Happy? New Year! Rochdale at Home

3rd January: home

So Christmas, the commercial juggernaut has been truly upon us. Twenty four seven TV (and this year, for the first time I notice the preponderance of war films; some of them black and white and inspirational-type ones (The Dambusters), others a more simple glorification of war with heroes and villains easily distinguishable, and others that can be read at a deeper level; or indeed many levels such as Kelly’s Heroes (so far one of my all-time favourite films of any genre).

But also the episodes that have become staple fare (the Dr Who Christmas Special) and so on.

But in addition this year there has been a David Beckham (as UNICEF ambassador) documentary. The concept was to play a “game of football” on each of the Earth’s seven (7: the shirt that Beckham is famously associated with wearing) continents.

I didn’t catch it all, but what I did see has me thinking many things.

First what a great personality this talented footballer is. Both humble and generous he has developed from a shy, awkward TV character to a commanding presence (practice of course) always remembering his roots, his family, apparently keeping his feet on the ground and using his fame for good cause. The concept was to play a “game of football” on each of the Earth’s seven (7: the shirt that Beckham is famously associated with wearing) continents.

Secondly – for me, inevitably – how much did it cost to make this programme? Flying people and kit across the world and all of the additional costs: the trip to Antarctica for example, though stunningly filmed, would have set somebody back a pretty penny. And does the subsequent marketing justify this expenditure? The cause, undeniably brilliant and worthwhile was launched in 2015, 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund, is David’s personal commitment to use his voice, influence and connections to raise vital funds and rally for lasting change for children.

Did it do that? His visits to places? The publicity it generated? Or was it just some kind of Hollywood stunt that everybody got carried away with?

From the blurb comes the following: “The first stop saw David visit the highlands of Papua New Guinea where he spent time in a traditional village and learnt about the challenges facing children in the country. In Papua New Guinea, malnutrition is a leading cause of death in children under five. UNICEF, with the support of David’s own 7 Fund is providing treatment for children suffering malnutrition as well as working to educate communities on improved nutrition.

Next, David visited Nepal, where he saw the devastation caused by April’s powerful earthquake. In Kathmandu, David met children at a temporary learning centre established with support from UNICEF. The school is one of 1,500 temporary learning centres that UNICEF has helped to set up after the earthquake destroyed over 34,500 classrooms.

In Djibouti, the third of seven countries, David spent time at a refugee camp meeting children and families including those displaced by conflict and violence in neighbouring countries. In Djibouti, about 1 in 15 children die before their 5th birthday, often from preventable causes. At the Ali Addeh camp, which is home to over 10,000 refugees from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, David saw how UNICEF is providing life-saving vaccines to protect children from preventable diseases such as polio and measles.

The amazing journey, which also took in Buenos Aries in Argentina, Antarctica and Miami in the United States, culminated 10 days after departure at Old Trafford with the unforgettable Match For Children, which raised vital funds and focus attention on UNICEF work for children in danger around the world.”

The game in Antarctica involved a fortunately sunny window of weather and, reportedly the first ever “international game” of football played in full Arctic gear on a scuffled-flat packed snow pitch.

In the U.S.A Beckham played on each side in a rooftop, artificial pitch game between two women’s teams. The game we call football is usually termed “soccer” in the States and rose to prominence first as a game for women. This also gave the chance for an equality message: much needed across the world.

But, taken as entertainment the programme was well worth watching: not least because the “tour” ended with a bona fide Great Britain against the Rest of the World (with Sir Alex Ferguson returning from retirement to manage the G.B. team) This game was played at Old Trafford on the weekend of the terrorist attacks in Paris. This meant that a number of French players, understandably, dropped out of the game. This was the week we were in Durham ( featured in my own post at https://saddlersfan.wordpress.com/2015/11/22/paris-silences-and-the-blades/ )

But after Christmas the bitter-sweet end of another year, a cracking Rock Big Ben show on TV from Bryan Adams (great duet with Beverley Knight (Wolverhampton lass) and the release of the New year’s Honours List.

This usually features a number of sports personalities and this year includes cyclist Chris Froome. Also there are John Surtees, who won seven world motorcycling crowns before claiming six Grand Prix victories and the 1964 world drivers’ title, was honoured with the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his considerable contribution to the field of motorsport. Jockey A.P. McCoy also became a knight.

From football Denis Law (most famously of man Utd and Scotland) and Francis Lee (man City and England) are honoured, not only for their sporting prowess but for their contributions to sport and to charity. Recently asked whether the man United team who played in would beat the currently struggling and embattled man united law said his team would have won one nil. Asked why the score line would have been so close he quipped that “most of the team I played in are in their seventies now!”. His sense of fun has clearly not diminished.

