WHEN I GROW UP.....

When I was very young - just a few years ago - I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I used to enjoy drawing a lot and looking at maps and I did flirt with the idea of becoming a cartographer but no-one ever asked me what I might like to do and even in those days I didn`t take myself at all seriously, so in the end I guess I just drifted.

But one ambition came to pass in April 1946.  My father, not long home from his five years as a Prisoner of War, decided it was time to introduce me to football.  And so we made the journey across Southampton Water on the Hythe Ferry and made our way to The Dell, home of Southampton FC.  For a boy of not quite seven it was a real adventure.  The game was against Derby County who, less than 48 hours earlier, had won the FA Cup at Wembley, beating Charlton Athletic.  So they were a formidable side and maybe their exertions or their celebrations crept up on them but the Saints came out 4-2 winners. 

From there on, I was hooked;  and I knew that one thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a Saints fan.   And so it has endured for all these years - almost 75 years ago since my first initiation.  And over all that time there have been ups and downs, good times and bad but throughout it all there has been the companionship of fellow Saints fans and because supporting the Saints is not all about winning trophies - more often than not, it`s about struggles and disappointment -the feeling of belonging to a community of fans becomes more important. 

Which might explain the photo above - it is a calling card of the Codgers Crew, of which I was proud to be a member.  It was in its heyday a good few years ago now when we all had season tickets and met up for pre-match coffee and cake at Monsieur Hulot`s Patisserie on Southampton Town Quay and enjoyed each other`s company during and after the game, even if the result did not always go the way we would have preferred.

And it is experiences like that which - at least I hope - encourages me to avoid growing up too much.  Life is short, it seems especially precarious these days, so there seems every sense in avoiding the customary inevitability of anno domini having its way, but instead maintaining the links with people, places and times that have made it all worthwhile and look forward to what might still be

Don`t worry about me - I`ll be fine when I grow up.

 

Shouldn`t be too difficult to spot.  Firstly, neighbourly Gillingham fans will have been pleased with their resounding 3-1 win away at the Robins of Swindon Town to maintain their strong league position.   And Forest Green Rovers sealed a 2-1 win at home against Harrogate Town.  Their closes rivals, Cambridge United and Cheltenham Town both won as well, so things at the top of League Two are very tight.  Rovers next travel to Cambridge on Saturday in a game that has `huge` written all over it and a genuine six pointer.  

So, two good wins so far and so it`s a touch painful to be the odd one out this week, as the Saints lost 2-1 at home to Brighton - the first time Brighton have beaten Southampton in 16 attempts.   The result and indeed the performance says much about the Saints` malaise ever since they beat Liverpool back in January.  They have now amassed just four points from a possible 36, lost 10 of their last 12 games; and but for their early season form which garnered 29 points before Christmas they might now be well entrenched in a relegation battle.  Could still happen if they don`t pick up a few more points in the remaining nine games.

Nothing unusual there, for Southampton have done relegation battles over the years and in some way it now seems business as usual for us Saints fans, accustomed as we are to a life of anxiety, bewilderment and cliff-edge, eggshell-walking uncertainty.  Yesterday`s `performance` was just so disappointing - lacking passion, energy or invention - and unfairly there are rumours that the manager has lost the dressing room.  (Up the corridor and turn left, I think.)  

Next up is the FA Cup quarter final at Bournemouth next weekend and a chance to regain some pride but already there are worrying signs - the Vitality Stadium is a difficult place to go to and Saints Manager Ralph Hassenhutl  has a lot to do to convince his squad and the supporters that he knows what he`s doing.  I hope he and the team come through this dire spell.....but at least it`s not boring.

A SHOT IN THE ARM...

Had a phone call yesterday offering me an appointment for my second Covid vaccine which will now happen in a week`s time.  I have to say that the vaccine rollout here has been exemplary - very efficient in all respects and I am seriously grateful for the service being provided.   Being `of an age` I`m encouraged too by the fact that two of our 50+ sons are having their first jabs very shortly but less encouraging is that 50+ son number three, who lives and works in the EU, might be waiting some months before he has his.

What was particularly discouraging about the EU, quite apart from the apparent shambles surrounding their rollout and the arguments about the respective merits or otherwise of the various vaccines, was the report that thousands of EU Eurocrats could be having their coronavirus jabs soon, whereas millions of people across the EU go without, thanks to the bloc`s bungled rollout.

