Tuesday 23 November 2010

What a great weekend!

Well I'm typing up this blog whilst listening to the latest Seals Podcast, and also having my mobile phone updating me on the Chorley & Clitheroe scores, so I'm 'in the zone' as they'd say right now whilst I enjoy the second evening of my week off work - oh yeah, forgot to mention Soccer Special on Sky 401 is on in the background as well so total football tonight!

So, taking a step back to last Saturday, and I, probably like most woke up with anticipation knowing that our biggest game of the season would be taking place in just a few hours, and the words of Skelmersdale's Frank Hughes were ringing around my head, and that really spurred me on - not that I could do anything about it on the day, but it helped my motivation for getting up on a saturday morning!

Having watched Soccer AM in the morning, it was then suit on, tie on, and get down to the Exacta to start the latest match day routine - just as an insight by the way, the day before, it's time to produce the schedules for the PA crew on the day (that's Cleggy & Tom), the list of expected photos from our photographers (that's Rick & Ian), the full match day schedule (which goes out to the whole board so they know just what's going on in and around the game), and the Announcements for Blues Live, as well as keeping tabs on the orders for Blues Live commentary.

Anyway, I digress, down to the ground, and through the usual routine of dishing out the announcements, but then meeting up with City talk's Alan Irwin, who is featuring the Blues in his programme, and so did an initial pre match interview with Alan, at about 1pm, so feeling quite relaxed at this point.

That interview took place immediately after we did a sound check on a gentleman who is going to be singing at our Christmas Celebration day on Saturday 11th December, so anyone who was outside the ground at this point must have wondered what the hell was going on, but we'll see young Scott perform in a couple of weeks time as Saturday was just a tester.

So, that & Alan's interview done, it was then time to meet some students who were half way through a University course doing a broadcasting degree, and time to fly in and find out where Mr Pilsbury was, anyway, he was spotted, and then dragged out to do the interview, fair play he was still doing it 20 minutes later - he's like a pringle, once he pops he can't stop!

Getting closer to kick off now, and things getting extremely busy in the ticket office, club shop, and of course the bar, all amazingly busy, and a sign of the times...hold on news coming through...

Chorley 1 down - get in!

Right, have decided this is going to be a live blog ha ha!

Time to publish this part 1!

Right back to it - oh hold on....Clitheroe take the lead - bugger, although had predicted this one that way, so not too distressed over this one!

Where was I? Oh yes, close to kick off now, and time to welcome in the Directors & Legends Loungers through to the main stand, and plenty of hello's going on there, so all seemed okay that point.

The game kicks off then, and...oh no we almost go one down with only a minute on the clock, but thankfully the sliding shot goes wide.

From that point it was great stuff, not long until Wildey popped up with a banger of a header from a great corner, lovely sight seeing that net ripple, and before we could get our breath back, Wildey was on the chase again, and upended by the defender...penalty!

Not just a penalty, but a red card too, hotly disputed by the visiting Directors, no surprise there, but from where we all sitting there didn't appear to be any argument, he was the last man and had to go. Not that they agreed of course.

Oh, Chorley may have a chance here as Ossett's keeper has gone off and now an outfield player is in goal, hmmm, can see what's going to happen here...

Part 2 published.

Back to it, although the every other minute a twitter comes in from Chorley which is a bit of a pain, this time telling us another Ossett player is out cold - great =(

Wtahcing on then from the door to the Directors area - I find it extremely hard to settle during games, so that's my place at the mo! - and Wildey picks himself up from the challenge, and steps up - penalty saved, the unusual sight of us witnessing Michael Wilde miss from the spot, what am I talking about this was only his second penalty of the season!

Anyway, that was pretty much that until half time, but Wildey really could have had a hat trick in that half.

So, to the Second Half and all of a sudden it was pretty frosty on the back row of the visiting Directors area, with one person in particular being rather vocal, and her (yes, her) mood went even worse when we got a second penalty, and this time Tom Field made no mistake and the Blues went three up, and thanks to the awful slating this lady (?) was giving Chester FC from that back row, I think it's fair to say that running down 5 steps, punching the air in their direction, was maybe a little payback for the comments that I was hearing. They didn't make much after that.

Maybe a tad unprofessional of me, but it really grates when I hear people dissing just what has been achieved here, only to be accused of "buying success" - in fact I find that quite offensive to be truthful.

The best was yet to come of course, as Jimmy McCarthy scored a great goal after a solo run to give us a 4-0 lead, and that was so so sweet, in fact I'm sure I came out with something like "try and moan about that one" whilst celebrating!

That was pretty much it, but then Alan Irwin came over and did a live interview at the final whistle where it was extremely satisfying to talk about a 4-0 hammering of the second placed team in the League - although Clitheroe would now be that team thanks to a second half goal, which I misread for a Leigh goal, but oh well they've played more games than us, so we can deal with that challenge, plus they have some tricky games coming up.

Now, still no update from Chorley, so either they've all decided they can't cope with the injuries, or they are about to enter added on time, unless they have started the game of "next penalty wins"...

Blog refreshed!

So, back to it then, and a great way to end the game on Saturday, with the wrap up interview (that's going out on Wednesday evening on City Talk 105.9 - I think it is!), and unfortunately had to rush off once the traffic had calmed down, but there was plenty of wine on the go to celebrate that one, added to the fact that we had maintained our six point advantage.

Balls. Chorley have equalized. Come on Ossett hold them to a draw.

Now they are saying 7 mins of injury time.

Okay, carry on.

As I said time off for good behaviour this week, but still loads of CFC stuff to do, and of course board meeting on a freezing Monday night, lots to discuss.

Clitheroe 2 up - oh well.

Discuss that stuff we did, although pleased to say the meeting lasted only 2 and a half hours this week!

Anyway, plenty going on as I said, and sad to hear the news about Paul Raynor's death. I only just remember the name as I started watching Chester in 1982 so he was probably coming to the end of his career at Chester at that point, but I do recall going up to him for an autograph on a charity day held around that time.

News just filtering through that Chorley have scored in the 96th minute and that should be that I'm afraid.

Rather annoying that twitter feed actually, they tell you about every single incident it seems, it's a bit like me on my twitter going into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and tweeting

"Kettle switched on" - tweet
"Milk added to cup" - tweet
"Kettle boiled" - tweet
"Sugar added to cup" - tweet
"Boiling hot water added...arrrrggghhh - missed cup due to Tweeting" - tweet

Oh well, the results were as expected, but isn't it annoying how it happened?

Well I'm going to leave it at that tonight as this blog has drifted off more than Shaun Ryder in the Jungle!

Signing off.

No comments: