Fat man walking....plus the weekend's sport

TheFatManWalking.com

Saw this in the Observer and thought I'd bookmark it.

Woke up yesterday to find a thick load of snow had plopped down onto Liverpool. In the time it took me and Anne to walk to the shop to get the sunday papers all our footprints had been covered over by fresh snow...I was not intending to do much with the rest of the day. In fact the way it was going it looked dodgy for getting work this morning (although ultimately that didn't happen).

Spent the day being depressed by England...The Cricket is currently plodding towards and Indian win after yesterday morning's capitulation, I then spent the afternoon watching the rugby team embarress themselves in Paris...one of those days. The final footnote to the day was England's best midfielder reprising his European Championships by playing back a tame backpass to Theiry Henry putting him clean through on goal. Some of these were funnier than others.

Saturday had been "Score a spectacular goal" day in the Premiership...Everton, it has to be said, don't score many goals and goal-of-the-month contenders are even rarer. Against a woeful Fulham we scored two...it was almost surreal! Two beautiful, audacious, sublime, spectacular goals sailing & looping their way into the far corner of the net. One into the Park End by Beats and in the second half McFadden did a brilliant chest down and volley into the Gwladys St....brilliant stuff. Whilst Everton were rampant against Fulham the rest of the Premiership seemed to be chipping in with great goals of their own. Gallas, Roberts, Mendez, Pederson amongst others.



Highlight of the weekend...one bloke in the Upper Gwladys trying to salute Arteta's man of the match display with "Arrrrrteta, Arteta, Arteta." to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance (oddly enough).

FCL - Football Club Lourdais - site officiel

FCL - Football Club Lourdais - site officiel

It turns out our fave French town has one of the most successful rugby teams in France. Nowadays however they are in the lower divisons but not many teams have been champions more than Lourdais. Might have to investigate.

Weather spoils second Test again

Weather spoils second Test again

English whether here and in India making for little play at the test...no TMS for me.

The rednoses crashed out of the Champions League. You know that feeling when a team gets a blatantly unjustified penalty but then the keeper saves it...lot of that about the other night.

In the same way all those foolish Evertonians got the half-time smiles wiped off their faces last year I think a few of our lovable cousins might have learnt a bit recently. Going to Old Trafford to 'five' the Utd fans & coming away well & truly Nevilled. All lined up in the pub cheering away as Barca took on 'Chelski', sending e-mails about big-red and Barca making John Terry cry then getting dumped out by one of the weakest teams left in the competition.

Live by the gloat die by the gloat...

Lent

Cripes....I've decided to give up cussing & a-swearing for lent. Always good thing to cut out your spontaneous expletives.

The match will be tricky...and I find driving brings out a few.

20p per swear for 6 weeks......might mean the chancellor has to raise the base rate 'cause of the increased spending.

My mate Antony has given up all drinking and another mate Darren is giving up beer (but not spirits)...it's me extra tough for him 'cause he's Irish and St Patrick's day approaches.

Sublime to the ridiculous

After Tuesday's glorious weather we've went a bit to the other extreme. Snow on Wednesday and thick fog & ice this morning.

Running out of screenwash didn't help...could barely see a thing with the low sun shining through all the dirt on my windscreen. Usually I'd have a bottle of water to squirt but this morning I had to resort to chucking my cup of tea onto the windscreen...worked a treat though.

Cricket progressing with it's usual pleasantness...Man of the day Mathew Hoggard who at one point had bowling figures for the day of 9 overs 6 maidens 4 wickets for 12 runs. Top work.

1st Test: India v England at Nagpur

1st Test: India v England at Nagpur, 1-5 Mar 2006

Ah the cricket is back...I've said it before but the drive to work is a million more pleasant with TMS on the radio. Especially on mornings like this...their won't have been more clear blue sky above the cricket down at Nagpur than there was beaming down on me, just 35 degrees C temperature difference.

