Litlington 0 Knobs 1

Superb, same place, Steve penalty divided the sides, but hey this should have been a 14-1 result for us. Why not? I know the answer but will not divulge. Needlees to say the mantra is " enjoy the game"- oh yes I'd forgotten that. Get beat 9-0 but as long as you enjoy the game. As long as you do something you can think back on in the following week and say- I did my individual thing, I shot, I fouled , I told my mates to 'fuck off', I laughed at the futility of existence then it's OK all is forgiven and wonderful. Probably right in this worrying age. Bon chance to you all.
I think I enjoyed the game overall. Cogito ergo sum.
Negative team talk at half time? Hey lads, Av given up being Mr Marvellous on a football field. But several of you haven't. 0-0 at half time was simply disgraceful, I'm sure you will all agree.?
They, man for man, were nothing compared to us, yet it was 0-0. Why? Luck- yes, their goalie got lucky and saved a few genuinely, fair enough, but really it was due to a lack of playing to our strengths that was the downfall. FUCKING HELL we could have passed them into oblivion on that pitch! But we don't and we didn't. But hey if you enjoy that way of playing cos it fulfils some atavistic desire we did well. Personally I was making the point that we should, please, play together. It's a team game, with some players now individually better than others for whatever reasons. I made the point that when I had the ball near me in the first half I passed accurately to a team mate . I mentioned this in the hope that, yes I'm ancient but please in certain contexts give me a pass and I'll endeavour not to give it away. It was not supposed to be a negative 'team talk' in deed if I was to really manage a team I'd be brutally frank, insist on certain patterns of play and if someone was not joining the arrangement, yank them off. (Difficult when there are only 11 on a particular day). But our team and vets football is subtly different or perhaps not that subtly. As long as you enjoy being on the pitch 0-9 or 9-0 that is the crux it seems. Afterwards have a shower and a few pints.... and I love you Fred or Harry and how's life in the jungle last week?
But, if competing and hopefully winning is the be all and end all then a wholly different aproach and attitude is required. We should have slaughtered them but something went wrong and in the end we beat them by a debatable penalty. Look into your inner recesses old men and wonder why.
It's a team game football, illuminated by the occasional person who rises astronomically above others, but only occasionally. You have to trust the ability and honesty of the players you are playing with. Yesterday we didn't and haven't on other occasions. Hence the result.
I am being too harsh , I know. Oh well, I have enjoyed being involved in my dotage in games of this glorious format, fuck golf, but the magic of togetherness on a football field , maximising the team's strengths and minimising their weaknesses and realising true enjoyment is a difficult enterprise and perhaps beyond any mortal, including Sir Alex and the special one.
Next week we play the league champions, probably, and on players available to us this season I know we are better than them so make yourself available, they'll be looking to defeat us in order to put the icing on their cake.
What a save from Twiggy, now clean sheeting in all games he has donned the green this season. Mind you the super glue on the gloves might have helped.
KNEBWORTH VETS has been going for over 20 years now with personnel who are still playing, Brendan and Bill, those who have left the country, Jack, Karlis and Steve and who have retired into oblivion, Kenny, Kevin, Peter, Peter, Jerry, Chris, Alan Watts, Neil, Big Bob, Mark, Big John, Dave S, Peter T, Stuart, Paul, Peter G, Nigel, Kevin, Mike S and loads of others and the Knobs will go on, doubt ye not. Enjoy, but enjoy realising it's a team game- play to strengths and try to minimise weaknesses. Remember your mates their position, their present abilities, their personalities and whether they'll buy you a pint in times of economic stress. (Vote Labour by the way).
Love you all
Unknown Crennell

Walkern 2 knobs 2

Air flights interfere with a Vets football game- Mike and Phil affected.
I return from me paper rounds to find we are down to 8!!!! Oh bugger! An hour on the phone got us up to 9. Arrival at the school,Thomas Alleyne , saw us in great heart, Gavin was going to slipploacte them. So good so far. They gave us two, which made a contest but took the edge off the game! Especially since Pat was terrific , aged 61, and probably, solid man of the match. Also they gave us the wonderful Butch who played so cannily at the back it made me think that we have a lovely formation for future games. Sign him on. Chris G would love to play with Butch every week.
First half they never threatened- with their playing from the back, slow and ponderous. being negated by our youthful exuberance, intercepting and foraging by such as Gavin and new boy Andy.We didn't, unfortunately, punch our weight. A nice finish from Gavin, amidst several other misses by us, was equalised by a mistake ( mine I believe), 1-1 half time.
Second half we went ahead from a neat move finished by Andy, eat your heart out Mike Lisle, and me. An occasional sporadic move forward saw them equalise from a distance shot- me back was fucked from the off, but subsequent pressure saw me stop goal attempts in apathetic geriatric ways- Am, finished you fuckers- someone else take turn in goal next time.
Dave was involved in boh forward movements tghat led to our goals- let it be recorded.
A sunny drink in the Dun Cow garden followed. Twiggy turned up with his cold, having deigned to play, and everything was honky tonky- I think.
Dave was instrumental in the start of both moves that led to our goals by the way. Also John Boyle hit the post with a rocket.
We simply aren't scoring enough at this level.

Knobs 0 Standon 1

Computer back up and running- thanks John.
We're hardly scoring goals this year but not conceding many either, however recent results ultimately show we're not fighting our true weight.
Down a goal after 30 seconds, a Dave push, which only he didn't see, and a freekick into the corner past the valiant Paul. What's a goal when there's so much time to go? They played efficiently at times but thereafter hardly threatened our goal, especially second half. Oh they did crash the cross bar in the first half. Fair do's.
Gavin could have scored 7 and should have scored at least 1 but then who else would have had the verve and energy to get into those positions? Look out someone one of these games this boy will be on fire. Perhaps it will be Walkern this Sunday, but not if he is sweeper the old timers' position.
We tired second half.
Hey what about that block by yours headless, in the wall, at a freekick. Saved a certain goal. So I'm only fit to stand in a wall now and be battered by missiles. Head ached all day, still there were some affable sniggers.
A subdued pub gathering, by us, we all trudged homeward early leaving the opposition drinking merrily.