Starting in the next week or so, 20,000 MEPs, officials and staff from the European Commission, Council and Parliament will be vaccinated at special centres set up in Belgium for their exclusive use.  The report goes on to say that this comes after the EU allegedly blocked the export of the Astra-Zenica doses from Italy to Australia, saying it has a greater need for them.

What could have been a shot in the arm for showing where their real priorities lie, the EU has, perhaps predictably, shot themselves in the foot by showing a classic demonstration of primus inter pares.  Why am I not surprised?

 

Well, I said they don`t come around too often and I wasn`t wrong.  The celebrations of the last weekend have disappeared in a hail of disappointment for my neighbour, our street`s local hero`s family down the road and for myself.  We need help and counselling after each of our teams slipped up in the midweek fixtures.

First, Forest Green Rovers were on the brink of going top of the league at home to Morecambe on Tuesday evening;  they were leading 2-1 deep into added time when from nowhere the visitors grabbed an equaliser. Still, they didn`t lose.

Which is more than can be said for my neighbour`s Gillingham and my beloved Southampton.  The Gills were away at Fleetwood, hoping to cement their play-off hopes but sadly it was the Cod Army who came out on top with a narrow 1-0 win thanks to a second minute penalty awarded by a referee who did not please Gills boss Steve Evans that much. Following the Fleetwood defeat, Evans said: “We went away really disappointed, it was a big chance to go there and win, but it makes it a real uphill task when the referee does that to you. He’s running around calling the Fleetwood players by their first names and that’s not right..   "  Never mind, Steve - you have a good chance of repairing the damage on Saturday against struggling Swindon Town.

Now the Saints 5-2 defeat away at Manchester City last night was perhaps predictable. Ah, Manchester City.  There`s a world of difference between City and the Saints.  City are owned by Sheikh Mansour, one of football`s wealthiest owners with an estimated net worth of at least £17billion and a family fortune in excess of £1 trillion.  City could arguably be called the football club of the United Arab Emirates.  Southampton, on the other hand, are an entirely different proposition - a provincial club struggling to survive on and off the field of play and who, like most other clubs, stand little chance of competing on a level playing field with the size and resources that City have.

But last night the Saints did what they could, played well enough for Pep Guardiola to say they were the best team City have played against all season (which you might say when you`ve just won 5-2) but in the end some defensive blunders and the sheer quality of City produced the inevitable result (3-0 nett?)  Next up, Brighton on Sunday, televised live by the BBC so no doubt there will be pre-match warnings that viewers might find some of the scenes upsetting.....especially if you`re a Saints fan.

 

A few weeks ago I made a solemn promise not to mention the corona virus and all its works on these pages and, apart from the odd passing reference whilst posting about other subjects, by and large I think I have kept to that promise.   In similar vein, I really have no interest in or desire to post too much about the latest kerfuffle involving the royal family and Harry and Meghan.  I will just recall, however, that quite a few moons ago now I did a piece or two about the Harry/Meghan thing - it might have been at the time of the wedding - and I suggested then that I felt there might be trouble ahead.  Well, I wasn`t wrong. (Using the search thingy at the top, search `Not quite Right` and scroll down to the post for 14 February,  2018.  Ironically, that was Valentines Day!)

Now of course there has been an outburst of comment and opinion across just about every media outlet you can think of.  Newspapers of all persuasions are full of it, social media has apparently gone into meltdown and TV and radio is going on about it with reports, analysis, pros, cons and opinions from `opinion formers` and the new profession of `influencers.`  I sat down yesterday lunchtime, turned on BBC news and the Harry/Meghan thing took up the first 20 minutes of the half hour bulletin.   No wonder there was no time to report more on Che Adams` 25 yard screamer against Sheffield United.

So, whilst I might have my own opinions I can see little point in going on about it in this blog and  probably boring you yet more in the process.  No, I`ve come to the conclusion that it really is not something that I want to get involved in or hearing any more about.  In the end, it`s a family affair for the royal family to live with, sort out and get on with.  Good luck with that.

 

ONE OF THOSE DAYS...

Well, they don`t come around very often but yesterday produced one of those rare occurrences when each of `my` football teams secured a win.  I`m down to just three teams at the moment - the others having fallen victim to Mr. Covid and his variant chums - but it`s a good day when all three teams do themselves proud and ensure their supporters are over the moon at least for another week, as you can see from the photo above.

