View from the cemetery - October 2015

Strictly football this week. I think I have demonstrated my ignorance of other sports quite enough in the last couple of weeks. But, before that, what was that England rugby captain thinking of last Saturday night? Even as a member of the Bede School under 13s, (a mighty fine outfit in 1967, since you ask) we would have taken the kick for the penalty. Mind we did have a damn good goal kicker, despite the fact he wore specs, not something you see very often on a rugby field. I'm struggling to recall his name, even though he is on the team picture hanging in the ablutions. Oh yes, we have facilities in this cemetery.

Anyway, as I say, strictly football from me. And all going swimmingly here at Meadow Park, what? Despite constant changes of team, as players fall by the wayside or pop off to Benidorm for the weekend. Or was that the manager, I forget...

Football is full of long held theories which you challenge at your peril, full strength squad, not changing a winning team, consistent selection etc, etc, but it always seems to me that in practise teams often respond to adversity - players missing, injury wrecked squads and the like - very well, getting results that the doomsayers have called impossible beforehand, and that seems to apply to us at present. We are going on nicely. Apart that is from the old penalty shootout. Dearie, dearie me, not the best you have ever seen was it? Which reminds me, it looks like the short, but spectacular career of James Talbot between the sticks maybe over, at least for now. It would be wrong not to mention the lad, didn't he do well on his holidays from the Sunderland staff? Fast off his line, safe hands and excellent distribution, pleasure to watch. And a little bit of edge as well. Thanks to Sunderland and James for that, but I think it will have done him a lot of good as well, especially the night in front of the North Shields Ultras, baying a yard or two behind his goal. Character forming I should say...