Long overdue update…

It’s been so busy lately, mostly work-related, so I have been quiet in terms of updating the blog. Work has been manic, I am in charge of looking after the running of the Support team which has been hard work for anyone but Darren has been on holiday as well so it’s been doubly hard work. Two weeks running I’ve done over 60 hours in the week which has been crazy.

Anyway, don’t want to dwell on that…

Nice weekend in the main. I actually worked all day on Saturday so as to try and get up to date with things – seemed to go okay. Went out in the evening with Nikki and Gaz and their friends Ted and Kay who were really lovely and we had a good time. Bit drunk on only 4 Peroni’s..too strong for me so I think that’s the end of me drinking those!

Didn’t have the expected hangover in the morning and we were then over to Goring Robins for the under 11’s and we had a good morning. Incredibly strong wind straight down the pitch and we were good value to go in at half-time 0-0 when there were chances at both ends. I geed the lads up at half-time as I really felt we were better than the other team and sure enough we went into a 3-0 leads and looked comfortable. Jack had a decent game but was quiet by his standards, Goring scored with 10 minutes left but we were in control and did well to get another win to push us up to fifth in the league.

Tash didn’t want to stay in during the afternoon, as me, her and Jack went out much against his will.

We headed for Shotover but I had in mind to go to Quarry rec and my old stomping ground, it was lovely to wander around and tell Jack of things I used to do as a kid whilst playing there. He then wanted to get a ball out so instead of going to Shotover we crossed the road to the Quarry park and then he and I played basketball for a while. He’s competitive and it was good fun to play him.

Once finished we went over to Yarnton Nurseries and looked round there, bumped into Lewis’s girlfriend Kathryn and her family walking round as well and had a brief chat and then treated ourselves to a coffee that lasted literally 3 minutes, bit pointless that was! We were looking at standard Bay trees as we’re thinking of getting two for the side of the front door. Bloody expensive though, we then bought a couple on the internet later…still expensive!

Over to Sue’s as usual for a roast dinner which was lovely and then in the evening worked with Lewis on his PE homework, he’s editing the videos and even after 10 minutes made some good inroads into it with his imagination. Fingers crossed he’ll get it right.

In other news…heard on the radio that Gary Speed had killed himself this morning which is such an incredible shock to all and sundry. What’s amazing is that he was turning things around with managing Wales and had such a good playing career and looked to be heading to great things, married with two boys and then does this. He actually hanged himself which makes it even sadder to me. So many people in and around football are all shocked, there was no apparent pressure or problems or gossip that was heaped upon him. Odd. R.I.P.

Another weekend flies by…

Finding it tough going at the minute as working so hard during the week and then the weekend is flat out as well. This weekend was no different…

Stayed up too late catching up with TV programmes on Friday night, Misfits is back on so watched that and then also the last in the Series of Idiot Abroad 2 which has been really good fun to watch. It’s a shame it’s finished.

On Saturday I seemed to spend the whole bloody day working on Lewis’s Xbox because it’s not working, and by the time I finished on it around 6.00pm it definitely wasn’t working, completely cocked it up!

We were due to go out with Nikki, Gaz, Tiffany and Paul but Nikki was ill so the evening was called off! That was a shame.

On Sunday I just worked in the morning on the bikes that Lewis and Charlotte seem intent of puncturing every time they go out, I don’t get it. I fixed 5 punctures in Charlotte’s bike alone, absolute pain in the backside. I think I’ve finished hers but got up this morning and Lewis’s had gone down – talk about frustrating!

Aside from that we had another exciting match with Jack’s team – we played against Harwell & Hendred who are currently third over at their place and after last weekend’s match I was hopeful of a good performance which in the first half didn’t materialise. We were shocking and it was no surprise when we were losing 2-0 but going forward we looked dangerous and Hendred looked vulnerable and Jack got a great goal from way outside the box as their keeper came out too far all the time and he simply chipped him from all of 30 yards, they scored another so we came in at half-time losing 1-3.

I had a bit of a go at the team, all very controlled, but said I was disappointed and we might as well go home if they weren’t prepared to try. That appeared to do the trick because it was a different tea, in the second half and we really played some good football and slowly started scoring. Hendred had no reply to our play and James Other scored, then again, then Pierce and finally James scored a good header without any reply and we won 5-3 in the end. It was incredible and made me very proud – they’re doing well and some of the link up play they managed was great to watch.

