Hey Boys! I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK...

Oh yes indeed.

Oh Football Results, we smile at you!

We're Crap And They Think We Are

And there we are, second and with a game in hand on the teams in first and third places.

Have a great week, I think mine is going to be hard work but I've no problem with that at this stage - I'm starting with a fair shot at things.

Make it a good one chaps, speak later.

It Be The Weekend

Saturday's come and there's that there football on. We're away to Wolves. The result of today's game won't decide anything, but I'd not be surprised if, come the end of the season, we look back on this game as providing something of a turning point - a win would put as right in the frame with United and Chelsea, one or both of whom *have* to drop points tomorrow. We simply must win today.

Elsewhere it's off to Pucklechuch this evening for the Primary School fireworks do. This should be most excellent fun and there will, I'm told, be hot chestnuts and the like. Party on, dudes.

Right, where's that tea?

Incoming!

It's Bonfire Night and the dark early evening sky is awash with splashes of colour and showers of baby stars. Unfortunately the accompaniment of explosions and other assorted bangings isn't being too well received by the house's K9 units. Impressed they most certainly are not.

Good result for us last night, not at all a clever one for the Scallies who are now, somewhat amusingly, favourites to win the Europa League thing. Those bookies are a right bunch of wags, are they not?

Could It Be Rafa?

AZ Alkmaar at home in the CL tonight. A win is more than possible here, and it'd set us up nicely to be spending our time concentrating on other fronts for a while. Come on you Gunners!

Elsewhere, the Soaraway Sun is sticking it to Gordon Big Issues big time, and quite right too. Why the wretch can't just call an election is beyond me, it really is.

Very odd journey back on the bus today - well, it might be entirely normal for buses, but I'm a recent convert to commuting that way - loads of coversations, but all one-ended because everyone was talking on their mobiles to people off the bus. Weird. Rather sad, actually.

Update: Half Time sees us 2-0 up and the Scallies drawing 0-0. It's the 'Pool on the box and I have to say they're doing OK. Torres is useless, though to be fair he's supposedly injured, but Benayoun and Kuyt are playing really well. I have a sneaking suspicion Voronin's hard work may yet be rewarded...

Tuesday's Child Requires A Beer

Stan Kroenke has purchased a further 427 shares in Arsenal's parent holding company and now has a stake of 29.6% - another step closer to the 29.9% threshold that would trigger the requirement for a formal takeover bid. A few years back I'd have been very wary about this situation, nowadays - SK having shown considerable decorum and respect in his dealings both with the club and us minion fans - way less so. The spectre of Usmanov lurks horribly and so Stan's the man for me if we really can't stay the way we are - and I suspect "the way we are" is the way most fans would like us to stay. SK seems, though, to understand the "patient and sane" approach AW has taken in his managerial stewardship of the club, and in particular the way the move to the new stadium has happened. Good.

Not a lot else going on, it would seem. So let's get that beer...

Yippeee! It's Another Week!

A win over the SFTL is always fine, and one when (a) they've been bigging themselves up before hand and (b) David Bentley is playing will always be good. 'Arry wasn't happy, but then he's no more Brian Clough than Robbie Keane is Joe Namath.


Notice how his shirt number falls between DB10's and TH14's. It's all in the stars, they say.
A new job today, so this is just a brief one. More later in the week, I hope.

Have a good one, all.

It's Dark Out There

Very, very dark in fact and it's only 18.44. Winter, is that you?

Great win last night - I listened to it on the wonderful Five Live, and most enjoyable it was too, though I was a a tad worried at times that John Motson was about to implode under the weight of his own implausible controversies. Alan Green is cool though. The stuff football's made of.

On the subject of what football's made of it no longer lists Marlon King as an ingredient. The journeyman player/full-time ****wit has been locked up for 18 months for breaking a diminutive female student's nose when she objected to him groping her. At his age and with Newcastle now almost behaving like a normal club it's difficult to see him getting back to top-flight employment - Wigan having done the decent thing and sacked him - when he gets out in about 3 weeks, so at least there'll be some sort of justice.

Friday tomorrow. I understand this to be a good thing, and will attempt to behave appropriately.

Heroes, Lies And The BBC

David Shepherd, cricketer of these parts, umpire of 92 tests and bonne-oeuf-toute-circullaire, as young Pete would say, has died, aged only 68. He'd been battling cancer for some time. He will be missed - I suspect, though, that his Nelson-hopping routine will soon become a regular supporter dance routine at grounds up and down the country.

Elsewhere the BBC are trying to make Andre Agassi's confession that he lied about how he came to fail a drugs test way back in his dark days when he'd fallen down to around 140 in the world into a "star admits taking stimulants" story. No chaps, it's not. It would seem he took crank/tina/meth once and explained the test failure away as saying he'd drunk a doctored drink. Does anyone at the beeb know what this drug does? Do they seriously think he could actually *compete* regularly under its influence? Get a ****ing grip on reality and give credit where credit's due for the man's honesty.

Carling Cup tonight and we're at home to the Scallies. Bring it on, I love this competition, I really do!

Roll On The Big One

Golly that was a long week! Still, here we are at Saturday and a welcome day of rest. Anything I do today will involve trips to the fridge, methinks. Tomorrow it's bike polishing and then off down to the Queen's Head for The Big One.

Normally Reds vs Reds derbies leave me a tad cold, but this is a MASSIVE game and no mistake - the beauty of it, too, from a Gooner point of view is that any result is a good one for us, so we can just sit and enjoy it for what it is. And enjoy it I'm certainly hoping to do. We do need to get a result at the Boleyn Ground later on, but I'm quitely optimistic we'll do that, however much of a bogey team/PITA the Hammers have proven to be in the past.

Right, off to the fridge. Laters, dudes.

Update: Smile, friends, the SFTL have just lost at home to Stoke :)

It's Good To Talk

If people spent a fraction of the time engaged in dialogue that they do trying to avoid it the world would be a far better place. This strikes me as a pretty universal, if perhaps a tad obvious, truth. Whatever. Onwards.

Last night's result isn't going to set the world alight but it'll do just nicely, thanks. What on Earth is going to be made of the current plight of the Scallies is another matter altogether. Plenty of moaning on the fora today - I think they're quite possibly right that Rafa's more likely on his way than not, but I'm less convinced of an immediate descent into the Old Bob's Sunday Specials League just now. West Ham strike me as more likely to be going there next, IMHO. Sunday's game will be a big one, though, and no mistake.

And so to bed. Or at least the kettle.

Quite Tiring, This Working Mallarky...

Another day at work and I have to say I'm rather tired. Pleasantly so, though: working at least leaves you thinking it's an appropriate feeling. Long may it continue. The work that is, not the tiredness of course.

It's dark and wet here in Bristol now - 18.00 and it's beyond dusk, Winter's well and truly on its way. I love this time of year, I have to say.

