Knobs 11 Garston 2

I refereed, in the first half and I was embarrassed. Martin agreed in the first half, this was embarrassing. Approaching John coming off at half time, his first comment was "this is embarrassing". So it wasn't just me. What was so embarrassing? Our 5-0 half time lead?
Perhaps some of us were getting things out of all proportion, perhaps we were playing so bloody well perhaps it was simply an unstoppable day for us. Who the fuck knows. In the pub Brendan said you can only approach a game against the opposition set out in front of you. Yes. It's no good beating yourself up because you outplayed an opposition so thoroughly in the only indisputable way- simply scoring far more goals than them!
However nagging disquiet rules in my addled brain. When arranging the fixtures their bloke John always emphasises the age of his side put out against us. (Garston have a very large vets set up and for some recent historical reason have chosen us as a fixture for their mainly over 50's side). I always retort that we are a small vets' squad and can only field an eleven that is available. I emphasised that to John last Sunday and he seemed to be OK with it. Last year we beat them 2-1 with not so much an older Knobs side but a less able one. You may remember I scored the winner, I do, it was a good win, an enjoyable game for both sides and one we actually won with a faultless display of goalkeeping by Trevor. Today was different. Apart from playing with our legs in hobbling irons I don't know what else we could have done.
They chose to kick off after winning the toss and we chose to kick downhill. They started brightly with some of their clever passing drawing gasps of admiration. Yet their purist football never looked remotely like advancing them into dangerous positions where they could damage us. It's a big pitch and they didn't have the legs to support each other in possession. C'est la vie! After a few pleasing-on-the-eye passes their moves either broke down with a loose pass or more often they were brushed aside by honest endeavour. Thence came the crunch. When in possession Knebworth possessed players who could run strongly with the ball and off the ball, Richard, the returning Alistair, Matty and Martin to mention a few were running like whippets. As we got on top we tended to run even harder and faster. What a contrast to the last two weeks when we looked decidedly unfit and off the pace. Of course the confidence of scoring made all the difference and we fed hungrily thereafter, racking up goals at will. Mind you we've all played games when we had a superiority and won but never so emphatically as this one. I remember a game two years ago against a very weak Old Pretenders which we only drew 2-2 instead of winning by a cricket score. Then there was the game we lost at home to a pretty aged Kempston side last season, how did that happen? And so on. Perhaps as their midfielder Wally and some of our team said some of their side simply gave up. Perhaps, I'm not sure. Anyway relative to the game today, those who played for us were certainly up for it and well played to them all. At least we paid them the respect of playing hard and not showboating or taking the piss just cos we were scoring so well. That would have been awful. We played hard and respectfully so well done all of you!
They won't all be like this one. Next week we entertain Ware at home in the league, a different world but please bring the same commitment and attitude with you.
Goalscorers Matt 4, Mike 3, Steve, Mark, Brendan and Ron (my kingdom for a chip! it brought memories back from twenty years ago and before and a tear blinded me eye).
A nice wee session in The Fox where Garston showed in numbers. I guess the next game against them, before Christmas, might see a different opposition in front of us. Fair enough, but we'll have Roy back. Revenge is a dish savoured....... Put this one in your diaries.

Thanks to Alistair for reffing second half. Thanks to John for not coming on in the second half. Thanks to Roy for going home before kick off, superfluity of players.
A viewing of the new kit took place in The Fox, the jury's out! Thanks to Trevor for providing it and best wishes to him in light of his family concern.
Obviously those who ref our games in future cannot wear black. Some of you may know that I have a rather attractive line in white T-shirts with dizzying designs which are borrowable at no charge! And I didn't get them from that Mike Ashley's sporting junk shops.
The incomparable Len Shackleton, Crown Prince of Soccer, once had a chapter in his autobiography entitled what directors know about football. Needless to say there followed several blank pages. This was followed by Cloughie's mantra- directors know nothing about football, directors never thank you and directors are essentially untrustworthy so don't try to befriend them. KK should have taken note. We have owners and international companies now running clubs. Thieving Russian oligarchs with their playthings, corrupt Thai politicians with apalling human rights records, billionaire Arab sheiks accidentally sitting on oilfields (wonder if Manchester City have a women's team, ad pay good money to watch a team playing in burkas but not sure about the stoning and amputations that follow a stripping off of a veil when they score) and then there's the heroic 'people's owner' Mike Fucking Ashley. The man who made his millions selling shoddy sportswear, made by slave and child labour to the masses, some may say the multitudinous unwashed, of Britain. Isn't it great to support a club with such financial scruples? He's given Newcastle nowt, he'll make a huge profit on his investment and life will go on. Just how does one ethically support your club in this day and age? Fucked if a knaa. The new messiahs of Newcastle? Some conglomerate of Indian businessmen. Better than Ashley? You must be joking though Geordies do like a curry! The pain goes on.... and on....

So it's howay the lads as England's national team slips further into the brown slimy stuff . What a way to run a pastime.

Chippy