The Streets of San Fran er... Stoke
Defeat in the FA Vase means that The Robins will be travelling to Staffordshire on successive weekends. This Saturday it's Stone away but just gone was Norton away. A very pleasant Norton, as well...
Not been able to say that before as last season we had to contend with the fog and the cold but this time well... It was sunny, hot and in a certain light the hilly streets of Stoke could be mistaken for the hilly Streets of San Francisco. Almost.
Add into this no traffic jams on the M6 and a simple journey you know it's going to be okay. Pitch was good, if a tad long on the grass side and the lads were soon out on the pitching warming up/or cooling down. Bill Williams - dad of the Williams 3 - and myself settled for a cold lager watching fat middle-aged men playing cricket on the adjoning pitch. Good entertaining stuff as the runs and wickets fell in equal numbers. The home team seemed to be knocking a few runs but taking tea at twenty past two suggests they didn't get that many.
As for the footy... Game of two halves. They scored first thanks to "Skip to the Paul" Macari - son of - and could (and probably should) have gone two up when Jay Foulds was fouled after what seemed an innocuous challenge resulting in the "goal" not standing.
On the stroke of half-time The Robins were awarded a penalty and a great chance to equalise. Unfortunately Steve Williams blasted (well not even blasted but more scooped) the ball high and wide and half the way to Burslem.
We adjourned for cheese and ham butties and a lovely mug of tea whilst - I assume - a bollocking was dished out in the dressing room.
It worked as we got control of the game and played some lovely football. Well-taken doubles from Ry Small and Chris McNally pretty much settled it. Corcy got a kick on the head - that made less press inches than Robin van Persie's. Maybe we should have had one of those blood capsules for more effect. Chipper hit the bar with another rasping shot whilst Adi Whittle also went close with a cracker. Steve Williams had a great game holding the ball and line but had one of those games where he wouldn't have scored if he'd played until midnight on Sunday. These things happen.
So in a nutshell...
Pie and peas - but make sure you have your raffle ticket. No ticket no pie
Piemaids - very pleasant
Lager - cold and very nice. Wasps a bit of a pain, mind
Ref and linesmen - better than of recent. But that doesn't mean that much...
MOM - Dean Callaway (as voted by them). Not quite sure that's right but as the game went on he terrorised their defence but in the second half everybody played well
Programme - just okay nothing more...
This Saturday sees The Robins travel to Motiva Parkv - the home of Stone Dominoes. Massive game and a real tough un. The lads are buzzing, the weather forecast is good, the pitch down there is fantastic and it all adds up to being a cracker
And with all this Beatles stuff about at the moment here are TEN STONES FOR THE STONES. Crank up the stereo it's only rock and roll but I like it, like it
19th Nervous Breakdown
Paint It Black
Let's Spend The Night Together
Honky Tonk Women
Sympathy For The Devil
Brown Sugar
Under My Thumb
Jumpin' Jack Flash
I Can't Get No Satisfaction
Street Fighting Man
1 comment:
I said we want Willo back, I said we want Willo back...that's Steve Williams of course :)
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