AZ Alkmaar away tonight in the CL. I know absolutely nothing about AZ beyond the fact that they're Dutch and bottom of the Dutch league atm. The former should always provide a bit of concern and the latter is pretty meaningless given they've only played two games. We've got a fair record against Dutch opposition, though, and if I were to jump off the fence and offer a prediction I'd go for an away win for us. It's live on SS3, so I won't be watching it, though it is also on Five Live so I may get to hear a bit until the Boss notices.

Hoggin' The Bridge 2009

Sunday saw the 10th annual "Hoggin' The Bridge", a charity event organised by the Bridgewater HOG chapter. It's basically a rideout from the Aust Services in England over to Chepstow in Wales. It says it's 5 miles to Chepstow when you're on the English side. This is a tad deceptive in terms of how you'll be spending your time on HTB day...


First wake the neighbours...
We met up at sparrowfart with bacon rolls and tea, hoping to get to Aust before the place got too chaotic. It's a 10 minute journey from here, so our seven bikes and eleven people set off just before 10.00 for the advertised 11.00 start. It was indeed about a 10 minute journey to the roundabout at Aust Services. From that point on time went a tad random.

The roundabout was interesting. Several hundred bikes at each entrance, one car in the middle of it all. Not much fun for the car, and not too much fun for the bikers either - this is nowhere near as disciplined and well-marshalled an event as the RTTW, there's an element of "everyone for himself" that doesn't sit well with being in charge of an unstable (you're moving at walking pace) vehicle when you're surrounded by other similar vehicles all within inches of each other. Top Tip: make sure your clutch is properly adjusted before trying this particular game.


EasyBikerz
We eventually got into the Services, but got split into a couple of groups. No matter, we managed to find each other, have a few cups of tea (and yet more bacon for Andy) and then re-form as a group once the ultra-keen had moved off. We still crawled out of the place though, now in a none-too-clever three/four abreast convoy to head off over the bridge.


Aust Services: possibly not a good day to pop in to to wash the Porsche...

Time for a break
It didn't take forever to get over the bridge, but after that everything just slowed to a crawl. We weren't the only people (as you can see) taking a "revive my wrists" rest on the way. On reflection a number of us would probably have stopped more often had it not been for the riduculously short distance we were supposed to have been travelling.


Chepstow: actually quite scenic
And then we were in Chepstow. We sought out tea (even Andy was briefly off his bacon) and cooling breezes. A fair few people had gone out first thing thinking "hmmm, it's cold" and put on tights/leg warmers etc. To say they were regretting this by the time they got to Chepstow is an understatement of no small proportion.

Chepstow itself is really rather pretty. The town takes full advantage of the event, as well they should: even the senior citizens club had geared up with quadzillions of extra sandwiches to sell.


It's true, Andy can't resist the lure of bacon

Chepstow: also absurdly hilly
All in all it was a great day out, but I think if I do it again I'll just cross the bridge and head straight back. The ride into Chepstow was just too slow and too badly organised: an experience yes, a pleasure no. I might go back over to take another look at Chepstow, though. Looks like a nice place and there are plenty of pubs...

A Somewhat Different Week

Interview on Wednesday, started work on Thursday. Brilliant. OK, so it's temp work and likely to be short-term but it's got me back in the game and it's released the Evil Empire's grip on my ankle. It's great to be back, I have to say.

Tomorrow is Hogging The Bridge day. I hope this turns out to be as much fun as it promises to be, good weather would be almost as good a start as the enormous number of bacon rolls the Boss is now geared up to make. There should be a few of us leaving from here - thankfully the neighbours all appear to like bikes - and I'm hoping we can meet up with the Invicta HOG lot for some tea and a greasy-thing-in-a-roll over in Chepstow. Pictures will, I hope, follow in due course...

Proper football is back today. It's half-time for the normal time kick-offs and we're 2-1 up against Birmingham. We *should* win this and, to be honest, we *have* to win this. Elsewhere, Chelsea have already lost to Villa and the Manchester Red Devils are predictably stuffing Bolton. Liverpool are managing to lose, being a goal down after the ball deflected off a balloon. Liverpool players are up in arms: read the laws, chaps.

More in a while, perhaps. And so to the fridge...

Update: Well we won, 3-1 in the end; United won, too, as did the SFTL. However, both Chelski and the Scallies managed to lose. Interesting.

The top five positions are now occupied thusly:

Man Utd 22
Chelsea 21
Tottenham 19
Arsenal 18
Man City 16

However, whilst the top three have all played 9, we've played 8 and Citeh 7. Early doors and all that. The blue half of Manchester play Wigan tomorrow, so I anticipate we'll be fifth come Monday morning. *But* we'll be only four points behind the leaders with a game in hand. Good enough for me for mid-October, I have to say.

Chaos. Not Just A Theory.

Plenty of rushing about today, not a lot of achievement. Interview yesterday, interview tomorrow. Phone calls, emails. Busy busy busy.

More tea is needed. Back later.

Ride To The Wall 2009

The Ride To The Wall is an annual ride out to the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield. The joint aims of the day are, firstly, to remember those who have died in service since WW2 and, secondly, to raise money for the Arboretum. The inaugural event last year raised over £10,000 and was deemed a huge success, as indeed it was. Obviously the organizers had hoped for a bigger do this year but even so I would imagine that they were both elated and amazed to have over 5,000 bikes turn up and to raise over £43,000!


From the Garden Of England: Wind, Fire and an electrically controlled Meerkat.

Ned and The Boss discover that even with Harley Davidson SatNav it helps to know where you are trying to go.
Bikers from all over the country - and a fair number from abroad - congregated at the Drayton Manor theme park and make the 12 mile journey to the memorial as a processional ride out. The level of organization that this sort of thing requires really shouldn't be underestimated, and it is to the very considerable credit of the organizers, marshalls and the police (who had given their time free for the occasion) that the whole thing went off without a hitch - mind you, the sheer numbers involved meant that the departure from Drayton Manor was somewhat delayed.


Meeting up at Drayton Manor.

Drayton Manor: the view from my parking spot.
The Arboretum itself is an amazing place and I'd recommend anyone who has a chance to go there to take it. I don't think there was anybody there on Saturday who wasn't moved by the place, let alone the event. The short service was poignant and to the point and if there were any dry eyes left after it they didn't make it past the Spitfire fly past.


Gathering for the service.

Respect.
All in all it was a wonderful, respectful day. The act of the ride itself and the support from everyone along the way - waving flags and cheering - prove once again that yes, we *will* remember them.

What A Gorgeous Day!

The weather here in Bristol today is absolutely fantastic, no two ways about it. The sun is out and the air is crisp and clear. Wonderful. If it can stay like this for a few days then all the better, but I'm enjoying for what it is whilst I can.

