Beware of Offers: Burton Albion at Home

Friday Night: 9^th October, 2015

At home

So, this weekend sees another international break … and another enterprising bid by the Saddlers to grab a few more fans (at least for one home game, if not – having been so impressed by what these “first timers/floating fans” have seen on their day – for games for the rest of the season. Reasoning is thus (I guess) local football fans will have their fill of (let’s call it) top level games on TV (England v Estonia on Friday evening for example … and, oh Lithuania versus England on Monday evening) and might just fancy s alive game squeezed in on the usual Saturday. Hence the offer:

Season ticket holders (such as I) can take a “friend for a fiver”. Actually, with the start to the season we are having – and Saturday’s home game pitting – unexpectedly perhaps the top two side in the league against each other (come on: really who would have thought newly promoted Burton Albion would be top, much less that Walsall would have been second by this stage?) Needless to say my brother will benefit from the offer: no problem (except that he’s not a “new” supporter at all) but …

Results in games where these offers have been made are not – generally good for us. And performances at these games, coincidentally I am sure, are poor so far …

… and we will be short of two of the players that are making us so difficult to play against: ironically both are away on international duty. Neil Etheridge is quickly establishing himself as an all action hero: energetic, acrobatic commanding, busy and ever-so-slightly kamikaze at times. He will be getting his forty sixth Phillipino cap while away. Demetriou looks far more at home going forward from right back position than defending at times, but he covers the ground, marks well and gets his body in the way when needed: he has a game for Cyprus to participate in.

In will come, I suppose Craig McGillivray as ‘keeper. Hope he can handle this game. He will undoubtedly develop as a keeper, but needs to build a better understanding with the defence as his style is far more static than Etheridge’s. Communication will be key here.

Talking of offers: apparently Rotherham, having sacked their manager Steve Adams made approaches for both Jimmy Floyd Haisselbaink (burton manager and Dean Smith this past week. Papers and club web-site are saying Smith is too important to let go. Maybe … but er, for how long … and, with his contract up at the end of the season, where do we stand? This could be about how much the board are prepared to pay to keep him. And, though I have had my doubts about his style – should I now adjust that to read “styles” in the light of what we are seeing this time round? – he is proving remarkably successful on an extremely low budget. Rotherham, being in the Championship might have the extra spending power … or what if one of the Premiership clubs comes a-knocking? Money no obstacle?

Brendan Rogers just couldn’t make the grade at Liverpool: sacked already and Dick Advokaat resigned from Sunderland … Tim Sherwood, failing visibly at Aston Villa must be quaking in his boots at the moment. Hey, Villa people keep your thoughts and paws off the Ginger Mourinho.

Last night Northern Ireland qualified for the European Championship finals in France next year with a stirring 3 – 1 win against Greece. Good luck to them and congratulations too.

Tonight I dutifully watched England – looking radiant and a class apart, beat Estonia by two goals to nil at Wembley (still with traces of the American Football markings visible on the field of play (really? No way to wipe these out?) One nil up against an outclassed but determined, well organised side but not inspiring, allowing me to switch to Gardener’s World for half an hour and switch back in time to see Leicester’s Jamie Vardy slip an unselfish pass across for Raheem Stirling to knock in the second (class vision from the just-on substitute).The win puts England into the seeded teams, so we should miss the seriously big teams in the competition in the group games (France, Germany and Italy for example).

Sunday morning, home, 11^th October, 2015

Picked my brother up to go to the game. Cars everywhere, lucky to be able to jam the Vauxhall into a little spot and take the traditional walk. Long queues, even at the collection window so, like any true Walsall fan would I deserted my brother to the queue and went in. His s eat wasn’t necessarily going to be by mine any way …

Good crowd inside, some Bluenoses (Birmingham City fans) in the seats next to ours who proved to be good company (here because of the “international break I guess). Good, noisy contingent from Burton. Game pitting the two top teams against each other with no Championship games must feature heavily in tonight’s Channel Five football programme so masses of TV cameras and OB wagons.