 

 

Women’s football was also recognised: two England stalwarts Steph Houghton and Fara Williams being honoured. Genuine recognition and well deserved. How long, I wonder before women are actually playing in mixed teams in an official league? Watch this space!

Before heading out to pick up my brother on the way to the home game against Rochdale I have time to watch some of mid-day football programme Football Focus. It concentrates, sadly, on the Premier league of course, but there is a spot where Gary Lineker is at St George’s Park (half an hour’s drive away and close to the village of Rangemore where I worked once upon a time).

England Under 19s are training in the background … and there, for a moment is Rico Henry. This is January. There is a very good chance that he will be one of our players snapped up during this transfer window where bigger clubs can buy players like, well, like young Rico.

It is one of the sad facts of being a supporter of a league one team that we see talent on its way to bigger and better things … and, occasionally talent going in the opposite direction (Paul Merson being a super example of this).

Tom Bradshaw is only on the bench (bit surprising that) and Henry too. Within the first three minutes the other surprise is that mid-table Rochdale have had three shots and one of them has gone in.

Nobody expected that – and the team settle down to pull it all back. Not looking particularly flustered until Rochdale pack the spaces and we cannot get past their busy players. Lalkovic seems out of sorts up front and Cook is disappointing today. Sawyers seems tired and playing, for me, too far back.

… and we just don’t look to have the energy, the urgency, the invention … for the first time this season.

It is disappointing and frustrating. During the whole game I don’t think we had a single shot on target (I am of course bound to be wrong!); even the late introduction of Morris, Bradshaw and Henry don’t make the required difference and Rochdale are all over us. Their few – loyal – supporters are ecstatic as we file out having lost three –nil.

Despite this Neil Etheridge is the sponsor’s man of the match. Honestly he would have been my choice too. O.K. he let in three, but kept so many others out!

But, let’s hope that’s the blip out of the way: next week we are at Brentford. Ticket allocations sold out, so I wish the lads well … but, look after the squad and back to league business as soon as possible please.

Struggling With A Virus.

Christmas Eve: home.

Where oh where to begin?

With the weather: so unseasonably mild and parts of the country dogged with ruinous amounts of rain? Carlisle and vast areas of the ironically named Lake District flooded? People losing homes, power and valuables: one couple interviewed on BBC radio 4 about to be married and going on honeymoon – to Venice!

Grass hasn’t stopped growing and this is the shortest day of the year. It isn’t so much about a white Christmas: We apparently have our snowfall later in the season usually; but about the warmth and damage caused by the excessive water. Flood defences overwhelmed and questions being asked in the House!

Milady di Bescot’s evening birthday soiree, coincidentally on the same day as Saddler’s game at Fleetwood Town was called off – waterlogged pitch – went well; even if I was still feeling the effects of celebrating the repaired boiler by heating the house to rainforest temperatures – that or talking too much.

Meanwhile in life reflecting art – or vice versa: Tim Peake has taken off from Baikonur, Russia to become the U.K’s. first ever official public funded member of the International Space Station crew. A former military helicopter test pilot, he seems like a genuinely good guy – but, because Russian Soyuz rockets (some beautiful Flash Gordon meets Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds- looking creations) he had to learn Russian before he could fly. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to have bi-lingual labels, I wonder, in the rockets ship … but obviously someone more intelligent than me has thought that one through.

 

And the latest Star Wars film is out. I never really got the whole Star Wars scene; finding it all rather more pantomime than science fiction, but this is the latest block-buster and it is doing super business; from local headteachers attending midnight premieres to franchised merchandise hitting the Santa shelves at just the right time. Marketing eh?

Meanwhile, a few days after Dean Smith left us for what he imagines were pastures better, Burton Albion (top of League One after promotion from League Two last year) lose their manager: Jimmy Floyd Haisselbank. He goes to Q.P.R. Some of my friends were saying that Dean Smith went too soon, that if he had waited, bigger clubs would have been calling on him …

Haisselbank does have a better pedigree, however; being Dutch and having Premier League experience with Chelsea. And Nigel Clough is back at Burton.

“All change on the roundabout …”

Speaking of Chelsea … they sacked the “Special One”: Jose Mourinho too. With a wicked smile I suspect that his downfall began when Chelsea came to Walsall in the Cup; of course it didn’t but it is a pleasing thought. Really, however, I am hard put to know exactly went wrong: he has demonstrated a tactical brilliance and psychologically, a resilience and arrogance as well as having won trophies for each of the many teams he has managed. But, it seems he “lost the players”, had a rush of blood to the head publicly castigating Eve Caneira, respected member of the medical staff at Chelsea, who left shortly after his outburst – and the players just weren’t putting their all into their games.

But his presence in the manager market place will unsettle directors and head coaches whose teams are struggling at the moment.