It's a slow news day on the football front, as is always likely before an international weekend. More talk of debts at big clubs: today it's the Manchester Red Devils and their friends down the road in Anfield Road, Scalliesville. Neither story seems any more than aimless conjecture (well, OK, not entirely aimless, the aim being to fill the back pages in a couple of redtops) to be fair. More interesting is the news that the very likeable Arvam Grant is back at Portsmouth - this time as Director Of Football (wasn't he that before, before taking over as manager?). Good luck to him.

Arsenal are reported to be interested in Barcelona captain Carles Puyol. This seems highly unlikely to me - he's already 31 and whilst he's a good and flexible player he's surely not going to be (or want to be) a cheap-as-chips Silvestre-type back-up option? Perhaps it's a bit of Cesc-tapping payback? All very odd. He'll no doubt sign in January.

Rainy Day, Rain Away...

It's that second Wednesday so the rain is probably appropriate. It'd be great if improves over the next day or two as it's the Ride To The Wall on Saturday, but I guess rain would be appropriate there too. If you're not already booked to go, you probably still can...

It would seem that typing is currently not helping my back, so this'll be a brief post, I'll have a new place for the computer sorted by tomorrow.

Take care all. Be righteous.

The Buck Moves On...

Saudi businessman Ali Al-Faraj has apparently completed his takeover of Portsmouth and there are optimistic noises about new training facilities and further development of the club's Fratton Park home so perhaps the south coast will still have a top-flight team this time next week. Next likely candidates for lights-out? West Ham would be my guess. Watch this space...

Elsewhere, those popular US owners of the Liverpool GTAers are making it quite clear who will be to blame if the club don't win anything this season: Rafa Benitez. Says George Gillet:

"We have invested more money than our competitors, in keeping with the history of the club.

"In the last 18 months, we have invested £128m on top of what has come in. That means it should be getting better.

"Now if it's not getting better, it's not Gillett and Hicks, it's the manager, it's the scouting. You have to make sure you balance out your analysis."

That'll no doubt endear him even more to those loveable scouse scallies. And no, it's not your year.

Job Seach and EBay action today, so I think tea is called for. Have a great day, all.

And Another One...

These "new weeks" are starting to crop up at one heck of a lick, I have to say. It's age, the Boss tells me. Well, thanks for that:/

Excellent result yesterday, and not just because of the three points and the high score but because we had six different scorers, not the sort of goal supply many other teams in the Premiership (is it still called that?) are going to manage this or any other week. This is, IMHO, a justification of AW's "don't waste money on big names, build a team" approach. On the subject of AW's "how to run a football club" philosophy, Portsmouth fans may not be the only ones atm who are looking over their shoulders at bankers who're now not even lurking in the shadows but creeping out, scenting blood. I can't help thinking that the time is not too far away when a top-flight team bites the dust.

The next England qualifying game - now realistically no more than a friendly - is going to be a "web exclusive". Interesting to see how pubs get round this one. Greek broadband?

Right, let's get on with it...

A Pot Pouri Of Fridayness

Lots of Friday-ish stuff going on today, starting with a visit to the Bethesda Community Arts Cafe where Big Rich is a volunteer chef. I went along as apparently they're looking for someone to help run music groups, something I'd love to do, but the person I need to see wasn't there. No rush, no doubt they will be at some point. If you're passing the place (Redfield, in Church Road) in the morning do pop in for a cuppa or a cheap (and nicely made) breakfast or lunch. Not much "arty" going on there atm, though.


Rich in the kitchen at the Bethesda Community Arts Cafe. The Cafe's well worth a visit.
The discs in my back are doing a very good impression of a bag of Scrabble pieces today, and no amount of jiggling around is getting them to settle back into proper order. This is infuriating, but not actually painful. With any luck it'll clear up of its own volition.

Lots of groovy job application stuff to do today and then it'll be the weekend, for which I really hope the weather stays good as we're thinking of trekking up to Gloucester. If you find yourself with a few mintues to spare you could do worse than sign up for Mr Fisher's latest game site (it's free and quite addictive) The Legend Of The Green Dragon.

Have a good one, make it count!

Well Done And Thanks, Arsene

AW today becomes Arsenal's longest-serving manager. Many congratulations, and thanks for everything you've done so far Arsene!

One To Watch

Today sees the swearing in of the UK's own Supreme Court, which will in very substantial part replace the Law Lords as the UK's hightest Court of Appeal. The move marks the (almost) complete separation of the Judges from the Legislature and Executive and is in theory a good thing, I think. What happens in practice may be another matter but only time will tell that.

Routine (if, in that lot from Fulham's case, unconvincing) wins for Chelski and The Manchester Red Devils in the CL last night. All four English teams should make it into the knockout stages, though Liverpool are making every effort to ensure that they won't give themselves the chance to rest players in the later group games, which may not help their Premiership ambitions.

Good weather here today, if rather cold, and that's good as I'm going to be out and about. More later, perhaps.

Rewinding The Spring

After that spate of interviews a while back things have gone a bit quiet on the job chase front so I was actually quite glad to be heading off to Prospects today for an improve-your-job-hunt seminar. Whilst the agenda - application letters, CVs, etc - might not sound too much like rocket science only a half-wit fails to learn *something* of use at this sort of event, IMHO. As it turns out, it was indeed very well worthwhile. The galling thing was that there should have been 27 attendees at this free event, on the day only four of us turned up. 23 people managed to find work in the week since this was arranged? Somehow I rather doubt it. It's people like that that get us unemployed types a bad name, I tell you. It does make you seethe a bit...

Another welcome win in last night's CL clash. Momentum is, as it is wont so to do, slowly building and with any luck we can add to it with a win at home to Blackburn in Sunday's early kick-off.

Right, on with the search...

Gi's A Job

Tuesday's here and Monday's enthusiasm has given way to the weekly slog to the weekend. More job applications, more rejections, more ****ing leaflets. Still, I'm not complaining, there are way way too many people who are far worse off.

It looks like the US are serious about finally dealing with the wretched Roman Polanski, even if they so far haven't formally requested extradition. "We have an agreement with the US to apprehend those wanted for offences," says Switzerland's Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, "when we knew Mr Polanski was here and the US asked us to act, it was our duty to do so." Good.

Tonight sees us in action in the Champions League again, this time at home to Olympiakos. We'll be missing NB52 who somehow managed to drive his Aston Martin off the road in an incident where "no other vehicle was involved". Twat. SuperVito continues in goal as MA1's still suffering with his chest infection, TW14 is back and D15 is out for a couple of months with a fracture in his back. The match is on Sky Sports Extra, so I won't be watching it. A touch of Radio 5 Live may be in order, with a tinny or two.

Off to Lidl's shortly as the Boss requires a giant wurst thing.

DoubleStandardTastic!

