A quiet transfer deadline day...

Well we have to go with what we've got after a quiet day down at the Stadio yesterday. Bit peeved myself as I stood outside for 12 hours and had my Zippo lighter all ready to burn my shirt if Ryan Small - Wigan's best midfielder - had been sold to Atherton Colls.

"My sources actually told me" that Liverpool were looking at Ry but he was in the pub and they couldn't get hold of him for the medical. Manager (and Chairman) John Neafcy was reportedly spotted in the Park Lane Social Club with five mobile phones on the table in front of him. He somehow managed to miss Mike Ashley's call though as he was at the bar getting the Guinness in. Unfortunately he'd no credit in any of the phones so it looks like the club is missing out on the £12m for Steve Edwards.

Chorley FC were linked with Paul Vermiglio but when we informed them that - while he was on a free - we needed them to pay off the fines he owes the club. They took one look and concentrated on bringing in Fernando Torres as he was a cheaper option.

The Robins were linked with a lad from Goose Green United but he refused even to talk terms when he heard he wouldn't actually get paid, would have to sell weekly predictions and pay subs. Another lad from The Almond pub in Skem was thought to be on Neafcy's hitlist but it later transpired that the Vodkat League informed the club that under new FIFA rules we had our full quota of plastic Scousers on board already.

"C'est la vie" or "Is right" as they say over that way.

Neafcy was linked with some lad called Connor Sammon - who he'd spotted on telly last week. Big Fat Gypsy Weddings to be exact but Dave Whelan got in first and his offer of a night down King Street and first shout on doing his driveway won the deal for the near-neighbours.

So a quiet day - and in fact quiet transfer window - and it's "as we are" for Norton away in the cup this weekend.

It's the Vodkat League Challenge Cup 2nd round. The last home game that Norton played was abandoned after the visitors kicked-off on the field and there was a pitch invasion forcing the referee off...

Good job we're taking a firm - Me and the good Doctor Baker! Just hope they don't chase us to the station as it's miles away. Which reminds me of when I went to Bournemouth watching Wigan Athletic and a set of youths chased me and Dell Ward (the original Cockney Latic) all the way to the station. We'd been running for about two miles, turned around and thought they must be gone now - No they were still coming. Admittedly we were both a lot fitter then but since that day I've never gone to the match wearing a Fila BJ tracksuit and Diadora Borg Elites. Ah great days...

The best football flag ever...

Mud Wrestling at Prescot...

The Robins midfield discuss who's taking the free kick...

Well it's the annual trip to Scouseland...

No not a few bevvies in The Poacher at Winstanley but a trip to Valerie Park Prescot. The home of Precot Cables and AFC Liverpool. Oh and last Sunday some team called Paddock (inc half Marine's side) played there in the FA Sunday Cup Third Round.

Paddock 3 Hetton Lyons Cricket Club 2
Admission inc 12 page programme, £2.00
Attendance - 80 (estimate)

According to Tony Kempster's site.

Well I suppose the pitch is that bad another game won't matter. Well I'm saying it's that bad - really I'm just guessing but if history tells us anything it will be its usual mudbath.

Anyhow back to Scouseland. If in fact Prescot is in Liverpool. It's all to do with the colour of the bins, apparently. I haven't a clue. It is a strangely depressing place to be honest. Not like us Wiganers can say much but there's a real tumbleweed blowing down the street type vibe about the place. There are plenty in the alehouses, mind and last year we had a few in The Sun Inn (fantastic) and The Deanes House (dull). I'm sure we'll have a few this time...

Oh and the reason to go?

Well it's third v fourth we always win there - mind you they always win at our gaff and well.. it's a Saturday. Why not?

May the best team win and all that but more than that let's look forward to a decent game between two honest decent clubs.

Ground: Valerie Park
Address: Eaton Street, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 6ND
Telephone: 0151 430 0507
Website: http://afcliverpool.org.uk/go/..
Kit Colours Home: Red Shirts, Red Shorts & Red Socks.

