Beginnings*

Apart from those currently in denial or marooned light years from anywhere it is the dawn of the new Premier League season 38 games for each Club 500 dodgy VAR decisions and excuses why our particular team has disappointed SHWFC members anxious wait for the weekly gentle let down of our predictive powers in the Super Six moves ever closer Best of luck to all runners and riders We’re probably going to need it

Monday morning’s Ruskin session proved a splendid opener for the new term build-up Sunny conditions lots of players and further examples of sportsmanship and bonhomie all round

34 members turned up meaning we could split the teams between 1 game of 5 a side, and two of 6 a side; with the 6 aside -ers all playing each other in twenty-minute games.

Teams: -

Orange - Chris Willo, Mika, Phil the Power, Chopper, Michelle Monday

Green - Brian, Aldo, Sheila, Chris 10P and Geoff P (rare outing of Father &Son on same side!)

Purple - Enoch, Grav, Lord Rainford, Donal, Phil the Cat and Grazer

Pink - Snakehips, Phil the Moss, McSpeed, Les H, Cockney Rebel and Spiro

Sky - Barry Whizz, Amazon Prime, The Honeyman, Little John, Paul and Mark NR

Black - Eamon, Andy Manager, Tom Stretch, Chris K, Steve Jones and Les Meldrew

Those of you who can count will realize that the 5 a side game was between Orange and Green(Lemon) and it was a real tight affair with just one goal separating the sides after almost an hour’s play

Orange eventually winning out 6-5. Scorers for Orange were Michelle (2), Mika, , Phil the Power and Willo, narrowly overtaken by Aldo with a hat trick, Sheila, Brian and Chris 10P for Green

The 6 a sides kicked off with two close games. Sky and Pink fought out (unfair description, it was played in good spirit!) a 2-2 draw, Mark NR and the Honeyman scored for Sky whilst Spiro got both Pink goals. In the other game Purple narrowly lost to Black 2-1 TomStretch and Eamon for black with Donal hitting back for Purple, a draw would have been a fair result.

Whether Purple would think a nil - nil draw was a fair result in their next game is less certain. The hapless team hit the woodwork 4 times in the match against Sky who, trying to keep up, also hit the post Purple and Pink marked El Presidente’s arrival as guest Referee in the final match on Pitch A Following a stern slow down reminder there was an attempted Sussex Sweep to raise spirits The effort was a triumph of substance over style and dealt with accordingly by Phil the Moss in the nets Pink were on top and took the lead thanks to Les Hewitt The goal was the result of a string of excellent passes Purple contributed greatly to their struggles with poor distribution and passing McSpeed turned in Pink’s second then Cockney Rebel added a third shortly after The sealing fourth goal was reminiscent of the Alamo with McSpeed tucking in with no Purple defender in their own half

The other final match was a 3-1 victory for Sky over Black, with Little John, Steve Honeyman and Barry Wizz on target for the winners, Chris K claimed they Black consolation.

Wednesday’s Sutton SoccerDome session was well attended with 27 playing

Teams selected included;

Yellow - Jeff Betty, Chris 10P, Graham, Tom Stretch, Les H, Roy and making a first footballing experience Ellen

Blue - Cockney Rebel, Chris 4G, Steve C, Eileen, Les Meldrew, Haggis, Joe the Ghost and Subbuteo Dave (eventually)

White - Eamon, Wickie, Roger, Grav, Midweek Michelle, Little John and Deggs

Red - Enoch, Robin, Steve Smith, Jason, Andy Man and Simon

First blood to Blue who beat Red 1-0 with Steve C scoring he only goal. However Red have some justification in arguing they should have had an equaliser when Cockney Rebel theatrically fell and yelled as though shot. This was only for his concerned team mates and the Referee to then discover that the injury sustained was to an old trainer well past its sell by date!

A similarly close game followed with Blue, despite Steve C scoring again, narrowly losing out to Yellow for whom Chris 10P scored twice. Debutant Ellen must have wondered what she’d let herself in for but gallantly stuck to her task encouraged by her Yellow team mates.

Ellen marked her first appearance by being on the winning side in the final game (with a stint in goal – clean sheet noted!) Roy scored the only goal for Yellow in another tight game against Red

White and Yellow marked opening match on the other pitch with Ellen quickly in the thick of the action The difficulty of fitting in with others who first played the game in the days of black and white TV shouldn’t be down-played But SHWFC has long championed inclusiveness and there was plenty of encouragement evident throughout the game Deggs finally put White ahead with a good strike after 8 minutes 1-0 Chris 10P struck after typically tidy midfield work to make it 1-1 A draw a fair reflection of a very even game

In the next match White faced Blue In the first attack Wickie inflicted further damage on his troublesome abductor and limped back to take up the keeper’s gloves for the rest of the night

The match featured some excellent play with both sides spraying passes about to stretch their opponents Roger showed some of his best touches in weeks at the White rearguard Simon broke the deadlock to fire Red in front Grav found some time and space to draw White level 1-1 a cracking game now with both teams going all out to prevail Red took the lead 2-1 with Steve Smith rounding off some good work by Robin in the final minute

The final word in a pulsating match

The White v Blue final fixture was barely kicked off before Little John put White ahead, rounding off some neat play by Michelle The lead was short lived with Joe applying a decisive touch to a stinging Cockney Rebel long distance effort 1-1

Chances were coming thick and fast and at both ends but it was Deggs at the double that settled proceedings 3-1 to the White, Blue in self-destruction mode playing passes into dangerous areas too frequently for their own good White pounced on the frequent Blue errors the next a tap in after a parry was not dealt with by defenders Michelle claimed a well deserved fifth White goal 5-1

A night to remember for some and one to quickly forget for others The talk in the Boot Room revolved around recollections of other notable first outings Like the corners of the mind The way we were All things (like a player on their second touch) must pass

Beginnings* - Chicago

https://youtu.be/lI-BMDnti4c?si=YLagAD2uCmKOA7S0