Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Roll Away The Play-Off
So Southampton fail to make the Wembley play-offs losing in a cruel penalty shoot out against Derby. Went down to St Marys for the first leg and was appalled at the long ball and kick anyone opponent tactics by Derby County. They must be one of the worse team to watch in the Championship. Despite hitting the bar twice and having long periods of play where we were the better side, Saints lost 2-1.
As it was a midday kick off I went back to the Royal Oak for a beer afterwards where I sat at the same table as a previous soccerette from Sky’s Soccer Am. She was wearing the sky soccerette T-shirt which was the big clue!
Bit of a mix up for the 2nd leg on Tuesday. After deciding it would be too much hassle to get to Derby, (last train at 9.30 so miss half the game) or a late coach getting to Victoria at 4.30 in the morning I had arranged to watch the match with a few mates in the local pub. However, Monday I get a text asking me whether I had the tickets for tomorrow. A quick phone call later I find out that I am supposed to be seeing Ian Hunter at the Pigalle Club. After a long walk round Picadilly and Shaftsbury Avenue on Tuesday we find a place called Soccerio which used to be Burlington Berties. I decide to watch the 90 minutes which was due to finish at 9.30pm before going to the gig. The match was hugely entertaining with Rasiak getting a late winner in the ninety minutes forcing it into extra time. Now dilemma, watch the extra 30 minutes and miss most (if not all) of the gig, or rely upon phone technology for updates. I decide on the latter and was surprised when getting inside the Pigalle that Ian Hunter had only just come on and was halfway through his first song, the classic ‘Once Bitten Twice Shy’. The venue itself was appalling. About thirty diners would have had a good view of the stage with the others at the bar at the back peering round pillars and waiters who were serving food throughout the show. ‘Twisted Steel’ was the second number but besides that and a dodgy version of ‘I Wish I Was Your Mother’ I didn’t recognise too much in the first half hour. Regularly checking the phone I find our Saints were about to embark on a penalty shoot out. Here, we manage to get a ‘pass out’ from the gig and run to the Sports Café. Avoiding the queue and payment to get in, the penalties were watched through the window. Saints lost with the young Leon Best missing the first penalty (why he took the first one, considering he had scored an own goal, confidence was down and he’s inexperienced and shattered I don’t know) & Idiakez blasting over the bar. Disappointed we head back inside the venue. Again nothing is recognised by me until the encore of Roll Away The Stone and All The Young Dudes. We’re due to see him again in September so hopefully some more ‘Mott The Hoople’ classics will be back in the set.
All in all, a slightly disappointing evening. Wembley will have to wait and hopefully when I see Mr Hunter again it will be in a better venue, hopefully with a better set, & I won’t have other distractions on my mind.
As it was a midday kick off I went back to the Royal Oak for a beer afterwards where I sat at the same table as a previous soccerette from Sky’s Soccer Am. She was wearing the sky soccerette T-shirt which was the big clue!
Bit of a mix up for the 2nd leg on Tuesday. After deciding it would be too much hassle to get to Derby, (last train at 9.30 so miss half the game) or a late coach getting to Victoria at 4.30 in the morning I had arranged to watch the match with a few mates in the local pub. However, Monday I get a text asking me whether I had the tickets for tomorrow. A quick phone call later I find out that I am supposed to be seeing Ian Hunter at the Pigalle Club. After a long walk round Picadilly and Shaftsbury Avenue on Tuesday we find a place called Soccerio which used to be Burlington Berties. I decide to watch the 90 minutes which was due to finish at 9.30pm before going to the gig. The match was hugely entertaining with Rasiak getting a late winner in the ninety minutes forcing it into extra time. Now dilemma, watch the extra 30 minutes and miss most (if not all) of the gig, or rely upon phone technology for updates. I decide on the latter and was surprised when getting inside the Pigalle that Ian Hunter had only just come on and was halfway through his first song, the classic ‘Once Bitten Twice Shy’. The venue itself was appalling. About thirty diners would have had a good view of the stage with the others at the bar at the back peering round pillars and waiters who were serving food throughout the show. ‘Twisted Steel’ was the second number but besides that and a dodgy version of ‘I Wish I Was Your Mother’ I didn’t recognise too much in the first half hour. Regularly checking the phone I find our Saints were about to embark on a penalty shoot out. Here, we manage to get a ‘pass out’ from the gig and run to the Sports Café. Avoiding the queue and payment to get in, the penalties were watched through the window. Saints lost with the young Leon Best missing the first penalty (why he took the first one, considering he had scored an own goal, confidence was down and he’s inexperienced and shattered I don’t know) & Idiakez blasting over the bar. Disappointed we head back inside the venue. Again nothing is recognised by me until the encore of Roll Away The Stone and All The Young Dudes. We’re due to see him again in September so hopefully some more ‘Mott The Hoople’ classics will be back in the set.
All in all, a slightly disappointing evening. Wembley will have to wait and hopefully when I see Mr Hunter again it will be in a better venue, hopefully with a better set, & I won’t have other distractions on my mind.
# posted by Rich @ 9:07 AM 