Directions: From North: M6 to Junction 26, onto M58 to Junction 3. Follow A570 to junction with A580 (East Lancs Road). (Approach junction in right hand lane of the two lanes going straight on). Cross A580 and take first road on right (Bleak Hill Road). Follow this road through to Prescot (2 miles). At traffic lights turn right, straight on at large roundabout (do not follow route onto Prescot by-pass) and right at next lights. 100 yards turn right at Hope and Anchor pub into Hope Street. Club will be in sight at bottom of road. From South: M6 to Junction 21a (M62 junction 10). Follow M62 towards Liverpool, to junction 7. Follow A57 to Rainhill and Prescot. Through traffic lights at Fusilier pub, 100 yards turn right at Hope and Anchor pub (as above). From East: Follow M62 as described in 'From South' or A580 East Lancs Road to Junction with A570 (Rainford by-pass), turn left and take first right. Follow route as 'From North'

Map: http://tiny.cc/lil9b..

Nearest Railway Station: Prescot
Come out of railway station and you will see shopping centre straight ahead. Take road/path at right hand side - will take you to main road. Ground just up on your left.

Pub: The Sun Inn
11 Derby Street, Prescot, Liverpool, Merseyside, L34 3LE
We'll be joining the AFC fans in The Sun Inn before the game. Just on the main road 50 yards down from the ground. The pub sponsors AFC Liverpool and is a cracking establishment with real ale.

"Bring on the Robins"

ps Buy a programme - it's a cracker
pps The chips aren't bad either.

Modern Football is rubbish part 839: Messageboard Managers

1969ish: Latics have been away at somewhere like Worksop Town and it is 6.15pm. Stood outside the newsagent waiting for the Post & Chronicle Football Pink. Pass the money over the counter and read the front page quickly.
"Yesssssssss - won."
And run back home to give the copy to my grandad or dad and wait a few hours for them to read it before they pass it over to you. And before a fish and chip supper, cards and the Match of the Day.
2011(just): Sat on the bed. BBC website on the laptop, twitter feed on the phone and Radio 5 on in the background. And four managers are going to get sacked and everybody's loving it. Meanwhile Latics are losing at Bolton and Chelsea are losing at Wolves and Lawro is on about Hodgson and Robbie Savage is getting excited that four managers could get sacked and that Arsenal “have no plan B”. Like Savage ever had a Plan A.
But hey this is the modern world. Everybody has an opinion.
In fact as Ray Davies said: “Everybody's a dreamer and everybody's a star
And everybody's in show biz, it doesn't matter who you are.”
And there are match threads on websites written by people that never go to a football game. Expert managers and expert tacticians. In their bedrooms on their laptop, twitter feeds on their phone and Radio 5 on in the background. Lawro talking tactics. BWFC_Fan talking tactics. BaggieForever talking tactics. Liverpooltilidie talking tactics.
4-4-2
4-2-3-1
4-5-1
10-0-0
And all the rest of that bollocks.
On Radio 5 Live (sic) Mark Bright is ranting about Arsenal fans ranting about “Boring, boring, boring City” and he’s probably right. As he is when he is ranting about Liverpool fans ranting as the soap opera goes on and on and on.
Ancelotti to be sacked for his team being fifth – I saw them play in the old second division.
Hodgson to be sacked for his team being twelfth – they were in the old second division in 1961
Houllier to be sacked for his team being in the relegation zone – I saw them play in the old third division for crying out loud.
And as for Grant and West Ham - well they’ve been up and down like the proverbial yo-yo.
Times change: Preston were once invincible and now they lie bottom. Well done Maurice old boy - keep up the good work.
Ah you are doing – Phil Brown in line for the job. Fucking hell…
And times change and it’s twenty past three and nobody’s been sacked and the soap opera that is football is having a quiet day. The calm before the storm they hope. Where soap stars like Rosie Webster shag blurts like Scott Sinclair who in another age: She would be working in Greggs and he’d be playing for Dulwich Hamlet and still it’s all 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 and Beckham is/isn’t singing for Spurs. And that bald beaut Dharmesh “My contacts tell me” Sheth is talking about players - I have never heard of before and will never hear of again - signing for Manchester City while I’m sat on the bed. BBC website on the laptop, twitter feed on the phone and Radio 5 is on in the background while some serial Wigan Athletic messageboard fuckwit - amongst a sea of serial Wigan Athletic messageboard fuckwits - is spouting shite on a er... messageboard.
Whilst over on another million football boards other fools are destroying young managers, players, and the game in general. Not a single one of them have a fucking clue about football. But it’s all 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 and “sack the manager” and you haven’t a clue… and… and…
And a not a single one of them have ever heard of the Post & Chronicle’s Football Pink...