Watch this space …

Meanwhile I struggled – I will pretend manfully, but my brother bless ‘im came and collected me – to the Walsall Chesterfield F.A. Cup replay. Not the most inspiring of games. Chesterfield clearly came to try and contain our wing to wing, short passing game. We were short of players who are becoming key men in our successes. Young Rico Henry out, injured and Andy Taylor, short of game practice, but ever willing, in his place. Doesn’t look even slightly like a professional sportsman Taylor, but he has good overall fitness and no shortage of skill. Bradshaw, still suffering from Antony Gerrard’s agricultural attentions out and Jordan Cook in. He must have something, this Cook chap, but we have yet to see it at Saddlers.

A hundred and twenty minutes played and I, suffering and slightly deranged and delirious, couldn’t remember a decent shot. Well an on target shot that is.

 

So to penalties:

… and we converted each and every one of them. While Spireites Sam Morsy missed one and we get through, skin of the teeth job to be in the Third Round. Away at Dean Smith’s Brentford. Could be a good ‘un.

Equally might not light any fires at all!

By Friday, I am struggling at work, but get through, buoyed by the news that there is a mid-day plus thirty news conference at Bescot to announce (presumably) the new management …

I am liking the sound of a guy named Sean O’Driscoll (former Doncaster, Bournemouth, England under-19s and – most recently – Liverpool assistant manager. Never heard of him actually before this, but the local media (not always best go-to place for opinion I admit) is bigging him up: good contacts, successful with tracking and retaining youth, attacking style, local lad etc.

But I also hope we can find a place for Witney, Ward and Cutler, who have done an outstanding job, not least since Dean Smith parachuted out on us, and must have good relationships with the current players.

The Sunday game is a mid-day kick off. Because Sky TV want a live game on that day. Local derby: Port Vale at home. Not one of my favourite teams, although an old colleague, Terry Mullen, was a keen Vale supporter; and we went to a Walsall game together a couple of seasons ago. He didn’t make the corresponding fixture. I found out later he had, sadly, passed away.

Sunday. Mid-day. Close to Christmas. Game on TV. Not much chance of a big crowd then? Port Vale; so very close geographically, bring a disappointing crowd. And a hard-nosed attitude. By now we know our new head coach (note, not manager) is Sean O’Driscoll. We also believe that the team has been picked by the “three wise men” (Cutler, Witney and Ward. And there is not a recognised striker in the first eleven. Bradshaw still injured and Cook on the bench. We wonder whether Lalkovic or, my favourite, Sawyers will take on the up-front responsibility.

I am wrong. It is Lalkovic who runs and giddily tries and does the crazy-terrier thing. Sawyers, apparently being watched by scouts from Glasgow Celtic, plays a ways back; good touches, but ineffective for long spells as Vale, knowing our patient side to side strategy play a high line.

Which muffles out our skill – and means a fairly dreary first half. Port Vale, to be fair, do get the ball into the net after a couple of minutes (was Etheridge concentrating?) but it is deemed off-side.

There is a young woman who regularly comes and takes a seat near our places. Clearly a relative (girl-friend?) of one of the players. She sits quietly, loyally and all alone. Sometimes using her mobile ‘phone, sometimes just looking around. We are puzzled: which of the players? None of her reactions give anything away. At half time she moves out of the seat, then return later. She seems to have nothing to do with any of the other family members; a lot of whom we now recognise, and this is unusual because the rest of them are fairly close and at least nod in recognition of each other. Christmas must be hard for professional footballers (no excesses and training going on unrelenting) and also on their nearest and dearest. Leaving parties early, not drinking … must put pressure on relationships.

Some minutes in to the second half: Jordan Cook comes on. His gestures seem to mean that both he and Lalkovic will be staying up front. Can this be right? Not something we have seen all season. But he is soon busy, grabbing the attention – one way or another – of the Port Vale defenders. And Milan makes good use of the spaces created. We are fitter, have the energy to press on as the opposition give ground.

Cook is involved in a physical discussion at the edge of the field, by the far post, tangling with a defender. Neither ref nor his assistant seem to notice. He spins away, eyes back to the game. The ball. We are on the attack. The ball bobbles, eventually to him, while the defenders hesitate. He puts it into the net. Celebration. This will put us into second place in the league: three points behind Burton Albion and with a game in hand.

…if we can hold on.

But this is not a team that holds on. We go on the offensive. Forde, Taylor pushing up. It is exciting to see. A rasping shot comes back off the bar, falls to Cook and he buries it!

Two nil! Playing with two men up front is paying off!

 

Guest of the Sponsors; Barnsley at Home.

