Views From The Armchair

"Views From The `Footiemad` Armchair
Diary Of A Season October 2004

Friday 1st October 2004
"They say that all in love is fair, yeah but you don't care. But you know what to do, when it gets hold of you." (Song)
Power Of Love - Huey Lewis And The News: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Who won the old fourth division title in 1960-61 in what was their first ever season in league football?
Peterborough: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

It was like a throwback to the 60s and 70s as Newcastle played their history making game in Israel in the UEFA Cup last night. For all their `minnows` status, Hapoel Bnei Sachnin won no friends with their roughhouse tactics which were apparently similar to their first leg display two weeks ago. Usually, I'd be delighted to see a `smaller` club up against a big boy in Europe, however Bnei's tactic of hacking away at Newcastle players with cynical tackles left a very sour taste in the mouth and smacked of a team and a manager with little talent and a tendency to make up for that in other ways, mainly fouling at every opportunity. There should have been at least one red before half time, however the referee seemed to have little intent on clamping down on the tackles as they continued to fly in and it was to Newcastle's credit that they kept their cool and refused to be drawn into confrontations. Ultimately Newcastle sailed smoothly into the new group stages of the competition and whilst Bnei will doubtless be proud of their achievements, the management should be ashamed of their tactics.

Are you a clearer or a leaver? I'm sure that many of us have got into various fast food areas (Yes, I know they are bad for you!) to be faced with the leftovers of previous diners still lying on the table and, lets face it, there's nothing quite like having to move someone else's half-eaten super-double-cheese-bigmacwhopper-burger before tucking into your own. Different people clearly have differing attitudes towards this, so how about this which we witnessed yesterday. Sat near us were a couple in their mid to late teens, enjoying their meal whilst gazing lovingly at each other over their food. When they'd finished, the girl piled all the packaging and food remains onto the tray, picked it up and was on her way to binning in when her boyfriend took it from her. How nice I thought, chivarly isn't dead after all! But, that was shattered when he put it back onto the table and said to her, "That's someone's else's job, just leave it there!" and walked out. Pleasant chap.

Saturday 2nd October 2004
"And my destination makes it worth the while. Pushing through the darkness still another mile." (Song)
I Have A Dream - Abba: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Simon Charlton's first ever league goal came for which club?

Cast your mind back two and a half years or so to the third round of the FA Cup in January 2002. The big shock result was Cardiff City beating the then Premiership leaders 2-1. A lot has happened to Leeds United since then, however I maintain that that particular result marked the beginning of the downward slide for us. Today, we returned to Ninian Park for the first time since that game which also saw crowd trouble, Smiffy sent off and Sam Hamann get his wrists slapped for going behind the goal with the fans. Today was a different Leeds side completely and, when I heard Jeff Stelling mention that they had been `a goal at Cardiff`, I quickly glanced up to see `Cardiff 1 Leeds 0` on screen, to then be followed by the reporter stating that there HADN'T been a goal, only a penalty save by Neil Sullivan and that was indeed how it ended and I'm quite content with that even though we are drawing too many and not scoring enough goals by far. Equally, at the time of writing, there are no reports of crowd problems with is an absolute blessing.

Plenty of goals in the Prem with Arsenal keeping up their remarkable unbeaten run with a 4-0 crushing of Charlton. Assuming they avoid defeat in their next game at home to Villa, then the 50th match in the sequence is away to Man United! This has been mentioned before in the media, however what I've not seen as yet is the fact that the game on Oct 24th is actually Wayne Rooney's 19th birthday! You can almost see the headlines being written already eh!

Congrats to West Brom who I've just watched win their first game of the season. Norwich came close to doing the same earlier but could only draw 2-2 with Portsmouth. The other promoted team - Crystal Palace - play on Monday and all three must know that victories need to start coming sooner rather than later or they could be stranded by the New Year, leaving themselves a proverbial mountain to climb, as happened with Leeds last season!

Freak goal of the day surely came at the Walkers Stadium where Leicester drew 1-1 with Preston. The visitors' equaliser came just before half time when keeper Andy Lonergan's drop kick sailed over everyone and was heading for his opposite number Kevin Pressman, however he then slipped, allowing the ball to bounce over him and into the net! I can't wait to see that one on the Championship tomorrow.

Keep it in the family: Older readers, yes that includes me, may remember Tony Currie who played for Leeds in the late 70s but made his name primarily at Sheffield United. Well, his nephew, Darren Currie has been a pro for a while and scored for Brighton today - yes, against Sheffield United!

Never do anything that we don't do ourselves: That could well be the motto of York City's management duo as their side beat Stevenage 3-1 in the Conference today. Nothing too unusual about that except that assistant boss Lee Nogan scored in the first half and, not to be outdone, player-manager Chris Brass netted with three minutes to go!

And Finally...A special mention to Simon Charlton who scored the equaliser for Norwich against Portsmouth today. It was only his fourth (not THIRD as mentioned on Sky! He scored one in his Pre-Prem days) career goal in almost 450 games and his first for - get this - NINE YEARS!!! His last goal came for Southampton at Man United on May 10th 1995 - four days before Blackburn pipped United to the league title.