Bobbin' Along - The Book

Please note that we are now on the second batch of the Bobbin' Along book.

Many thanks to those that have bough the book but there are still plenty that haven't read the gritty book that details the club's first season in the Vodkat league.

Press Release:

Bobbin' Along - a 162 page book detailing the Wigan Robin Park's first season in the Vodkat League - is now on sale.

Written by the club's media officer Andrew Vaughan, it is a retrospective look at the 2008/9 season. The book takes a wry look at the ups, downs, mud, sweat and beers of that season while at the same time recording all the facts and figures.

Vaughan is a well-known figure in local writing circles. He was the founder of the original Wigan Athletic fanzine Cockney Latic and co-founder of The Mudhutter fanzine.

He is the author of Punk Football and co-author with Martin Tarbuck of Pies and Prejudice both available from Mudhuts Media.

His first novel Faded Lois Dreams - set in London in 1982 on the cusp of what is now known as the casual movement - will be released at the beginning of February 2011 and has already received lavish praise for its inventiveness, literary breadth and poetic brilliance.

Bobbin' Along, Vaughan admits, is a much more simple book.

"Basically it is just a gentle stroll through the Robins' debut season in the Vodkat League.

"It's just my view of the club, the league and football at this level.

"There's plenty of humour and some insights into modern football but I've mainly written it as a memento for all those involved and to raise the profile of the club, the league and non-league football in general.

"Of course if we can make a bit of money for the club that would be great also."

Vaughan, like many, struggles with aspects of the modern game - and everything that goes with it - and readily admits his love of football has been re-ignited by the non-league game.

"It isn't for everybody, but I like the friendliness and honesty of the game at the grassroots level."

Bobbin' Along can be ordered by sending a cheque (made payable to Wigan Robin Park Football Club) for £10 along with your name, address, phone number and email address to: Robin Park Arena, Loire Drive, Newtown, Wigan WN5 0UN. If people could mark the envelope for the attention of the Robins' secretary Taffy Roberts that would help.

It will also be available at all of Wigan Robin Park's home matches.

Cover: http://issuu.com/vaughanie/doc..

Click image for full cover...

Coming Soon: the first of many

WIGAN ROBIN BASTARDS

Robins rocked at Blackpool

The beautiful Megan Dodds - who played Kitty De Luxe in the Viva Blackpool programme - any excuse and all that...

Third time at the Mechanics Ground and another lively affair.

Not sure what they put in the sea air - or the beer for that matter in the excellent Shovels pub - but any how the games are always feisty affairs with loads of banter from the terraces and the dugouts.

This was never going to be any different as the two sat at the summit prior to kick off.

But first the beer. I had to stay loyal and go with a few (too many) pints of Wigan brewery Allgates' Winter Meltdown. Picked it cos it was a "light beer". I've since discovered:

Originally brewed in October 2009 as a monthly special but due to demand it was retained as a seasonal beer.

It is brewed with low colour Maris Otter & Lager malts to provide a perfect light coloured beer with the Brewers Gold hops providing a well balanced bitterness ideally complemented with the lemon and citrus aromas from the use of Pioneer as the late aroma hop. Oh and it's 4.8%
http://www.allgatesbrewery.com/our_beers/seasonal/

I think it was the spearmint and fruit chews that got me a bit wobbly though.
But all-in-all a very decent pub with a good range of beers and well worth a visit if at one of the three grounds within 100 yards of it. And Wigan Council moan about putting floodlights up in a field in middle of nowhere - well that's floodlights for football clubs, St Pats can out up 24 of the buggers, but I digress.

