St Stephen’s, Swans, Snow and Satsumas: Swindon (home)

 

Christmas Eve and I always take a cross country walk to Norton Canes (St James’) churchyard. My maternal grandparents are buried there and I spend some time “with” them. Memories and thoughts. Visit to the headstones of other family members too. The walk back is also part of a ritual. But this year I pause in the field side wagon track. Surrounded by a flock of long-tailed tits. So active, moving from twig end to branch in the fashion of monkeys somehow. And so quietly.  Back at the Garrett’s Brook pool there is a surprise and I have to look twice: a black swan. And me without a camera! 

An excellent Christmas Day: Dinner and tea expertly cooked and served and good company. And not as badly affected by my cat allergy as I might have been.

Boxing day. Late getting up. A walk with camera to Garrett’s Brook. The black swan is still there and happy to “pose” for photos.

 

Then with rain in the sky I’m setting off for Bescot. Not forgetting a Satsuma. Something off a Boxing Day tradition but I have no idea where or when it began. Snowy – great friend who died earlier this year – would bring satsumas (a traditional Christmas fruit here in England) – to the game and share them around. We would then, in various inventive, perhaps imaginative, ways, link the number of satsumas to the result.

I took one!

There is a good crowd from Swindon: four coaches shining on the car park and the “away end” is full. They are doing very well at the moment – and it became clear why during the game. Found a seat in the Bonser Suite. Chatting to a guy I think must be a scout: there are quite a few of them at the game (including John Rudge – we think working for Stoke City maybe?) when Cully Drew and J arrive. Some chatter about Christmas days, the team, the weather (forecasts of a band of snow moving across the Midlands) and families.

Walsall had visited the manor hospital, with presents and Christmas wishes for the children in wards there (a sad thought and a great community gesture from the club).

It’s not a bad crowd, belying the rumours of masses heading to Boxing day sales across the country. Not far away Nuneaton Town were offering free entrance to women and fans under the age of (I think) eighteen today. Another fine gesture, might help their gates, get a few more fans in and create a big game atmosphere for their relegation clash against Telford AFC (the offer included away fans too).

We were still settling into our seats when Swindon scored the first goal. Possibly Paul Downing was to blame, but this Swindon team are powerful and have the ruthless quality required to dominate games from the first whistle. They would demonstrate this again and again as the game wore on and the snow came down. But we have a certain determination too – and were playing at home, getting back into the game with Tom Bradshaw’s twelfth goal of the season after sustained pressure and very positive forward play. Good work particularly down the right flank with Purkiss finding Forde with some fine passes and Forde’s speed taking him behind the full-back.

A serious challenge from a Swindon forward on O’Donnell had the pitch in an uproar. Quite deliberately, with no chance of getting to the ball (run beyond his control) he slid long and leg blatantly outstretched in the hope of intimidating – or injuring – our ‘keeper.  O’Donnell took the ball – and the knock. Shameful and beyond competitive and well worthy of a sending off. The referee, however took the easy way out: a simple yellow card.

What a tremendous difference the red card – or lack of it – makes to a game. Before Christmas Gabby Agbonlahor, Villa striker was sent off for an innocuous-enough challenge on a Man Utd player.  In an appeal hearing the card was rescinded – right and proper, but meanwhile Villa had to complete the match a man down. In this, Bescot case, deliberately calculated professional hugger was not punished –and this undoubtedly changed the  course of the game. Initially it had players tackling viciously – thinking the referee would let anything go – and a few players (on both sides – puzzled by decisions given. Secondly, Swindon would have needed to reshape their game plan with a man short.

Then the snow started coming down. Looking poetically beautiful in the spotlights against the green of the pitch – until it was covered. Swindon, playing in white tops and black shorts disappeared from view at times.

In my seat at the restart, eating the totem satsuma. But almost immediately after the restart a poorly taken Walsall corner was lofted out of  defence, taken forward  a long, long way – by Nathan Byrne. Henry did well to hold him up, but he passed inside and the ball was in the back of our net. Another two Swindon gaols followed.I give them their due: the most impressive side I have seen play against us this season. We have potential: they have actual quality. We have the best players we can get for the money/people available. While Swindon may attract rumours of financial shadiness in some quarters on the field they are doing the business. These are the teams we have to be measured against in the final countdown. I learned a lot today as the snow piled down – and Walsall fans especially (for some reason) were thinking the game should be abandoned. A couple of appeals, one from Cook and one from a Swindon forward that the opposing goalie had picked up the ball outside the area (both looked well inside the boxes to me) were pantomime appeals.

