50, and they won't accept multiple cheques. BJ has got cashcard with him, and can get the other £40 quid, but he's not a happy bunny about this, not at all. Anyway, eventually we get the fine and charge paid and get a receipt.
So I ask if I can pick car up now - and they say yes, but it's not here. It's actually in a pound at Moulscomb ( I think) which is right out the other side of Brighton and another taxi ride away - about £12 they think from the cop shop. This is getting seriously expensive - have had to put loads of petrol in, it's a very long drive, have had to pay to see the match, and now have had to pay out major dosh just to get the car back to go home. No choice again, got to do what is necessary, only now have to wait until they can confirm the car is actually at the pound. Or go there and wait.....which we do. It is there anyway. So we get it back and have to find our way back from the wrong side of Brighton to get on the motorway.
Probably the most expensive away game I've ever been to - and most of it was a waste of money!That's why I've never been to another game at Brighton - hate the bastards.
Tell people about this and they think it's very funny - I do know a lot of smartarses who always know better after the event - they all say, "well you shouldn't park illegally, what did you expect" as if it's something they'd never do themselves, the lying gits - resist the impulse to smack them one ( not easy, but I manage it)
Anyway, me and BJ set off to Brighton to watch the Vale. Because we knew where the ground was, we took back roads into the town but we got there not too long before kick-off and were having difficulty finding somewere to park. I found somewhere not too far from the ground, but BJ pointed out that it was only a 2 hour maximum stay, and it might take longer, so we drove around a bit and eventually spotted a whole line of cars parked on double yellows. We thought it must be OK to park there on match days, and anyway, there were 10 or 12 cars there, so we decided to take the chance and do it.
The game was awful. Vale played like a load of strangers and we lost 2-0. Both goals scored by the same player - forget his name, but he always scored against us !!
So we come out of the ground and head back to the car - but it's not there, nowhere to be seen, disappeared. First reaction is that it's been stolen - well, it is a nice white Lancia Delta, more than a bit flash, sort of car that could get nicked.
So I go to find a copper - and say to him that I think my car has been stolen. He asks me where I'd left it ( strange question, I think, to start with) so I point him across the road and say "Over there" . He says -" I don't think it's been stolen, sir, I think we've had it towed away for parking on double yellows" and I point out to him all the other cars still parked there and he says they can only take one at a time - and did I see the signs warning me that Brighton tow away illegally parked cars ? So I say, no we didn't, and he says well you should have. So I ask him what we need to do now and he says we need to ring the police station and find out if the car has actually been towed, and that if it has, we'll have to go to the police station to sort things out.
So we find a phone box and call them, tell them the registration - and it has indeed been towed away. Great. So then we ask them how to get there and they say it's actually a few miles from the ground, it's in Brighton and the ground's in Hove ( or vice versa, can't remember) and so you need to get a taxi there - they say that will cost about a fiver. ( Great, I think) and then you'll have to pay the fine and the towing away charge before you can get your car back. This is beginning to sound worse by the minute. Anyway, we get a taxi to take us to the police station- and it does cost a fiver ( a bit more, but so what) and we get to the police station. Parking fine is £14 ( I think) and the towing away charge is £75 - and you have to pay it all in one go or they keep your car, and charge you £15 a day for keeping it if you don't claim it there and then. Bastards is the immediate reaction.
This is now certainly not in the least amusing. The copper at the station is very sympathetic, says they only ever catch visitors - all the locals know how to get round it. I do point out about the fact that loads of other cars were parked there, and he says, that's how it works out - they usually go for the non-locals first....even better.
So now got to find £89. Got cheque book with me, but cheque card only covers me for £50, and they won't accept multiple cheques. BJ has got cashcard with him, and can get the other £40 quid, but he's not a happy bunny about this, not at all. Anyway, eventually we get the fine and charge paid and get a receipt.
So I ask if I can pick car up now - and they say yes, but it's not here. It's actually in a pound at Moulscomb ( I think) which is right out the other side of Brighton and another taxi ride away - about £12 they think from the cop shop. This is getting seriously expensive - have had to put loads of petrol in, it's a very long drive, have had to pay to see the match, and now have had to pay out major dosh just to get the car back to go home. No choice again, got to do what is necessary, only now have to wait until they can confirm the car is actually at the pound. Or go there and wait.....which we do. It is there anyway. So we get it back and have to find our way back from the wrong side of Brighton to get on the motorway.