As for the game - well they had a player called Whacker. And that pretty much summed up their game. He whacked it, others whacked it and two top strikers Ben Waddington and Nial Cummins chased everything causing the Robins defence all kinds of problems all day.

But more on this Whacker character, What a whinging whining little git he was. Screeching like a little girl every time anybody went near to him. Feigning injury, diving the lot. He's been watching far too much Premier League stuff and I'm really surprised he wasn't wearing a snood!

Somebody else that had been been watching far too much Premier League stuff was the fat ref as Ryan Small became the first of five Robins - and (just) one Blackpool player - to enter the referee's book for a strong challenge. Ry got the ball but no fatty number one went straight to his pocket while the lad that got hit was rolling around like he'd been shot. Thought for a moment it was going to be red but thankfully it was only a yellow hue.

Fatty number two was the bloke that is always known as "the fat linesman" who as normal was about as near to play as the woman that was serving pie and peas in the clubhouse. It's all very well but when the home side are playing the long ball game you've got to be up to the mark and this fella just isn't good enough.

As for the goals - well their two were carbon copies, through passes and expertly finished by Ben Waddington.

Our one was also pretty much a carbon copy, through pass and expertly finished by their centre half for a cracking own goal.

The final thirty minutes was pretty much stalemate - Wigan responded well to going behind by controlling possession but the home defence coped with everything that the Robins could throw at limiting the visitors to long range efforts.

With time running out we threw everybody - including keeper Jay Foulds - forward but last-gasp defending from Blackpool denied us as they hung on for a vital victory.

Special word for the large contingent of travelling fans who applauded the lads off as they knew the team had contributed to an enthralling encounter.

Top day out - bar the result!

Next up the Daisies from over the hill on Saturday.

I'm sure we'll bounce back...

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

Ingrid Pitt RIP

A proper vampire - none of that Twilight bollocks...

Unit Four Cinema, Pemberton, the Queen of Hammer Horror, growing up and all that.

Thanks for the memories

A classic double-header

Nice little double-header yesterday...

First up was an entertaining ninety minutes of Latics reserves beating a very poor Bolton Wanderers side. Then again when is a Bolton side anything other than poor?

Latics strolled it really as an excellent first half goal from Callum McManaman and a second half strike by Joe Holt and header from Adam Buxton made it 3-0 to the home side.

Holt impressed - as ever - while Roman Golobart was a rock at the back but all-in-all it was an exceleent team performance. There was a kid called Aivan Sunday upfront who was busy and bright whilst Bolton-fan Mike Pollitt had just the one save to make.

Wanderers were that bad that they got there first corner in - something like - the 85th minute. As for the lump upfront - Tom Eaves - well all I can say is Oldham saw you coming...

As the temperature dropped a pie would have been nice but there was no hot food or drinks available. There was the usual smattering of scouts in attendance, some very uninterested young players doing the ballboying duties, the normal oddball Wanderers folk whilst Tony Kelly wandered around in his Bolton kit!

All-in-all a reasonable afternoon's attendance before the second installment and a first trip of the season to "Edgy" Green Street and a view of St Helens v Stone Doninoes in Saints temporary home. And in truth it was all a bit grim. A crowd of 63 was declared - erm not sure about that but... it all felt very quiet. Feel a bit sorry for Saints playing there but needs must, I suppose - just a shame that the biggest contingent there was the Robins lads.

On the pitch Stone Doms put in an excellent away performance, Defending solidly, breaking with pace and - most importantly - taking their chances.

The game finished 0-2, it was effing freezing, the pie was "very average", the coffee nowt special but the Bovril was spot-on.

In fact the Bovril was the highlight of the day.

Oh and no programmes - as the lad that does them had been rushed into hospital. Pity as the Saints' programme is quite simply one of the best around the whole of the football world. We wish the fella well...

A book for Christmas: The Ivy Look by Graham Marsh & JP Gaul

Meet at TopShop

Meet at Topshop, Oxford Circus. All the young lovers meet there. Boys and girls and boys and boys and girls and girls in this mixed-up muddled-up shook-up world.

