Town Walls for Goalposts

To keep us with a post in each month, i'm just posting this piece i rattled off from a group on Facebook the other week, a group setup by David... a bit of a reminisence of primary school football on my behalf.

I think the "year 4 pitch" we used jumpers for goalposts (could include Campri Ski Jackets too - guilty as charged) for one goal, and the medieval town walls of a world heritage site as the other goal - ye, we were just that cool! The "town wall end" goal, as i remember, was roughly marked out by steps up to the archway leading to 'y canolfan' and some old signpost or something... crossbar, as always in such jumpers for goalposts situations was decided by the height of the keeper (sometimes by a certain stone in the medieval world heritage site town walls). Common sense amongst us to agree or disagree to calls of "POST!" or "BAR!" were always fun, and often ending in an agreeable 5 yard penalty, of which was probably going to be 'pelted' at the goalie full in the face. This situation could however end up in a call of "its my ball!" where a new rule is inserted: Agree with the ball owner. That, or simply kick the blue plastic fly-away ball into..whatever...that was... was it a garden? an orchard? overgrown wasteland with steps going down to 'the sports field' - deadly steps or what?! Many a ball met it's end in there, and so too the school roof. The demolition company must have had enough footballs to diversify their business entirely. Other situations saw you running out of the "bottom gate" (barging a dinner lady out of the way first) and running down Rosemary Lane chasing this thing, the punishment for leaving the premises forgotten about, retrieving that ball was all that mattered!

The wall of 2 goals side-by-side still stands, i think. 2 goals side by side and a 45 degree slope of a pitch (I say pitch, I mean tarmac with chippings to really graze your knees up) fantastic! A ball lost on this pitch was pretty much irretrivable... St Agnes Road, or over the wall/fence into "that guys" garden / plantation.

Not many people can describe their 'playtime' primary school football the way we could!

"Where were you when I was edging?"

And you'd forgotten. OK, long time no post. A lot can happen in a month. I've upped-sticks / up-rooted from my 27 years or so of Conwy living and headed out towards Chester (just still in North Wales). A commute back 'home' to Conwy sees me driving into the postcard scene every other day, yet still I know it's "just Conwy". The other week days the commute takes me along Mold Road, Wrexham and every other day a twitch for a season ticket as I can't but help looking at the stadium, and peek through the gates to get a flash view of the green pitch and the concrete steps (soon to be demolished) of the Kop...

Reason for the move, is mainly down to my girlfriends new job out near Chester, working in a large .com company (9 years into this internet malarkey as a job/career, and i'm still keepin' it real in the N.Wales agencies! He tells himself...).

So i've moved. Into the groove of the A55 commute, and Wrexham traffic systems. I now have a "Welsh Water Account Reference Number", pay "Council Tax", have a "BT Account Number", have several shopping hours in IKEA under my belt (as well as the meatballs) this must make me a veteran? Had to laugh when emptying my jeans pockets (for the first spin in the washing machine) to find a Homebase Spend & Save Card 'application form' - that'll be from the time I had to nip there and buy my very own 'claw hammer'! We're also contracted to keep the garden tidy: a lawn mower, edging knife and a pair of garden shears are in the shed. What more could I want... mmm that Black & Decker Workmate? Never!...?

So there we are, i've been shopping in places I never thought my card would be swiped, and sorting everything an unfurnished house might need... As a break in the middle of this lot I was at a mates party one weekend in Shrewsbury, don't remember too much about it save the "hungover, ive got to pull over in this lay-by to lie down for an hour" drive home.

So anyway, just briefly, football. Morecambe the first home game of the season... roll on August. Our house backs onto the local football clubs ground/field, already i've looked them up and where they stand in the Welsh League system... think Conference North. More posts soon.

Car Crash Celebrity No-Marks & to Anfield

Took my first trip of the new year to watch struggling Conwy United Saturday afternoon, up with the hardy old fans in the "new" stand (the tin roof now flapping in the wind, high % of seats broken, and flaking paint) and watch them play Caerwys, who were bottom of the league, and obviously, really struggling... 1-1 at half time, clubhouse coffee in hand with the force 10 wind against in the 2nd half for Conwy, I feared the worst... somehow Conwy dug out a win of 6-1! Great game.

My preparation for the week ahead began Sunday morning in tackling a walk around the Great Orme with Emma... windy? Just a bit. I also think this accelerated my "I think i'm getting a cold" feeling. It duly came on, taking my first sick day from work in what must be 12 months. Daytime TV, a miracle cure. "Alcoholic 45yr old wants access to his 14th child with age-gap of 25 years girlfriend".

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Let's, Play..." every year, why am I saying to myself "I should go there next year"... World Darts Championship at Lakeside, and what a final! For Sunday night drama on the TV, that was the best in years, Midsomer Murders...

Without sounding too diary - Monday night, somebody happened to pull out of a side road in Conwy into the main road without looking properly and swiped along my car good style - on Uppergate Street by the arch... Was entirely her fault, she admitted. Coincidentally she knew me, lives on the same street, and in her state of shock muttered how she was stood behind me in the post office that day - all true. Damage is around the £1500 mark for her insurance to sort out, just another hassle to do without.

Topical bit: So why are Channel 4, or the management companies or agencies surrounding the Big Brother show reluctant about condemning the recent racism on their latest Big Brother show? Here's a thing, since Jady Goody "shot" to fame on the show she has had the same management as the shows host, Davina McCall. Others represented by the same management company and agency include spin-off show hosts; Dermot O'Leary and Russell (cock) Brand. Last year's "Celebrity" Big Brother winner Chantelle (who if i recall wasnt a celebrity 'at all' - apart from having been a Soccerette on Soccer AM) is also managed by the same company. I think i've just answered my question...

How fucked up is it that some dumb-ass "no-mark" is having consequences on British relations abroad (and at home)? I'm sure she'll attempt to resurrect her "career" (?) post Big Brother with a high profile celebrity boyfriend (See pic). A great internet find i'm sure you'll agree!

Weekend ahead then: Whilst my work colleagues are off to the hills above Abergele to shoot paint at each others arses (paintballing) in a team-building exercise (?), i'm swapping tin-pot decaying local football grounds to visit Anfield wth Emma, for Liverpool v Chelsea. Which will this season, make "me" more of a (financial) supporter of Liverpool FC than most Liverpool FC fans i know. Last time i visited Anfield i was about maybe 9 years old and "stood" in the Kop, main memory is being pushed with the general tide of people down the concrete steps maybe 10/15 rows on Liverpool scoring their equaliser that day! So on that note...

Signing off.