Probably the most expensive away game I've ever been to - and most of it was a waste of money!That's why I've never been to another game at Brighton - hate the bastards.
Tell people about this and they think it's very funny - I do know a lot of smartarses who always know better after the event - they all say, "well you shouldn't park illegally, what did you expect" as if it's something they'd never do themselves, the lying gits - resist the impulse to smack them one ( not easy, but I manage it)
Maybe the car is cursed ??
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Grounds I've been to
Here's a list of all the grounds I've been to ( that I can remember, anyway) other than Vale Park - to see the Vale play (unless I say different)
Wembley Stadium ( old one)
Premiership :
Anfield, Old Trafford, The Hawthorns( before it was tarted up), Ewood Park, St James Park, White Hart Lane ( not to see the Vale though), Craven Cottage, Fratton Park, Upton Park
Old Grounds : Roker Park, Ayresome Park, Burnden Park, Springfield Park (Wigan)
Championship :
Britannia Stadium ( not to see Vale or S****), Wolves (Molineux), Cardiff (Ninian Park) - not to see the Vale, Watford(Vicarage Road), Sheffield United, Burnley, Hull City, Plymouth
Old Grounds: Coventry City (Highfield Road - my 1st ever game), Leicester (Filbert Street), Reading, Brighton (Goldstone Ground), Hull City, Victoria Ground ( S****)
League One :
Huddersfield (old and new), Southend, Blackpool, Barnsley, Oldham, Walsall (old and new), Brentford, Swindon, Chesterfield, Bournemouth, Bradford, Bristol City, Gillingham, Rotherham, Tranmere
Old Grounds : Swansea,
League Two :
Torquay( not to see the Vale), Peterborough, Chester (old and new), Bury, Grimsby, Mansfield, Notts County, Stockport, Wrexham
Old Grounds : Bristol Rovers ( Twerton Park), Oxford United
Other Grounds :
Exeter, Southport, York City
So quite a few to collect still - and they keep opening new ones too!!
Wembley Stadium ( old one)
Premiership :
Anfield, Old Trafford, The Hawthorns( before it was tarted up), Ewood Park, St James Park, White Hart Lane ( not to see the Vale though), Craven Cottage, Fratton Park, Upton Park
Old Grounds : Roker Park, Ayresome Park, Burnden Park, Springfield Park (Wigan)
Championship :
Britannia Stadium ( not to see Vale or S****), Wolves (Molineux), Cardiff (Ninian Park) - not to see the Vale, Watford(Vicarage Road), Sheffield United, Burnley, Hull City, Plymouth
Old Grounds: Coventry City (Highfield Road - my 1st ever game), Leicester (Filbert Street), Reading, Brighton (Goldstone Ground), Hull City, Victoria Ground ( S****)
League One :
Huddersfield (old and new), Southend, Blackpool, Barnsley, Oldham, Walsall (old and new), Brentford, Swindon, Chesterfield, Bournemouth, Bradford, Bristol City, Gillingham, Rotherham, Tranmere
Old Grounds : Swansea,
League Two :
Torquay( not to see the Vale), Peterborough, Chester (old and new), Bury, Grimsby, Mansfield, Notts County, Stockport, Wrexham
Old Grounds : Bristol Rovers ( Twerton Park), Oxford United
Other Grounds :
Exeter, Southport, York City
So quite a few to collect still - and they keep opening new ones too!!
Blackpool again - this time with crocodiles
The second time I went to Bloomfield Road wasn't to watch the Vale at all. I was pretty involved in Trade Union stuff in the Civil Service and it was Annual Conference time, in Blackpool, and just for once, it happened before the season ended. This didn't happen very often., so it was an opportunity too good to miss. It was in the era of inflatables, and a mate had brought a couple of inflatable crocodiles along to the conference just to make things a bit more interesting.
It so happened that Blackpool were at home during the week to Southend and we felt the crocs needed to experience league football - as far as we knew they hadn't been before, so we asked their keeper if we could take them - with a promise that we'd make sure they got home safe afterwards. About half a dozen of us went in the end, including a young lady from Leicester that I rather fancied - wonder what she's doing now - plus another bloke from Leicester who was a good mate and a few others - including a Cambridge United fan (who they ?).
