Last match drama

Yesterday was our last game of the season.  Unfortunately it wasn't a great one as I got a puncture by the M1 en route to West Hampstead with half the team in the car including all our keeper and his kit.  Having felt the steering feel a bit odd, I had pulled over to inspect the car, and had found a rear nearside nearly flat tyre, which deflated completely in the following couple of minutes.  The boys actually found it all quite entertaining, and were quite happy chatting and admiring some of the flasher cars going past.  Last time I changed a tyre it didn't take that long, and we were in plenty of time, so I wasn't unduly worried, even though I had previously never changed a tyre on this particular car.  However, this soon proved a rash assumption, as it took me over 10 minutes just to get the emergency spare out from underneath the car, during which time the rain had started pouring down.   Finally the spare was on, and we repacked the car, including the punctured tyre, which meant that all boys were now covered in sticks, bags and other kit.  We were now late and getting later, not helped by a top speed of 50mph on the spare, actually I had to limit it to 45mph as any more and the car felt very strange.  Lying in a puddle under the car getting the spare out didn't leave me in the best frame of mind for a match, not helped by the fact that when we finally arrived 20 minutes late, West Hampstead insisted we start immediately without even allowing time for our keeper to kit up, or properly organise ourselves.  By the time our keeper Harry got on the pitch we were one or two down, and 6 or so down after 20 minutes before we had fully sorted where we were all playing.  We finally lost 10-0, which given the dreadful start wasn't a bad effort.  Man of the match was probably our keeper Harry, playing his first men's match, who made a string of good saves after he got on, and I just hope this hasn't put him off as I feel sure he is a keeper for the future.  

 

I didn't get time to get a new tyre on Saturday, which was a problem as I needed the car Sunday morning to ferry my son and Tommy up to Milton Keynes for an U12 minis tournament.  Saturday evening I spent looking for somewhere open on Sunday for tyres, so well done to Chiltern Tyres in Little Chalfont who were ready for business at 9am on Sunday morning and had me back on the road in half an hour, even though I needed two new rear tyres rather than just the one, because of course you always find that another tyre is looking thin as well (though not yet quite illegal I must emphasise).   This did mean, with the clocks going back that I lost two hours sleep, but it was all worth it as Nick and Tommy's team did well enough to qualify for the next round.

Despite the fact this weekend was a bit of an unwanted drama, I've hugely enjoyed the season, and in general I think we have improved throughout.  I'd certainly like to thank everyone who has helped us out, either as a player, umpire, or supporter, whether once or all season.  I'd also like to thank James for doing such a great job standing up as captain at short notice at the start of the season and organising so well.  We've lost more than we've won, but that has just made our victories all the sweeter, and even when we've lost we've shown some real grit and desire and a never give up attitude.  The only thing left is to send James your votes for player of the season, for the end-of-season awards at the Club Supper in April.  I've voted for someone younger than me, which won't give you much of a clue as I think only Bob is older (sadly Bob, this means that despite some stirring performances from you, I voted for someone else).  Already I'm looking forward to rejoining battle next season, almost certainly slower, but with still undiminished ardour.

England made me late

Andy rung me on Friday to pursuade me to umpire his match against City of Oxford, prior to my match in Staines at the end of the day.  After promising to buy me a beer, I acquiesced, thinking that I could just nip down the M40 after the Oxford match.  At 11.00, however England were 3-1 up against Holland in the World Cup, which doesn't happen often.  I printed out the directions and worked out that I'd have to leave at 11.15 to be ready for the start in Oxford, so I could at least watch 15 minutes.  Holland came back to 3-2, then equalised with an 'own goal'.  It seemed unpatriotic to abandon England at that point so I rechecked the directions and thought that with a fair wind I could just fit in the end of the England match.  Alas, Holland scored again and I rushed out of the house.  Unfortunately the traffic was bad, and I didn't quite make it in time, but a spectator deputised for the first 5 minutes until I got on pitch.  The pitch was a little bouncy to say the least, certainly not the pristine water-based pitch that Germany were playing on at the same time in the final against Australia, a match I had been hoping to watch.  After a small beer, I drove down to Staines for the 5th XI match, which ended 2-2, but could have been 8-8, with shots saved off the line, disallowed, off the crossbar, and inches wide, with both sides pushing frantically for the winner in a match which, although it would only decide a mid-table position in the bottom division of the MBBO, you would think was the world cup final.  Unfortuately, having scored both our goals, Avtar was hit by a lifted ball with just 5 minutes to go, and had to go to hospital with a shattered finger.  A fluke accident, with no one to blame, just one of those things that occasionally happens. We wish him a speedy recovery.  Into the clubhouse after a feisty match, and an excellent chilli and an entertaining debate on which of the boys most merited a lift home with Thomas in his Ferrari, which given it was a lovely day, he had taken to the match for a spin.
This morning, I saw the next generation of England players at our Junior Training, with Jamie (aged 3) expertly dribbling round a line of cones and then whacking the ball at his Dad (who could learn a thing or two I would say).   Later, after getting back home, my eldest said that he had noticed the World Cup Final was on the BBC, so he had recorded it for me (well the second half anyway), so thanking him for his thoughfulness, I sat back to watch the last 35 minutes, with Australia 1-0 up.  A fast game with some moments of fabulous skill, particularly the German short corner goal, which however proved insufficient as Australia won with a well taken short corner of their own and jubilation.
In relative terms though, a 3 year old running round his Dad was also a super piece of skill, and in the last 5 minutes of our 5th XI match on a Staines afternoon, it certainly felt like we matched the passion!