Match report: http://www.hhyfc.info/html/u11_profile.html

I then made it across the road to watch Lewis play football as they were also playing Harwell & Hendred – coincidence eh? – Jane and Mark were there and both Mark and I had a bit of banter shouting across the pitch to put each other off which was a laugh. The team did well and Hendred are a touch team to play so it was no surprise that it ended up in a 2-2 draw. Unfortunately Elias fell and broke his wrist which puts him out of action for a few weeks – shame because he’s such a talent and carries us along, we’ll miss him in the run up to Xmas.

Anyway, early night, Charlotte woke us up around midnight throwing up everywhere, God knows what was wrong with her and she had the day off school because of it.

He’s done it again…

Reading this blog you’d think I only have one child, and I am afraid this post is about him once more, but I make no apologies, he deserves it today. My Summertown u11s played against Abingdon today in the cup and for once I had a full side to choose from so was in a good mood and excited at the prospect of seeing what they could do.

Sure enough, inside 10 minutes we were losing 2-0, it was then I took a player off, made 2 positional changes and within 2 minutes we were level. Pierce’s dad next to me was laughing at the ‘tactical genius’ – I think of it more as pure, blind luck but there you go! We then went 3-2 before leading right on the break 4-3. Second half was a bit more controlled and Jack eventually got the two goals that we needed to make the match comfortable for us to win 6-3 in the end – an absolutely fantastic result and exciting match.

The reason I am talking about Jack is that he scored 4 goals and set 1 up for Max, he was outstanding, but then so were all the lads, we’re definitely not a one-man team as we defended so well. It’s just that he’s a livewire up front and scores goals. His third one was unbelievable, receiving the ball on the halfway line with his back to goal he turned two players, ran down the left side and from the corner of the box drilled it in the far corner – exceptional play.

What was really pleasing was after the match I was chatting with mum and she said that the Abingdon parents were talking about Jack as a threat and a great player before the match even started – not a bad reputation to have – and they were unsurprisingly raving about him afterwards as well, as do their management team which is always nice to hear.

Anyway, that was a great morning of football and it made me very, very proud indeed, not just in Jack but the rest of the team as well.

Updated Facebook and the like and then he came down from his bath with his t-shirt on and his hair quiffed…idiot!

Rest of the day was okay, although trying to fix Charlotte’s bike was a nightmare. Not sure how she’s done it but had three punctures I needed to fix and it was so hard to get the tyre off. It paid off in the morning as the bloody thing had gone down again, I could have cried!

I am writing this on Monday in the hotel and it’s very quiet at home because Jack has gone to Woodlands for the week. We saw him off from the school in the morning and they were all full of it and raring to go. That’s going to be some weekend in a class with so many boys who all have quite a character about them. IN saying that, I’d still love to have gone along as a helper, that would be great fun I am sure.

Got a text in the morning saying that they’d arrived safe and sound so that was pleasing. Looking forward to hearing updates from the school…I am sure he’ll be in his element.

Interesting attitude & Schools County Match

Driving Jack to the School County match against Bristol this morning we were chatting about players and football and then I asked him whether he’d like to play for a club like Horspath that are so strong and would win everything. His response was very interesting indeed..

“No definitely not, what would be the point? If it’s all too easy then the medals and success doesn’t mean anything at all. I like to have a challenge. If the team is too good then it’s not a challenge and if the team is rubbish then it’s no fun. We have it right at Summertown as we have good games and bad games but we’re improving all the time.”

I was surprised, really pleased, but still surprised by such an attitude in a 10 year old, talk about having the right sentiment.

We went to the match against a team from Bristol, played at home, and similar to the game last time when we played against Dacorum we were very much the underdogs. The Bristol team were sharp and passed the ball around well and looked well in control. Jack was once again playing against a very good right midfielder as once again he played left midfield. He had a tough time of it first half and against the run of play Oxford scored to go 1-0 up. Defended really well but were under constant pressure and it was no surprise when the other team equalised.

Second half was similar, Oxford scored with a long range free-kick and then defended resolutely, but Oxford did get more into the game and could have had a couple of break-aways. Jack really had a couple of decent spells so that was a big relief and pleasing to see when he went on some runs and did the right thing. I was proud of that, he also helped defend as well – as they all did!

Time ticked down and we were under a lot of pressure but the boys kept Bristol out and held on until the final whistle. Huge cheer from the boys – after only 3 games they’re becoming mates that’s for certain and it was good to chat with the parents as well. Even though I was linesman this week!

So all in all, a good morning…