BRICKLESS IN BRISTOL..

This week`s footy round-up has a sadly poignant ring to it.  But first, congratulations to Mr. Slightly`s ever improving Gillingham who made the 700-mile round trip to Carlisle and came away with another three points after a spirited 2-1 victory to see them climb to 11th in the League One table.   Over the moon next door yet again.

As for my Saints, well, they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Stoke City, now managed by former Saint Mark Hughes and so retain their ninth place in the Premier League. There are reports this morning that `the big guns` are once again looking to pounce for some of our young stars emerging from the Academy.    Manchester United and Chelsea want Luke Shaw, Liverpool are after Jay Rodrigues and Arsenal, not content with nicking Theo Walcott and Alex Oxtail-Chamberlain, are eyeing up Callum Chambers.   What really gets to me is the appalling arrogance of these `big clubs` who seem to feel they are entitled to make such overtures on the assumption that clubs like Southampton will just roll over and let it happen.   

But the most disheartening news this week comes from Bristol City.   In the week, they played Coventry City at home and lost 2-1.   But just before the final whistle, our street`s hero Scott Wagstaff suffered a nasty shoulder injury which not only kept him out of yesterday`s game but is likely to see him sidelined for six weeks or so. Here`s a short video of the incident:-  

A nasty collision resulting in fact that the medical experts have instructed him not to mark any future goals he might score by performing his trademark celebration - The Brick!  Now this is a serious business, not just for Scott and his shoulder but also for the future of The Brick.   The Bristol City fans will doubtless be sick as parrots although, like the rest of Waggy`s anxious public, they will not only wish him well for a full and speedy recovery but also be intrigued as to what contortion might in future take The Brick`s place.  

I suggest that bulletins should be posted on the railings of Ashton Gate to keep us posted on Scotty`s progress and prepare us for his next celebratory wheeze.

THE BRICK IS BACK..

This photo shows our street`s local hero Scott Wagstaff performing his own patented extraordinary celebratory contortion - The Brick.   It followed his rasping drive which nestled in the back of the net beyond the despairing clutches of the opposing custodian in the 11th minute of Bristol City`s game away at Bradford City on Saturday.  

His goal equalised the one scored by the Bantams after just 49 seconds of the game to earn hard pressed Bristol City a deserved point that could well prove crucial at the end of the season as their fight to escape the League One drop zone gathers momentum under new manager Steve Cotterill.  So, our street is over the moon about Scotty`s 5th goal of the season - a useful return for a hard working pacey midfield flanker -even though few of us have ever ventured to Bristol`s fair city.

BRICKLESS IN BURSLEM..

Our street`s local hero Scott Wagstaff travelled with his Bristol City team mates to Burslem in the Potteries on Saturday to take on Port Vale, one of their former teams shown above.   An interesting place, Burslem, perhaps best summed up by this selection of notable people originating from the town - Robbie Williams, the ex-Take That warbler; Josiah Wedgwood the famous potter; Lemmy of Motorhead and Phil ("The Power") Taylor, permanent world darts champion.

Anyway, to the match.   After 55 minutes, Waggy put Bristol City in the lead with a thumping strike which Paul Merson would surely have described as a `worldie,`  only for a suicidal back-pass late in the game to gift Port Vale an undeserved equaliser, thus stretching Bristol City`s winless streak to sixteen league games and counting.

Much as Wagstaff`s fine effort was appreciated, there was however some disappointment among his followers that he eschewed his trademark celebration - The Brick.   Instead he seemed content to stay on his feet and be embraced by his team mates in a more conventional show of mutual chuminess.   So, here`s a brick forged in Burslem to make up in some small way for Saturday`s disappointment:-

Astonishingly, Bristol City`s next scheduled game, this coming Saturday against Creepy Crawley, can`t take place as City have three players missing on international duty.   Sadly, Wagstaff isn`t one of them but perhaps his disarming honesty, demonstrated here in his post match interview, might not be quite what Roy Hodgson is looking for:-

HERE WE GO AGAIN..

It`s really quite extraordinary.  Here we are in the very first week of August and a full programme of Football League matches kicked off yesterday;  well, Friday evening to be precise, with more games today, tomorrow and Tuesday and quite probably each and every day until next May.   

Anyway, we here in Snopper Street have had our involvement already with my next door neighbour`s newly promoted Gillingham going down at home to a late goal by visitors Colchester - a portent of things to come now that my neighbour has invested in a season ticket?   For his sake, I hope not.

The highlight for us here in Snopper Towers, now we`re Robins fans, was our street`s pacy flanker Scott Wagstaff, making his home league début for his new club, Bristol City, and scoring the opener in a 2-2 draw against Bradford City.   He is shown above just after scoring his deftly taken goal, which was followed up by a return of his trademark celebration - The Brick.   Here it is:-

As can be seen from the above clip, this remarkable contortion involves running to the touchline and falling down flat on his back whilst his joyous team mates then fall down on top of him.   The Brick, as featured on TV and with an in depth analysis on Talksport, clearly has marketing potential so let`s hope that yesterday`s season opener is just the start of a happy and productive stay at Ashton Gate for our street`s local hero, whose post match interview can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9grh3pvxmA.  Fame at last?