I meet Janet there and she is late as normal. And I’m as mad as normal and she flashes me that big beautiful smile. And she takes my arm and I forgive her. Cos I always forgive her and we walk through the backs to Efes for kebabs and steaks. And beautiful dips and pittas for a beautiful girl.

We share our joy and pain. Sunshine and rain. We eat and I drink. Jan has a Baileys that she sips. And she keeps smiling and we talk about our friends. Mutual and otherwise. I tell her I love her and she tells me the same. But this love will not be consummated. This is platonic love and we both know that. We hold each other close in our hearts. We are mates and that will do me fine. Beautiful as she is – I don’t break up relationships. My morals are low but something deep, very deep keeps me from her. But no messing I love this beautiful girl from Streatham.

And this beautiful girl from Streatham loves Tom Waits and to a backdrop of the chitter and chatter of twenty-nine accountants and one secretary I slowly and quietly start singing:

“And you can ask any sailor and the keys from the jailor
And the old men in wheelchairs know
That Matilda's the defendant, she killed about a hundred
And she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

And it's a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace
And a wound that will never heal
No prima donna, the perfume is on
An old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street sweepers
The night watchman flame keepers and goodnight to Matilda too”

Through welled-up eyes and a lump or six in my throat. And she flashes me that big beautiful fucking smile. The suits are bewildered – twenty nine of the fuckers trying to chat up the secretary from Southgate who will lead them on and half-listen to their tales of accountancy and flow charts. Budgets and provisions, sports cars and salaries. When all you need to fall in love is Tom Waits and gorgeous Turkish food.

We talk about growing up and Jan tells me Tom Waits’ Kentucky Avenue is the greatest song about childhood. I tell her Springsteen’s Growing Up is the greatest song about… er growing up but she flashes me that me that big beautiful fucking smile and I know she is right.

Waits once said when introducing the song: “I grew up at a street called Kentucky Avenue. Well, I was born at a very young age, and eh when I was about 5 years old I used to... I used to walk down Kentucky Avenue collecting cigarette buts. And I finally got me a paper route. I used to get up at 1 o' clock in the morning so I could deliver my papers and still have time to break the law..."

But the song is more about his best friend. This friend had polio and he used to be in a wheelchair and they’d race to the end of the road. And Jan tells me this and she sings in her sweet South London voice:

“I'll take the spokes from your wheelchair and a magpie's wings
And I'll tie 'em to your shoulders and your feet
I'll steal a hacksaw from my dad and cut the braces off your legs
And we'll bury them tonight out in the cornfield
Just put a church key in your pocket, we'll hop that freight train in the hall
We'll slide all the way down the drain to New Orleans in the fall”

The suits don’t understand poetry. They don’t understand love. Don’t understand platonic love and the way that Janet’s big beautiful smile means more to me than anything in the world and they don’t know who Tom Waits is and it pleases me no end and it would please Tom Waits as well…

The Good, the bad and the ugly

photo courtesy Paul Cullen
ROBINS 0 ABBEY HEY 3
Well let's get the good out the way first.

Er...
Well the pie and home made Leek & Potato soup was excellent and after that it went pretty much downhill straight away.
Respect to Abbey Hey - who were definitely good and everything else about the day was bad and at times downright ugly!
No point dwelling on it and this blog has never been one for slagging players off but I must say it was a pitiful performance. Personally I'd exempt Jay Foulds - that didn't have a chance with the goals - Ste Eddy - who didn't get a pass all game and Scott McNair - who looked bright when he came on - from the general malaise that surrounded the rest of the team/squad.
We never put two passses together, had a shot on goal or remotely looked like doing either of those things fundamental to winning a game of football.
As for the ugly bit - well they tell me Wiggles' tackle was a shocker. I'm playing the Arsene Wenger on this as I simply couldn't tell from where I was. To me it looked no worse than the one on Dean Midge that (that) bald-headed plonker of a referee deemed not to be worthy of a red but hey there you go...
Right it's over and let's hope it's a blip rather than the beginning of a bad run and let's face it we've only lost one game in something like eleven games. So onward and upwards as we look forward to Chaddy at home on Saturday and Raddy away the following Tuesday.

"Bring on the Robins"