Sunday 3rd October 2004
"One man on a lonely platform. One case sitting by his side. Two eyes staring cold and silent. Show fear as he turns to hide." (Song)
Fade to Grey - Visage: Correctly answered by Marcus Ellis

In 1990-91, which club failed to win any of their opening 16 league games, yet still avoided relegation at the end of the season?
Sheffield United: Correctly answered by Steve Gabb

1-0 to the Chelsea is rapidly becoming the new clich� of the season as, once again, the West London all-stars come up trumps with the narrowest of wins, this time against Liverpool. In truth, there rarely looked like there would be any other result, especially after another well worked set piece won the game with twenty-six minutes left as the home side stifled Liverpool who were poor and only had two efforts on target all game. They had chances to put their hosts under pressure, but the ability of Xabi Alonso to overhit free kicks was absolutely uncanny and it says it all when that was the most remarkable aspect of Liverpool's game. Overall, Chelsea looked solid and effective, albeit dull, whilst Liverpool look good at home where they remain unbeaten in the league, yet ragged on the road where, again, they are yet to win domestically.

Most of us get a perverse pleasure from seeing own goals on in, especially when our own side aren't scoring them, however surely most people would have felt a pang of sympathy for young Matthew Mills who put through his own net with just three minutes to go to give Ipswich a 2-1 win at Coventry. Some OG's are unlucky, whether they are deflections or a shot blasted against a player who can do little to get out of the way. Mills however, sliced an attempted backpass past his own keeper from fully 25 yards and even the commentator whose, "Oh No!" summed it up well, got into the act. So yes, it was an enjoyable moment for those of us who revel in these incidents, but if you get the chance to see it again, take a look at the faces of those behind the goal on the Super-Slo-Mo replay to see the other side of the coin as they showed the epitome of sheer footballing horror.

Monday 4th October 2004
"You said I wasn't cheap. You paid me 20 pounds. You promised to put me in a magazine. On every table in every lounge." (Song)
You're Gorgeous - Babybird - Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

When England last played Wales in May 1984, which player - currently still prominent on the international scene - scored the only goal of the game?
Mark Hughes - Correctly answered by Matt Robbins

It was interesting to compare the various reactions and match reports following Man United last two games, both within the past five days. In midweek, we had the adulation of Wayne Rooney following his hat trick against Fenerbache on his debut - and in many ways, quite rightly so. Yesterday, the former Everton star simply couldn't get away from the shackles of Middlesbrough's George Boateng and, aside from Sir Alex mentioning that he felt Rooney was tired, barely a word is uttered about the Wonderkid. Now, this could actually work in his favour as the media have a wonderful habit of building people up before bashing them back down again and an `average` performance might just make a few people realise that even the top class of player can have an ordinary game. Obviously, he and United would like to score in each and every match played, but that isn't going to happen and a few days away from the spotlight of the press might well do him the power of good. Sadly for him, we now have an international build up to look forward to and again all eyes will be on him ahead of the games against Wales and Azerbaijan, but hopefully those that matter will remember that he is only human and still at a very young and tender age.

When my wife was pregnant a few years back, naturally enough we got thinking about potential names for the new arrival and did come up with a couple of boys and girls names that we liked. Foremost in our minds were NOT to give a name that would cause embarrassment in later life, as seems the trend both with celeb offspring and ordinary members of the public. I mean, can you imagine going to school and being called Lemon or Harmonica? No way! We were also careful that the initials wouldn't spell out anything daft, although obviously in years to come, we wouldn't know what would happen. For example, had by parents named me Christopher John, my initials would have been CJD - unheard of in the late 60s, but more prominent now! Anyway, I thought about this last week when I read in the paper about a Mr and Mrs Peacock who clearly had similar thoughts when naming their son. Eventually they went for Drew, which is a nice and innocent enough name. A few weeks on, Mr Peacock went online and did a search to see if there were any famous people with the same name as his new son. The search engine failed to come up with any matches, but did ask if he meant to search for `Droopy C*ck`. Say the son's name quickly and you'll hear why!! Poor lad...!

Tuesday 5th October 2004
"I was born in the wagon of a travelling show. My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw." (Song)
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - Cher: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Which three current Premiership managers have also been in charge of Blackpool within the last ten years?

Following hot on the heels of West Brom at the weekend, Crystal Palace also recording their first win of the season with a comfortable 2-0 success over Fulham last night. To be fair, the sixth minute dismissal of Ian Pearce dictated that Palace would dominate and it was only a matter of whether they could break down their opponents. When that happened, it was simply a question of how many. Early sendings off are rare, but not unique and I can recall Sami Hyypia being red carded at Old Trafford a season or two ago, resulting in United running away with the game. You do wonder if, in these situations, it's worth the defender simply not making a challenge and taking the risk of the forward missing or the keeper making a save, rather than commit a foul and be shown an inevitable red card. If it's level and in the final minutes, I can fully accept bringing the player down (remember Solskjaer v Newcastle a few years ago?), however not early in the game and whilst I understand that it's usually a natural reaction to stop the attacker, with the benefit of hindsight, Pearce would have been better off letting Andy Johnson run clear and hope for the best.