Ashley Grimes came on – Bradshaw came off for Manset, who looked totally disinterested for his brief appearance – and neither made a serious impact. Grimes still to score ?

We are away on Sunday. MK Dons. Former star striker Will Grigg plays for them and I am guessing there will be a different atmosphere at that game: hopefully better defending from our team too.

The satsuma? well: one satsuma: one Walsall goal eh?

It’s A Friendly, Right?

It’s a sunny day: a lot gets done during the day.

I have used my season ticket for the first time (to reserve my seat) and get two extra tickets for the friendly game this evening. Opponents Leicester City (new boys to the Premier league in the forthcoming season).

Promises to be interesting right?

Walsall’s results in friendlies so far not exactly encouraging. But they’re friendlies right? Meant to add to player’s fitness, get them playing together like a well-oiled machine (nah, you’re right that metaphor definitely doesn’t work … but it’s staying put!), test out new strategies, different positions, all that malarkey …

Then again, so far we’re getting players injured in these games and it’s time to start sweating., maybe. We have a small squad, so injury problems are never far away, if not actually paying a visit and eating your scones.

Good crowd from Leicester; posh coaches too. Our daughter Rebecca, who teaches in Leicester, is one of my guests. The other is a Liverpool fan, just interested in seeing a game I guess.

The new electronic scoreboard! It’s bright, it shows pictures that are synched with the announcements and, soon after kick off the timer is wrong. the pitch looks splendid, but, then again, if it’s not pristine now, there’s really no hope is there?

Our number 2 is listed on the team sheet as “A. Triallist”. He is big! A little out of fitness and he doesn’t track back when big Wes Morgan lumbers up to score Leicester’s first. Nobody to blame really for the second. A good tackle from Paul Downing (our vice-captain this season) bobbles to a Fox, David Nugent, who hammers it sweetly into the net. We’re looking a bit nervous at this point.

Just before the break some relaxed Leicester defending sees our number two stick the ball in the net. Bit rough house, but it’s “in the sprout bag” and the referee gives it. Bit of muscle, just what we’ll need when the pressure is on and we need to use a target man to soak up time.

The announcement of the scorer is typical Walsall.

“The first goal for the Super saddlers was scored by number two … I don’t know who*.”

We seem invigorated after the break. Baxendale sharper, O’Connor (new signing) and Mal Benning, especially looking useful.  Adam Chambers, new captain is at the centre of things, leading, typically by example and effort. The ball gets squeezed up the wing, dinked inside; a run from A. Triallist who looks up and slides the pass inside for another new boy Ashley Grimes to equalise.

Both teams give the other a thoroughly good work out. Leicester look less threatening in the second half, but manage a winner after a welter of substitutions, including “Another Triallist”.

It’s still warm when we leave the ground, with stewards not yet “up to speed on segregating the masses trying to exit via the Bonser Suite. Not an easy job: but this year I can smile and flash my season ticket.

Don’t worry people this is a friendly, you have time to get your act together. The Express and Star and web-site Bescot Banter certainly do. They have the Triallist named and noted as Mathieu Manset.

(Leyton) Orient … Home

22^nd March, 2014

Started off the day with a shopping trip. Sainsbury’s. To pick up a few things that will help me next week in Austria. I am going to take something I will call an “English Easter” to a school in Upper Austria. Long story behind it breaks down into my work in two previous European Union funded education projects and a lasting friendship with a teacher there. She became a head. Her sister works in another school and asked if I would do something similar at her school. There is something I find relaxing about the scenery and people there. Pace of life is steady; people take an interest in you and the children are keen to learn … and – at least – pretend to understand my rarely spoken German.

Now I am not famous for going back to places. Cromer and St Johann/St Peter and Walsall Football Club being the notable exceptions.

There is, of course, some trepidation in me. I will be travelling alone. A flight from Birmingham to Frankfurt and on to Linz. A small airport in Upper Austria about which the locals say staff know your name if you use the place twice. Don’t laugh, it may well be true. The arrangements are over. I have some Power Point presentations on a memory stick and I am ready to give it a go. “To keep your heart young and fit, “ it was said once on BBC Radio 4 you should do something each day that scares you. Maybe this will qualify. New school. Teachers I do not know (yet) and flying.

