Goodness knows what SHWFC are going to do if this Walking Football thing REALLY catches on. 38 players turned up at a rather soggy Ruskin on Monday morning eager to get stuck in to the rather slower version of the beautiful game.
The morning started with Gonzalo (aka Chris Fitz) dishing out sports tops from the back of his van......well… OK then, his company pick-up truck. Not a cache of moody gear he’d liberated from who knows where and was now seeking to shift in a Rodney Trotter stylee. This was the long-anticipated order of training tops and jackets ordered by various members of the SHWFC massive (that’s street talk by the way and not a comment on the number of XXLs ordered). With excited cries the merchandise was swooped on like the Assyrians on the fold (see Lord Byron ). Several players later eagerly donned their new purchases (as you will see).
Thanks to our eager band of cone monitors (ably led by Shamus O’Hooligan) we were all marked out, teamed up and ready to go by just after 11:00. 4 teams of 6 and two of 7. Details and pics of most below, but special mention to our three debutantes, Brian Prendergast, Phil Mullarkey and Gary Riordan. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as the rest of us do.
Black: Phil the Power, Andy Cap, Harry the Hatchet, Lord Rainford, Phil M, Les Meldrew, Haggis
Orange: Steve the Honeyman, Tony ‘Snakehips’, Wor Eileen, Barry Whizz, Little John, Willo, Phil ‘the Cat’ Mullarkey (some debut)
Sky: Citeh Geoff, Sheeeee-la, Chris 10P, Enoch, Mika & Brian Prendergast (another debutant)
Pink: Donal, Gary Riordan(also first time out), Tomo, Charlie, Jeff S & Chris K
Purple: Chopper, Michelle Monday, Wickie, Thatto Dave, ‘Roger’ Moore and Mark NR
Green: Tom ‘Stretch’ , Eamon, Spiro, Les H, Mick McSpeed and Paul F
Our Refs for the morning were Tony Kenny, Cockney Rebel and Jeff Betty; to whom we give our thanks.
Apologies for the absence of pics for our purple and green teams; and I may have got one or two Pauls in the wrong team. Do please let our webmaster know my errors and this blog will be duly corrected!
The 4 teams of 6 played each other in a round robin and I have the scores from those games overseen by the Cockney Rebel, his fingers itching to use the blue and red cards doled out to our refs by El Presidente. Sky started off with a 1-0 win over Pink, the goal being a (very) late pen from Chris 10P after his counterpart Chris K ambled into the box. Pink then got their first points and goals of the morning, drawing 1-1 with Purple, Chris K getting on the scoresheet and Mark NR getting the Purple goal. The final game was another draw, with Sky and Purple drawing 1-1, with Mark again getting Purple’s goal; and Chris 10P scoring again for Sky. Honourable mentions must go to Wickie, who gamely soldiered on with a calf injury. Less honourable mentions to those (you know who you are) warned twice for tackling from behind, narrowly missing (to his frustration) CR’s chance to start airing his nattily coloured cards.
Now you will see from that account that we have no news of the Greens. However, from conversations in the changing rooms later with Eamon and Tom ‘Stretch’, only one of whom is prone to exaggeration- I gather they lost all three of their games ’narrowly’ and that their play warranted better. I also have it on good authority that Spiro added to his recent goal tally as did one of our debutants. Come on Brian and Gary; don’t be shy, who was it?
Whilst all this was going on Black and Orange in the 7 a side match fought out an absolute Epic. After 55 minutes of honest endeavour the final score was 0-0. But boring it was not. Great passing and movement from both sides plus some heroic keeping and chances missed meant no goals to report Haggis and Phil M worked well up front for black and Phil could twice have put them in front but eachtime the intimidating presence of Eileen in nets (once from a pen) kept the score at 0-0. At the other end Harry dealt calmly with everything thrown at him. Well, kicked actually; but you know what I mean. The fact that Andy Man's left trainer looked more like a clown’s shoe as the hour went on did not put him off his stride and Steve Honeyman, Little John, Tony and Barry kept working the black defenders but Phil the Power and Lord R stood resolute; as did Willo at the other end.
Into the 2nd half and the end-to-end stuff continued. PhilMullarkey marked a fine debut when taking his turn in nets by diving to his left to turn a goal-bound Lord R shot around the post. Then in the dying moments Eileen nearly won it for Orange. Keeping a tricky pass under control she got her shot on target….. but Harry the Hatchet was having none of it. A great game, honours even and ably refereed by a be-crutched Jeff Betty, who at the final whistle congratulated all concerned.
And so to the Slipper Room where Tom Stretch immediately put his disappointment of 3 straight defeats to one side and concentrated on the main job of the morning - eating cake. This was despite no birthdays – or none owned up to anyway. Eileen had put some spare puff pastry to good use with some excellent custard slices, and to celebrate his first game after watching from all the sidelines, Phil Mullarkey supplied some equally enjoyable banana bread. A great morning was topped off with a fashion show for some of our newly be-clothed players, posing with Paul and Eileen in the jerseys sent from their Walking Football friends in New Zealand Perhaps we could send some pictures to them, with best wishes from SHWFC and who knows; maybe a visit one day?
Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)* - Haircut One Hundred
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