So Man United fans are a little peeved at the `preliminary take over bid` from an un-named businessman, thought to be American tycoon Michael Glazer. It's understandable that they are concerned, being the fear of the unknown and how he'll decide to take the club forward should it all come to fruition, however before United fans get too suicidal about the thought of someone coming in, hiking prices up and then pocketing the extra profit himself, it's worth counting the blessings over the past decade and a half. Think about the trophies, the glories, the great matches and great players. Remember the amazing football seen on regular occasions and remember that the good times have by far outweighed the bad times, especially since 1991. Then, with all that in mind, think about the likes of most lower league clubs, struggling to keep their heads above water as they sail down that famous creek without a particular implement. Spare a thought for clubs struggling to attract enough fans in League Two to pay wages and bills for the players and the club. The cookie has crumbled vary favourably for United and their fans in recent years and, when in that lofty position, it's often easy to forget all those below who are in exactly the same profession, but perhaps not nearly as lucky. So whilst we appreciate that the take-over bid is a worry, there are MANY others in a less fortunate position as the rich get richer and the remainder battle to stay afloat.

Wednesday 6th October 2004
"You, hang out with my friends? A failed actress and a tw*t!" - "I did not call Diane a failed actress." (Film)
Shaun of the Dead: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

As regards the old Home International tournament, what unique occurance happened in the 1956 tournament?

As you may have noticed, the draw for the new group stage of the UEFA Cup was made yesterday and although it's being likened to the Champions League groups, there are a couple of very big differences. Firstly, each of the eight groups has FIVE clubs within instead of four and as most of us know, an odd number of teams causes a problem. Secondly, whilst each club will play each other in it's group, it won't be home AND away, it'll be home OR away, with two matches at home and two on the road. Therefore, club A could have a trip to Russia, whilst club B will play the Eastern European club at home! You can already hear the manager of an eliminated club stating this as a reason for his club not qualifying. However, elimination is the most startling change of all! Most group stages or straight knock-out ties sees half of the participants out of the competition - Not with the format! The top three all qualify from each group, making 24 of 40 still left in - 60% in other words! BUT, don't forget that the third placed clubs from the Champions League then join the UEFA Cup, adding an additional eight teams, making 32. So, after the group stages as far as numbers are concerned, they'll be just 20% less clubs in the competition! How long, I wonder, before a UEFA big-wig moans about amount of football that the `top` players are having to play. No surprise really when it would seem that it's getting harder and harder to be knocked out of Europe!!

Whilst out delivering newspapers, we do get to see some strange things and stranger signs. The obvious `Please Close Gate` are very much in abundance, however I saw a variation on this earlier today with a sign taped to the stone steps behind the gate which read, "Please Close Gate Due To Dogs Roaming." Now, as someone who has to open the gate, go up the steps and skilfully take time to negotiate the wet and cobweb infested bushes, not to mention the strategically positioned wheelie bin, this is hardly the sort of info that you want to know about! I was half expected a Great Dane to come bounded around from the back garden and do his best to rip chunks from my Leeds United coat (Yes, really!), however thankfully I neither saw such a beast or any other canine. That said, many people are doing this as a deterrent against burglaries nowadays in a sort of `Bluff Calling` game against thieves. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk, so it's obviously working.

Thursday 7th October 2004
"When you're down and out. When you're on the street. When evening falls so hard. I will comfort you." (Song)
Bridge Over Troubled Waters - Simon & Garfunkel: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

When Vinnie Jones first captained the Welsh national side, they lost 7-1 in November 1996 to which nation?
Holland: Correctly answered by Steve Gabb

Another month, another racist comment from a high profile person within the footballing world. Yep, this time, it's Spanish national boss Luis Aragones who was caught on camera talking to Jose Reyes about his club-mate, Thierry Henry and called him a `Black sh*t`. Now, whilst this is hardly in the Ron Atkinson league of cock-ups, it's still a remarkable piece of stupidity from Aragones who surely must have realised the connotations, even if, as he said, it was meant as a joke. Some may say that it's political correctness gone made, but ultimately it's all about one word which, whilst accurately describing Henry's race, does have racial overtones, however would this all have been blown up had Aragones simply said, "Tell that sh*t Henry..."? Maybe it would, but for different reasons, however people in the public eye have a responsibility for being inoffensive and in an age when even the slightest word out of place can be misread (ask Glenn Hoddle!), then thinking before opening their traps would be wise. As an aside, back in the late 1990s when I first started the daily quiz, one of the questions I asked resulted in a couple of replies accusing me of being racist, which I am not and never have been. Had I have simply asked, "Who was the first non-white player to captain England?" then I'd probably have been fine, but in total innocence, I used the word, `coloured` instead, not realising that this is offensive in certain parts of the globe. Needless to say the question was removed, but it shows how easy it is for misunderstandings to occur.