Gillingham took on Ipswich Town under their new manager Paul Cook, who had been installed following the removal of Paul Lambert on Friday.  But it was the Gills who came out on top with a resounding 3-1 win at their Priestfield Stadium to reach as high as eleventh on League One - not too many points away from a play-off place with 15 games still to play.  Could it possibly be?......

Forest Green Rovers bounced back from their midweek defeat away at Stevenage and this time they made the long trip to Grimsby and secured a hard fought 2-1 win to keep them in the automatic promotion spots.   Our street`s talented hard working pacy flanker Scott Wagstaff played the whole game and manager Mark Cooper was full of praise for the performance of the whole team, especially as he said, "Grimsby - always a difficult place to go to.".  Keep going, lads - next season you could be making the trip to Portsmuff where the glories of Krap Nottarf await.....

And so to the Saints.  With enormous relief all round the city, Southampton finally won a Premier League game having gone nine league games without one.  A James Ward-Prowse penalty and a screamer from Che Adams - surely a contender for Goal of the Season - in a 2-0 win away at Sheffield United now surely mean that the Saints can stop looking over their shoulders at the lower end of the table and look forward to a satisfactory end to a difficult season.  Next up - Manchester City away on Wednesday evening.  Oh well.....

My reference to Portsmuff above reminded me that the Blue Few went to Northampton Town yesterday and were 4-0 down at half time.  It ended 4-1 but made a severe dent in their promotion hopes.   So quite apart from the hat trick of victories to report, the day ended with yet more smug satisfaction.  I wonder how long before another day like that....

 

PRIORITIES ?

This picture shows the long slog along the shingle spit from Keyhaven to Hurst Castle on the southern shore of the Solent, close to Lymington.   It`s a few years ago now that we walked from the car park at Keyhaven all the way along well over a mile of hard pebbles and shingle to reach Hurst Castle, which was built on the orders of King Henry V111 between 1541 and 1544 to protect the narrow channel between the mainland and the Isle of Wight from French invasion. 

When we reached the castle it really was like going back in time - an almost eerie feeling that you could reach out and touch the island, it seemed that close.  Was it worth the slog?  Well, maybe;  the exertions of getting there and the sea air did us good although we were not sure that our then golden retriever, Barney, was too impressed.  Rather than slog all the way back, we took the little ferry - the ferryman taking pity on Barney so he allowed Barney aboard where he was impeccably behaved and a lesson in good manners to the children who were also aboard.

The point of all this is that I read yesterday that the east wing of the castle had slid into the sea as a result of the foundations being undermined by the power of the waves;  this despite the fact that English Heritage, who own the castle, did not heed the early warnings about the problems with the foundations and didn`t act in time to prevent the east wing collapsing.  Here`s what it looks like:-

Maybe it`s a question of priorities but perhaps if English Heritage had spent less time rewriting our heritage and more time looking after it then maybe this important piece of our history would still be in one piece.  For example, last year they announced that all 950 of London`s blue plaques would be `reviewed` for potential links to slavery.  I wonder why they stop at `just` slavery - maybe they will also be looking into links with torture, raping and pillaging as well.  Maybe things like that do not offend quite as much?

 

.....just about sums up this brief report on the few remaining football teams I`m following and this weekend we had it all..

So let`s start with the win.  On the back of a disappointing home defeat by low riding Southend in midweek, Forest Green Rovers swept past Colchester on Saturday with a resounding 3-0 win despite being down to 10 men for the whole of the second half.  They now sit comfortably in second place in League Two with games in hand and this evening go to Stevenage with the chance to go top. 

Manager Mark Cooper was full of praise for his team`s gritty performance on Saturday and singled out our street`s football icon Scott Wagstaff for a special mention in his post match interview.  "Waggy - great pro;  fantastic ability; can run all day and has a massive part to play till the end of the season with his great experience and talking to the younger players."  Good to hear some genuine appreciation of a professional player who has now played over 320 games in his career so far.

So, on to the lose.   And it came as no surprise that Southampton went down 1-0  away to Everton in last night`s televised game.  After all, the Saints haven`t won a game at Goodison Park since 1998, despite which there were a few glimpses of encouragement in Saints` performance which hopefully might bring an end to a run of just one draw in the last ten league games which has seen them plunge down to 14th in the Premier League.  Next up, Sheffield United away on Saturday.  Win that and things might look a bit brighter.  Lose it and there will be trouble ahead.....but while there`s moonlight and music and love and romance, let`s face the music and dance.......