Vaughan and Jones returning home

Vaughan and Jones returning home

Cricket starts again tomorrow...could be nasty. The tour is a farce from day one. Our Captain and Vice-Captain have already gone home as has one of our bowlers and our first choice spinner never even made the trip out.

If Flintoff pulls this off he deserves a knighthood.

Everton in Thai (I think)

สโมสรฟุตบอลเอฟเวอร์ตัน

Inca road system - Wikipedia

Inca road system - Wikipedia

"The four-day trail or Classic Trail starts from one of two points; Km 88 or Km 82, on the Urubamba River and 88km and 82km from Cuzco. The first day is relatively easy, covering no more than 13 km in a few hours, passingby the Inca ruins of Llaqtapata, a site used for crop production and which has remained well preserved.
Day two is the hardest of the four days: the ascent to Warmiwanusca or Dead Woman's Pass, which, at 4,200 m above sea level, is the highest point on the trail.
Day three starts with the final climb to Dead Woman's Pass. The views from the top provide excellent views of nearby mountains such as Salkantay and Veronika. After a second pass is the site of Sayaqmarka, perched atop a sheer cliff. After Sayaqmarka the Trail continues through thick cloud forest and jungle, filled with tropical flowers and colourful orchids. Reaching a third and final pass at Phuyupatmarka, one gets a first glimpse of Machu Picchu mountain, roughly 13 km away.
The final day is another easy day, mostly descending into the valleys and passing through more colourful jungle and cloud forest. Winay Wayna is an impressive and well-preserved Inca site, climbing a steep-sided mountain where the one-day trail meets up with the main route."

Everton move to sign Westerveld

Everton move to sign Westerveld

Didn't see that coming...



Nothing should surprise us now

In other news :

Liverpool condemn attack on ambulance

This Everton/liverpool/United thing feels like it's getting slightly out of hand. Liverpool fans were singing piss-takes as Smith got treatment for his horrific injury.

Supporters' sick chants reveal new depths of antagonism between two great clubs"John Arne Riise, I wanna know how you broke his leg"

the fact that he got an warm standing ovation as he was stretchered off will be forgotten amongst the backbiting and stories of Utd fans being pelted with turd (liverpool have home fans sitting above away fans in their Anfield Road stand, at the last Anfield derby the Everton fans were showered with coins, spit and drinks throughout.)

Telegraph Match report"Liverpool looked a better-balanced team than United in a Cup tie played out in a filthy atmosphere, with sections of both supports shaming great clubs. There were chants about Munich and Hillsborough, a chorus of 'Are you watching George Best' and even some excrement dropped from the top tier of the Anfield Road End into the United section (where it hit a steward)."

The same happens at Goodison and Old Trafford...United fans seem to have adopted our unsavoury Murderers chant as one of their own now and let's not forget the trouble after the Everton/United Cup game last season when the Utd fans were stalked a la Last of the Mohicans all the way back to Lime Street. There is low level abuse during & after all of these games now...he derby has always been a bit on the nasty time in the years I've been going the derby (It certainly didn't always used to be that way) and since the 3-4 game at Goodison a couple of seasons ago and the subsequent Rooney transfer the atmosphere at the Everton/Utd games has been pretty poisonous too. There has never been any love lost between the rednoses and Utd but it seems to have been ratcheted up a few notches recently....there are times, like the two league games last season at Goodison where the rivalry produces a fantastic atmosphere...hostile & partizan but directed the right way. You could argue that that was just because Everton were winning but throughout those games the focus was on getting behind the team.

This sort of trouble is sad but hopefully it'll get nipped in the bud.

Pongolle sings the blues

Liverpool's exile risks red wrath by singing the blues: "I've been in this country for three years so I know all about the rivalry between Everton and Liverpool, but everywhere I go in Liverpool, the football fans I meet are all Everton fans," Sinama Pongolle said.

"The bigger part of people in Liverpool all support Everton. Liverpool have fans in Europe and everywhere else, that's why Anfield is always full. But when you go to Goodison, it is just full of Liverpool people. It is all Scousers."