We had a check up at the hospital today and, as is usual with afternoon appointments, my mother was on `standby` to meet our daughter from school in case we weren't home. Unusually for my wife, once we were free to leave the hospital, she was in quite a rush to get back to the car and go the 15 miles or so back home, whereas normally I'll be forced into driving into Bath or via Tosco's on the way back. Of course, I assumed that she wanted to get back in time to get our daughter ourselves rather than call on my mother. Nope, far too naive! Only when we got in and she was straight onto the computer did she admit that there was something she'd been `watching` on eBay which ends this afternoon and she wanted to get back for a last ditch bid! I had the last laugh though as she'd mis-read the time of ending - it's actually 9pm tonight!!

Friday 8th October 2004
"Make a move and the bunny gets it." (Film)
Con Air: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd & Jeff Slater

In Wales' last World Cup Finals appearance, which nation finally knocked them out?
Brazil: Correctly answered by Steve Gabb

Well, just a day to go to the big game and I'm remarkably unexcited about the whole thing. I know that internationals are not my scene generally (even though I'll watch - and usually enjoy - them), but the whole England v Wales thing seems to be everywhere and it's a classic example of too much exposure ruining the show. With the prospect of Giggs v Neville (G) and Beckham up against his old Man United team mate, it should be something to look forward to with relish, but it somehow hasn't quite got the same appeal as a big league match or a Cup Final. I reckon that this is purely down to the fact that, regardless of the result tomorrow, nothing will actually be resolved. Neither nation will definetely be through should they win and neither will be eliminated after a defeat. It's effectively an international league game with British pride and bragging rights at stake, but that said, I hope it'll live up to the immense hype. Prediction - 3-1 to England with Owen getting onto the scoresheet and shutting all the doubters up. Rooney also on target on his home ground.

Back in the 80s when video nasties first saw the light of day and gave the BBFC rocketing blood pressure, I was angered when they suddenly took stacks of horror flicks off of the shelves of those seedy little video shops (no Blockbuster back then!) and we could no longer be treated to the `splinter through the eye` scene from Zombie Flesh Eaters or the drill through the head bit in City of the Living Dead. Indeed things got so over the top that even Halloween 3 - Season of the Witch, was massively cut when released on video only to be shown in full on the BBC ironically enough. Now, aside from the fact that, twenty years on, many of these `banned` movies are freely and legally available and uncut on DVD, I have my fears that history may be repeating itself. According to the paper today, some arty-farty watchdog group have compiled a list of films that should only be shown on TV AFTER the 9pm watershed. Okay, I'm happy to accept that, but the list includes...Bambi! Yep, Disney's classic tale of deer and other woodland animals is apparently not suitable for some kids as the scene where Bambi's mother gets killed could be too traumatic or violent for them. You know, sometimes words just fail me...!

Saturday 9th October 2004
"And there's a storm that's raging. Through my frozen heart tonight. I hear your name in certain circles and it always makes me smile." (Song)
Missing You - John Waite: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd & Jeff Slater

Which nation did Scotland score five goals against during WC82?

Live football at 3pm on a Saturday is somewhat of a rarity, however international weekend do give us that option, although did have the England v Wales game on the Beeb clashing with Scotland's home match against Norway on Sky. Naturally I did the usual channel hoping bit and whilst I admit that I spent most of the time watching the England game, my mind was on Hampden. I missed the penalty incident which led to a red card for James McFadden and a winning goal for the visitors and the `ball over the line` incident in the first half, however from what I could make out, we were poor yet again and defeat was pretty much what we deserved. Qualification for WC2006 is little more than a pipe dream if I were to be realistic and whilst we're not quite whipping boys as yet, Scotland are certainly a nation which opponents are now expecting to beat. It's a far cry from the 70s and 80s.

And so to England where the only surprise following the win against Wales was that they didn't score more. Wales were one dimensional and England looked a decent, albeit dull, team, capable of doing great things if they can keep the bulk of this side fit and available. Which brings me, rather nicely I thought, to David Beckham, who again showed both sides of his character. On 76 minutes, his brilliant goal clinched the 2-0 win and I was all prepared to heap praise upon what was a truly great strike. But then within a matter of minutes, he launches into a dopey challenge - not once, but TWICE - on an opponent which not only saw him injure himself, but also get booked and rule himself out of the next game, which luckily is arguably the easiest of the away matches. Quite rightly, Beckham earned respect in the way that he bounced back from WC98, however he still holds that pectulant streak which should not raise it's ugly head when you are two goals up with ten minutes to go! No-one wants him to lose that battling quality which he holds, but it needs to be controlled.

Sunday 10th October 2004
"So I went to Neiman-Marcus on a shopping spree and on the way I grabbed Sole and Mia. And as the cashbox rang, I thought everything away." (Song)
Hit Em Up Style - Blu Cantrell: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Which Leicester player scored an own goal in the final minute of the opening game of the 1999-2000 season and they did exactly the same in their third game a week later?

Thinking I'd be clever yesterday, I avoided any comments on either match involving the Irish nations until today, partly as both games were evening/night kick offs and partly as today is a football-free day! However, Mr Sod and his famous law decided to intercept and saw that both games ended goalless! Northern Ireland will doubtless be disappointed at their failure to win in Azerbaijan in what was a poor game, however I saw little that would cause England any sleepless night ahead of Wednesday's game and if Sven's men fail to win by at least two or three, then it'll be a major surprise. The Republic had the same 0-0 draw, however away to France is far more creditable, even if France are missing their wealth of injured and retired stars. Indeed, for spells in the game, Ireland looked the better side and you do wonder if the French golden era has gone, as even with the likes of Henry, Cisse and Pires, they look a pale shadow of the 1998 and 2000 vintage.

