BY THE FUNKY CHICKEN

Although I have washed my hands of watching them after the World Cup fiasco, I can't fail to take an interest in the progress of Don Fabio and Co.

God knows who he'll pick, especially up-front for the forthcoming European qualifying games. I noticed Peter Crouch scored three times the other night - and he also got a hat trick for Spurs into the bargain!

I'm not sure who England's striking partnership should be, but I wouldn't worry about pairing incongruous people - players who seem to have nothing in common.

I know it's not football (and I know your going to think I've been at the Plant Food) but when I was about 9 or 10,visiting Blackpool with my mam and dad they took me to see a show at one of the theatres there featuring two acts that nobody (although obviously someone did) could ever conceive would successfully share a Double Bill.

One a dark and brooding king of Rock N Roll - the other.........well a puppet!! Yep(honest)........Roy Orbison and Basil Brush.

Honest to God. I can't remember who was supporting who - each  was on for a half of the show - a proper Double Bill, maybe the Big O and The Brushster changed Top Billing every other night - that would make sense, if you wanted to keep two giant showbiz egos happy.

I reckon it must have been about 1970. Basil Brush's sidekick was either Mr Derek or Mr Roy, I can't quite remember. Nor can I recall ever thinking it peculiar until years later when I remembered it and had to convince myself that yes - -that really happened.

For all I know it might have been a trend at the time, Kings Of Rock n Roll out on the Road sharing Top of the Bill with a puppet - Pinky and Perky and Buddy Holly? Andy Pandy and Little Richard? Sooty and Chuck Berry? Who knows? Not me.

Monday morning dawned with a glorious blue sky over Wukiton, not just sunny but warm as well. We went fell-walking on Sunday (High Rigg, St Johns in the Vale) and although it was bright it was blowing a gale and freezing - so windy at the summit that Sarah couldn't stand up. So with no other distractions on a glorious Bank Holiday afternoon, it was a case of All Roads Lead to Borough Park.

Today's game kicked off with 707 people packed in to BP. I'm not sure how many of  them had made the trek from Vauxhall, not that many I would have thought. I can't really see the streets of Vauxhall emptying whilst fans made the long journey, given their teams indifferent start to the season.

In the crowd was me, Sarah, Colin, Jonesy, Evie, Lucy and Taffy, Armo and Steely, all fresh from Popgun taking Solfest by storm on Sunday.

The match was quite scrappy, especially in the first half when we never really got any rhythm going or had any clear attempt on goal, although we were still working hard in the baking heat.

Our view of the game from our Popular Side spot has been further impeded by a load of box things being bolted onto the new floodlights. I wouldn't care if the blooming things we're working, there's not one of them with so much as a single bulb on that I can see. Mind you there wasn't a lot of action at the Town End (which is totally blocked from our sight) in the first half - or the Derwent End goalmouth either for that matter. Most of the play was confined to the middle, with neither side fashioning any meaningful chances.

The second half saw a better performance from our boys and once Jonny Wright had scored from a ball nodded back across the box by (I think) Phil McLuckie the goal really gave us confidence.

We played our best football of the game from that point, although we could never quite extend our advantage to the two goal cushion that would give us a bit of comfort, not to mention soothe our fraught nerves on the Popular Side terraces.

We were just in the process of bemoaning the fact that we always only seem to manage to win by the one goal, and always seem to be hanging on at the end when Vauxhall broke up-field in a devastating counter attack and put the ball in the back of the net to equalise.

While we were one nil up the time seemed to have stood still, but now it seemed to have speeded up so we thought there was next to no time for us to regain the lead.

Little did we know. I have to confess our second goal happened in a bit of a haze, I think it was a header, and I think it was Shaun Vipond, but frankly who cares. We went crackers -.BP in uproar as our  heroes gallantly battled back into the lead in the sunshine.

I'm sure there must have been some kind of Timeslip because we all thought 90 mins was about up but the ref seemed to play on until about half five!
.
When the whistle went we cheered Our Brave Lads to the rafters. Another three points but we're still third. I can' quite believe we're just third after our start to the season, but hey.
me and Sarah walked home through the deserted Bank Holiday streets, with our chests puffed out with pride.

Yam again on Saturday, can't wait.

UP THE REDS
 
 

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