And so to the draw....and arguably the most satisfying result of the weekend.  Gillingham went to Portsmuff, a happy hunting ground for the Gills who, my neighbour advises me, have been unbeaten in their last four visits to Krap Nottarf the crumbling home of the Blue  Few.   Gillingham secured a creditable 1-1 draw against their promotion hopeful opponents in a game which Gills` manager Steve Evans said they should have won.   It`s always a scrap of comfort for us Saints fans, especially with all the mental health issues brought about by the Saints` current malheur, when our south coast rivals fail to win a game.  Nice one.

 

To its eternal credit, BBC 4 have just shown the first episode of `The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin.`  It was first shown in 1976 and so is very much `of it`s time.`  In fact I would not be surprised if, before showing it, BBC 4 announced that `some viewers might be offended by the following programme, which has references to sexual innuendo, misogyny and attempted suicide.`

But seeing it again after 45 years has recaptured the plotline - man fed up with the conformity and pointlessness of the modern world decides to end it all.....but actually doesn`t.   But in the process of living his life like groundhog day he comes across a remarkable set of characters - his adoring wife, his companions on the daily commute from suburban-land, his boss, CJ, who didn`t get where he is today by being hilariously stereotyped, his fantasy secretary and his work colleagues, to whom everything is either great or super.  

Reggie turns up late most mornings to begin his shift at Sunshine Desserts claiming his tardiness is due to passengers boarding and alighting at Bromley South or signal failure at Herne Hill.  He sees the company doctor for his imagined ailments only to find that the doctor doesn`t really do medical practice.   And so on and so on....

The whole point in me posting this in the hope that it might encourage you to watch the next episodes (assuming BBC4 have the courage to continue with the series) is that the legacy of Reginald Perrin is that its apparent absurdity actually brings a degree of sanity to today`s insane world.  It is highly recommended - Tuesday, 8.30, BBC4.

 

It`s a very ancient saying, but a true and honest thought and these words from The King and I came to mind the other day when I saw a report that a primary school in East Yorkshire has ditched the names Sir Walter Raleigh, Lord Nelson and Francis Drake for its school `houses` after complaints from a former pupil that using those names supported `institutionalised racism.`

Instead, the school `houses`will now bear the names of modern day activists - Malala Yousafzal, Marcus Rashford, US poet Amanda Gorman (no, neither have I) and of course this quartet would not be complete without adding Greta Thunberg, who should really be back  in school herself.

The head teacher of the school, one Lee Hill, explained that the ex-pupil had `educated` him about those former house names  - who apparently all have links to slavery, oppression and racism - but despite the significant roles and achievements of those historical figures, Mr. Hill said his pupils wouldn`t know who they were.

One anonymous parent suggested that `these historical figures need to be contextualised, not just forgotten about - will anyone even remember those chosen in the renaming in a few years?`   And another said that `People are going to roll their eyes and think, "Not this again."`

Now when I was at school - back in the days when at least in my experience school seemed to be a regime of fear, threats and intimidation - the `houses` in my secondary school were more classical in their nomenclature.  There was Athens House, Troy, Corinth and Sparta and somehow I found myself as House Captain of the Corinthians.  The role didn`t seem to attract too many onerous duties or responsibilities except a presumption that the business of the house would be conducted along Corinthian lines, especially on the cricket and football grounds.   How times have changed.

But back to East Yorkshire and a reminder that we`re dealing with a primary school here, not some left leaning woke-driven bastion of higher education and, maybe as a primary school, they should consider the merits of Fireman Sam, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb and their chums - if only in an attempt to retain the precious gift of childhood?

Anyway, the words of Oscar Hammerstein and Deborah Kerr and the truth they tell may well be right.....but I suggest it all depends on the lesson being taught.

 

THE SINGER NOT THE SONG...

I`ve been watching some TV series lately about Cornwall.  There seem to be quite a few of them, I guess because in a time of lockdown we have all been on the lookout for some relief, if only vicariously.   There`s been Rick Stein`s series, one about Cornwall`s fishing life, a more serious one by Simon Reeve and one by Julia Bradbury, which is still ongoing.