Monday 11th October 2004
"Singin hey diddle diddle with a kitty in the middle and they swingin like they didn't care." (Song)
Walk This Way - Aerosmith and Run DMC: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd & Jeff Slater

Against which club did Wayne Rooney score his LAST league goal for Everton?

It's spooky that I should mention Leicester in yesterday's quiz question as today manager Micky Adams parted company with the club who are now looking for their fourth boss since the departure of Martin O'Neill in 2000. Whilst the decline of Leeds United has been achieved with more rapidity, Leicester are in danger of going the same way as regards on the pitch activities and have never really recovered from the Irishman going off to Celtic. Currently lying mid-table in the Championship (still above Leeds!), it's all a far cry from five successive top ten finishes under O'Neill, including fifth in 1996, not to mention League Cup success and European games. Two relegations in three seasons has brought reality back to the club and it's a stark reminder as to how quickly footballing fortunes can change. Oh, and yes, another Monday and another football manager bites the dust. Getting to be a habit this.

In a recent poll, probably conducted by someone with little better to do, it was found that top of the list of things that Brits are most scared of is....Spiders! I'll admit that I don't like the little buggers and whilst smaller ones are usually easy to handle, anything too big gets the rolled-up-newspaper treatment or, if it's in the bath, a nice white-water ride down the plughole. My other `fear` came in fourth and, unlike spiders, is not shared by my wife and daughter and that is heights. I'm terrified of being anything much higher than my own height and have major problems if I have to drive over a high bridge of any kind, although I did once manage to walk onto the Clifton Suspension Bridge - and off again after about 10 seconds! Indeed, a couple of years back, we went to Wookey Hole Caves which is only half an hour away from us and to one section within which is a walkway 200 feet up. The guide did state that there was another way through to avoid this bridge, however not wanting to disappoint my daughter, I gritted my teeth and was glad to get across. When we were back outside, my daughter announced loud enough for everyone to hear that, "Daddy was very good, he didn't swear once!" Later this year, I have the chance to go up Blackpool Tower and after looking at some photo's taken from the top on various web sites, even they are making me feel dizzy, so I may well keep my eyes closed should we do it.

Tuesday 12th October 2004
"Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door. Last night a little angel Came pumpin cross my floor." (Song)
Rebel Yell - Billy Idol: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

Prior to joining Leicester last year, Ben Thatcher played for which trio of London clubs?
Millwall, Wimbledon and Spurs: Correctly answered by Steve Gabb

So, I'm doing Mr Beckham a slight dis-service after what I thought was another show of petulance on Saturday. You see, his tackle(s) on Ben Thatcher were actually a deliberate, and ultimately successful, attempt to get himself booked and rule himself out of the long and tiring trip to Azerbaijan, which coincidentally, is also the easiest game on paper! However whilst it seems a good idea in theory, there are a couple of things that should be taken into consideration here. Firstly, the injury which he knew would rule him out of the game anyway could - and perhaps should - have seen him substituted anyway, unless of course there was instructions from the bench to do what he did. More importantly, his tackle on Thatcher was justifibly a booking, however what if he had seriously injured the Welshman? I wonder if he'd have gone public on the `deliberate foul` admission then?? But those gripes aside, a surprising piece of enterprise from the England captain, I mean, how many of us could even find Azerbaijan on a map of the world?

Like many others, I was saddened to hear of the death of Christopher Reeve yesterday. If ever a guy had an eventful life it was him and it remains to be seen whether he'll be remembered long term for his portrayal of Superman or, more likely, his own battle against his disability sustained after breaking his neck in a riding accident. It's ironic that his final film role mirrored his situation in the final nine years of his life, however it's refreshing to know that rather than vegatate as many would have done, he continued to battle to regain some sort of quality of life for himself and to campaign for research into stem cell therapy, which I understand remains banned in the USA despite being legal here in the UK. It's a cliche to say it, but Reeve should be an inspiration to anyone who finds their life changed in a matter of seconds. Finally, I wonder how long before a Hollywood mogul decides to make a film of his life? Reeve The Movie is probably only a few months away....

Wednesday 13th October 2004
"Greetings and salutations. Welcome to the San Angeles Emergency Line. If you would like an automated response, please press '1' now." (Film)
Demolition Man: Correctly answered by Helen Lloyd

In qualifying for WC2002, England lost just once, ironically in their opening game. Against which nation?

