Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saints are off to Wembley hopefully......
The FA Cup. Greatest football competition in the world. And the bonus is Southampton are progressing well in it. Wasn’t a great game against Bury (a rerun of the 1900 final) but we got the result and have drawn Bristol Rovers away in the last 16. Not been to their ground before and only ever been to Bristol once. Should be a good day out!
Went down to Farncombe on Sunday to see Jackie Lynton in the Three Lions pub. Good blues night. However, in the Freeholders pub an announcement was made by the landlady that ‘Gemma had been dismissed for unacceptable behaviour and has not run off with Mark’. Have to say that most of the people in this pub were slaughtered, a fine effort for eight o’clock on a Sunday. My brother was delighted that a bloke entering the pub, tipped his hat at him and called him ‘guv’.
Tuesday was more football and after a quid a pint shannanigans in the student pub, Avondale House, I went to what is now my local pre-match pub the Royal Oak. I have to say that one of the barmaids, Amanda, is getting lovelier every visit. Another good thing about this pub is that a urinal was stolen from it last year and subsequently returned and now hangs from the ceiling in the main pub. The match against Norwich was one of the most enjoyable this season except for the fact we lost 1-0. We hit the woodwork four times and Stern John took the worst penalty you’ll see for a long time. Gigs come fast next week to really get 2008 underway, with Paramore, Sultans Of Ping and Hard-Fi on the agenda.
Went down to Farncombe on Sunday to see Jackie Lynton in the Three Lions pub. Good blues night. However, in the Freeholders pub an announcement was made by the landlady that ‘Gemma had been dismissed for unacceptable behaviour and has not run off with Mark’. Have to say that most of the people in this pub were slaughtered, a fine effort for eight o’clock on a Sunday. My brother was delighted that a bloke entering the pub, tipped his hat at him and called him ‘guv’.
Tuesday was more football and after a quid a pint shannanigans in the student pub, Avondale House, I went to what is now my local pre-match pub the Royal Oak. I have to say that one of the barmaids, Amanda, is getting lovelier every visit. Another good thing about this pub is that a urinal was stolen from it last year and subsequently returned and now hangs from the ceiling in the main pub. The match against Norwich was one of the most enjoyable this season except for the fact we lost 1-0. We hit the woodwork four times and Stern John took the worst penalty you’ll see for a long time. Gigs come fast next week to really get 2008 underway, with Paramore, Sultans Of Ping and Hard-Fi on the agenda.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Beginning Of The Year
January is rubbish. You have spent all your money on presents and socialising over Christmas and hardly anyone goes out. No-one plays any gigs, and the weather tends to be abysmal. The darts was good though and Anastasia won so my 180 sign increases in value.
So besides a few dull football matches I’ve hardly been out. Did a mini-crawl of Suttons Newtown area on Friday culminating in a game of darts in the New Inn which I won two sets to one. We played 501 for a change allowing a chance of a few big scores. We both did a couple of 140s and a few hundreds as well as the obligatory 26s and single figures. A good pub to play darts in though.
Went to Dulwich Hamlets ground on Saturday to see Fisher Athletic beat Sutton 4-2. Sutton scored within 30 seconds of the start thanks to a goalie who could not clear a back pass, and also equalised within a minute of the second half commencing from a corner. Fisher got two more goals, all four of theirs being scored by an Andre McCollin who was very pacey and should why Sutton are struggling at the foot of the table. The bar at Dulwich is at the back of the main stand which has a long window overlooking the pitch. Meaning you could watch the game with a pint of beer. Technically you’re not allowed alcohol within sight of the pitch but the ledge where you put your beer is below the window! Ingenious.
Not much planned this week. Hope to see the Saints progress in the FA Cup on Saturday, and may make a trip to Farncombe on Sunday to see Jackie Lynton as I did a few times last year. (I get paid Friday so can start going out more! Hurrah!)
So besides a few dull football matches I’ve hardly been out. Did a mini-crawl of Suttons Newtown area on Friday culminating in a game of darts in the New Inn which I won two sets to one. We played 501 for a change allowing a chance of a few big scores. We both did a couple of 140s and a few hundreds as well as the obligatory 26s and single figures. A good pub to play darts in though.
Went to Dulwich Hamlets ground on Saturday to see Fisher Athletic beat Sutton 4-2. Sutton scored within 30 seconds of the start thanks to a goalie who could not clear a back pass, and also equalised within a minute of the second half commencing from a corner. Fisher got two more goals, all four of theirs being scored by an Andre McCollin who was very pacey and should why Sutton are struggling at the foot of the table. The bar at Dulwich is at the back of the main stand which has a long window overlooking the pitch. Meaning you could watch the game with a pint of beer. Technically you’re not allowed alcohol within sight of the pitch but the ledge where you put your beer is below the window! Ingenious.
Not much planned this week. Hope to see the Saints progress in the FA Cup on Saturday, and may make a trip to Farncombe on Sunday to see Jackie Lynton as I did a few times last year. (I get paid Friday so can start going out more! Hurrah!)
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
2008 & Magic Darts at Frimley Green
So 2008 eh? Wow! 2007 ended with me completing my pub count on a nice round 600, with a cheeky half on NYE whilst shopping in Croydon (The Old Fox & Hounds). The final Saturday of 2007, to get to this figure I did a crawl of the Sutton pubs I hadn’t done. This ranged from the depressing (Angel & Red Lion) to the surprisingly alright (Dolphin & Lord Nelson) and actually better than expected (The Woodman) if only for the illegal Saturday afternoon football on some arabic channel.
New Years Eve was spent in Wimbledon doing a similar crawl to last year. Nice to see an area of pubs that don’t milk the occasion by being all ticket!
January is always quiet and I have no gigs planned till Paramore in February. However, yesterday I did go to Lakeside in Frimley Green for the BDO darts. I managed to get my 180 sign signed on one side by the lovely Anastasia Dobromysova, the good looking Russian female champion, and by Wolfie Adams on the other (the current BDO champion).
Southampton’s form over the last few weeks has been indifferent with the manager, Burley, continuing to tinker with very odd line-ups. How Jason Euell gets in the team is anyone’s guess, especially when Viafara seems a much better option. With Safri gone for a month, we wait to see on what Burley picks for this time. My money is on Wright going to midfield with Ostlund or one of our centre backs filling in at right back. This is not the best option but Burley sticks with his favourites. Still we look good to progress in the cup. FA Cup third round day, best day of the football calendar.
New Years Eve was spent in Wimbledon doing a similar crawl to last year. Nice to see an area of pubs that don’t milk the occasion by being all ticket!
January is always quiet and I have no gigs planned till Paramore in February. However, yesterday I did go to Lakeside in Frimley Green for the BDO darts. I managed to get my 180 sign signed on one side by the lovely Anastasia Dobromysova, the good looking Russian female champion, and by Wolfie Adams on the other (the current BDO champion).
Southampton’s form over the last few weeks has been indifferent with the manager, Burley, continuing to tinker with very odd line-ups. How Jason Euell gets in the team is anyone’s guess, especially when Viafara seems a much better option. With Safri gone for a month, we wait to see on what Burley picks for this time. My money is on Wright going to midfield with Ostlund or one of our centre backs filling in at right back. This is not the best option but Burley sticks with his favourites. Still we look good to progress in the cup. FA Cup third round day, best day of the football calendar.
