While everyone was enjoying FCUM, I was elsewhere. Oh well. In the absence of any pics from last night, here’s a game for you – can you name the building that I took in Leipzig below? Hint – it was used by the Commies* to subjigate and corrupt their subjects . Answer at the end of this report
* – I was going to lecture people on why communism may just edge fascism in the World’s Most Evil Ideology award, but seeing as some of our middle class fans still think that Trotski and Karl Marx were great thinkers, and still have a disconcerting level of attachment to the hammer and sickle, I think it’s less threatening to my blood pressure to listen to Wankelmann.
OK, it’s not the most exciting game you’ll ever play, but it’s slightly better than what Tenants 0 Landlords 2 was. In all honesty, if you can remember more than the goals, you’re doing a lot better than I am 🙂
Anyway, we went ahead through a long throw, that was flicked on by Steve Butler. Which was preceeded by the SW19 reader next to me saying “here it comes” when the ball was hurled in. I want this guy’s lottery numbers. And then we went 2-0 ahead after Sean Hillier ran onto the ball and slid it home. In fact, the Ks goalie’s first touch was to pick the ball out of the back of the net. That enough? Good. Overall, it wasn’t too bad, although Ks looked a bit more lively after the break, I still reckon we were more comfortable.
Really though, the litmus test will be the first three games of the season. This team does look stronger than it did last year. If it can gell together during the remaining PSFs then we may be able to justify the bookies making us favourites. It’s noticable that the likes of JS and now Ginge are being ousted – the ethos seems to be, if you can’t play we won’t pay. If the centre backs show the John Scales level of solidity then expect Matt E to join the out list. Those demanding sentiment may be advised to look elsewhere.
Oh, and anyone making a pun about Tony Boot will get a good kicking.
Moving forward…
Plus points: We won. Clean sheet.
Minus points: It rained.
The referee’s a…..: Did seem to favour the home side a little bit on occasions. Otherwise, file under the usual PSF type official.
Them: Yes, I know I say a lot about Ks below and in the past, and I will continue to do so, but considering it was their home game, they really didn’t appear to make the effort to turn up. Have they fallen that much? Didn’t seem so long ago they were getting pretty decent crowds in the Conference and playing people like Bristol Rovers on Sky.
Song sung blue: They had a go at Khosla a little bit and from what it appeared, us as well. And people wonder about the negative attitude we show them. Us? Well, when we could be bothered to sing, it was a case of “You’re shit, and you’ve got no ground”. No comment.
Point to ponder: And really, I don’t care what reaction this gets. There were 871 there last night, which may be good for the level of football but compared to what this game should get is pretty piss poor. And it’s an attendance that if anything has gone down – I know plenty of people who would have gone but because of the opposition’s attitude towards us stayed at home. Can we accept that this is now an unpopular friendly to stage? I don’t know quite what the deal is with Ks’ rent right now, but if apparent non-payment is the same this time next year, I hope we tell them to seek a friendly against Wallingford instead.
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) The sprinkler going off after about the first minute, which halted the game for a little while. Perhaps we could “accidentally” set it off when we’re doing badly during games in future? (2) Anyone else see Tony Boot clapping us off when he went off? (3) That rather toxic burning smell outside before the game. No truth to the rumour that the smell was Khosla burning accountancy books. (4) The Ks PA bloke announcing “Ks #1, who’s a secret to me”. The joys of a non-league PSF.
Franchise watch: They’re playing Carshalton Athletic in a friendly tomorrow. Or rather, the Franchise youth team. Apparently, the Junior Frenzies are coming in an unmarked minivan as well. There’s reportedly the token protest, but I really can’t be arsed about it. If anything, I’m more pissed off with CAFC rather than Franchise, who are quite simply too moronic to antagonise me properly. CAFC on the other hand show the side of non-league football that makes me desire league football more than ever.
Their employing of Graham “twatted by Sanch” Roberts should have set the alarm bells ringing. Their apparent shafting of Raynes Park Vile in our first CCL season, coupled with the way that their (rejected) plans for their redeveloped stadium just so happened to pop up when we visited them says more than I could ever write down. They do seem to have a real problem with us, as their grubby little mentality towards playing us and Franchise shows. Still, one day we shall meet….
So, was it worth it? Probably. Prefer Sutton next year
In a nutshell: So, who’s next?
And finally: The answer to the picture question is…….. the Zentralstadion, which is Leipzig’s World Cup 2006 venue. They kept the old fascia, cleaned it up and put a rather nice looking 43k stadium inside it. And yes, I know it looks like a KGB building….