| The New Hope - A Warky pre-season report: (H) 10:50 - Aug 1 with 909 views | Warkystache |
I never meant to write this.
Pre-season games are my nemesis. Like international weekends, they smack of not having anything better to do. A rainy Friday meant taking a jacket for the first time since July dawned.
I spent Friday night with Tel in the pub. Nothing abnormal in that. In fact, we spend most Friday nights in the pub, when we're not dining in local Indian restaurants. We didn't last night as Tel has had "gut rot, like, not eggsakly the squits or nuffink, jus' a bit'o'fartin' an' it smells". He gave me an ill-timed example in the car as Mrs Tel drove us to the non-local. The clamour to wind the windows down by both parties was as if we were in some crap BBC Saturday night gameshow; one which demanded that the quickest to seek and administer the electric button was the winner and would play for the star prize of necessary fresh air. The fart sounded wet, and I feared for his pants. It smelt like someone had successfully dredged the worst of the mud in the Stour. .
They're not heading to Portugal in August. Not allowed. Or at least they are allowed but they cancelled anyway. I didn't quite understand the story. Instead of two weeks in the Praya's, they're having a week in Braintree and several day trips to Wells-next-the Sea and Sheringham. And Southwold. Those beers in the Portuguese heat to be replaced by likely showers and a '99 on the prom.
So Friday night was spent discussing these matters and debating whether it was worth driving a 4x4 across to Sheringham from Wells along some of the narrowest roads known to man. The North Norfolk coast is popular and parts are lovely, but it is also uninviting to the day-tripper in a big vehicle. The discursive paused from time to time for a sip of the ale and, in Tel's case, a quick lean forward and another low rumble from his gusset. Two women who sat behind us drank up quick and left after the first salvo. Visibly wilting. I must have a poor sense of smell.
Saturday came. I had booked a ticket for the Millwall friendly online. In the SBR but not in my chosen ST seat. The train in from Manningtree seemed alien, something I'd not even tried to do in the preceding 18 months. I exited at Ipswich station feeling like the phrase 'After the Lord Mayor's Show'. A few backpackers at 11.30am, a few families with excited kids at the start of their holidays and off to London for something different. The clouds scudded across the hazy skies and people picked at black facemasks with their fingers. No Millwall in the Station pub. A walk into the town past the usual panhandlers and the odd elderly-with-trolley-on-wheels. This didn't feel like a footy Saturday.
The pub was half-empty. My two co-conspirators sat in tableau vivant at a table, pints half-swallowed at their elbows, necks craned over mobile phones. They consisted of James, a long-standing friend and Forest fan and Danny, his neighbour and long-standing rugby fan who James managed to coerce to attend a friendly game in a sport he had previously told us he's not keen on. Still, it got him out of the house on a Saturday, didn't it?
We stayed and chatted and ate and drank until 2pm. Then we walked into town so Danny could withdraw money at the ATM and James could buy a bottle of water for the game. We had a quick peek in that Danish store (Flying Tiger?) to look for hand-held fans, then ambled to PR, arriving at 2.40pm. The 'crowds' were sparse but enthusiastic. The echoes of chants and the seagulls wheeling made it feel like a seaside stag-party.
The game began brightly. Both sides looked energetic. I will say this for Paul Cook; we won't be left frustrated by dawdling players this season. We hit the outside of the post. And then Millwall scored. And suddenly we lost a bit of confidence and James groaned as we built from midfield but then saw it break down just on the cusp of it getting exciting. Half-time, 0-1. Millwall looked the more composed side but nothing special. The worry was the lack of gilt-edged chances created.
We left before the final whistle. 3-0 was unjust but yet sort of deserved as well. It wasn't a 3-0 game by any stretch. Look at a 3-0 scoreline and you'd think the away side were miles better, but these weren't, they just took chances. I'd be worried by that defence if it was regular though. We definitely need a decent left-back. Hopefully we'll sort this before next Saturday. Otherwise, it's been a good summer. If you haven't seen us play yet, you'll be pleasantly surprised. We're nowhere near fluent yet, but there were some nice touches and hints of understandings to come.
Roll on Saturday!
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| The New Hope - A Warky pre-season report: (H) on 13:28 - Aug 1 with 731 views | Geomorph |
Great read thanks
As someone working with rivers I particularly enjoyed the ‘ It smelt like someone had successfully dredged the worst of the mud in the Stour. . ’ bit |  | | |
| The New Hope - A Warky pre-season report: (H) on 22:34 - Aug 1 with 486 views | EdwardStone |
Excellent, as always
I worry for this forthcoming season....just hope that these players can become a team |  | | |
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