Davie Moyes could have scarcely put it better himself :

"This is the people's club in Liverpool. The people on the street support Everton"

Croc Vs Tiger - Google Video

Croc Vs Tiger - Google Video

Wowsers!

I tried to hold you back but you were stronger

Another lovely weekend with the sun shining down from the winter sky on Saturday. There was no Everton game to attend this weekend (it felt like the first weekend in ages we weren't at home) so we were free to enjoy the rugby.

There is still some vociferous negativity amongst some of my mates when it comes to going to watch rugby (this is a football city after all) but generally anyone who's been along with us this season has thoroughly enjoyed it.



Saturday was no exception. Our little supporters club was down on numbers (latest score texts & piccies being sent across the Irish sea to keep Mike, Mary & Bernadette updated over in Skerries) but Penny & Jack, Anne's mum & dad, joined us (Best behaviour despite being given lots of pints of lovely Deuchars IPA to enjoy) and along with Paul, Rachel and Louise we had a decent showing. Waterloo were 20-0 up and when our Number 8 did a bit of a faux parts (it didn't look deliberate but tackling someone's head whilst they're in full flow is one of those things you really don't want to see) and so for 60 minutes 'loo were down to 14. This made for the really tight game with the home team really having to show their mettle...42-19 at the end was probably a fair result.

Standing in our usual place by the clubhouse end try-line (nearest place to the bar, you know it makes sense) we had a great view of Stourbridge's second try...a lightning quick, full stretch dive for the line provoking quite a bit of debate as to whether the player had been in touch before he grounded the ball. We were probably the best placed people in the ground to tell and we generally thought it was a try. A bloke who knows Anne shouted over "Doc? Was it a try", Anne nodded, "There you go......she knows anatomy". Sometimes it helps to be on the spot.

Another good game and another good win for 'loo (especially with Esher losing).

Echo match report

Anne and I have booked to go on the Inca trail for our honeymoon...this is something kind of worrying as we are not sure we are as fit as we used to be. When we were travelling we could just stroll up mountains all day without ever noticing...whether we could do the same nowadays is something we'll have to see. On Sunday we walked up Moel Famau, a nice short walk with some fairly steep bits. We aim to increase this to the likes of Snowdon, Coniston and Ben Nevis this year just so we aren't embarrassing ourselves when we get to the Andes (then all we have to worry about it altitude sickness).

"Am I bothered though?" Jade Johnson

'Am I bothered though?' Jade Johnson: "'People let her disrespect whoever she wants but my mum brought me up to not let anyone disrespect me.' "

Ace when people in the public eye act like kids.

Phil Neville salutes 'people power' & Beats speaks too

Neville salutes 'people power'

Nice words from our Phil.

"They say Everton are the people's club, and it really is. Everyone mucks in together and there is no better atmosphere. You wouldn't get an atmosphere in any other ground like you had here at Goodison on Saturday. It was really special."

Beattie so proud of hunger to succeed

"I had a look around when Iain was being sent off, and a lot of heads could have dropped, but I could see the lads were still well up for it. I could see in their eyes that they were hungry to get a result, and we did it. It's not that I haven't been before, but I am very proud to be an Everton player at the moment."

"The crowd also made a difference. We were playing against the officials, so it was 14-10 in Blackburn's favour, so the crowd made the other four up for us! They were spot on again, and it does definitely help you. They could see we were trying our rocks off, and that's what they expect and that's what they deserve."

and finally :

icLiverpool New Stadium at Switch Island

These new stadium stories are generally pipe dreams but it'd be ace being able to park at my Mum's then have a pre-match pint at St Benets.

Weekend stuff

It has occurred to me that this blog is little more than an Evertonian diary...it is tricky because although I've got other things happening in my life what else are you going to talk about when you get in on Monday morning?