It`s the Julia Bradbury one which is `interesting.`  The screenshot above shows her on a clifftop overlooking one of the enchanting coves along the coastline close to Gwennap Head.  This was the first episode in the series and promised to cover the walk from Porthcurno to Sennen Cove, via Lands End.   Which was a fine ambition but the challenge to do any kind of justice to that walk was not helped by the fact that the first eight minutes or so were actually filmed some miles away - at Botallack, where Julia got involved with an artist who was captivated by the sight of the Crowns Engine Houses perched on the cliff.  Well, who wouldn`t be?

And having spent that amount of time, given the need for a long advert break half way through the half hour programme, there wasn`t much time left to cover the advertised journey.  So we were left with very short glimpses of the spectacular landscape of that part of the Cornish coast - the odd stop at Porthgwarra, a longer look at the Minack Theatre and a couple of interviews with passing historians and wildlife experts along the way.  And when Sennen Cove was eventually reached, the short time left was spent with another artist, this time one who was doing his thing with a rake in the sand.

We`ve done that walk - OK, in bite size chinks, which is really the best way to do walks like that, so you can really take in what it`s all about;  far more satisfying than the rather self indulgent glimpses which Julia allowed us to see.   What`s needed is for someone to do the walk with a camera and just walk it - no interviews, no distractions, no faux whooping and hollering, just show the world what it`s really like.  

It strikes me too that series like Julia`s, passingly entertaining though it may be, tend in the end to be more about the presenters than the landscape they`re passing through, which is a pity.  In the final analysis it tends to be all about the singer rather than the song being sung.

 And the sun always seems to shine - they pick a good day for it.  When we did that walk a few years ago now, we saw it like it really was.  Here`s a photo I took  then - it could be the same spot where Julia was standing in the picture above - showing the bit of coast path above Nanjizal Bay.......please click on the photo for a better image.....

No sign of Julia or anyone else on that day, which was all the better for it.  It`s called living.

 

And why not?  Much to enjoy so far this weekend and once again my neighbour will be over the moon with another win for his beloved Gillingham, who secured a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers to retain their comfortable mid-table position in League One. 

On the south coast, Southampton held in-form Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, thus finally ending a run of six consecutive premier League defeats.  OK, it was only a draw - just one point - but a point that sees the Saints reach the psychologically important milestone of achieving 30 points so far this season.  Just a few more points needed from 14 games so us Saints fans can breathe again.   And yesterday`s draw not only led to ecstatic dancing in the streets of the city but also the prospect of yet another open top bus parade this morning.  Well, it`s not often you get a point against Chelsea.  This contender is poised, ready for action should the call come......

In other news, I`m afraid Mr. Covid continues to play havoc with the fortunes of other teams I follow.  The announcement in the week that National League South has been declared null and void for the season means that Maidstone United will play no further part in proceedings to join others such as Fort William, Brechin City, Truro City and Stoke Gabriel in limiting my football interest to just the Saints, Gillingham and Forest Green Rovers.

The last mentioned are due to play later today, the delay having been caused by Newport County`s pitch being used for a rugby match on Friday, leaving the Newport ground staff little time to prepare the pitch for today`s game with Forest Green.   I`m hoping that Forest Green manage another win to maintain their position towards the top of the League Two  table, thus causing yet more dancing in the streets of Nailsworth this evening.  Rodney Parade is always a difficult place to go to, however.  We`ll see.  More on that story later......

STOP PRESS: Forest Green did pull off a 2-0 win away at Newport this afternoon.  A difficult game played on a heap of sand following Friday`s rugby game but another two points to keep Rovers second in the table.  For some inexplicable reason, our street`s footy icon Scott Wagstaff remained on the bench for this game and is currently undergoing treatment for the removal of splinters from his rear parts;  I imagine he is being saved for more battles to come.

 

FIRST IN THE QUEUE ?

I`ve promised not to write about the corona virus, as such, so I`ll keep to that promise.  However, I can`t help noticing the effect the pandemic is having on people - certainly here in the good ol` U of K and possibly throughout the world.

It seems to me that the last year has brought out the very best in most people but also the less agreeable in others.  As for the vaccination rollout I have been lucky enough to have had the first of my two jabs a few weeks ago and I now wait the call for the second one.   

What impressed me on my visit to our local GP Surgery, which is acting as a vaccination centre for a number of GP practices in the wider area, was the efficiency by which the whole thing was conducted but arguably the most heartening thing was the army of volunteers who gave up their time and acted as marshals for those `patients` attending - most of whom were, like me, in their 80s and a probably a bit uncertain as to the process.  To give up your free time to help others, standing around in quite dreadful weather conditions was truly impressive.  So thank you to all those involved.