Apparently the Film World is up in arms about Roman Polanski's arrest in Switzerland and the possibility that he might be extradited to the US to face justice for his admitted statutory rape of a 13-year old girl back in 1977. That this odious man should have continued in the intervening decades to be feted by his fellow luvvies says nothing good about them at all, IMHO.

If you're not familiar with the case you'll find details at The Smoking Gun. Some people will find the victim's testimony a tad harrowing, I suspect.

It's Another New Week!

Another new week is here, let's all try to make it a very fine one indeed! Arsenal's win at the weekend set us up for a good start, of course, and doing the tourist bit round Bristol (including a very welcome visit to the fabulous Myrtle Tree) did no harm at all, either.


A proper touch of Brizzle: multi-coloured terraced houses overlooking the floating harbour.

Bristol on a sunny Sunday can be a really nice place for a day's sightseeing, provided of course that you don't mind hills and traffic jams. To be fair, the bus service is great but using it isn't hugely groovy fun if one of your number is in a wheelchair. We opted for the car/"what a great traffic jam" option. And as luck would have it, the Myrtle Tree has a disabled parking space right outside.


Obligatory postcard view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Build something properly and it's likely to last. Mr Brown, please take note.

I'm shortly off to the Yellow Box Company to buy some cardboard for a bit of EBay action and then will be spending the rest of the day tending to the Boss who is still a tad Tom and Dick.

Update: Well it's just taken me more than three-quarters of an hour to fabricate a box to mail a guitar in. I've used a whole giant packing box, most of Saturday's Telegraph and an entire roll of packing tape. And people have the gall to moan about EBay packing costs!

Sunday Morning

Well it ended 1-0 to us, and it wasn't particularly pretty. But it does mean that, after our much touted "disastrous start", we're six points off the top with a game in hand. I can live with that at this stage in the season. Right, it's Sunday and therefore beer is on the menu.

Pictures may follow...

Let's Make It Interesting

I've never understood this "betting makes it better" thing. If you need to bet on sport to make it worth watching, perhaps you should be watching or doing something else? Nonetheless, I've offered some predictions on other games this season so I'll continue with today's away trip to Fulham.

This is never, well certainly not in recent years, going to be an easy game and we wouldn't be the first to come unstuck there. It's also a 17.30 kick-off, which I don't think seems to help us much. We've got AA23 and TW14 back though, which can only help. MA1 is still out. Come on you Vito! My reckoning? 2-1 to us, but it won't be pretty. Interestingly (or not, you may not be as sad about this sort of thing as me) this is also Lawro's prediction. I have no idea whether this is a good or a bad thing, but he's been getting quite a few of the results right of late (if not the actual scores).

The Kilburn Krew are up this weekend for a few beers, a bit of sightseeing and no doubt some more beers. A visit to the Myrtle Tree might well be in order, Andrew being a real ale man. Hangover prediction? Moderate to darkened room, I think.

Enjoy your weekend!

Update: We've got Liverpool in the next round of the Carling Cup. Bring it on!

Full draw:

Blackburn v Peterborough
Manchester City v Scunthorpe
Tottenham v Everton
Barnsley v Manchester United
Chelsea v Bolton
Sunderland v Aston Villa
Arsenal v Liverpool
Portsmouth v Stoke

Crikey, there aren't too many games in there you'd pay to see!

Watch That Man

That MouseMan will have your cactus before you've even turned your back, trust me on this.

Friday. At long last!

What started as a nice bright autumn day has gone grey and rather sad. A bit like my mood at the end of what seems to have been a very very long week. Something to do with the leaflets, maybe? More likely to do with the fact that "Funemployment" is as much a myth as the economic recovery Gordon has promised will prove to be. Maybe some toast will provide a lift. Dare I eat a slice of toast?

I'll give it a shot.

'Twas On The Thursday Morning...

That Virgin came to call and install TV/Broadband/Phone. Fine job they did too, all done in an hour including our old BT number transferred over. Brilliant stuff. I'd recommend 'em, guv'nor, that I would.

No surprises in last night's football, so the usual suspects will all be in the draw for the last 16. No news of any substance ahead of the weekend's games yet, the only news of any real football sort is that the Government has lamblasted the FA over its failure to implement promised reforms - a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black if ever there was one.

Beautiful weather here in Brizzle today - the sun is out and there's just the odd decorative whisp of cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky. A gorgeous autumn day, there to be enjoyed. And enjoy it I shall, despite the leaflets. Try to enjoy your day, too.

Mad Dave's Online!

You lucky people! You can now read Mad Dave's daily rantings on his new blog Gordon's Gang Of Despair. Drop on by and give it a look.

More tea vicar?

Unemployed Man Confesses Leaflet Hell

I think they must be breeding. Everytime I come downstairs the mountain of boxes by the front door appears to have grown. It doesn't seem to matter how many of the things I deliver, the pile continues to grow. It's like trying to bail out a sinking ship with a teaspoon. But I must prevail. I *will* prevail.

With the Internationals banished for the moment there are at last things going on in the real World Of Football. A very young and pretty inexperienced Arsenal side overcame Championship high-fliers West Brom 2-0 at the Grove, helped in no small part by the early dismissal of the Baggies' former Gunner Jerome Thomas. Any win is good good good, this one particularly so as I (as I suspect do most Gooners) really enjoy watching the kids' outings in the Carling Cup.

Elsewhere, Sol Cambell has quit Notts County after one game. Will we see him playing again, at any level? I rather think perhaps not. Good luck to the fellow in whatever he does choose to do, he was truly a giant of the game at his peak.

Tea next, I think. And then leaflets...

The Rain Is Back

It's only drizzling atm, but it looks ominously like there'll be some heavy stuff before long. That will really make the leafleting fun. Well, that and learning another exciting new part of the BS5 postcode area.

Tonight sees the return of the Carling Cup, with us in a home third-round tie with West Brom. That'll be the West Brom that won 5-0 at the weekend, so no pressure on the youngersters who'll feature tonight. Come on you Gunners!

Right, I need to get some leaflets delivered as having had an interview this morning I've not got any of the little lovelies through letterboxes so far today. There are many, many of them. Many, many.

And Around It Comes

Another Monday. Good stuff. This cyclicality manifests itself in the football world, too. Last week saw the re-emergence of "lucky Arsenal".This weekend has brought us the return of Old Trafford's famed "keep playing 'til the home team win" time-keeping, Michael Owen downing the upstart Citeh Mancs with a winner in the 6th minute of added time. Splendid stuff. I really expect the start of a Citeh slide now, and if Given were to be injured or lose form then that slide could take them a very long way down indeed.

Yesterday we moved and set up a pig arc. How very rural. A lot of fun, too, as it happens. Today it's back to the streets with the leaflets. I am starting to develop a bit of a dislike for the leaflets. There's something accusing about that stack of boxes.

Tea. Post Office. Ebay. Such a whirl!