Scotland captain Barry Ferguson is apparent angry as former international Craig Burley calling the national side `a laughing stock`. Fair enough I guess as we all have our viewpoints, however it really isn't a million miles away from the truth. I guess many have heard of the `irate` caller to a radio talkshow after the Scots drew with the Faroes, only at the end stating that `we really should be beating Scotland and a draw really isn't good enough!` Quite simply, many like myself can remember the 70s and 80s when we used to qualify with ease for most finals, only to falter on the biggest stage, indeed even as recently as 1996, the Scots gave a good account of themselves at a major finals and that's hard to shake. Much like fans of Leeds, Spurs and even Liverpool, the supporters are basking in ancient glory and feel that anything less than a certain level is simply not good enough. Scotland are sadly lacking the likes of Law, Dalglish, Jordan, McQueen, Gemmill, McAllister etc etc - all players who were playing on a regular basis at the highest level. How many of the current batch can fit that criteria?

Over the last 12-18 months or so, I've read a number of novels from James Patterson, notably the Alex Cross series including Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, both of which were made into films. I've also read a few of his non-Cross novels and overall have thoroughly enjoyed them. So, when logging onto his site the other day to get a sneak preview of `London Bridges` which I've been told NOT to buy (birthday and Christmas both coming up!!), I spotted another new book coming soon, simply called `SantaKid`. Now, on closer inspection, this is a book with a difference as it's written by Patterson, but aimed at children! Originally I wondered quite what the reasoning behind it was, until it twigged. Much like adults, children who are avid readers tend to stick to various series or authors that they enjoy and if they are reading Patterson's children's books, then it'll be a natural progression onto his adult books when they get to a certain age. In short, it's a very good and clever marketing ploy. That said, you can't quite see James Herbert or Shaun Hutson diversifying quite that much can you? Or maybe we'll see Ian Rankin release `Rebus - The Schoolboy Years`!

Thursday 14th October 2004
"He sipped another rum and coke and told a dirty joke. Walking like Groucho sucking on a number 10." (Song)

When Wales won 1-0 in Italy in June 1988, which Italian based player scored the Welsh winner?
Ian Rush: Correctly answered by Steve Gabb

A combination of work commitments and a late afternoon kick off meant that I missed most of the first hour of England's 1-0 win in Azerbaijan yesterday. I must admit that I expected a higher margin of victory, however a win is a win regardless of how it's achieved and the best way I can describe the half an hour that I saw would be `Comfortable, yet unconvincing`. England played well within themselves and I had the feeling that stepping up a gear or two would have broken the East Europeans, however as it was, the one-goal margin just left me feeling that, with a stroke of luck, an equaliser could just have been possible. It's also worth mentioning the captaincy of Michael Owen, who I believe has now been captain twice and scored three goals in that pair of games! A good omen next time Beckham screws up or gets injured! All told though, it's another step nearer Germany 2006 and with the majority of games remaining at home for England, they really should walk it with few problems, leaving the rest to battle for second place...

...on which point, most of us would hope that Wales could snatch that all important spot and when Robert Earnshaw gave them the lead early in the second half at home to Poland, it was looking good. Cracking finish as well from the striker, although ultimately it did little aside from give the Poles the proverbial push needed to spark them into action and that's exactly what happened as they netted three goals in a sparkling fourteen minute spell, making John Hartson's stoppage time header irrelevant. No bones about it, Poland looked impressive and could even win a few new friends if they would just cut out their tendency to go down as though they'd been hit by a double-decker bus each time a Welshman got near them. It's left to Wales to pick up the pieces of a bad four days and appoint the right man to take charge, although it has to be said that Mark Hughes leaves them in a better shape than when he took over and with Gary Speed quitting the international playing scene after the game, the smart money is on him taking a new position in some shape or form behind the scenes.

Friday 15th October 2004
"Before this river, becomes an ocean. Before you throw my heart back on the floor." (Song)

Which `Championship` level manager won the PFA Merit Award last season?

I finally got around to watching the BBC's documentary/tribute to Brian Clough which was screened the other night and must say that I was impressed. As well as the usual quotes, anecdotes and tributes, they also touched upon the fallible side of the great man including alleged `bungs`, his battle against alcohol in later years and, most touching, the massive fall out with his once right-hand man Peter Taylor, a silence which lasted until Taylor passed away in 1990. I never fully understood why that happened, however it was well explained in that Taylor returned to Derby and then signed John Robertson from Clough's Forest, sparking Clough to state that he'd "never speak to that man again." Sadly that was the case. That aside, we had some great Cloughie quotes, my favourites being, "I'm a football manager by profession. Academically though, I'm thick!" and, when telling an interviwer that he loved the music of Frank Sinatra, he added, "He's met me you know!" Lovely stuff!! Just one minor irratant though, just for once can we have a football programme that DOESN'T include something from BDB? (Bloody David Beckham!) I know he compared Clough's style to Sir Alex Ferguson, but remind me please, just when did BDB play under Clough?? If memory serves me, Clough retired well before Beckham made his debut for a totally different club! More of Roy Keane would have been better.

Whilst I was watching our daughter do her homework the other night - this involved threading wool around a piece of card - she asked, "Dad? What's a twirl weave again?" Now, it might surprise you to learn that weaving materials in certainly not my forte and for all I knew, it could have been something that a troop of majorettes might perform, so I admitted that I had absolutely no idea at all. She later found the info on the 21st century reference library known as the Internet, however the thought struck me that the moment had arrived when a 10-year old's homework had overtaken me! There will now be regular instances when, if she gets stuck on something, simply yelling, "Mum!" or "Dad!" will not be enough. We've been there to guide and help in the past, however as much as I enjoyed maths and english (yes really!) at school, long division and adverbs are long since forgotten, so the sort of material which is coming up for her, could also be well beyond us. Makes you feel old!