Just recently, however, there has been a good deal of speculation as to who should be next in line to have the jab, despite the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending a trickle down programme from the oldest and most vulnerable to younger age groups and certain categories of workers and those with genuine underlying health issues.  The Government accepted the JCVI advice and acted accordingly and it seems they are going to stick by the professional advice they received, which sounds eminently sensible. 

But that hasn`t stopped all kinds of people and various groups claiming priority treatment to have the vaccination and, in effect, jump the queue.  I wonder how many of those claims are genuine and deserve consideration or how many are what they seem - the result of impatience, assumed entitlement or further examples of the `me, me society` we see all around us these days.   

It will be instructive to discover where our true priorities really lie and whether the Government is up to the task.

 

 

GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS...

I see that coins celebrating `50 years of fun` with Mr. Men characters are being released by the Royal Mint.  The collection features, amongst others, Little Miss Giggles, Little Miss Sunshine and our old friend Mr. Happy, who has featured in these pages over the years.

A spokesperson for the Royal Mint said, "Each year we celebrate British icons, anniversaries and moments from history on our commemorative coins - and this is a fun addition to the collection."

So, Mr. Happy is having a good day and enjoying being included in the Royal Mint`s commemoration.  Although life hasn`t always been happy for him and I recall an episode I featured on this blog some time ago when, out for a walk one fine day, Mr. Happy got a bit lost and found himself in all sorts of trouble with the wrong sort of people.  

 Here`s a reminder of his not so happy day - well, any excuse to show it again; although I must warn those of you of a `delicate` disposition that some of the scenes depicted in this video do include graphic violence, bad language and references to drug misuse.  Still a giggle though......

 

.....or whatever counts as `normal` for these pages.  Anyway, sorry for the delay caused by circumstances beyond my control and which cannot be named for legal reasons.

Now, where was I?  Ah yes, football and this weekend has seen yet another chapter in the extraordinary life of  Southampton FC.   In midweek, the Saints went away to Wolverhampton in the FA Cup and secured an impressive 2-0 win to propel them into the quarter-finals of the Cup, when they will play close neighbours Bournemouth some time in March.

That win seemed to be the spark for a return to a bit of form in the Premier League but, of course, when the Wolves came to St. Mary`s yesterday, the Saints somehow contrived to lose 2-1 in a game which they dominated for long periods but were overcome by a combination of bizarre decisions by the match officials (not for the first time this season) and a sagging of the collective shoulders as the inevitable prospect of yet another defeat seemed to drain the players of their energy and confidence.   Fair play to Wolves - not their fault that VAR is bonkers - but the result merely added to the obscure records that the Saints have `achieved` over the years.

This was the first time in their 135 years` history - and possibly a Premier League record as well - that six league games have been lost in succession.  A mid season slump indeed and especially puzzling as not too long ago the Saints were top of the Premier League (OK, only for 48 hours) with eyes on a European qualifying place.   That record is now added to other snippets alongside the two 9-0 defeats as the joint highest, along with Ipswich, in the Premier League; the quickest hat trick in the Premier League (Sadio Mane took 2 minutes, 56 seconds to knock three goals  in against Aston Villa in 2015 before Liverpool came calling for him);  the quickest Premier League goal scored (Shane Long netting in just over seven seconds against Watford, who had actually kicked off.)  There are others.

So it`s a bit random being a Saints fan - full of ups and downs, unpredictability, confusion and uncertainty but, you know what?   It`s all of those things that maintain the devotion to the cause, that even in the difficult times we once again find ourselves in, there are no cries to sack the manager; just a forlorn hope that somehow enough funds will be available for him to strengthen the squad (it`s far too thin on the ground right now) and a genuine hope that he stays despite it all.  What other clubs, boardrooms and fans would feel like that?

Fifteen games left to play this season - about ten points needed for safety.   Surely that should be possible, if only to avoid yet another record of being top of the league and relegated in the same season.

Enough about that.  In other news, my neighbour will be ecstatic that pride of place once again goes to Gillingham who had an impressive 3-2 victory away at Charlton, each of which clubs has had the fortune to have our street`s bearded wonder Scott Wagstaff among their ranks in seasons past;  however, Scott`s present club, Forest Green Rovers, were denied the chance to consolidate their promotion hopes when their game against Barrow was called off due to a frozen pitch.