I Always *Knew* Tesco's Were From The Dark Side

So there we have it. Evidence that no one can ignore: Tesco have banned a Jedi knight from one of their stores for wearing the hood his religion requires him to wear in public. And they *laughed* at him when he explained about it, and then they threw him out. Give Morrison's a shot.

Pleasingly the sun has once again put in a glorious appearance as there are a few hours leafleting in store for me today. I'm actually rather enjoying it: obviously I needed to get out more! After that it'll be putting (what I sincerely hope are) the finishing touches to the MouseMan's website and then it'll officially be THE WEEKEND!

Well, except for the leafleting, that is. I've got an awful lot of the things still.

Update: West Ham's Callum Davenport - seriously injured in a stabbing last month - is being released from hospital. He's unlikely to play again, though at least he won't be losing his leg, which had been a real risk. Good luck to you, young man.

Err, Yup, A Win

Well we won 3-2 in the end, having been 2-0 down in 5 minutes. There is considerable suspicion over the validity of our second goal, too, so the "lucky Arsenal" jibes will be back with a vengeance. Who cares? A win is a win, and, whilst we should never have put ourselves in a postion where we needed to score three away, we did score the three we needed. If this is the beginning of a run of fluky wins that'll be more than fine by me.

A win for Liverpool too, so Les will be similing. Mind you, to be fair he usually is.

The MouseMan is coming up today for some help with his website, so no doubt the beer will be flowing. This does mean I've had to fit everything else I need to do today into the morning, so it's an early start and a whole load of pre-lunch leaflet action. Looks like it's going to be a nice day so the walking should be quite pleasant.

Tea is needed. And then more tea.

Update: He's here. Work for me. Beer for him.


The MouseMan drinketh

A Street-Walking Day

As I survey the mountain of heavy cardboard boxes leaning against the wall in the hallway I reflect on the wisdom of taking Mr Fisher's advice. "Try leafleting", he said, "it pays quite well". Actually, it pays minimum wage which few people would describe as "well" but that's the way it is under Big Decision Gordon so it's got to be worth a crack. It'd be kind of nice if it can avoid raining for a few days though!

1-0 wins for both Chelsea and United last night. We start our CL campaign proper tonight with an away game at Belgium's Standard Liege. We do this with a *lot* of players missing, most notably both Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski meaning we'll have either Vito Mannone or Wojciech Szczesny in goal. I suspect it'll be the former of the two, who's looked OKish when I've seen him play, but I have to say that's not really often enough to have a good picture of the chap. Good luck to whichever of them gets to wear the gloves tonight.

Other players out: RVP11, D15, SN8, AA23, JD20, CV12, TW14. Just as well Eduardo's now able to make the game, then.

Stupid amounts to do today, so let's get the tea flowing and stuff done!

PS: Loads of new stuff on the West Country Pubs site, so take a look. You'll shortly (quite possibly now, if Mr Fisher's got his magic code doing its thing) be able to upload your own reviews!

As You Were, Then

Eduardo's two-match ban has been overturned in a largely-expected U-turn in the direction of common sense. He'll now be available for tomorrow's CL game away at Standard Liege, which is excellent news for us. That game could seriously do with being the start of a winning roll.

Elsewhere the Adebayor bitch-fest continues, with Kolo Toure now claiming Adebayor was pushed out of the Emirates to bring in some cash. "I know it because I was present" he says. Perhaps he's Adebayor's financial advisor or something. My once-considerable respect for Mr Toure is diminishing at a rate of knots, I have to say.

Tonight's champions league matches involving English teams both look like they might be worth taking a peek at: Chelsea are at home to Porto and the Manchester Red Devils travel to Besiktas. Oh, and there are a quite extraordinary number of replays on in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.

It's a tad muggy today and I'm finding it an effort to get motivated. More tea is probably the answer, so I'll give it a go.

The Week Starts With An Ouch...

Today started with an osteopathy session so I'm feeling a tad twanged as I try to get into the new week. It's positively autumnal here today with that lovely clarity to the air that the first of those chilly September days brings.

In football news it would appear the TogoTosser is going to be charged for his assault on CF4 in addition to the charge for the one on RVP11 and that run down the pitch. A ban of more than five games is being mooted. And then he'll be off to the ACN so Citeh types might be starting to wonder just how good an investment he actually was.

Lots to do today. Busy busy busy.

New Harleys Revealed!

We're back from the Thornbury run. Very nice it was too, great weather, a really nice road and some fantastic scenery. We came back via Yate and Iron Acton, so got to explore some quaint countryside and all. Very fine.

Off, then, to Riders for the lauch of this year's (or is it next year's?) new Harley models. Decent rock band, burgers, tea and acres of shiny metal. Lots of hairy types gazing quizically at the various shapes of Harleys trying to figure out which are the new ones. You've guessed it: they look extraordinarily like the old ones...


Pigirontastic!
Now I think it's time for a beer. Weather's still really good, so I guess it'll be in the concrete beer garden. Fair play.

Good Morning All

Here we are at Sunday morning. Eggs and bacon eaten, second cup of tea brewing, I'm ready for the day. Predictable stuff in the footy pages this morning: calls from "angry fans" for AW to go, Rooney the greatest thing since toast and so on. It's still way too early in a badly interupted season to form sensible opinions about anything other than John Terry being a complele ****, IMHO.

Off up to Thornbury today, I understand: not far but very fine scenery. If I remember to take the camera I'll post piccies later.

Again?

The local news tells us that a 17-year-old kid has been stabbed to death just up the road from here. Part of an argument outside the World's End pub, they say.

It's beyond pathetic.

Give a moment's thought to the victim when you're breaking bread tonight.

What a ****ing mess.

Let It Flow

There'll be doom-mongers saying that's it for the Arsenal, lost two games in a row and to both sets of Mancs to boot. I have to say I'm not worried. If you'd looked at the fixture list before the season kicked off you'd probably have taken both of those games as home wins and the fact that we were unlucky not to win in both games is I think something we should view as a definite plus.

We're getting the crap games out of the way early. We *will* move on from here, I'm sure. The team is certainly playing well enough.

The Boss is doing the hubble-bubble thing in the kitchen at the moment, and I have to say I'm falling under the spell of the odour.

Saturday! Proper Football! Beer!

Just back from today's interview (very sensible day for them, IMHO, certainly makes travel easier) and have the rest of the day spread before me like an inviting banquet. So...

Off to the pub to watch football. Then, if my eyes are still focusing, I'll deal with my emails and that "stacked jury of correspondence".

Have a great day!

PS: Bristolians might want to remember it's the launch of the new Harley range up at Riders both today and tomorrow. Live music and BBQ, apparently.

It's Friday. Keep Telling Me It's Friday...

I had an interview this morning, a follow on from the session in Bristol last Friday. How did it go? How can I tell? I did the best I could, I really hope it was enough. Anyway, I've another tomorrow, so it's time to prepare for that.

