Mighty Bulldogs II

[Malc]

My U15s team had their first game of the season, a friendly against Loganholme, who stacked their team with U16s players citing lack of U15 players available.

I am still in the process of building a team, and was down on numbers. I had to "borrow" two lads who had only come by to watch. One lad had to be driven home to get his kit.
I may have mentioned that my team were adjudged to be no-hopers this season, our own director of coaching is going round telling other clubs we're really a second string squad.

The heat was phenomenal, like playing in an oven, and we stopped three times for drinks breaks. I had two huge bags of ice ready in the shade, and the boys used it all up at the first break. Three players had to come off to rest because they had pulled hamstrings or calves, one of the "guest" players couldn't continue, and we played the second half with only ten men.

We won 4-0.

[Mince]

My U15s team had blah blah blah ... We won 4-0.

Oh, well done!

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I love a happy ending. I guessed it was coming, but not by four goals. YAY!

[Malc]

It's amazing the difference a win makes, people are so fickle.

Two guys who were originally selected for the team pulled out to go to other clubs, but they've just heard that those clubs will not now be playing in the top league, so they're making overtures to come back. One parent of a kid I was interested in who previously would not return my calls or answer emails turned up to watch the game and subsequently wouldn't leave my side all day.

At least his son didn't turn a place down, so I'm still interested in talking to him, but it's getting close to  crunch time for kids looking for teams and I'm getting a call every couple of days.

I'm enjoying the moment, but I'm enough of a realist to know that at some stage we'll get a solid hammering from a couple of the top teams. Preparing the team for the down times is just as important.

[The Peepmaster]

You've got to have faith, Malc. If little Havant & Waterlooville can lose to Liverpool, anyone can. They were an inspiration to us all.

[Malc]

So basically that's a story of the little guy, against all odds getting beaten by the big guy anyway.
Inspirational indeed, thanks Peepsie.  :

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Style, Malc - it's all about the style.  :

[The Peepmaster]

My youngest tiny-tot (he's 27), told me yesterday that his Div 4 team has just beaten the team from the top of Division 1 in a cup match. The next game's the semi-final. If they win that, the final's at Molineux - home of the gods.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Ignore my previous post.  :

[The Peepmaster]

 :

[Roger Kettle]

Great start to the season, Malc.
By the way, what's the latest on that Aussie superkid you know who was being chased by Man U?

[The Peepmaster]

Great start to the season, Malc.
By the way, what's the latest on that Aussie superkid you know who was being chased by Man U?

Yeah - did they catch up with him?

[peter]

As a former manager you have to decide whether you are going to go for glory or keep faith with the faithful.
In the end you will probably go for the former.
go the Bulldogs go

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

Peter, I find it quite remarkable that you were a football coach, and yet the boy Mince displays a complete loathing and ignorance of the beautiful game.

Mind you, my own father detested the game, and apparently when my grandmother delighted him with a brand new plastic ball as a child, he refused to let go of it at the local park in case it got muddy. And yet I grew up to have a deep and lasting love for the game, and had fate been a little kinder, I may well have turned professional. Tragically, I was crap.

[Malc]

I was actually a handy player, but you have to take my word for it. You've heard this story a hundred times, so here's 101...

I picked up so many injuries from playing in crap leagues and works football, etc, that I was half crippled by the time I got into my mid 20s.
Scottish leagues (whether works, Sunday or Junior football) are terrible. I was a winger, and I played in games where the spectators kicked me.
 My worst injury was inflicted on me by my own goalkeeper, who smashed my leg sideways tearing ligaments in my right knee. I was about 25 then, so in no danger of pursuing a high paying pro career, but whatever future I had was gone.

My brother Ian was on Kilmarnock's books, but threw it all away in a Gazza-like obsession with booze and stupid stunts (like playing with his mates for the Cross Keys pub on a Sunday) and getting involved in Saturday night brawls.

The highest sporting achiever in my family was my niece Claire, who as a schoolgirl played for Scotland. My niece Fiona (who has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user) represents Australia in the game of bocce.

Let's hear it for the girls!