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May. 11th, 2008 09:01 amTo Westleigh Park last night for the Havant & Waterlooville FC Presentation Night. As I went round saying hello to the people I knew, Rob bought me a Magners, and Lisa said that Oxford United Ladies' former manager hadn't given back the Southern League First Division trophy, which she was well cheesed off about. Simon D joked that Lisa and Trevor would have to quickly make one out of papier mâché. Thankfully, the championship medals were there for the girls to be presented with.
I milled around the room for a while, until the Ladies players began to arrive and Michelle invited me to join them at their table. Poor Jenna D is on crutches, having done her ligament in the game at Newbury on Tuesday. Sarah, very pregnant, put in an appearance and Lisa joked about expecting her back for pre-season training in two months. Jodie took photos of everyone, me included, on her phone. Just after 8pm Trevor came on the mike to announce that the buffet was now open, and also that Fred was walking around selling raffle tickets at £10 each - the prize was two tickets to next week's FA Cup Final, sitting with the Portsmouth fans. I bombed straight over to the buffet and loaded my plate up with oodles of lovely olives, as well as a few chicken bits, samosas, spring rolls and onion bhajis. I was about halfway through my nosh when Jenna D exclaimed in surprise "Wilhelmus, where'd you get that food from?" I pointed her in the direction of the buffet. Given her handicap, she looked hopefully at her partner Laura, but she wouldn't go and fetch food for her. Jenna made it over to the buffet with Lisa's help.
When I'd finished, I sought out Fred - while a tenner was a bit steep for a raffle ticket, and despite my lack of interest in Portsmouth FC, the prize was like gold dust round here - I'd easily have found a taker if I'd won them - and proceeds all went to help the club, so I bought one.
Trevor opened the formalities with a speech about the season just gone, focusing mainly on the FA Cup run and the trip to Liverpool, and giving massive thanks by name to the club staff and the volunteers who help out on matchdays. Galey was next up, and thanked the players for their efforts that had got us to Anfield, gave his own mentions to several of the same staff and volunteers, and finished with a big thank you to "you, the supporters." Marcus, the club chairman - dressed in a T-shirt and jeans - followed; he was really witty. Kevin Scriven deservedly got Supporters' Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season. As he collected the latter trophy, Trevor took the opportunity to announce "And there's great news - Scrivs has signed on for another two years". Massive cheer.
Next were the Academy boys. They'd been runners-up in both league and cup; in his speech Stu, their team manager, was clearly cheesed off they hadn't won either or both, but had nothing but praise for the players' efforts. When he thanked his assistant, Ollie, all the girls around me let up a massive cheer, as he used to coach them and was very popular with them.
Finally it was the Ladies' turn. Trev did a little speech about how he hoped the girls' rapid upward progress would continue, then thanked Rob and Lisa, Dick and Simon for their hard work through the season. He called up Rob and Lisa, who began by awarding Lisa Cooper, whom Rob called "the Rocky Baptiste of the Ladies' team", her Golden Boot. Next was Most Improved Young Player of the Season, which went to Jenna F, then Manager's Player of the Season, won by Jo. Finally came Players' Player of the Season. The voting had been a tie between Chantelle and Jodie, so both received trophies. Then the girls were all called up to receive their championship medals. But Rob and Lisa weren't done yet - they said they had a few people they wanted to thank, and began with Trevor. They presented him with a crystal glass on a presentation plinth, then did the same for Dick. After that Lisa said "Our last award is for someone who follows the Ladies home and away. He travels by train, by bus" - I knew straight away what was coming - "and I'm sure he'd travel by plane if we played abroad." Of course it was me. I got up and went out to meet them, to cheers from the girls, and receive my glass and plinth and have my photo taken with Rob and Lisa.
Michelle, on behalf of the team, took the mike and said they wanted to do some presentations of their own. They gave little goodie bags to Rob and Lisa, Dick and Trev, then Michelle said they'd like to give a little something to me. I stepped forward again, and Michelle handed me a football with all the girls' signatures on and a carrier bag with a Hawks home shirt in. "Thank you very much," I said, and went to kiss Michelle on the cheek; she was a bit surprised by that, even though everyone kissed Lisa when she was handing awards out, but she went through with it.
"Do you like that?" lots of the girls asked me back at the table, as I sat looking at the autographs on the ball. "Yes, that's lovely," I replied, and made a point of giving effusive thanks to Jodie and her little group, who were sitting nearby, on behalf of the whole team.
A bit later Barry joked about me being a "ladies' man" as I passed him en route to the bar. When I got there Steve, a fan, pointed me out to Steph. "I wondered why he was making a bee-line for the women's team at the start. I thought 'he's got no chance'," Steve told Steph, then turned to me and said "You've got pulling power"...
I milled around the room for a while, until the Ladies players began to arrive and Michelle invited me to join them at their table. Poor Jenna D is on crutches, having done her ligament in the game at Newbury on Tuesday. Sarah, very pregnant, put in an appearance and Lisa joked about expecting her back for pre-season training in two months. Jodie took photos of everyone, me included, on her phone. Just after 8pm Trevor came on the mike to announce that the buffet was now open, and also that Fred was walking around selling raffle tickets at £10 each - the prize was two tickets to next week's FA Cup Final, sitting with the Portsmouth fans. I bombed straight over to the buffet and loaded my plate up with oodles of lovely olives, as well as a few chicken bits, samosas, spring rolls and onion bhajis. I was about halfway through my nosh when Jenna D exclaimed in surprise "Wilhelmus, where'd you get that food from?" I pointed her in the direction of the buffet. Given her handicap, she looked hopefully at her partner Laura, but she wouldn't go and fetch food for her. Jenna made it over to the buffet with Lisa's help.
When I'd finished, I sought out Fred - while a tenner was a bit steep for a raffle ticket, and despite my lack of interest in Portsmouth FC, the prize was like gold dust round here - I'd easily have found a taker if I'd won them - and proceeds all went to help the club, so I bought one.
Trevor opened the formalities with a speech about the season just gone, focusing mainly on the FA Cup run and the trip to Liverpool, and giving massive thanks by name to the club staff and the volunteers who help out on matchdays. Galey was next up, and thanked the players for their efforts that had got us to Anfield, gave his own mentions to several of the same staff and volunteers, and finished with a big thank you to "you, the supporters." Marcus, the club chairman - dressed in a T-shirt and jeans - followed; he was really witty. Kevin Scriven deservedly got Supporters' Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season. As he collected the latter trophy, Trevor took the opportunity to announce "And there's great news - Scrivs has signed on for another two years". Massive cheer.
Next were the Academy boys. They'd been runners-up in both league and cup; in his speech Stu, their team manager, was clearly cheesed off they hadn't won either or both, but had nothing but praise for the players' efforts. When he thanked his assistant, Ollie, all the girls around me let up a massive cheer, as he used to coach them and was very popular with them.
Finally it was the Ladies' turn. Trev did a little speech about how he hoped the girls' rapid upward progress would continue, then thanked Rob and Lisa, Dick and Simon for their hard work through the season. He called up Rob and Lisa, who began by awarding Lisa Cooper, whom Rob called "the Rocky Baptiste of the Ladies' team", her Golden Boot. Next was Most Improved Young Player of the Season, which went to Jenna F, then Manager's Player of the Season, won by Jo. Finally came Players' Player of the Season. The voting had been a tie between Chantelle and Jodie, so both received trophies. Then the girls were all called up to receive their championship medals. But Rob and Lisa weren't done yet - they said they had a few people they wanted to thank, and began with Trevor. They presented him with a crystal glass on a presentation plinth, then did the same for Dick. After that Lisa said "Our last award is for someone who follows the Ladies home and away. He travels by train, by bus" - I knew straight away what was coming - "and I'm sure he'd travel by plane if we played abroad." Of course it was me. I got up and went out to meet them, to cheers from the girls, and receive my glass and plinth and have my photo taken with Rob and Lisa.
Michelle, on behalf of the team, took the mike and said they wanted to do some presentations of their own. They gave little goodie bags to Rob and Lisa, Dick and Trev, then Michelle said they'd like to give a little something to me. I stepped forward again, and Michelle handed me a football with all the girls' signatures on and a carrier bag with a Hawks home shirt in. "Thank you very much," I said, and went to kiss Michelle on the cheek; she was a bit surprised by that, even though everyone kissed Lisa when she was handing awards out, but she went through with it.
"Do you like that?" lots of the girls asked me back at the table, as I sat looking at the autographs on the ball. "Yes, that's lovely," I replied, and made a point of giving effusive thanks to Jodie and her little group, who were sitting nearby, on behalf of the whole team.
A bit later Barry joked about me being a "ladies' man" as I passed him en route to the bar. When I got there Steve, a fan, pointed me out to Steph. "I wondered why he was making a bee-line for the women's team at the start. I thought 'he's got no chance'," Steve told Steph, then turned to me and said "You've got pulling power"...
