Dracula’s Ghost and A Posh Trip: Peterborough Away

Sunday, 20^th September, 2015

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Friday began with a day’s work in Tamworth: a fine warm day, autumnal misty roads on the journey there. But my new Android ‘phone is turned off while I am work so I missed the calls about he Peterborough game, but managed to catch a lift anyway …

Evening at the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield: Dracula’s Ghost (the Don’t Go Into the Cellar Theatre Company’s original work) had two actors playing a variety of roles (costumes and accents) which linked the death of Bram Stoker to a host of characters, real and imagined (Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler, Jack the Ripper, Dr Moreau, Dorian Gray included). Particularly good I imagine if you could catch all of the allusions; though I did wonder what the no-more than thirteen year old lad with his mother made of it all.

Saturday morning, thinking about getting to Rugeley on time I was interrupted by a ‘phone call offering free horse muck at the allotment. Not able to resist so was a little late making the rendezvous (I needed a decent wash after all didn’t I?).

But a good steady drive; humour, exchange of information, opinion and discussion on a second fine autumn day: Pompeii, the rules of rugby (England beat Fiji and, in some way I do not understand yet, got bonus points for … well something or other), ticket prices at Posh (“it’ll cost me more to get into the Peterborough Walsall game than it will to watch Chelsea on Wednesday evening!”), allergies, careers, further education salaries … the miles pass by and we park opposite the one-time London Road (now the ABAX) stadium in the car park (for a fiver) of the Peacock pub. Couple of beers each in a friendly atmosphere. There is a mixture of fans in the bar and outside, all ages and everybody smiling and getting on well. Most of the Walsall crowd are resplendent in the new away kit (getting used to the rather smart white and blue shirts now) and a boy no higher than my hips is trying to hit the dartboard as part of a game. Good to see and the two lagers help to cool the throat.

   

But once in the ground there are only Balti pies and I decide to go hungry.

The stadium looks good in a temporary modern kind of way. But the seats in the stand where we come to rest are genuine antiques: hinged wooden seats shaved to contour your bum and wooden back rests screwed to the rusting iron framework which has been concreted – more than once by the look of it – into the ground. Amazingly they are both roomy and comfortable in a way plastic copies are not – or is that just wishful thinking?

It is inevitable of course that the club will put their efforts into making home fans comfortable first – we smile, we have of course seen both better and worse than this but then … as we settle down the back section of the chair in front of the driver breaks off and he suddenly has enviable leg-room.

While we sit high up under the roof the game, in bright sunlight is at best mediocre, passing and possession pretty equal if a little uninspired. We are not sure why Milan Lalkovic isn’t starting, what role the up-to-now-improving Flanagan is taking on and why, oh why the exciting Kieron Morris is still not in the starting line-up. Reece Flanagan in this game seems to be once again – going for a more complicated pass than is needed. Andy Taylor and Rico Henry are spreading the paly well, but most of our wing play is via Demetriou who is so far forward he is in and out of the Posh penalty area.

Romaine Sawyers is another payer getting better (perhaps until I publish this, but hopefully not) by the game. I am impressed that he is now more committed to chasing back, harrying and winning the ball – something I have criticised him for in the not too distant past. Sam Mantom too is influential. And by half time, while not impressed at least we are not losing – and Peterborough look to be there for the taking. We drink a coffee in the shade; stand up to ease the cramp in our legs – the seats not so comfortable then.

Second half begins with the same, but bursts into drama as Rico henry – typically energetic and busy-busy-busy distracts the defence when sawyers takes a pass and opts to cut inside. As the defence parts he hammers the ball solidly into the net, defying the goalkeeper’s stretching fngers on the way. A fine goal, well deserved on his performance too. Then during a break in play when players “take on water/energy drinks/refreshment” Peterborough’s Jermaine Anderson, in a seeming fit of anger hurls the water bottle at either the assistant referee or at the crowd (his own fans). While it may have been a rush of blood moment there is no doubt in my mind it was no accident (as will be claimed in his defence later). But the result is a prolonged discussion between the fourth official and the referee who shows the nineteen year old the red card. He is amazed and seeks support from both Peterborough and Walsall players. But I can count on the fingers of a snail how many times a rfereee has changed his mind once a decision is made and – eventually he leaves the pitch.

   

“Where’s your water gone?” is the gleeful chant of the Saddlers Choir to something like the tune of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep’s “Where’s Your Momma Gone?”

Neil Etheridge, whose skills, bravery and commitment perhaps kept us in the game during the first half is developing into a fine keeper. Once he has made a decision he will stick to it, he is agile, has that courage/craziness that defines goalkeepers and works well with the defence, who are pushing forward to get a second goal. But Peterborough, now a man down are pumping long balls up past our defenders.

Tom Bradshaw (“suffering a slight groin strain”) is taken off, Jordan Cook comes on – and we appear to go to a four defender line up. To be caught out as Posh forward Bostwick falls over Etheridge when both are challenging for the ball and the referee goes for the easy way out after maybe re-thinking sending Anderson off opts for a penalty. Me? Not sure but definitely no criticism of Etheridge – even if he doesn’t save the spot kick. We head towards the exits, close enough to feel the smack as a last second powerhouse shot from Sam Mantom rattles the Peterborough crossbar.