After the interview I came home/went back into town for a tour of the agencies with Mad Dave, who's once again one of Gordon's Happy Clan. There are a couple fewer agencies than the last time we did the round and those that remain are largely hanging on by the skin of their teeth or by the sheer good nature of their staff. One of our fave places in the former category ("that's the job, there, in the window") is still just about there, but (like a lot of the others) is relying on the "outbound charity calls" stuff. It's awfully sad that that should be the sort of work that survives a Gordon Browning: it really does seem tasteless in the extreme to be pulling the "you may think you're badly off, but look at this lot" trick when you're only doing it for profit.


Don't let those other cards deceive you, this is "The Job".
But Mr Sun had us putting our hats on and surely it did shine on Mad Dave. We revisited one of the better agencies that we went to when he was last looking for work (one that doesn't deal with the likes of me) and they pretty much signed him up on the spot. There *are* openings out there, and indeed more than there were only a few weeks ago, but you've got to be the right shape to get through the holes, as it were. Limber up, dudes.


Dave'll be pleased, then.
I'm now about to start work cooking the most awesome burritos since time began, or at least since the last time I made them. Then an early night, I guess. For the rest of you, the weekend starts here. Enjoy. Make it count.

Here We Go!

Cool. With an emphatic 5-1 win over Croatia at Wembley England have secured their place in next summer's World Cup with a couple of games to spare. Even Don Fabio Capello is getting a tad carried away, claiming "we have one of the best teams in the world". Calm will descend when it dawns that even if this is true it's hardly the same as our name being on the trophy. Still, let's enjoy the moment.

Scotland are out now. Not much of a surprise there, sadly. Northern Ireland have now made it very difficult for themselves, but not impossible: let's hope they make it.

Elsewhere CF4 scored the opener for Spain in their 3-0 win over Estonia - that's their eighth succesive qualifying group win, too. Now Spain really *do* look to be "one of the best teams in the world"... NB52 scored for Denmark in a 1-1 draw away to Albania of all people (though any country whose national hero is Norman Wisdom is OK by me) and TR7 actually played for the Czeck Republic in their 7-0 stuffing of San Marino.

All good then? Of course not. AA23 is out for three games after picking up another injury whilst playing for Russia (3-1 winners away to Wales). Get well quickly, Andrey.

Lovely weather here today, I even enjoyed the drive up the A38 for this morning's interview. I dropped in at Curry's on the way back to see if they'd got a 3.5mm jack to 3.5mm jack lead. They had indeed, for £13.99! Are they mad? Maplin's next time I'm passing, then.

Food now. And tea.

Let's Be 'Avin' You!

England vs Croatia tonight. England will qualify for next year's World Cup with a win; a draw would do if Ukraine don't beat Belarus in their game in Minsk. There's a lot riding on England's qualification, IMHO. England in South Africa could be the final push we need to get us out of the mess in which more than a decade of Mr Brown's economic ineptitude has left us. Imagine: a new Government, England at the World Cup Finals, the pubs full of people shouting the lads on, the flags everywhere. Come on England, get us there.

On the team front there don't look to be any surprises likely to be sprung. This game won't be a walkover, but England *should* win it. Perhaps I'll wear my lucky magic pants.

Elsewhere, things carry on as usual. I've got interviews to prepare for and the Boss is ill, so I'm playing nurse, too. Sadly I don't get to wear the uniform. This afternoon sees the fortnightly visit to Gordon's House of Grey Despair. No joy there.

Don't Bogart That Vick's Vapour Rub, Dude

Sheffield United goalie Paddy Kenny has been banned for nine months for a drugs offence. His crime? He "knowingly ingested an over-the-counter medicine above the prescribed dosage without reading the accompanying package or leaflet". It appears no one disputes that all he was seeking was relief from a cold, not a competitive advantage of any sort. To some extent the current economic crisis is beginning to force the idocy of the New Labour "box ticking" mentality from our lives, but clearly it's hanging on in the anti-doping world.

This sort of decision does nothing to further the notion we are getting "drug free" sport as we really care about it - i.e. a sport free of performance enhancing drugs and "artificial" sportsmen and women. Are cases like Kenny's merely brought because they can't catch any "real" cheats? Or perhaps there aren't actually any "real" cheats and poor Paddy is suffering just so the anti-doping people can keep in work? Use some common sense, chaps, and don't deny a man his chance to work just because he caught a cold.

Not much else going on yet today. It would seem Don Fabio is starting with Hesky and not Defoe, but that he'll replace Wright-Philips with Lennon. Personally I think it would be rather amusing if the match ends up as a Rooney vs Eduardo dive-off, but I do actually want England to get to the World Cup so I will be rooting for a good 'un from the Three Lions. But that's tomorrow, after a tour of the agencies with Mad Dave and a visit to that awful place.

Happy Birthday To You! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you, Bridget The Midget The Queen Of The Blues!


Have a great one and thanks for the cake things! The Boss has now started on her round of "I haven't had a drink, honest" phone calls. I may have to tell the victims who to blame ;)

The Goats Are Facing North

A Norfolk native once tried to persuade me you can predict the weather by seeing which way the goats are facing. The only goat around here lives on a railway embankment and can only face in two directions parallel to the line of the bank or he'd fall over. I don't know if this has any bearing on the fact it's always raining here, but I don't rely on the goat method.

Living as we do on a hill in the east of Bristol I can look out across the city in the morning and see the weather fronts moving in from the sea. By around 10.00 am what's coming in tends to be what's set for the day. It's a tad early atm, and quite a lot could happen in the next half hour as they used to say on Stingray, but it's not looking good. The lawn won't be getting mown today, that's for sure.

There's quite a lot going on here this week, I've got a number of interviews lined up and the band are joined by a bass player on Thursday. Wednesday, however, sees another trip to Gordon's House of Grey Despair, which is *not* good, not good at all.

Also not good is news that Johan Djourou is out for six months following knee surgery on a an injury sustained whilst on international duty. Here's hoping he makes a speedy and full recovery.

Right, the new week is here, let's make it a great one!

Back From Avebury, Now For Beer

So Sunday morning and afternoon were spent out in the wilds of Wiltshire, and a fine time was had by all. Today's destination: Avebury and its stone circle.


Ben's on time for once.
Avebury was OK. Stones all over the place, and you can actually get up to the things. In many ways a more interesting place to visit than Stonehenge, I'd have said. And at least there's a pub, which Stonehenge lacks. Mind you, the pub charges £5 to park in its decidedly undersized car park.


Steve considers the car park charges.
They give you £2 back if you spend more than a fiver at the bar, but given that the place must get the huge majority of its custom from visitors to the hamlet it sits in this seems a bit of a swiz, frankly.