Seeing as how it was obvious that we weren't locals, we thought it would be safer to go in the away end with the Southend fans. After a while, a couple of them came to talk to us, having spotted that we weren't Sarfend fans either - they were really nice - Sarfend had played the Vale the weekend before, they'd lost 2-0 and they were well impressed with them ( well it was the season Vale finally got promoted to Division 2 ) and they were wishing us all the best for the end of the season. Nice time had by all in the true spirit of football supporters.
It was a cracking game - 4-3 the final score was, I think, can't remember who won, but all seven goals were scored in the goal at our end. Well different from when I went to Southend and found out it was 100 miles further away....and saw no goals at all.
Anyway, the crocs enjoyed the match, and they got home safely, and got a mention in one of the newsletters that got printed at conference, but I never got the girl ( seems like that always happens - maybe I was showing off a bit and she didn't like it) That was the only conference when there was a match on.
Used to do quite a bit of travelling as a Union rep, and spent nights away in cheap hotels in advance of meetings - nearly always on my own. On a couple of occasions, to relieve the serious boredom that went with staying in strange hotels in out-of-the-way places, I'd try and find a footy match to go to. This actually was over two consecutive nights, when I was stuck in Plymouth and in Newport ( South Wales) It was League Cup time and there were matches both nights, but Plymouth were away, and Newport didn't have a team any more. Torquay were at home though, against Hereford United, who were still a league club back then, so I drove from Plymouth to Torquay to watch the game. It was dire. I think it ended 0-0, but if it didn't, it should have. All you could say about it was that it beat the hell out of sitting in an empty hotel bar watching crap on the telly - or getting an early night....
The next night, in Newport, Cardiff were at home to Bournemouth, so I went to that one. Can't remember the score, but it wasn't a good game either. Once again, though, passed the time - better than doing nowt, as they say, and it added two grounds to my collection. Haven't been to either of them since.
It so happened that Blackpool were at home during the week to Southend and we felt the crocs needed to experience league football - as far as we knew they hadn't been before, so we asked their keeper if we could take them - with a promise that we'd make sure they got home safe afterwards. About half a dozen of us went in the end, including a young lady from Leicester that I rather fancied - wonder what she's doing now - plus another bloke from Leicester who was a good mate and a few others - including a Cambridge United fan (who they ?).
Seeing as how it was obvious that we weren't locals, we thought it would be safer to go in the away end with the Southend fans. After a while, a couple of them came to talk to us, having spotted that we weren't Sarfend fans either - they were really nice - Sarfend had played the Vale the weekend before, they'd lost 2-0 and they were well impressed with them ( well it was the season Vale finally got promoted to Division 2 ) and they were wishing us all the best for the end of the season. Nice time had by all in the true spirit of football supporters.
It was a cracking game - 4-3 the final score was, I think, can't remember who won, but all seven goals were scored in the goal at our end. Well different from when I went to Southend and found out it was 100 miles further away....and saw no goals at all.
Anyway, the crocs enjoyed the match, and they got home safely, and got a mention in one of the newsletters that got printed at conference, but I never got the girl ( seems like that always happens - maybe I was showing off a bit and she didn't like it) That was the only conference when there was a match on.
Used to do quite a bit of travelling as a Union rep, and spent nights away in cheap hotels in advance of meetings - nearly always on my own. On a couple of occasions, to relieve the serious boredom that went with staying in strange hotels in out-of-the-way places, I'd try and find a footy match to go to. This actually was over two consecutive nights, when I was stuck in Plymouth and in Newport ( South Wales) It was League Cup time and there were matches both nights, but Plymouth were away, and Newport didn't have a team any more. Torquay were at home though, against Hereford United, who were still a league club back then, so I drove from Plymouth to Torquay to watch the game. It was dire. I think it ended 0-0, but if it didn't, it should have. All you could say about it was that it beat the hell out of sitting in an empty hotel bar watching crap on the telly - or getting an early night....