Been working in Burton. Usually it’s a half hour drive, but Friday evening there’s a lot of traffic. A mild spell of weather, but going dark – the way it will in central England heading towards the year’s shortest day (21^st December). Surely too early for the Christmas exodus: to airports and warmer climes, to relatives, to the coast. So I am not too fussed. But my headlights aren’t too grand. Maybe covered by all the muck lifted off the road by other traffic?

Then my local radio station informs me the east bound side of the A5 is closed. Road traffic accident. I am puzzled … I am going west, and if the other side is closed my side should have  a far easier ride of it.

Fifteen minutes later I’m still puzzled and in heavy traffic, but feel blessed as I hear news that Air traffic in southern England was thrown into complete chaos this morning when the air-traffic control computer centre in Swanwick went somehow off-line. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton airports! No flights leaving, few landing, diversions to other airports. The knock on effects of planes and crews being in the wrong places was still going on as I sat there.

 

Up reasonably early on Saturday. Got to Bescot at around midday. Met the head of I.C.A.D., the building company sponsoring the game and the other guests and went into the Bonser Suite. I.C.A.D. have a wonderful history of both building well and satisfying customers and sponsoring a Christmas-nearly home game. My thanks to them for the invitation.

Mick Kearns, former Walsall, Wolves and Eire international goalie is soon there to see if we are settled in, who wants to go on a tour and what needs to be said in the introduction to the public he will give shortly.He is very personable, speaks directly and honestly (even when on radio his comments may be aimed at Walsall and the players) – and that is to his credit. He leads the tour. We start pitch-side, go down the tunnel, turn right into the home team dressing room. Shirts are hung out and Michael Cain is there. I shake his hand. It is explained that all professional players are contracted to report to the club, by 1.20 at the latest every Saturday – playing or not. I had thought the turning up on Saturdays was a voluntary thing – but of course not. The logic had escaped me.

 

The warm-up routines of players is explained but along with the comment that players “back in the day” when Mick was playing ( 1973 – 79 for Walsall and Eire) suffered no more injuries than players today, and we sweep on into the manager’s office where we learn the team hasn’t actually been notified who is playing yet. A few pose for photos with Dean Smith who appears relaxed and friendly, Richard O’Donnell and Jon Witney (physio). We end up singing a rather ragged version of “We wish you a Merry Christmas” and move on to the weights room.

I am surprised by the unexpectedly small scale of the rooms, especially the home dressing room. I am trying to think why they didn’t design the ground with a bigger space. The ground was built from scratch after all: why not give yourselves a bit of luxury?

Back in the Bonser Suite the banter is good and the food better. I had visions of a beer or two, but am driving to the Status Quo concert in the evening so stick with one Coca Cola.

 

Then out for the game. The whole experience is so much different – neither better nor worse, just  different – when you have had  sit-down meal before hand.

Barnsley. Similar position in the middle table as Walsall. Ross Turnbull (wasn’t he Chelsea goalie a while ago?) in goals is a name that leaps out.

Business begins. But they score first. Against the run of play perhaps, but a good goal when the centre half escapes his marker at a corner and heads in.

Walsall stream into the attack. Convincingly, dare I say it – for a change.  We win a corner. It seems to have been wasted, but Jordan Cook is quick. Running away from goal he pivots and smashes a tremendous volley into the back of the net. It is a superb goal!

 

A commentator on TV will later say “I wonder why he decided to make scoring from a corner even more difficult …” smiling as he said it.

There is actually a better view from the allocated “corporate seats” – no girders blocking the view – and the football is much improved too.  A few minutes later Cook turned provider, jinking a tasty ball forwards for Tom Bradshaw, back from his “ballerina injury” to clinically lift the ball into the net. Rico Henry a young left back plays well all game. In the second half – after complementary coffee and cakes – we rule the pitch, although O’Donnell still has to make some smart saves. This will make him our choice for man of the Match.

Late on a good interchange of play sees Manset (on as sub.) carefully and methodically set up Cook for the third and final goal of the day. It rounds off a splendid team performance. But I cannot stop for the man of the Match presentations. I am on the road, picking up and dashing – once again – to the Barclaycard Arena. Almost remembered the way there from last week, but traffic was not heavy and parking in the South Car park easy enough. Box office to wait for tickets to be printed, then in through the hospitality zones and into the darkened arena Chas an’ Dave on stage. Ham-cockneys to the hilt and rather good at it with hundred per cent enthusiasm.

Seats at the end of a row and next to our seats the hall curtained off. Plenty of room.

Quo on – “Caroline” as per usual to start the show, then professional music to the strains of Bye Bye Johnny. None of the sometime-pantomime engaging chatter between songs from Rossi – who took something of a back seat to re-formed, reconstituted Parfitt this evening. But an excellent show.

Status Quo? It must be nearly Christmas!

Oh – and the headlights ? A bulb had gone – all good now it has been replaced (thanks Halfords!).