And, from the kick off three things became apparent.

First – and so proud to be able to type this: we were superior and full of pace, passes and width.

Two: Burton are a team who seek to gain any advantage and do not draw the line at cheating, only exacerbated by

… three: one of the worst referees I have ever seen in charge of a professional football game.

The game was always going to be keenly contested. Top of the table clash, why not? We have the best defensive record in all of the top national leagues so far: we have, in fact only conceded six goals in our league! Burton also have not had many put past them. But, above and beyond the simple “man up and play” physical challenges that both teams took on, their players fell over unnecessarily, feigned injury, protested decisions and generally tried to upset the pace and switching of passes (Rico Henry and Liam Kinsella being brilliant runners at the Brewers defence on each wing).

… and the referee fell for far too many of these pantomime tricks too many times.

But it wasn’t enough! Romaine sawyers –once again playing his game-changing passes with sweet touches and marvellous vision made space for our players going forwards. Tom Bradshaw playing his usual strong game up front, drew defenders, creating space and pockets of room for the likes of Kinsella to race into, play a one-two and get a centre in. Usually from the goal line. And we hold the midfield; Reece Flanagan, Chambers and Sam Mantom mastering the flow, the tackles and interceptions and pushing the ball forwards. It is, frankly impressive. Especially when Sawyers and Mantom got the ball to Liam Kinsella, racing into the box to slot a shot into the far side of the net. The possession dominance showed – at last.

… and, if only briefly we are top of the league!

Second half saw more poor refereeing decisions (I am, I hope careful not to criticise referees often: it is one hell of a thankless job and poor decisions will, inevitably be made – it is what makes football what it is of course –)  but this guy ???

He had penalised Rico Henry in the first half and booked him, when there was no genuine offence and the challenges carrying Chambers through three red-blooded tackles were far more deserving of the whistle (and perhaps a card). But in addition to poor decision making the ref was guilty of wasting time – oh so much – talking to offending players: not just once but time after time. Why not just one warning then next time it’s a card?

Brewers proudly came at us in the second half. Good now at coming forwards they threw three men up front. We were a little sloppy at this stage, couldn’t get the ball back and keep it. No pressure from players to make the follow up challenge that would secure the ball and launch a counter attack. Partly because of the Burton players skills no doubt – and they proved skilful, just adept at cheating along with it.

The clock ticking down we began to edge into the play again. Sawyers, still cool, Bradshaw still mobile and Cook coming on, running and harrying. Sam Mantom put through had a perfect opportunity to nail a goal, but er, hey Sam, get some shooting practice in eh – a touch too many and the shot was blocked.

Never mind, Burton were also wasting golden opportunities: at least two.

Then Sawyers flicked an apparently casual ball (he is rarely casual this season!) and got a penalty.

Burton players did their level (and beyond) best to stretch out the time before the kick was taken in the hopes of putting Super Tom off his game. But he just stood there while the childish behaviour was going on , hands on hips, looking at the ground – then stepped up and blasted us into the top spot in the league.

Great game – in which I became outraged, involved and had the sweet satisfaction of seeing my team dig in. play skilfully and beat a dishonest side. And a real advertisement for the high levels of talent, commitment and emotion that goes in this lower league. Next game is at home (Chesterfield) so there is a really good chance some of the “new” fans will be back to see if it happens again.

Top of the league (on goal difference only) but a magical afternoon … and even having my car boxed in couldn’t wipe the smile off my happy little face.

Packwood House and Rotherham (Away)

15^th March

Had bangers an’ mash (sausage and mashed potato) for dinner yesterday. Bit slovenly, eating them of a tray on my lap, while watching TV (the mysterious disappearance and no-traces found of a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane).

Bangers ‘n’ mash needs pepper right?

So fetched the pepper mill off the dining table and left it on top of a pack of playing cards by my left elbow. Coming downstairs at around 6.30 to get a cup of tea I realised the portentous error. Rotherham (a.k.a the Millers (pepper mill get it) and the pack of playing cards is one from a sponsored match (thanks I.C.A.D.) at Bescot. An omen ?

