My Little Town
Nov. 11th, 2014 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eiffel_71Sunday was the Gosport Borough v Colchester game. The ground was transformed for the occasion, with temporary stands behind both goals; in one of them a vocal group of fans, decked out in yellow and blue from head to toe, sang songs, rang bells and waved placards. They had a giant teddy bear standing at the end of the front row, with a T-shirt on bearing a list of the results from last year's FA Trophy run followed by 'The dream continues - Gosport v Colchester 9.11.14 FA Cup 1st round'. There was also a huge inflatable tent behind one of the temporary stands, acting as an extra tea bar.
Getting hold of a prog was fun and games - there were none by either turnstile, nor in the club shop - but I finally found a vendor walking round the ground with them. I was just in time; they sold out minutes later and the club shop lady took down people's contact info for a reprint run. Just had time for a Pompey Royal (from Oakleaf, Gosport's own brewery) in the clubhouse. While I was in the queue Bradford (sods...bastards...) City took the lead against Halifax.
Alas, the game was finished as a contest within half an hour as Colchester ran in three goals. To do Gosport credit they never gave up, and pulled one back late in the first half. Alas, I missed Gosport's first through being in the blow-up tea tent, having gone there early to beat the rush. Colchester scored again just before the break; although Justin Bennett scored a well taken goal for Boro in the second half, late on Colchester added numbers five and six, though Boro still managed an injury-time consolation.
Walking back to the parents' after the game I got caught in an absolute monsoon. There was a tree by the road so I took cover until the rain eased, though it didn't really provide an awful lot of shelter.
Travelled back yesterday. After getting in the shopping and a walk, I was ready for a night of pub grub and football on the big screen. Alas, the Heath Inn's booze selection was down to the bare bones, and poor old Kerry, while she was friendly enough, was all on her own, so the clientele - who numbered about a dozen, probably more than the place was expecting on a Monday - ended up with some pretty long waits for service. And there were no cherry bake well sponges on. I mentioned to Kerry that this dessert had now been off for over a week and was still on the blackboard; she promised to have it rubbed off.
We had the FA Cup 2nd round draw on. When Bury came out of the hat early in the draw and the announcer said 'Will play', I, remembering my meeting with the Grange-over-Sands greengrocer, said out loud '25' - Luton's number. Would you believe it - it was 25. So I'm committed to keeping my promise to the greengrocer and attending the match.
After the draw, some of the other people in the bar watched Corrie. When the end-of-episode credits faded, I, as I have done tons of times before, walked over to the remote control and put BT Sport on for the Havant & Waterlooville v Preston match. At that point an older guy, sitting with his younger partner quite close to the screen, addressed me aggressively and sarcastically "Why don't you just put what you like on?" Thrown off balance, I explained that I'd never had a problem putting on televised football for the bar. I managed to ask him if he wanted to watch anything else. He sulkily said no. Kerry came back from the kitchen out back. From the safety of the other side of the room I said sotto voce to her "someone's not happy with me putting the football on". Kerry went over and asked everyone "Who's not happy with the football?" No-one spoke. After 10 minutes of Mr Allmouth N. Trousers griping about me and football to his partner, the two of them actually left.
All that was necessary was to say 'Excuse me, I would like to watch...' Then, I would have gladly deferred to him and walked down to the Axe to watch the match. There's just no need for that kind of behaviour. Daft onk.
Getting hold of a prog was fun and games - there were none by either turnstile, nor in the club shop - but I finally found a vendor walking round the ground with them. I was just in time; they sold out minutes later and the club shop lady took down people's contact info for a reprint run. Just had time for a Pompey Royal (from Oakleaf, Gosport's own brewery) in the clubhouse. While I was in the queue Bradford (sods...bastards...) City took the lead against Halifax.
Alas, the game was finished as a contest within half an hour as Colchester ran in three goals. To do Gosport credit they never gave up, and pulled one back late in the first half. Alas, I missed Gosport's first through being in the blow-up tea tent, having gone there early to beat the rush. Colchester scored again just before the break; although Justin Bennett scored a well taken goal for Boro in the second half, late on Colchester added numbers five and six, though Boro still managed an injury-time consolation.
Walking back to the parents' after the game I got caught in an absolute monsoon. There was a tree by the road so I took cover until the rain eased, though it didn't really provide an awful lot of shelter.
Travelled back yesterday. After getting in the shopping and a walk, I was ready for a night of pub grub and football on the big screen. Alas, the Heath Inn's booze selection was down to the bare bones, and poor old Kerry, while she was friendly enough, was all on her own, so the clientele - who numbered about a dozen, probably more than the place was expecting on a Monday - ended up with some pretty long waits for service. And there were no cherry bake well sponges on. I mentioned to Kerry that this dessert had now been off for over a week and was still on the blackboard; she promised to have it rubbed off.
We had the FA Cup 2nd round draw on. When Bury came out of the hat early in the draw and the announcer said 'Will play', I, remembering my meeting with the Grange-over-Sands greengrocer, said out loud '25' - Luton's number. Would you believe it - it was 25. So I'm committed to keeping my promise to the greengrocer and attending the match.
After the draw, some of the other people in the bar watched Corrie. When the end-of-episode credits faded, I, as I have done tons of times before, walked over to the remote control and put BT Sport on for the Havant & Waterlooville v Preston match. At that point an older guy, sitting with his younger partner quite close to the screen, addressed me aggressively and sarcastically "Why don't you just put what you like on?" Thrown off balance, I explained that I'd never had a problem putting on televised football for the bar. I managed to ask him if he wanted to watch anything else. He sulkily said no. Kerry came back from the kitchen out back. From the safety of the other side of the room I said sotto voce to her "someone's not happy with me putting the football on". Kerry went over and asked everyone "Who's not happy with the football?" No-one spoke. After 10 minutes of Mr Allmouth N. Trousers griping about me and football to his partner, the two of them actually left.
All that was necessary was to say 'Excuse me, I would like to watch...' Then, I would have gladly deferred to him and walked down to the Axe to watch the match. There's just no need for that kind of behaviour. Daft onk.
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Re: Bulldogs we have heard on high.
Date: 2014-11-11 11:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-11-11 11:35 pm (UTC)he just resented someone changing the channel.
That grumbly sort are unnerved by any display of autonomy.
no subject
Date: 2014-11-12 06:14 am (UTC)Not rocket science, is it?