The next night, in Newport, Cardiff were at home to Bournemouth, so I went to that one. Can't remember the score, but it wasn't a good game either. Once again, though, passed the time - better than doing nowt, as they say, and it added two grounds to my collection. Haven't been to either of them since.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Superstition again
Almost as if to prove the point I made earlier about me and Kieran not seeing a Vale away win, we decide not to go to Huddersfield tonight and they win 3-0. Biggest winning margin all season.
So what's all that about then - the team that's third in the league, who if they had won would have gone top, and we stuff them. The teams that are at the bottom, the ones we should walk all over and score a hatful, we lose 1-0 or 2-1 or scrape a draw. I know football is a funny old game, as the saying goes, but this isn't a joke any more - we'll end up not quite making the play-offs again, having beaten all the teams that finish above us and lost to all the ones that finish below us. On that basis, we should make it to the FA Cup Final - we'll beat Premiership sides- OK, so there I am joking, we've got no chance. Donny Rovers to come in the Cup. We've beaten them earlier in the season, so we'll probably lose this one, because it matters.
Just doesn't make sense, though.
So what's all that about then - the team that's third in the league, who if they had won would have gone top, and we stuff them. The teams that are at the bottom, the ones we should walk all over and score a hatful, we lose 1-0 or 2-1 or scrape a draw. I know football is a funny old game, as the saying goes, but this isn't a joke any more - we'll end up not quite making the play-offs again, having beaten all the teams that finish above us and lost to all the ones that finish below us. On that basis, we should make it to the FA Cup Final - we'll beat Premiership sides- OK, so there I am joking, we've got no chance. Donny Rovers to come in the Cup. We've beaten them earlier in the season, so we'll probably lose this one, because it matters.
Just doesn't make sense, though.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Bournemouth away - the art of car parking and tanks
So yet another experience of an away game, midweek, long-distance, must be mad type of thing - this was before the motorways went anywhere near the place, no M3 or nothing like that - so it was all cross-country stuff on "a" roads... on my own this time, no-one else stupid enough to go, not even BJ or my daughter.....so when I get there, park in the car park at the ground, well before kick off, loads of space everywhere.
Once again, Vale are not impressive - lose 1-0 ( Jamie Redknapp played for them) and feeling pissed off as usual.Go out to the car park after the game and find that at least four people have parked their cars - one in front, one behind, one to left and one to right, plus others close by that make it difficult . No way I can move - and it seems like they've all gone to the pub after the game - they're all Bournemouth fans....or at least so the window stickers say, so I could be in for a long wait, and it's nearly 10 already...and it's not going to take much less than 4 hours or so to get home - it took that long to get her, and I think I did well with the traffic and all, so it could be interesting....sit in the car for a while, waiting, looking at gaps, whether I could "bounce" cars out of the way or not....not, it seems, even with other people on the car park who sympathise with my plight...well, after about half an hour, someone turns up and moves one of the cars out of the way , and with a bit of manouevring I can get away !! Hooray- and it's only half past ten !
Once again, Vale are not impressive - lose 1-0 ( Jamie Redknapp played for them) and feeling pissed off as usual.Go out to the car park after the game and find that at least four people have parked their cars - one in front, one behind, one to left and one to right, plus others close by that make it difficult . No way I can move - and it seems like they've all gone to the pub after the game - they're all Bournemouth fans....or at least so the window stickers say, so I could be in for a long wait, and it's nearly 10 already...and it's not going to take much less than 4 hours or so to get home - it took that long to get her, and I think I did well with the traffic and all, so it could be interesting....sit in the car for a while, waiting, looking at gaps, whether I could "bounce" cars out of the way or not....not, it seems, even with other people on the car park who sympathise with my plight...well, after about half an hour, someone turns up and moves one of the cars out of the way , and with a bit of manouevring I can get away !! Hooray- and it's only half past ten !
Huddersfield Away - another breakdown....
So yet another away trip, yet another breakdown. One of the problems with owning a slightly flash Italian car is that it's expensive to fix, and service and keep on the road, and when you've not got a lot of dosh things go wrong. And this time they did big style, at the time, but it ended up not too bad in the end.
So it was another me and BJ trip. He actually enjoyed going to away games with me at the time - though you'd have thought he'd change his mind after some of the things that happened....
So it was another me and BJ trip. He actually enjoyed going to away games with me at the time - though you'd have thought he'd change his mind after some of the things that happened....