Still not travelling to the game today so decided to go to National Trust’s Packwood House, about forty minutes pleasant drive away. Last time we headed to Packwood it was closed and we went, instead to nearby Baddesley Clinton (very charming with some humorous scarecrows).

The banks of the roads are alive with brilliant yellow daffodils. Hedges neatly trimmed and in one case well laid, looking pristine in the powerful, warm spring sunlight. A bit windy too.

Arrived, parked, membership (oh yes indeed!) cards scanned and a brief walk around the ornamental gardens; verdict being they will probably look good in summer. Outside introduction to the house given by a volunteer wit h a Scots accent. Very informative, great history. In a way quintessentially English. A farm leased after the Reformation, Bought and improved, passed through the ever-expanding family. Heirless neglect. Bought by a rich industrialist for his fifteen year old son, Graham Baron Ash, who re-invented it (and massively added to it) as a “Tudor manor”. The cow barn converted into a great hall and a “Tudor long gallery” built between it and the house proper in faithful-to-the–period style, with authentic furniture “saved/rescued/salvaged” from other properties during the Depression.

            

The kitchen walled garden brought back memories for me of Little Wyrley Halls’ walled garden, though was nowhere near as grand. The one at Little Wyrley hall has been turned over to grass – and, last thing I knew was a paddock for a pony. A well-spent morning, not thinking about the game: away at Rotherham, who are well in the promotion/play off place hunt.

Set out on the return journey with BBC Radio WM on in the car. Commentary of the Swansea v West Bromwich Albion game on. But every now and then the “goal horn” going off when scores came in from other games. Nineteen minutes (or so) Rotherham nil, Walsall 1 came in. Lalkovic scoring his “sixth goal of the season” and the – somehow desperate statistic that “in the last fourteen games Walsall have never lost a game they have been winning”. Can you believe the research that goes in to these things? I have been impressed by Milan Lalkovic since the first game of the season: he’s energetic, skilful and hard to knock off the ball. His Chelsea contract runs out at the end of the season, and, good as he is, I don’t imagine Chelsea will keep him. he has made loyal noises about coming to Walsall, but my guess is he will go to a Championship team – and our chances of that are running out.

Back home, unpacked the car. Radio on upstairs. I’m checking Facebook, getting the bulletins. With seventeen minutes to go, our defender, Ben Purkiss gets sent off … and some seconds before the final whistle, Rotherham equalise.

Down at mom’s half an hour later, the TV news is bringing the latest latest about the Malaysian airliner MH370 and the Russian delegate vetoed the U.N resolution that would have had tomorrow’s referendum in Crimea registered as unlawful.

Watched, as promised in an earlier post, some of the winter Olympics ice sledge hockey: the final between the U.S.A. and Russia. The two main protagonists in the Crimea/Ukraine scenario. Actually, while it takes a lot of skill (naturally), energy and guts to compete it wasn’t actually as brutal as the trailer seemed to suggest. Less so than the standard ice hockey where there’s further to fall and body slams into the wall are common and bruising. The U.S. triumphed … and in Sochi, Russia too.

Meanwhile, closer to home the Express and Star meanwhile is bewailing the fact that Walsall could do with bigger crowds. No joking? But it’s often the Express and Star that, in spreading rumours and refusing to give us fair publicity, banjaxes our potential. To whit the over-egging of the “racist” stuff during the Wolves game, giving former Wolves goalie Matt Murray a platform to report his feelings as fact, and making it seem as if Bescot is a dangerous place to go.

Now I realise that the E and S is printed in Wolverhampton, but we could ask for a little more positive coverage couldn’t we?

Also coming to bear, of course is the expense. This is an expensive month to be a Saddler’s fan, with the Football League adding the Coventry away game to our fixture list.

A small point too: why oh why can only season ticket holders go into the bar in the main stand? The story given that it is to stop those eating in the restaurant is too, too feeble. The corporate bunches – come and gone – are separated and have their own dedicated bar.