There’s A Lot Of It About*

January is always a tricky time for us at St Helens Walking Football Club. The weather can be unpredictable, changing from day to day. Monday morning was damp and misty, but that didn’t stop a large number of players from showing up. We kicked off the week in the best possible frame of mind!

Wednesday brings Champions League night, or as some might jokingly call it, the Infantino Money Fest. Clubs from all over Europe compete for more cash. The connection to proper football? Well, that’s a bit questionable. The final will feature two teams of multi-millionaires battling it out for their petro-dollar owners. It feels a bit like the Warrington Guardian Cup from days gone by. But hey, just three more months to endure, comrades!

New Faces on the Pitch

This week, we welcomed two debutants who managed to escape their initiation songs for a week. Andy, our manager, was unavailable for once—next week, though, chaps!

Team Line-ups

Here’s how the teams shaped up for the matches:

• Red: Big Tony, Tom Stretch, Enoch, Chopper, GRAV, and Ashy

• Old Gold: John Hill, Beach Boy, Lord Rainford, Mark NR, Chris K, and Kirsty

• Green: Phil the Power, new boy Dave Roberts, Steve Harding, Eamon, Mika, Monday Michelle, Cornelius, and Donal

• Purple: Steve Jones, Les Meldrew, new boy Rob Culshaw, Les H, Rick, Tomo, and Snakehips

• Black: Paul F, Haggis, Eileen, Amazon Prime, Cockney Rebel, and Barry Wizz

• Blue: Sheila, Phil Moss, Roger, Wickie, Mike Bates, and Mike Thomo

  
  
  
  

Match Highlights

Referee Jeff Betty Birchall was in charge of the opening match on Pitch B, where Black cruised to a 2-0 victory over Red. Goals by Paul F and the Cockney Rebel, who seems to thrive in the opponent’s final third, sealed the win. It was great to see Barry Wizz back in action after his recent accident!

In the second game, Jeff guided a close affair between Black and Blue. The Cockney Rebel fired home to catch the eye of Chelsea scouts, who offered him a seven-year deal! Haggis found the net too, as Black finished the morning with two wins from two games. Blue managed a consolation goal scored by Wickie, ending the match 2-1.

The morning’s seven-a-side match featured Green and Purple. Charlie kept a watchful eye on proceedings, and it included our morning’s debutants. The outcome was a tight, high-scoring encounter, with Green just edging out Purple 5-4. The scorers for Green were Eamon with a hat trick, plus Michelle and Donal. For Purple, Steve Jones, Jill Tomo, and Rob found the net.

More Goals and Excitement

The opening match on Pitch A saw Old Gold hold off Blue in another goal fest. Blue started slowly and fell behind after Beach Boy Brian’s Wilson scored from a breakaway. Goals by Mike Thomo and strike partner Phil Moss put Blue in the lead. We enjoyed the sight of a rampaging Rainford crashing home with his trademark Sussex Sweep. Chris Kelsall provided further hope for Gold, but despite a late goal from Beach Boy, Blue sealed the win 6-4.

The final game of the session saw Red secure a win against Old Gold. Two early goals by our own Mr Angry, Andy ‘Enoch’ Powell, handed a huge advantage to the visitors. GRAV then finished a good link-up to push Red three ahead. Chris Kelsall rampaged through the Gold rearguard, grabbing a brace and setting up a nervy finish. A late goal for Red put the result beyond doubt, with a final score of 4-2.

Wednesday Night's Action

Wednesday night’s action was limited to a single game outside at Sutton SoccerDome. A mix of ailments and illnesses played a devastating role in reducing our numbers at the last minute. We owe a huge thanks to Cockney Rebel, who stepped up to referee and record the night’s action for our blog.

The game ended with Yellow losing 1 to Blue's 5. It was an even start, with both teams showing fine attacking and defending skills. We played on the middle pitch, which was quite wide, making it hard to see at times. One player, who we thought was running to retrieve the ball, simply played it back, and everyone carried on!

Although the score suggests a one-sided game, that wasn’t the case. Yellow lost composure as time went on, rushing their play and struggling to fend off Blue’s surge. It was a good game played in great spirits, with all decisions accepted.

Line-ups for the Match

• Yellow: Haggis, Mike Thomo, Deano, Ian Hilton, Andy Man, Chris 10P, Eamon, Grav, and Cornelius

• Blue: Jeff Betty, Mark Dav, Ian Harding, Gaz Clark (back from Panto), Steve Carine, Midweek Michelle, PJ, and Benno

  
  
  
  

Looking Ahead

Our thanks to Martin for all his help. We remain hopeful that the weekend will improve the collective health enough to feature two great sessions next week.

There’s A Lot Of It About* - Lazy Flies (Belfast indie band with a bizarre mix of musical styles)

Watch the Video Here

Let’s keep the momentum going and enjoy the beautiful game together!