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So Good To Be Back Home Again
Jul. 21st, 2011 07:23 pmWent up to London last night, to see Fisher FC for the first time in five years, in a pre-season friendly with Tonbridge Angels. All the familiar steps of the journey to the ground - stopping for bagels at The Bagel Factory at the entrance to London Bridge station, walking to the end platforms to catch the East Dulwich train, passing by the New Den on said train - brought home how much I've missed going to see the Fish all this time.
As we stopped at Peckham Rye, on my iPod I played So Good To Be Back Home Again by the Tourists.
It was pouring with rain when I got off at East Dulwich. At the ground, manning the turnstile was Ben, who's now club chairman since the club was reborn two years ago, now supporter-owned. Ben gave me a hearty handshake, said "Welcome back" and asked where I'd been for the last five years. I explained that I'd spent that time paying off credit card debts, running up more and paying them off, getting my fix of football at my local non-league sides in the meantime, but that I was now debt free (that prompted "Congratulations" from Ben) and able to return to my true love. In between letting people into the ground, Ben accepted my cheques for my season ticket and club membership.
As we stopped at Peckham Rye, on my iPod I played So Good To Be Back Home Again by the Tourists.
It was pouring with rain when I got off at East Dulwich. At the ground, manning the turnstile was Ben, who's now club chairman since the club was reborn two years ago, now supporter-owned. Ben gave me a hearty handshake, said "Welcome back" and asked where I'd been for the last five years. I explained that I'd spent that time paying off credit card debts, running up more and paying them off, getting my fix of football at my local non-league sides in the meantime, but that I was now debt free (that prompted "Congratulations" from Ben) and able to return to my true love. In between letting people into the ground, Ben accepted my cheques for my season ticket and club membership.
I left Ben to get on with putting up his turnstile signage and moved on through the rain to the bar, where, joy, Spitfire was on tap. Dan, now club secretary, said hello as I went in, One of the few other patrons there was Dave, and we had a good catch-up chat. A little while later Mark entered. After he'd said hello to us and moved on I asked Dave what had happened to Mark's young lady : Dave said how not long after my last season five years ago, that relationship went seriously Pete Tong. Two of the old gang not present were Tim and Ian. I already knew Ian was no longer following the Fish; Dave told me the last he heard of Ian was that he'd been chucked out of Ilford's ground for going around prophesying doom, the way he used to when he was with us.
Fisher finished bottom of the league last season (thankfully the Kent League doesn't relegate) so, as Dave, the bloke in front of us and I observed, the only way is up! In fact new manager Steve Firkins has signed a raft of new players over the summer and the all-round feeling at the club is optimistic.
Fisher finished bottom of the league last season (thankfully the Kent League doesn't relegate) so, as Dave, the bloke in front of us and I observed, the only way is up! In fact new manager Steve Firkins has signed a raft of new players over the summer and the all-round feeling at the club is optimistic.
Tonbridge fielded a team of fringe players and reserves - no sign of Jon Main - but as they're a Conference South club, it was still a damn good performance by the Fish to beat them 5-2 playing scintillating football. One of the Tonbridge goals went clean through a hole in the net. During the second half two balls, within quick succession of each other, got wedged in the big net along the top of the wall behind the goal. Ben, after several minutes of effort, shook them loose with a long pole.
If anyone still wonders why I prefer grass roots football to the Premiership, that surely has to be the answer : during a game you get to see the club chairman shaking footballs out of a net with a long pole.
I asked Dave if he knew whether we still owned Fisher's true home at Rotherhithe, which I knew was now semi-derelict and only used for car boot sales. He said it's owned by the club's former owners (who bankrolled back-to-back promotions to take us to the Conference South, but, after we lost in the play-offs for promotion to Conference National, turned the golden tap off and bankrupted us by not paying the club's tax bill). So it looks like Dulwich for the foreseeable future.
Clapped the lads off the pitch at the final whistle and headed back to the station. Home at 12.30 am.
Dentist this morning. Interestingly, she said she couldn't see anything wrong with the tooth I've lost two small bits of filling off - I guess that means that one's fine as it is. She did a test probing around my gums and said I needed to floss more, and gave me a temporary filling in my wisdom tooth, with an appointment to have a permanent one put in in a week's time. She didn't like the look of one of my other fillings, but after a couple of goes with the floss didn't loosen it she decided to leave it alone for the time being. The receptionist and I had fun and games finding a slot for me to visit one of the hygienists - neither of them had any appointments after 4pm until October, so we settled on September 6, which I'd already booked as official holiday.
Clapped the lads off the pitch at the final whistle and headed back to the station. Home at 12.30 am.
Dentist this morning. Interestingly, she said she couldn't see anything wrong with the tooth I've lost two small bits of filling off - I guess that means that one's fine as it is. She did a test probing around my gums and said I needed to floss more, and gave me a temporary filling in my wisdom tooth, with an appointment to have a permanent one put in in a week's time. She didn't like the look of one of my other fillings, but after a couple of goes with the floss didn't loosen it she decided to leave it alone for the time being. The receptionist and I had fun and games finding a slot for me to visit one of the hygienists - neither of them had any appointments after 4pm until October, so we settled on September 6, which I'd already booked as official holiday.
