| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) 09:45 - Sep 1 with 1571 views | Warkystache |
The rain began falling as I rounded the last turn by the river and headed towards home. It started with drips and then became heavier. Portentous, I thought. And I worried about the Fulham game for the hundredth time in a week. We needed the points.
There were other omens, mostly lucky ones. The last time we won a league game, against Huddersfield in May, I saw a herd of deer grazing on the edge of a wood. I saw them again yesterday, this time in a field, not as many as in May, but definitely there. Football fans hold ridiculous superstitions for their team. Lucky pants, black cats, herds of deer. Admittedly, the deer one is unusual, but mock thee not. It worked. Sort of.
There was no Armando Broja or Reiss Nelson at Manningtree station, just a gaggle of well-dressed people heading for London, and a few blue-shirted Town supporters. Tel and I were incongruous; he in grey Superdry anorak, covering his YSL black check shirt and deep blue Levis. I was more cheaply attired in Cotton Traders sweatshirt and M&S jeans. I don’t suit designer togs. Too fat for one thing.
Mrs Tel drove us and, with resignation, promised to collect us from the Indian restaurant at ten as requested by Tel. She looked good, but then she always does. New tints in her hair. Ray-Ban sunglasses. Clash T-Shirt and black jeans. She was meeting Sandy for coffee in Colchester. Away she roared after we clambered out. “Prob'ly ‘avin’ an affair” muttered Tel in jest.
No Broja or Nelson on the train either, although their ears must have been burning, the amount they were discussed. Deadline day woes: no follow-up striker (S’OK though, said Tel, Hirst and Broady’ll be back) and the relative merits of signing players in panic rather than with logic. Terry gave contemplative replies. His last, as the outskirts of Ipswich hove into view and we passed the various back gardens and allotments heading for the tunnel “when yer piddle the bed, first it’s warm, then it’s cold, then it smells. An’ we’re nowhere near cold yet”.
The pub was busy and we sat at a far table, just enough away from the bar, but also away enough that we could converse in relative ease. They had some music station playing softly in the background and Terry Hall intoned “It doesn’t matter what they say, no-one’s listening anyway” as Tel warbled on about this season’s football bet and showed me his selections. He did five quid on Man City, Villa, Leeds, Oxford United and Wrexham. I think we won three hundred or thereabouts, although neither knew the scores until later and, when we’d checked, we celebrated with another sh*t brandy in the Indian.
Still, that was later. We shared a plate of buffalo wings and another smaller plate of tacos, pulled pork if you’re interested. Very good. Three Wise Monkeys they were. We change establishments quite regularly on match-days, usually because the taverns get crowded and Tel is like Egon Ronay with pub food and doesn’t trust several to deliver what their menus insist. That’s why we stopped using The Plough. And The Cock and Pye. And The Cricketers, although he will deign to drink in the last as it’s a Wetherspoons and therefore cheap as chips.
We made the ground at 2.50pm. I don’t know what I’ll do when and if the Labour Government ban me from having a cigarette or three outside the SBRL before I take the plunge at the turnstiles. It’s become almost as much of a custom as watching the seagulls wheel around the bins down Sir Alf. How will they police it? Visions of coppers ignoring away fans kicking off and berating me for puffing on a Marlboro. Bastards. “Thass yer Labour Government for ya” said Tel in the Indian later. Then he said “Yer could always give up?”.
We all saw the game, I presume? Yes? 1-0 up, a cracker from Delap which I nearly missed as my bladder called just as he and Hutchinson were flying at their defence. Then Traore, a player who looked like he’d spent the summer with Dr David Banner, experimenting with gamma radiation, was left free at the back post for a tap-in. 1-1. We pushed and pulled and tried but the winner never came and it seemed oddly reasonable at the end, our first point. True there’s a lot of work for this team still to do but we’d competed, hadn’t made a hash at the back and looked excitingly fleet going forward.
A straggle of friendly Fulham fans at the station. We discussed the game and they felt we were miles better than Leicester, which was of some comfort, I’ll admit. The train back was therefore jolly, if packed, and when the doors opened at Manningtree, we squeezed out and headed for a celebratory pint in the local. The walk down didn’t even elicit the usual moaning from Tel.
The Indian was cathartic later. Tel’s got another job. Well, possibly. He kept the news back for later lest I somehow not appreciate the gravity. “Drivin’ for a delivery firm in Halstead, just part-time, pays ‘undred a day so it’ll give me an int'rest like and keep the wife in hairdo’s”. I congratulated him and he winced and said “Don’ get too cocksure. Aint been offered it yet. Still, no weekends, which’ll ‘elp what with the Town an’ that”. I agreed. It would be too much at the moment to miss his presence on match days.
Still, he said as we parted at my drive, least we made a point. He was right, we did. It might be important come next May. Well, we thought it might be. Anything could happen before then. It’s that type of league. |  |
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| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 11:42 - Sep 1 with 1380 views | Benters |
Cracking stuff Warky.
About a year ago I saw thee mooching down Manningtree High Street,I was in the opticians there opposite the charity shop. |  |
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| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 12:01 - Sep 1 with 1320 views | Bramidan |
| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 11:42 - Sep 1 by Benters |
Cracking stuff Warky.
About a year ago I saw thee mooching down Manningtree High Street,I was in the opticians there opposite the charity shop. |
Are you sure, you were in the opticians. |  | | |
| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 12:49 - Sep 1 with 1240 views | Bramidan |
| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 12:01 - Sep 1 by Bramidan |
Are you sure, you were in the opticians. |
What an idiot, posted before I read your post and appreciated the joke already made. | | | |
| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 18:51 - Sep 1 with 985 views | Benters |
| The Warky Premier Report: Fulham (H) on 12:49 - Sep 1 by Bramidan |
What an idiot, posted before I read your post and appreciated the joke already made. |
It wasn’t meant as a joke it was a true story 😊 | |
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