Radio puts us second in the league table, with promoted this season Burton Albion top.

Great chat on the way back about whether to risk Bradshaw – if he’s injured – at all in the Wednesday game against Chelsea…

… and the first episode of the new series of Dr Who (who made Davros?)

 

 

 

Seagulls at the Banks’?

Crowds were gathered at Shoreham for the annual Shoreham Air Show last weekend. Something went wrong. Dreadfully wrong – and as is the norm now there were so many cameras on it to record the Hawker Hunter (one of my personal aviation icons) topping out of a loop in blazing sunshine and – somehow, time will perhaps reveal – bottoming out too low and crashing into the nearby A27. Fireball!

Latest death toll yesterday was eleven and set to rise. So sad. And I am a great fan of air shows (though on holiday in Bideford I missed the one at Cosford this year) but this is real tragedy. People and families affected.

Shoreham: close to Brighton. Brighton our visitors this evening in the Capital One Cup. And one of the people who lost their lives in the disaster was a member of the Brighton hospitality staff as well as playing for Worthing F.C. as a genuinely rightful mark of respect before kick-off there was a minute’s silence. Enormously respectful – the whole crowd in harmony for a minute, between referee’s whistles.

 

Then applause and the game began.

Credit to the four hundred and some fans of Brighton who made the long journey; these are real supporters. Travelling the distances for away games in mid-week. As an experiment Walsall have moved away fans into the pitch-side stand, with both “ends” being allocated for Walsall fans. The idea, as best I understand it (and maybe I don’t) is that our team gets vocal support from both ends. This is fairly common at other away grounds. Let’s see what comes of it.

Certainly there were chants from both ends – and enough noise from the Brighton travelling masses.

Now Brighton began the game unbeaten: second in the Championship ( league above us) and started brightly enough. Our defence passing the ball smartly and accurately, but Brighton stronger and appearing fitter (as one might expect from a higher league side). Don’t get me wrong; I am constantly impressed by the levels of fitness shown by the Saddlers team: Jon Whitney has a lot to be proud of. But they also appeared more tactically savvy, changing and adapting and sharper.

Downing guilty of misplacing some passes and giving the ball away.

Referee was also sharp: we got a high number of free kicks in the first fifteen minutes. But then he slacked off, feeling, perhaps that he had established his authority.

Bradshaw playing a lone man up front, busy as ever, but getting nothing from the Brighton defenders. Credit to the striker – he never gave up chasing and harrying. Kieron Morris again supporting brilliantly: some wonderful close control as he ventured on long runs.

The corner score board screen surreally showed the pitch action. Smaller than real life. At rock concerts it is the very opposite: the stage screens show large images. Here we wondered at the point of the exercise. Really necessary?

But a few minutes before half time Brighton player Forster Caskey, after riding a challenge for a defender, decided to throw himself to the ground. Rather than book the blatant diver the referee pointed to the spot and the penalty was scored.

Half time – one of the access doors to the savoy Lounge being jammed we nipped inside for a coffee. Back out again afterwards Walsall’s attitude this season kicked in. they’ re from a higher league? Well, let’s get among ‘em then. Lalkovic, eager in the first half became more of a threat, jinking, turning, her one moment, somewhere different later.

Young, muscular centre half Matt Preston made his season’s debut (was that his parents next to me taking so many photos?) to replace Downing. Sawyers on for Flanagan. A long, perhaps hopeful ball down the line saw Tom Bradshaw, head down getting to it first, bustling past a defender and knocking it into the ox. Sawyers? No, he let it run: Lalkovic, steaming in hammered it home. He is very passionate, this twenty two year old and celebrated long and too hard, earning a yellow card. Such antic s (scoring and heart) have already made his return popular.

Now we were rampant!

But, another Brighton penalty at least as dubious as the first. Blazed high, wide and not terribly handsomely over the bar. To the delight of the Walsall fans ensconced behind the end where, normally Brighton fans would have been. Is this the desired effect?

Game ticking in to last ten minutes, we are well on top, pushing hard. Sawyers, having a much better game against this classier side, swung a ball into the path of raiding forward defender Rico henry: the tiniest player on the pitch. Tiny? But massive hearted; he’d run himself all over the pitch to that point. A great finish – and we hung on for the additional five minutes. Thanks ref!

Who would we like in the next round? I wondered aloud if Milan Lalkovic might like to have a crack at Chelsea the team that let him go.

Whaddaya know? Looking at the draw on the internet: Chelsea at home

The original Mourinho versus the “ginger Mourinho”

Meanwhile in the Athletics World Championships Jessica Ennis-Hill amazed herself and not a few aficionados by blasting her way to a gold medal. Modesty personified she is gritty, committed and gracious, she was uncertain about even competing in these games having given birth to a son just a year ago. Alf Tupper, are you looking in on this? And Greg Rutherford also claimed a gold in the long jump.