A Steve Hillel Special
Steve was a friend from Minchenden Grammar School. I think he was in the party on at least one occasion, when we went to see some of the latest bands at the Regal Edmonton. I can remember seeing The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Nashville Teens, Chuck Berry, Adam Faith and Joe Brown in a long gone venue, that is now a supermarket. He may have actually got the tickets, but it is now nearly fifty years ago.
But Steve’s other claim to fame, was that he was a rather eccentric right back in the school football team, with a penchant for scoring own goals.
Ipswich’s first goal today was one that was straight out of his manual. Sorry Steve, if you read this, but Adam Matthews’ own goal was one of the most spectacular I’ve seen. His header never gave the goalkeeper any chance.
Saatchi in Ipswich
I was surprised to see a sign as the coach arrived in Ipswich, advertising the parking for a Saatchi exhibition. I had not heard anything about it.
So as I had a hour before the match, I walked into the town and asked in the Corn Exchange about the exhibition. I was told it is in the old Art School just to the north of the town centre. Here is the web site.
Yet again something worth seeing has been badly publicised and Ipswich is doing nothing to attract visitors to the town to see the exhibition. Next time, I go to the football, I’ll go early specifically to see the exhibition. It’s free and is open from ten until five from Tuesday to Saturday.
By Coach to the Football at Ipswich
Tuesday’s match against QPR is best forgotten and I did think about abandoning my trip to see Ipswich host Cardiff today. But in the end I took the Supporter’s Club coach from Haverhill. And very comfortable and sociable it was too!
The only problem was crossing to Tesco’s in Haverhill after being dropped at the bus station, so that I could get my supper. You just had to brave the traffic as the crossing was in the wrong place. But then supermarkets aren’t designed to be accessed on foot, as the average person can’t carry much!
But I did come quickly in a taxi!
Don’t They Ever Learn!
It is now being reported that there are more betting allegations in the cricket.
I was going to watch the last two matches next week! Perhaps, I won’t as it would appear the bookmakers have already decided who will win!
An Inspiration to All of Us
It has just been announced on Radio Five that Sir Christopher Chataway will be running the Great North Run tomorrow, aiming to beat a time of one hour fifty two minutes. He is nearly 80 and it is also reported in The Independent. This article also gives details about the water project, he’s set up in Ethopia with his son, Adam, in memory of Adam’s fiance, who died in 2006. He also discloses in the article, that he used to smoke.
I can remember as a seven-year-old watching on television as Sir Christopher bear the unbeatable Russian, Vladimir Kuts, over 5,000 metres at the old White City and also claim the world record. Kuts sadly died at just 48!
Sir Christopher has been one of my heroes, since that night in October 1954.
Scotland and London Get the Pope, Suffolk Gets the Tour of Britain!
Today, the Tour of Britain came to Clare, which is a village a few miles from where I live.
I asked one of the local officers about it and he definitely felt we’d got the most entertainment and the better deal.
There was quite a few people on the streets of one of Suffolk’s most pleasant villages, as this video shows.
After the excitement, I went down the pub and had a half of Aspalls, before returning home for lunch.
Looking back on today, I’m rather pleased at how the video has turned out. It’s the first real one, I’ve done since the stroke and it’s a lot better than some I’ve tried. But this was done with my trusty Fuji S5700 and Windows Movie Maker.
Ely to York via Scunthorpe
I’m going to see Ipswich at Scunthorpe on the 25th. I have been told by East Coast, that I’ll need to use two single tickets, as I can’t break my journey at Doncaster, like I did last week at Micheldever.
So I’ve booked the first leg from Ely to Scunthorpe and that has cost me £16.45 First Class. Not bad as it would probably cost about £50 for the diesel in the Jaguar!
But getting from Scunthorpe to York, doesn’t seem so easy to buy a ticket. All that seems to exist are Anytime Singles at £20 or £13.20 with my Railcard. Why are there no Off Peak Tickets?
In the end, Ibought the Anytime Single from East Coast at £13.20!
Women’s Football
Last night on BBC3, I watched the English women beat Switzerland to qualify for the finals of the next World Cup in Germany in 2011.
The football was good and fast and of a high standard, but you couldn’t say that for the refereeing! England’s goal-keeper was sent off for a non-offence, but this was balanced by England being given one of the softest penalties I’ve seen in a long time.
If sports are to be taken seriously and that includes women’s football, then the officials must be of the same high standard as the players. I suspect that last night, part of the problem was that the referee couldn’t keep up with the fast pace of the game.
Free As A Lark Runs at Great Yarmouth Today
She’s in the 15:20. She may have a chance and if you have Sky, the race will be on At The Races (Channel 415)!
I’ll be going by train from Dullingham and I’m also hoping to look at Norfolk’s cut-off Eastern outpost.
No she doesn’t as the ground has got too soft! But I’m still going to the town to have lunch and a look round!
A Goalless Draw at Portsmouth
On my travels this season, Ipswich have won all of the games I have seen. They also have won the one game I didn’t!
So I was hopeful, that things would go well. But even if they didn’t, I would get to see one of the last remaning stands designed before the Second World War, by Archibald Leitch.
Fratton Park
Note that Archie’s signature criss-cross balustrades have been remved from the tront of the top deck of the stand to the left.
I spent a lot of my youth watching Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and when I went to Liverpool University, I visited Goodison Park several times. Both were Leitch stadia and still had the criss-cross bracing, as did the old Twickenham and many other places.
But to return to yesterday at Fratton Park. It was a good game and a goalless draw was probably fair. But both teams could consider themselves unlucky.
Note that if you want to learn more about Archibald Leitch, a man who probably did more for the football spectator in the British Isles, than anybody else, read his biography by Simon Inglis called Engineering Archie. It should be compulsory reading for all football fans. I wonder how many fans, who troop to Craven Cottage realise that they are sitting in a Leitch stadium, that he designed around 1904. Thankfully, it is still pretty much intact and actually has Grade II listed status, which is fairly unique as sports grounds go. Brian Inglis sums up the chapter on Craven Cottage like this.
Had Letch slapped up one of his routine stands (of which he built many), had there been no corner pavilion; whether in a pleasant riverside spot or not, the ground would have succumbed to develpers years ago.
Such is the power of the place. Such is the aura of architecture.
There are countless football grounds bereft of character. But there is only one Craven Cottage.
And for much of that, the credit lies with Archibald Leitch.
Craven Cottage is on my list of must-see grounds.
The Anonymous Widower 