Saturday 16th October 2004
"The music is weaving. Haunting notes, pizzicato strings. The rhythm is calling." (Song)
Vienna - Ultravox: Correctly answered by Marcus Ellis

Prior to today, Chelsea's last league defeat came against who?

Looking at today's Prem results, the over-riding thought is `what a great day for Arsenal`! Not only did the Gunners win 3-1 at home t Villa, their 49th league game without defeat, but their two biggest rivals both failed to even find the net as Man United stuttered to a goalless draw at Birmingham and Chelsea lost for the first time this season, going down 1-0 at Man City. I saw both of the latter games and it was obvious that both United and Chelsea are missing that clinical and killer touch up front. Okay, Chelsea had chances, but mostly to Frank Lampard, a central midfielder, and a felt that they were missing the injured Didier Drogba as Mateja Kezman looked precisely what he currently is, a player who's hardly played this season. Ironic really on a day that former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored a hat trick for Middlesbrough! United on the other hand have a wealth of striking talent and at one stage today they had Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Smith, Saha and Rooney all playing! The problem being that they aren't creating the chances for the strikers and although they've been unbeaten since the opening day, five draws from those eight matches tells it's own story as they continue to lag behind Arsenal. Of course, the pair meet at Old Trafford in eight days time and it's an astonishing fact that even if Arsenal lose, they'll still be a remarkable EIGHT points clear of Man United! Victory for the Gunners would give them a fourteen point cushion over the red devils, which would take some regaining, even by United standards.

Worthy of a mention elsewhere are Middlesbrough who gave Mark Hughes an idea of the job facing him at Ewood Park by destroying Blackburn 4-0. Admittedly Rovers were down to ten men for an hour, however a defeat of that magnitude on your home ground speaks volumes and Hughes must be wondering just what he's got himself into. Credit also to Liverpool who picked up their first away league win of the season with a 4-2 win at Fulham, despite being two goals down at half time when I daresay a few headlines had already been written! I wonder if that might be the result to just spark the Anfield side into action and make a serious challenge for a Champions League place next season, although city rivals Everton might have something to say about that as they continued their excellent form since losing Rooney, this time with a late goal to beat Southampton. Wayne Who?

Game of the Day? Surely it had to be in League One where Tranmere were 4-2 down at home to Bradford with nine minutes to go. Two goals in six minutes brought them level at 4-4, only for the visitors to score again in stoppage time thanks to former Leeds man David Wetherall to win 5-4! I'll bet the defensive coaches were having kittens!

Speaking of Leeds, I must confess that I thought David Healy would cause chaos against us today, especially as we've been after him since he rejected a new deal at Preston. I was glad to be proved wrong though as we kept another clean sheet and won thanks to a late Danny Pugh goal. Now, with the appearance of Robbie Fowler for Man City today triggering a half a million pound payment to us, now is surely the time to go after Healy again.

Sunday 17th October 2004
"I'm not scared of dying, I just don't want to. If I�d stop lying I'd just disappoint you." (Song)
Come Undone - Robbie Williams: Correctly answered by kirstymd

When Lee Bowyer signed for Leeds from Charlton, what transfer record did he set?

In many ways, today's game between Charlton and Newcastle was a throwback to the sort of games that some of us grew up watching. Pouring rain, although the lack of a mad soaked pitch did give the same 70s style impression, tackles flying in and blood being spilt for the cause, notably from Matt Holland and Alan Shearer. Equally, it was good to see that, late on, both clubs were going hell for leather looking to clinch a late winner and, barring two goal-line clearances and two efforts that hit the woodwork, we might well have seen a winning goal. As regards various clash-of-head incidents, I still fail to see why players need to change their shirts if they have specks of blood on them, as occurred with Shearer today. All it does it waste a little more time and it stands to reason that if a player already has a cut somewhere, then it can easily re-open (again, witness Shearer) and therefore stain a replacement shirt. How long before a player has to undergo multiple shirt changes during a game I wonder?

Staying with the above match, I guess most people saw the somewhat annoyed reaction of Craig Bellamy when he was substitited and I must admit that it did surprise me, especially as he'd scored earlier in the game. However, did anyone else try some amateur lip-reading, not as he came off the pitch, but as he first saw his number on the board? I'm pretty sure of what was said and it certainly couldn't be repeated on a family website without a few ***'s in the way. You can only imagine the reaction behind the scenes if boss Graeme Souness heard it (unlikely as it was a fair distance away!) or sees it on video later. But then again, maybe it's good to see the hunger of a player who wants to stay on and is disappointed at being subbed. Yes, I'm sure Souness will see it that way...