No replies to my texts asking if my brother would be going to the game today and while, coincidentally bumped-into-and-talking with another former European-schools project partner (mid-aisle, Sainsbury’s) Cully rings.

We arrange for him to pick me up and we’ll go get a beer. Then another call. My brother. Sorry, can’t go, but will get the tickets for next Saturday (home versus Shrewsbury).

Cully needs to borrow a coat, he’s driven across the sleet and hail storms on Cannock Chase and thinks he won’t be warm enough. No worries. He happily borrows my “avalanche coat” – the one with a transmitter that’s activated by (I am not quite sure, but) avalanches, being buried perhaps, so that tracking teams can find, can find, can find – well the coat obviously … hopefully with me inside it, warm, unbroken and laughing off the battering.

A pint at the Wheatsheaf, Great Wyrley: scene of many over-the-years pre and post-match beers. We talk about comics, football, how would you design a house from scratch (well – go on – how would you?), lighting fires, evolution, did I mention football ?

Good companionable talk and then climbing into the car and zipping to the game. The weather is so changeable: by the time we can see the field the skies are blue and the playing surface looks marvellously green: credit to the ground staff. A mutual friend, Gerry is there.

Leyton Orient. Where do clubs get their names from? Why Orient? Best guess is that it is in the East End of London. I know that the stadium is not so far from the enormous Olympic Park that was constructed on contaminate, completely undeveloped ground for the 2012 games. West Ham will be buying the rebuilt ground where the stadium is although there was some typically-bullish talk about Leyton Orient taking it on. In the end, and sensibly, they just couldn’t afford the financial commitment. Also intriguing is that, early on in the First World War over forty players and staff from the club joined a local regiment. There was – kind-of – farewell parade which followed the last game of the season (20,000 people attended the match).

As of twenty-first century now, they are well placed to be in the play-offs, might even sneak automatic promotion –and they are playing at Bescot today.

We kick off and it’s straight down to impressive business. Busy, probing. My eye is taken by Lalkovic and Brandy, but Sam Mantom is back from a three game suspension. We take the upper hand quickly. Sawyers looking relaxed, Westcarr, as usual at the moment, seems a little off the pace. We mount attack after attack and, as is often the case we are wondering aloud how they can be in such a good table-topping position … and we are not! I guess every supporter of every team knows this feeling.

We are kicking towards our own fans, full back Andy Taylor getting forward often and effectively. We’re overloading their right back, pushing up. Passing well, finding players. Neat, tidy. More shots than usual … Lalkovic, Brandy, Sawyers and our earlier talk in the pub about being “found-out” as a one-strategy team seems like wasted words. The Orient defence are under pressure. The ball screws in to the middle from a corner. It seems like slow motion: the ball spinning slowly almost still on the spot and everyone, everyone just gawping at it. Then Paul Downing is there and batters it into the net! Time catches up with itself and we are on our feet, cheering, predicting three – nil wins and composing imaginary text messages to those who are not here.

Inside for a beer at half time, still the persistence to look at season tickets continues. The stewards I am sure are only doing what they are supposed to do, but I cannot understand it.

 

Back out for the second half and, somewhere below us pitch-side there is a small drama as a spectator seems to collapse. I was watching the game, so do not know whether he tripped on the stairs or had a seizure or similar in his seat. The medical team and stewards are there very quickly and he is escorted in to the lounge area. I hope he was and is all right. Well done to the stewards and staff.

But Orient are a different proposition in the second half. Their manager, Paul Slade has said something to them in the dressing room that has wound them up and they tear into us. Once again we lack the penetration – Brandy excepted – to break away and make it count.

And under the pressure a low-danger going nowhere shot is deflected off Paul Downing into the Walsall net past Richard O’Donnell who is diving the wrong way (to cover the original shot)!

Furious energy from both teams then, seeking the winner, but a draw it is at the end. Unsatisfactory in the scheme of things for both teams – moreso for us I fear.

We are playing at Bradford on Tuesday night. I will be ensconced in Austria, hoping to get a text that says we are back on the victory trail again, but certainly not missing the match.

Shrewsbury at home ?

Now there’s a prospect!