Nearly a new year and what's been happening at Robins' Towers?

Well not that much really - what with the weather and all that - but we can report that we have:

PUT SEVEN DAYS IN ON LUCA MODRIC
RESCUED 27 BALLS FROM THE FROZEN RIVER DOUGIE
HAD A BEER OR THREE
REALISED THAT RAY DAVIES IS STILL THE GREATEST MUSICIAN EVER
NOT HAD A PIE! WELL NOT A MEAT PIE ANYWAY. THERE HAS BEEN THE ODD MINCE PIE ALONG THE WAY
SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO TRY AND FIND A GAME TO WATCH...
AND THOUGHT: THOSE NEW 4G PITCHJES MIGHT JUST BE OKAY
GIVEN UP WATCHING TELLY - WHAT A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS THERE HAS BEEN ON THERE!
THOUGHT: "YOU KNOW WHAT THAT HARRY REDKNAPP MIGHT JUST MAKE A DECENT ENGLISH MANAGER AFTER ALL." JUST LEAVE THAT DICKHEAD SON AND HIS WAG OUT OF IT.
MARIO BALOTELLI'S HAT. DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO LAUGH OR CRY

Right I've stopped shouting now so roll on Monday 3 January 2011 and (hopefully) a game of football...

Preview coming up later in the week.

Merry Christmas

Once in a blue moon...

Well what a fine game that was!
Seven goals, the woodwork rattled three times (twice by them) and an Andy Neafcy goal!
We checked for blue moons and all that but no - it was as normal. Not a bad goal in that he curled it in from the edge of the box. The only problem now is that it'll be years before you see another one from him. And you know what when all those commentators were saying: "We'll never see a World Cup in this country in our lifetime."
The same goes for this as there are probably some of us who will never see another Andy Neafcy goal in our lifetime.
At least we can say: "We were there."
Needless to say Ryan Small had the last word and had to score one from the halfway line.
"Football, bloody hell," as Fergie said,
In between these two goals, Ste Eddy got a couple and could have had half a dozen. Macca was man-of-the-match (in our eyes from the stands) and put the penalty away neatly while the Robin Park Arena celebrated all those council cuts by putting a new wooden floor in the bar!
I assume it's in preperation for the salsa dancing or summat but it certainly gave the place a bit of an odd feel. But then again it was an odd sort of day as the model train exhibition was on across the road and was absolutely rammed.
Wish we had their gate. Then again Latics probably wish they had their gate! The car parks were chocka, there were a lot of normal-looking people going there and the pies and beer was flowing when I walked past. I even heard 250 sat down for a meal - I assume trains whizzed across their table when they were eating. A weird pastime if you ask me but the punters weren't half as scary looking as the darters when they turn up and as for those at the cat exhibitiions!!!!!
Anyhow I'm sure they didn't witness as much entertainment as we did.

So in a nutshell...
Boiling hot in the Arena - was "down to mi boxers" at one stage!
Six great goals
One great argument in the seats - no names mentioned but one of the accents was decidedly scouse!
Pies on good form
Pitch looked in great nick
Ste Eddy and Macca arguing over who was to take the penalty :-)
Radcliffe and Runcorn (weather permitting as it's predicted to be monkey's at the weekend) next up.

Bring it on!

Too Darn Soulful

John Barrett has been documenting the UK soul scene through a range of stunning black & white and colour photography for the past five years.
There are no glamourised images here. Just gritty images that capture the real heart and soul of the artistes, dancers, fashion of the Northern, scooterist and mod scenes.