Monday 18th October 2004
"Sundown all around, walking through the summer's end. Waves crash baby, don't look back, I won't walk away again." (Song)

From which club did Chelsea sign Adrian Mutu?
Parma: Correctly answered by Steve Gabb

Chelsea are back in the news again for all the wrong reasons, notably the apparent failed drugs test by a Premiership player, named today in the media as Adrian Mutu. Now, the world and his wife will doubtless jump onto the `guilty until proven innocent` bandwagon and maybe that's justified, however equally I can fully understand Mutu and PFA boss Gordon Taylor being frustrated over the confidentiality being broken, especially as further tests are still to be made. If it's true, then of course Mutu deserves every punishment going, but I liked him during his brief appearances for the club last season and it'll be a shame if the allegations turn out to be true. But what of Chelsea? �16m for a player who could now be banned for `x` months/years and what with Scott Parker bemoaning his lack of chances at the club, all is not well in West London.

I guess that working in a newsagents, I tend to take a rather cynical view at certain things related to our trade. That was certainlu the case today whilst sat in a waiting room at a Bristol hospital. I suppose we've all rumaged through the various mags on display and laughed silently at the copies of Country Life and Homes and Gardens from four years ago, however whilst the four (yes, FOUR!) mags available to read here were pretty much up to date, they included the vastly popular Diver (as in deep sea diving) and British Homing World (as in homing pigeons!). Naturally I'm all in favour of attempting to please as many people as possible, however I can't see that the mass majority would be hugely interested in either of those!

Tuesday 19th October 2004
"The gold road's sure a long road. Winds on through the hills for fifteen days. The pack on my back is aching. The straps seem to cut me like a knife." (Song)

Which club went 15 games without a win at the start of the 1993-94 Prem season?
Swindon: Correctly answered by Kirstymd

Prior to last night's game between Portsmouth and Spurs, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Would it be the dire `defend in numbers and snatch an away goal` as Spurs have done quite well on occasions this season, or would we see the free-flowing attacking play from Pompey, resulting in another live seven goal thriller? Ultimately, it was a mixture of both, only without the seven goals! Portsmouth do look good in attack, whilst Spurs look solid at the back, however a Yakubu header gave the hosts pole position as regards that duel. Spurs, for all their decent attacking quality (Keane, Defoe, Kanoute) still look toothless and while the stats state that they had fifteen attempts at goal (four more than Portsmouth!), I can't recall too many saves from Shaka Hislop. Building a team with a solid defence is a great platform for a good team, however with just five goals in nine games, Spurs need to concentrate a little more on the attacking side, or accept yet another mediocre mid-table position.

The room where my computer current occupies one corner trebles as the attic and a sort of spare room for various stuff belonging to my daughter. Not long ago, she had a friend over and they decided to `sort a few things out`, a statement which surely terrifies most parents, and so they set out to take things out from under the spare bed, remove bits and bobs from various bags and inadvertently make an assault course around the room which would make the best Army Sergeant Major's proud. So, as I get up from the computer chair now, I have to be careful not to bash into a tiny toy which speaks when moved! Cries of, "Oh where is my thingy?" have already sent one of the dogs into panic whilst he's been flaked out on the landing, however even after that, the damn thing doesn't shut up for a couple of minutes! And I still haven't worked out what the `thingy` is that he's looking for!

Wednesday 20th October 2004
"Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, way before Nirvana. There was U2 and Blondie and music still on MTV. Her two kids in high school, they tell her that she�s uncool, but she's still preoccupied with...." (Song)

Prior to this season, which 12 (yes TWELVE) players had scored 100 or more goals in the Premiership?

Usually, with two Prem clubs involved in Champions League games, I have watched whichever club happens to be at home, so last night, Liverpool game at Anfield against Deportivo on ITV2 was my chosen evening entertainment ahead of Man United's game in Prague on ITV1. Naturally, the channel hopping tendancies soon took over although for once, I did manage to avoid the temptation to go `InterActive` via Sky's multi-screen choice. What a dopey mistake that was! So, whilst yours truly was managing to switch between two goalless draws, I could have seen a dramatic comeback in Leverkusen which included two red cards for Roma. I managed to miss Michael Owen's first goal for Real Madrid and a first half demolition of Maccabi Tel-Aviv by Ajax. Instead of all that, I watched bits of two 0-0 draws. Sods law or what!

At work today, I had to contact the Customer Service Desk regarding our credit card and telephone top up machine which went wrong yesterday afternoon. You see, this morning I happened to notice that the phone line had become disconnected which solved the mystery (Sounds like an episode of Scooby Doo!), however I had to try and stop them sending us a new terminal to replace a perfectly good one. So, we had the usual, "Press 1 for such-and-such" and "Press 2 if you have a problem with this-or-that", although it's ironic that my options are always number 4 or 5! However, once I'd waded through (only) two virtual menus, I was told that all operators were busy and I was on hold. No surprise there really, however I was pleasantly surprised to find that the music being relayed was by U2. The choice of song though could have been better thought out as, with me on the phone on hold for five minutes and the weather piddling down outside, yes it had to be, "Beautiful Day."

Goodbye From Me...

Due to circumstances beyond my control, the diary and the site in general is taking an enforced break for a couple of week, largely as I'll have no `Net access until early November. But, I'll be back to catch up on the fortnight between diaries, including Sunday's clash of the giants at Old Trafford.
Thanks again, Gary.

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