Struggling a little bit this week with a virus infection; coincidentally reading a book (Station Eleven) that deals with a “post apocalyptic” world depopulated by the fictional Georgia ‘flu – and what happens to civilisation – or rather what remains and/or evolves as civilisation. Interesting reading, but not designed for those who have heavy spasms of coughing. I smile as I type this.
Apropos to which, big medical news is about the breakthrough in “bionic” technology: the development of a working mechanical hand that can grip with varying pressures and is managed by electrical impulses from the brain. This is the super side of humanity. The opposite to the terrorist shrieking demands and violence – and it is most welcome. As is the fact that I had my dental check-up this week and have no remedial work needed.
In the World Track Cycling the GB team threatened to overwhelm, then managed to win creditable medal places. Opinion is divided about whether this is a good omen for the Rio Olympics, but on balance I am optimistic. The races shown on TV include the omnium and the kirin, both of which are fascinating to watch and bewildering to score. One of our class cycling heroes, eleven times Paralympic champion, Sarah Storey – officially a Paralympian but determined, sharp and easily able to compete with able bodied athletes – is intending to try and cycle a world record distance in one hour. The current record is 46.065km and was set by Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel of the Netherlands in October 2003. I wish her luck: trekking around the velodrome for an hour is said by Chris Boardman to be “one of the most painful things you can do on a bike.”
Meanwhile an unexploded Second World war bomb was discovered beneath the car park at Borussia Dortmund’s stadium (which has a capacity of 80,000). I am not sure if they were digging up the ground or it was a chance find.
And one of our former players, dean Holden is moving into management, though perhaps only temporarily: Dean Holden is stepping up at Oldham. Good luck to him – unless they play Walsall of course. He was centre half and coach at the Banks’s Stadium and I remember buying tickets for a charity his family actively supported; his young daughter died from a rare blood disorder. He always seemed a genuine guy.
So to Walsall. The week began with Walsall Football club – and, to be fair almost all clubs in league One still with a reasonable chance of making those important play off places.
An away game at Bradford on Saturday had Bradford going one up, but finished with a one – all draw. That seemingly indefatigable spirit coming back to bite Bradford on the bum! But not finish them off!
But, then again maybe the intense pressure of a lot of games in a short timeframe is taking a toll on our small squad; although morale seems cheerfully high.
The first allocation of JPT tickets has been sold and we have been granted an extra five thousand. Phone lines and queues have been the order of the day … and I cannot get through to ask about the Early Bird season ticket offer. There are Wembley-linked prizes on offer if we buy before 14th March.
A rearranged game against Preston North End has Romaine Sawyers rested and Ashley Grimes beginning the game. Young Rico Henry replacing Andy Taylor at left back and Paul Downing not starting due to injury. Ashley Grimes is a lot more physical than Sawyers, who maybe being rested. But, sadly for Grimes his hoodoo remains with him. He failed to make any real impact (lack of match practice/ lack of skill? According to manager Dean Smith we – as a team – took too long to get started: giving Preston too much of the ball, the play and the territory – and paid for it by losing one nil.
Perhaps there is something of an anti-climax here, or fatigue is setting in. It may be no surprise that we – finally – lose to Preston whose resources are far bigger than ours but …
We have Leyton Orient at home on Saturday, we are still in the mix and there is time to get points and table position still. But games are running out now.
Images; Sarah Storey; daily mail; Omnium: telegraaaph.co.uk; dean Holden: http://www.thenational.ae; Match action: Walsall Advertiser
Trials and Trails: life and times of a Walsall fan 