Take this weekend, we had Anne's bridesmaid Helen & her Husband Andy staying with us. Helen was going to get fitted up (guvna) and then we were all off to the match. They are die-hard Peterborough United fans and so Posh have become a bit of a second team for us. Any footy programmes we get go to The Posh Fans Trust as opposed to ebay. Last year we went down to London Road for the first time and saw Peterborough absolutely spank Port Vale 4-0 (this, we were told, was not the norm) so we owed them a game. Everton V Blackburn are somehow two of the form teams in the league so happily this seemed a good game to take them to. Afterwards we went to The Gulshan Indian Restaurant for a really, really nice curry. Stomachs straining we waddled back to the car to head to The Vic as it was Dave Dolan's birthday and we were all going there to surprise him. Unfortunately there was lots of food and cake layed on by Carmel which was torment 'cause we barely had room for our beer after stuffing ourselves with curry. A good time was had by all (although my friend Harriet cruelly mocked me for being a glory hunting Leicester Tigers fan). After all that we tripped off home.

So you see although other things happen the weekend hinges on the footy....so anyway, the footy :



Another weekend another nervous one niller. Big Nige recovering from an ankle operation, Richard Wright out for a month after his freak injury in steps Iain Turner for his home debut...nine minutes later in comes John Ruddy for his debut! Stubbs had headed back to his keeper but Turner had advanced outside his area to kick clear. He instinctively reached down and handled. Oops! The Blackburn players were all over the ref asking for the young lad to be sent off and the ref duly produced the red card. Harsh I think, Crystal Palace's keeper did the same offence last season and stayed on the pitch...the rule is that it's a red if the player handling denies a goalscoring opportunity. This wasn't the case. So that effectively ruined the game. Everton had had a goal disallowed and had hit the bar before Turner had been sent off but we'd had to take a striker off...plus it had to be said the ref & linesmen weren't doing us any favours. The players game everything, the back four in particular were immense. Beattie seemed to terrify their defense, he ran himself into the ground. In the end they never troubled us. Beats scored the winner in the first half and we basically looked the better side throughout the game. We had 3 goals disallowed (at least one of them looked absolutely fine prompting songs of "Four nil to the Everton") too. At the final whistle Moyes and the players were all in the centre circle hugging each other and applauding the fans. This is what Saturdays are all about.

Another win for 'loo sees them back up to 2nd after Mosely had beat Esher. Sounds like they had to work very hard for it though :

Echo Match report

Proper British

Proper British

Here too

Good old Nige is now the face of 'Proper British' HP sauce...not sure about the haircut though.

Men and embryos

Chelsea, it's fair to say, took us to the cleaners. The night started badly with Richard Wright ignoring a notice not to practice in the goalmouth before the game. He somehow contrived to clatter into the notice and break his ankle...Cue a debute for 3rd choice keeper Iain Turner (Big Nige being out already with an ankle injury).

We lived with them for about 20 minutes but then they just cruised it. Top opener for Robben, penalty then a freekick...game over. We got a pen back in the 2nd half but that's all. We only had one real sight of goal all match.

Still nothing £200,000,000 wouldn't solve. Hopefully we can put it behond us and continue our excellent league form however the weekend's game against Blackburn see two of the form teams meet and it'll be a tough one.

The pendejos across the park managed to balls up against Charlton when ideally we'd have wanted them to win. The rojo-mierda never seem to do us any favours. Their problem is, I think, that they started believing their own press. Before Christmas they'd convinced themsleves that they were the challengers to Chelsea's throne (I remember seeing a crude photoshopped picture of a liverpool tank charging across the desert towards a Jose Mourinho/Saeed "Comical Ali" al-Sahhaf charicature) but in truth they hadn't really come up against anyone.

Boro to stick with boss McClaren

Boro to stick with boss McClaren

"He also promised there would be no ban for the fan who ran on to the pitch during the match before hurling his season ticket at manager McClaren after the fourth goal had been conceded."

Making sure he has to continue watching 'boro. Now that's a cruel and unusual torture.

Anti-Occidents

You do get the feeling that Tommy Gravesen and Stig Tofting would sort out all these Danish cartoon protests in 5 minutes flat.