Have beer in fridge and will be taking a sip once the feeling returns to my extremities :)

Off To A Ring Of Stone

Avebury today apparently. Home of a rather splendid stone circle and a pub dedicated to UFOs. Sounds great. Weather looks OK, too - cloudy but no rain. I'll try to remember to take my camera.

An unconvincing win for England - who don't dive of course - in a pretty much meaningless match last night. Defoe was good off the bench and is looking like he's really trying to make it hard for Don Fabio to leave him out of the starting line-up come Wednesday. The defence, on the other hand, played with an arrogant laziness that somehow always seems to blight teams with John Terry in them when they're winning. This needs stamping on IMHO.

Weird sausages for breakfast today - giant Lidl's ones but I'd bought rendered turkey rather than rendered bovine and I have to say they leave a strange taste in the mouth. Still, there's only five of them left now. Perhaps Tig will drop round, I'm sure she'll eat them.

When Saturday Comes

Saturdays in a nascent football season should be about sitting in smoky pubs with a foaming pint of ale debating the important football issues of the day with your mates before wandering off together down to the match. But not any more. Mr Brown has taken away the delights (and bear in mind I don't smoke) of the smoky pub and has removed from a substantial number of us the ability to afford modern-day football tickets. FIFA and the FA have now conspired to add insult to injury by replacing a day's top-flight football with an international friendly after 4 games of the season. Pooh and more pooh, I say.

About the only excitement I can detect in today's match is figuring out how the goalkeeping pecking order might be affected by the game, James being injured and Foster quite possibly having deselected himself by a not-unreasonable trip home to be at the birth of his child. England really aren't too well-endowed in the GK department, hence the calls for MA1 to be get a call once he has his residency through. Seems a good idea to me (couldn't we have called up Friedel by now??), I can't see what all the fuss is about, have we forgotten Zola Budd or, indeed, half the England cricket team?

I could murder a beer right now, it's hot and muggy and it's been a busy morning, but I've a load more to do so it may have to wait until after biking tomorrow.

Really? United Too?

So I wasn't dreaming it. FIFA really have imposed a transfer ban on Chelsea. Good. Rumour (well, the Soaraway Sun) has it that the Manchester Red Devils may now face a similar charge. Let's hope they do: as I suggested yesterday, there will be no shortage of people round here to goad.

I've an interview this morning, so now need to go and get ready. Wish me luck. Have a really great day.

Gosh! Excitement!

Chelsea have been banned from signing any new players in either of the next two transfer windows - meaning no new signings until 2011 - following Lens' complaint to FIFA over the signing of Gael Kakuta in 2007. Terrific stuff!

Unfortunately, down here in Bristol most people are Manchester Red Devils followers, but I'm sure I'll be able to find a Blue Shirt somewhere to goad!

School's Not Out Any More

Schools are back, apparently. Oh joy. Once again for substantial parts of the daylight hours - diminishing as they are now - it'll be nigh-on impossible to drive around Bristol. But the sun is out. How perverse it that? A whole summer holiday of rain, then baking sunshine when they're back stuck in the classroom. It makes you wonder whether Gordon Brown has somehow taken control of the weather.

Arseblog has some excellent comment today about Man U's AW song and the growing reaction to it. Well worth a read if you've a couple of spare moments.

More later, much to get done this morning.



PS: Does anyone know of any good sites for selling old comics online? The ones I've put on EBay don't seem to be attracting a whole lot of interest, and I'd like to know that that's because they're not wanted and not because no one's looking there.

Oh Good Grief

It's even quieter today than it was yesterday, and threatening to be wetter too (and that'll take some doing). I suppose there are the joys of England vs Slovenia at the weekend to look forward to, but it's a meaningless match at a stupid time of day and I for one am unlikely to be watching it. If they'd put the thing on at 15.00, or even earlier, it'd be a different matter.

Today's challenges are (1) Focus for some drill bits and (2) EBay, the latter not being helped by Royal Mail once again being on strike.

Dare I eat a slice of toast?

Too Soon, It Would Seem

My bad. Transfer deadline day is today, it seems. How very silly. Never mind, no doubt there'll be absolutely loads to talk about later.

So, until then, time for tea.

UPDATE: It's 15.52 and precisely nothing has happened so far of any note...

FURTHER UPDATE: Well there you have it, the transfer window is now closed. No new players for us and a two match ban for Eduardo.

Where Is Everyone?

Golly it's quiet today, barely a mouse has stirred so far and it's gone 14.00 on a Bank Holiday. The cars are all sleeping, their owners nowhere to be seen. I guess everyone did their Bank Holiday Fun thing yesterday. Not a lot on the football front as we enter yet another break - the second one this season and we're only 3 or 4 games in. Farcical.

Rumour - and probably nothing more, but you never know - has it that AW is looking, still, to bring in both Chamakh and Vieira before tonight's transfer deadline. At least he's not in the queue to sign Pompey's comedy goalkeeper who may well by on his way to Spurs along with 'Arry's other Pompey favourites. Good move? Not for James, I wouldn't have thought. Gomes is out atm but I'd reckon he'd be the number one when he's fit and it makes no sense for James to bench-warm in a World Cup season - especially when it's the last World Cup he's realistically likely to play in.

Can I be bothered to head off down the pub, I wonder?

Dizzee Rascal: Surprisingly Popular With Old People

Despite the absence even of radio at yesterday's camp-fest (we did have wind-up lights, though, which were truly great) I did learn that we'd managed to throw the game at the home of the Manchester Red Devils. C'est la vie, we'll recover. Life's to be enjoyed and enjoy it we have been lucky enough to be doing, whatever the football results.



I've a very fine tiredness creeping over me, so will do the "proper job" in the morning.

Take care, y'all.

Let's Get Rolling

So, we're in Group H in the Champions League proper, along with AZ, Olympiacos and Standard Liege. On paper this looks like a pretty good draw for us, and to be fair I fully expect for it to prove to be that in practice. This'll be good not only for our progress through the CL but in the premiership as well.

I see Lawro is hedging his bets and predicting a draw between us and the Manchester Red Devils. I'd never even considered this option for some reason, and maybe he's got a point. But I don't think he's right, 2-1 to us or a gritty 1-0 to the home team IMHO.

I'll be in the middle of a quite-possibly-very-muddy field for the match, so it'll FiveLiveTastic, just the way it should be.

Whatever happens in the football, have a great weekend.

It's All Beyond Me

Hmmm. "Eduardo Cheat" seems to be the story of the day, relagating the appalling scenes at West Ham vs Millwall to, well, nowhere really. Indeed, apart from 'Arry suggesting "the teams should be kept apart" in future, there's little or nothing about the whole disgrace anywhere. The ref didn't have much choice on the night really - whilst you'd think 3 pitch invasions is at least 2 pitch invasions more than it should have taken to abandon the game, what would have happened if he *had* called it off? I'd like to see West Ham booted out of the Carling Cup for this season and both teams banned for next year's. Won't happen of course, it's far more likely Eduardo will be extradited or something.