You can find more about the man and his camera over and purchase the photos at http://www.soulphotos.com/index.htm

Meanwhile if you are over in East Yorkshire an exhibition of John's photos - entitled Keeping the Faith - runs from 10 December at 18:30 until 23rd December at The Museum of Club Culture, 10, Humber Street, Hull, East Yorkshire, HU1 1TG

Ice Station DW Stadium

WIGAN ATHLETIC 3 STOKE CITY 0
Girvan 6
Astles 51
Watson 86

One hundred or so hardy souls braved a chilly, nay a very chilly, DW Stadium to see Latics’ youth team progress to the Fourth Round of the FA Youth Cup after a 3-0 win against the Sjokers from Staffordshire.
I missed the first goal as the turnstile operator was a) trying to work out my change and b) trying to find me a team sheet but good old Kev Powell – who was on his way to reception to get a said team sheet informed me their keeper: “Cocked it up.”
When Kev and the team sheets returned to our little mob then it was confirmed that captain Michael Girvan was the ald that bundled the ball home.
Stoke 'keeper David Parton fumbled the initial cross which landed to Girvan six-yards out to prod home and make it 1-0. From then on it was all Latics and although it wasn't until after the break that they stretched their lead their dominance ensured it was coming.
The remainder of the half - in fact the whole of the game – belonged to Latics as they tore apart a Sjoke side that looked lost without their long throw-ins, fouling, feigning injury and ranting raving baseball-hatted loon on the sidelines.
The only surprise in the whole game was that the fluid Latics youngsters didn’t get more goals and the fact it took them until five minutes in the second half for them to double their lead.
A dangerous cross was put in from the left, the visitors’ defence failed to deal with it and the big lad Astles bundled it home. I’m told this kid’s only sixteen but he ain’t half a big ‘un!
With City throwing everything forward Latics caught them on the counter attack when the left winger, Boothman piling forward before releasing the excellent Watson to put the game out of site of the potty Potters and put themselves into the hat for the next round.

Bits and bobs
Bovril @ £1.50 and it was crap. Can they ever get anything right at the DW catering.
Wannabe WAGS – glorious looking but… but… as your fella will probably be signing-on in a year or so best make the most of it, eh.
Scouse voices everywhere. Take it most of the lads are from that area,
The small kid coming on at the end (Phillips?). The same lad I wouldn’t let into the Arena for the Robins v Latics friendly at the beginning of the season as I didn’t believe he was old enough to play for Latics and thought he was just trying to jib in!
Did I mention the cold?

Latics team: Nicholls; Lewis, Willis, Girvan, Astles, Chow, Myler (Lynch, 89), Morris, Bingham (Sheego, 83), Watson (Phillips, 90), Boothmann
Subs: Williams, Waters

Stoke team: Parton, Roberts-Nurse, Hall, Clarkson (Dawson, 62), Hedley, Wint, Mitchell, Koroma (Alabi, 61), Agbaje, Richardson (Bossman, 87), Musungu
Subs: Harrison, Galloway
Additional information (ie who scored and all that) taken from http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/page/Youth/0,,10429~2239064,00.html

OFF OFF OFF

image: J Simons - welcome back to the most important clothes shop ever!

Meanwhile as the Radcliffe Borough game is again off due to the adverse weather conditions.

So here are some reasons to be cheerful (or maybe not) parts one, two, three...

Those stupid fucking snoods - how utterly, utterly pathetic are they and how far will this once great game fall before it eats itself completely.

That scouse girl on X-Factor. At last somebody that can actually sing, look good and have a sense of normality about her. Not that I've seen a minute of it...

Ray Davies and "his friends" - patchy in parts but some of the tracks work

While all of the tracks work on Bruce Springsteen's The Promise - a wonderful feelgood album for Christmas

Mikkel Rude shirts - strictly 1969 stylee

Meanwhile it's "Sheepy weather" all round for the Robins Bootboys

1-0 up with three to go Down Under

The new John Simons shop - rejoice

FC United's success in the FA Cup - best of luck on Wednesday

Mince pies

Kate Rusby and her "Make the Light" album

Those Wigan Christmas lights. They are so bad that it's funny. And to think they had the Wigan Hoi Polloi switching 'em on.

Charity Shop finds...

A decent pint of real ale

Fish, chips and mushy peas

Later - the DW Stadium tonight for the WAFC Yoof v SjCFC Yoof