So, normal service has been resumed - in more senses than one.

 

 

My sporting notes will be brief this week, so honestly, not a lot to get excited about.  But here goes anyway......

Southampton continue to ride the crest of their current slump, this time with a 3-2 defeat away at Newcastle.   The game threw up an interesting comparison.  Last time out against Manchester United, the Saints managed to concede nine goals;  this time they failed to win against a team reduced to just nine men.  That`s five Premier League games without a win but there is a pattern here - each season we start well enough, have the slump in the middle and then come back as the season draws to a close.  Wolves away in the FA Cup in midweek, then Wolves again, this time at home in the league on Saturday.   Could be a defining week.

In other `news,` Gillingham entertained league leaders Lincoln City on Friday evening but the league leading Imps were a little too much for the Gills, resulting in a 3-0 defeat.  Forest Green Rovers were on their way to Mansfield when the game was called off, thanks to a waterlogged pitch and the same fate befell Maidstone United in their away fixture at Hampton and Richmond.

(STOP PRESS : I was misinformed.  I have just been advised by my Maidstone correspondent that the Stones did, in fact, play yesterday.  They were away at Hornchurch in an FA Trophy game but lost 5-4 thanks to a 96th minutes winner by the Essex outfit.  So still nothing to see here.))

And to add to the winter blues I watched England`s Rugby team lose at Twickers to Scotland for the first time in 38 years with a performance of outstanding ineptitude.

And it`s snowing, sub-zero temperatures, blizzard conditions affecting my benign Kentish enclave so it`s all a bit rubbish at the moment.

So, nothing to see here. time to draw another line in the sand and move along at the end of the day. To be fair.

 

A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.....

Well, the day arrived - Thursday 4th February - and 61 years ago yesterday I woke up on the first morning of my conscripted National Service.  I didn`t actually wake up, rather I was woken up by the sound of a very rigid drill corporal banging the end of my bed with a stick. He proceeded likewise through the rest of our barrack room only pausing at the end of Dave Fry`s bed opposite mine.  Dave from London was clearly not used to getting up early and was unamused by his slumbers being disturbed in such a manner.  He was even more unamused when his desire to turn over and go back to sleep resulted in the corporal unceremoniously tipping his bed up, leaving Dave to come to and try to get up from the floor.  Not a good start.

The evening before, we had had a load of clothing and equipment thrown at us from the Quartermaster`s stores, had been subjected to severe haircuts, short `interviews` with an officer versed in the art of personnel selection and thrown together to be formed into a random, confused and tremulous `squad.`  

And all because those of us who were conscripts, as opposed to regular soldiers who had signed on for all this, had accepted the Queen`s shilling.  Mine had arrived in the post along with my call up papers and instructions about where and when to report for duty.  It was a clever and devious trick to send a postal order for one shilling in the post because, having opened the letter  and taken out the postal order, I was deemed to have accepted a contract with Her Majesty to do my time at her pleasure.  Sneaky.

Our squad`s first day flew by in a flurry of activity;  we were shouted at quite a lot on the assumption, I suspect, that it was more akin to `good order and military discipline` to shout orders than to explain what was required.   We seemed to have to run everywhere and we had our first real experience of military cuisine - cordon noir rather than bleu in Chez Catterick.

Come evening time and our introduction to the mysteries of `bulling` - a process by which things like webbing, brasses, boots etc. were required to become literally spotlessly clean.  A few of the `regulars` among us were clearly au fait with all of that, having spent some time in things like the Army Cadet Force, so the innocents among us, myself included, were inducted into the dark arts of bulling everything in sight.

There was quite a bit of webbing to see to, including a pair of gaiters, an item of army equipment that I never understood or came to terms with but they involved scrubbing, cleaning and blanco-ing;  next came the brasses - things like badges - and they too involved cleaning with copious amounts of Brasso.  And finally the boots.  We were given two pairs each - one of which was going to be our `best boots` and to live up to that label, they had to gleam like boots had never gleamed before.   Trouble was that when they were issued they were covered all over with tiny pimples, which had to be removed by heating a spoon over a candle and vigorously rubbing the spoon on the pimples until, laboriously over a few nights, they disappeared so that they could be properly `bulled` with lashings of boot polish  applied with plenty of spit.