The draw for the Champions League is today. More later, perhaps, when we know who we've got. Meanwhile it's back to EBay. Oh, and tea.

Hoop-La

Gordon's House Of Grey Despair is horrid, truly horrid :(

Quick prediction for tonight: 3 - 1.

On with the game :)

UPDATE: At half-time it's 1 - 0, so I'm on target whichever way you read my prediction ;) It was meant to be 3 - 1 on the night, btw. EE27 is having a blinder, I have to say. Penalty? Yup, keeper's thigh clipped E9's right ankle. I daresay E9 is a tad conscious of knocks to that part of his anatomy.

FULL-TIME UPDATE: Well there you go, I got it right! EE27 certainly deserved his goal and all round it wasn't too shoddy at all.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Dole Office day today. What an appallingly depressing place the "Job Centre Plus" is, the grey filth of the outside of the building extends to every aspect of the inside of the place, the staff included. I dread going there, I really do.

So this is Gordon's Britain? He's dragged us back to the worst days of the 70s - racial violence, strikes, unemployment - and has done nothing to deal with the issues beyond keeping alive the PC/Box Ticking/Spin New Labour mentality that means no one can talk about what's actually going on. Brilliant. For a lot of us, a three-day working week is purely aspirational. A couple of generations of Britons are now in danger of ending up on the scrap heap.

Is anything else missing? Ah, yes, football violence. Err, sorry, that's back too. Hardly surprising really, and not at all surprising that it should be a West Ham vs Millwall match that reintroduces this further sign of social ill-ease.

Outside, it's raining. As it should be: the sky is crying.

Ooops ;)

So it's two defeats in three for those perennial "it's our year" scallies from the Pool. Even at this early stage that can't be good - you'd expect United to recover from that sort of start, but Liverpool? Mind you, there's some interesting games coming up over the next few weeks so things are going to swap around a bit, that's for sure.

In other news, Sol Campbell appears on the verge of joining the Sven revolution at League Two Notts County. Good luck to him. There's nothing more I can find about Callum Davenport, his condition still appears to be "serious but stable" and this stage there is, fairly obviously I suppose, no indication as to whether he'll ever be able to play again. Good luck to him, too.

Time for tea? Yes, I think so.

UPDATE

Sol's got himself a *five year* contract with Notts County! Golly!

Another Monday

Another Monday. Another week. Bring it on.

Best wishes to a couple of West Ham players who're in the news today and probably wish they weren't: Callum Davenport, who's in a stable condition in hospital having been very seriously injured in a stabbing and Dean Ashton, who's retired from the game through injury. Let's hope today marks the start of brighter times for both of them.

Yesterday's football provided neither surprises nor entertainment, and I don't suppose Liverpool vs Villa this evening will be much of a pleasure, either. Tomorrow sees a pretty full Carling Cup schedule, and Wednesday has us pitted against those Glasgow Hoops again.

Back to the job searching for me. Then maybe a beer.

Pub, I Hear You Calling Me...

A great result yesterday, and, despite a couple of wobbly moments, a good performance too. 10 goals in 2 games is very fine, though the manner in which the two we've let in got in there leaves a niggling cause for concern. Another centre back would really be nice. Still, let's not be picky, this is a season for positivity IMHO.

The Boss having now realised that even Harley Davidsons need to be given petrol from time to time this morning's chugabout went fine until her side panel fell off on the A4174. I spent the journey back with the thing stuffed down the front of my jacket, somewhat uncomfortable and restrictive, I have to say. Probably my punishment for making fun of Tig's marrow and ginger tarmac.

We're off now to the boozer for a couple of swift ones before roast lamb and a peek at Fulham vs Chelsea, which has a bit of potential for fun.

Weekend, We Welcome You

The weekend's here again, and with it the sun. Add in a home game against Portsmouth (and at a proper kick-off time, too) and we've got the makings of a good couple of days. Not that I want to risk counting chickens, etc, but if we've going to win owt this season then we really should *expect* to beat the likes of Portsmouth, especially given the parlous state they find themselves in atm.

I have to admit I've something of a soft-spot for Portsmouth and their fantastic fans, and I'd love the team to stay in the Premiership but I've no desire for today to provide them with anything other than nil points and a lesson in playing groovy football.

I wonder if I can wrangle a visit to the pub for the early game today, whatever it is? Somehow I doubt it...

UPDATE

Seems like there is no early game unless you count Scottish football. Let's not, eh?

A Glimpse Outside Suggests There Must Be A Cricket Match On

Grey and wet outside here in Brizzle today. The gloom returns after a couple of really rather lovely days of sunshine and breakfast in the garden. Today is rather more bacon-sarnie-at-roadside-cafe. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, of course.

So, United are once again having an iffy start to a season. The papers appear to be making much of the "United are crap without Ronaldo" line, which I have to say I don't agree with in general. However, Ronaldo *was* good at shafting "little" teams. You'd have expected him to have had a couple last night, and it's that they'll miss about him, IMHO. For me, he always went missing in the "big" games. *If* United are going to struggle against the minnows in a way they haven't for a few years then this could, indeed, be an interesting season.

My tip to keep Liverpool out of the top four this year, the Scum From The Lane, got themself a good result against Hull. St Totteringham's Day may be late this year but it *will* turn up and without the aid of food poisoning, I believe.

Another interview today. I'm not sure this suggests the market's finally picking up, or merely shows that the IT area I had been confining myself to is still dead but that there's life outside, where I'm now looking. Time for another cuppa, I think.

Half A Good Job Done

Last night's 2-0 win at Parkhead is probably a rather better result than we're going to get credit for, not least as the goals themselves - a "fluke" deflection and an own goal - were made for "lucky" rather than "plucky" headlines. No matter, the result stands and we're well set up for the return at the Grove.

I've got a "telephone interview" in a couple of minutes, so I'm off to ensure I've a fresh cuppa to hand.

It's Way Too Quiet

Maybe it's just that the school holidays are on, but it's quite eerily quiet here today. The papers are near silent too, not least on the football front where they don't even seem to have had the energy to make anything up. Perhaps I should just return to bed and see if tomorrow's any brighter?

That, of course, would mean missing tonight's "Battle Of Britian" clash with the Glasgow Hoops so perhaps I'll put the sleep off until after another visit to the Queen's Head. Perhaps more after the game, or maybe the update to the utterly gripping article on overdrive pedals in anticipation of which I daresay you've been gripping the edge of your seat all these months...

Amazing What A Good Win Will Do

Feels like I've awoken from an over-long slumber. Sadly it would appear Gordon Brown is in fact real and not merely a nightmare as I'd hoped. But you can't have it all. Just for now a 6-1 win and the promise of a fridge full of beer will do very nicely indeed.

More on the morrow.