 And so the first day drifted into exhaustion to add to the bewilderment and confusion and as I laid my befuddled head on my slimline army pillow, it occurred to me that the term `military intelligence` truly was the ultimate contradiction in terms.  Still, one day done - only 730 left for me to fulfil my contractual obligation.

It sure was.  My last post about football revealed a new found `sanguinity` at the recent home defeat not only by Aston Villa but also by the incomprehensible refereeing and VAR decisions which arguably cost Southampton the game.  Last night - you don`t need me to tell you - saw Southampton lose 9-0 away at Old Trafford but the curious thing is that whilst I am naturally disappointed about that, given that there`s nothing I can do about it, I am once again shrugging my shoulders and moving on, as they say.  After a defeat, one of our favourite ex-Saints managers, Nigel Adkins, would always say, "Blue line.  Move on."   So we will.

This time though, as well as the questionable standard of officialdom, there were other factors at play which added up to just one of those nights.  As a Saints fan I`m used to disappointment, inconsistency, unpredictability and bewilderment but on this occasion I accept that nine of the first team squad missing through injury didn`t help.  That resulted in two academy lads making their first team full debuts - away against Manchester United of all things - and a bench consisting of other academy players and two goalkeepers.  Not helped either by the sending off of full debutant Alexandre Jankewitz after just 79 seconds for an unprovoked assault on an innocent opponent.  (Jankewitz apparently put in a transfer request last week as he wasn`t getting enough `game time.`  Well, after this 79 seconds game time, I hope his request has been granted.)

Last time we lost 9-0 there was widespread astonishment that our current manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, wasn`t sacked on the spot.  He wasn`t, he was given a new contract, such was the belief in what he was trying to achieve for the club.   This time, given the lack of investment by the club`s oriental, silent and largely absent owners, there might be widespread disbelief that Hasenhuttl wants to stay.  I hope he does.

Anyway, as Nigel said, `blue line, move on.`  And so to the other game I was following last night.  Forest Green Rovers, with our street`s local hero on board, made the 604 mile round trip to Carlisle.  Oop north, they`ve had a lot of snow, so goodness knows what their coach journey was like - it`s supposed to take over five hours each way on a good day so I wonder what time in the early hours the team returned to their Gloucestershire retreat.   Anyway, it was worth the journey as they came away with a 2-1 win against their fellow promotion hopefuls to go second in League Two.  Nice one.

So, just one of those nights;  just one of those crazy flights;  a trip to the moon on gossamer wings;  just one of those things.

 

A day I will never forget is coming up.  Thursday 4th February 1960 was the day I entered Her Majesty`s armed forces to begin my 721 days National Service.   Most years, ever since I started writing this blog, I have marked the occasion by recalling some of the events during my `conscription` and even now, 61 years on, the fateful day brings back so many memories of that time in my life.

But this year my mind has turned to the few days before I was whisked away on the long journey to Catterick Camp in north Yorkshire, then on to what was then West Germany before finally my demob chart reached its denouement.

Not sure why those few precious days leading up to that Thursday have come back to me so clearly, but I remember just about everything about them in that final countdown.  At the time, I had been living in `digs` here in Kent ever since my parents had left the area to take a pub on the Berkshire/Hampshire border.  When they left, I didn`t want to make the break from the job I had, the cricket and football teams I played for, the friends I had and, of course, the captivating charms of the future Mrs. Snopper and her idyllic Kentish village.

But a couple of days before the Thursday I did leave all that behind and spent the last two days staying in my parents` pub with the intention of saying my goodbyes not only to them but also other family scattered around the south and west of the country.  So, borrowing my father`s car, visits were made to relatives in Hampshire and Berkshire and those more far flung in the west country.  I went to Swindon, where my maternal grandparents lived and where my mother and I had stayed for a while during the war, and where, for a time, my mother worked as a conductress on the Swindon Corporation buses.  

I will never know why - perhaps it was a desperate attempt to grab hold of something `civilian` before the unknown of military life took over - but I went to a record shop in Swindon and bought Peter Sellers` `Sings for Swinging Sellers` - which I never got to hear until after I came back to civilian life, by which time my taste in music had gone up a few notches.

But that was that, farewells were made and off I went.  I remember counting the hours until I had to leave it all behind and when I started my conscription I started counting the days until it was all over.   These days I content myself with just counting the days until the shortest day of the year is due and until the end of March when the clocks go on and Spring arrives.  That`s just 57 days away and, like demob, it can`t come soon enough.